I contend that I am the nuttiest GRMer

Now, we have members here who build cars out of their neighbor's trash or watch racing documentaries with their racing gear on or radically transform the same car 3 or more times, but I contend that am I the nuttiest among you.

This extraordinary claim demands extraordinary evidence:

This year I'm making a serious push for 1st overall at the local autocross, possibly the most obscure and least important racing event run by an FIA-affiliated club. To do this, I've:

1. Decided that I'm staying where I am and therefore making no attempt to better my career or life prospects for this year. Every single day I do this is objectively, measurably and noticeably bad for my life, but I considered that before making the decision.

2. Decided to dance on the brink of bankruptcy in a time of lower-than-ever job security to upgrade my car. Much of the competition is upgrading this year and new competitors are entering with frighteningly good cars, my car may fall short after all this, shorter than I'd like to think about, but dammit I have to try!

3. Decided that when the time comes for the 'rolla to go in the shop for The Swaps next week, it's going in whether I have anything else to drive or not. I may have to bum rides for a month or so.

If I do take home 1st I don't know if I'll think it was worth it, probably not, but I will be satisfied that I was the best on what will surely be the toughest-yet year of competition...among some dudes who dodge cones for fun.

Now who's nuttier than that? I know HiTempGuy's turned down some cushy jobs that interfered with the rally schedule, but who has brought themselves this close to utter ruin for an automotive achievement with only personal value?

You may not be the nuttiest, but you're way beyond me. Good luck, and remember this post will still be somewhere on the internet in 20 years to haunt you.

I think Ben still has you beat.....

Granted I have poured at least 3x the purchase price into my current pair of taurii......and one hasn't run since '08 and will probably get parted to clear the garage bay for the bimmer.

I ran for national points one year in NCCC competition. My goal was a top-15 finish overall. Spent WAAAY too much $$$. Had a mechanical failure in November and had to bum rides for the last 2 races of the year, ended up 17th or 18th. No trophy, no jacket. Knowing what I do know, I shouldn't have done it because I better understand how hard it is to race on a smaller budget and how a setback can put you out of the points when it's close. If I ever run for points again it will only be when I have plenty of dollars set aside for contingencies.

I just sold my childhood dream car and 40th birthday present to myself in order to make the POS in my avatar a little more competitive. You seem pretty sane and responsible from where I'm sitting.

In reply to yamaha:

Because Escort!

We're all mad here...

Swank Force One wrote: In reply to yamaha: Because Dorkscort!

FTFY

In reply to turboswede:

Nah, its the deathscrotum......

I would be careful about confusing dumb and nutty.

If you don't have a wife and kids, you are free to get as nutty as you damn well please.....sigh.

I'm flying 1000 miles with my 9 year old to buy a car that I haven't seen and could almost certainly buy locally. I'm doing this because I'm hoping that he and I will have a grand adventure and it will form a bond over cars that may last into his teen years and beyond. I really want the car and it's one of my dream cars but I'm going about it the way I am for the future approval and adoration of a 9 year old that already dearly loves me anyway.
Maybe that's not as loco as you guys, but it's certainly not normal.

I'm sorry, but which idiot here drug home a rusty AMC?!?

Yes, you're nuts. Welcome to the club (...and thanks for the nod.)

Ive run in the BABE rally 7 times, 4 of those were on my anniversary.

I did a fly and drive 1400 miles for a $750 station wagon.

My boss is well aware of my philosophy, "Im only working here to pay for my cars"

I currently have 2 eastern bloc cars in my garage.

On that note WARTBURG...and Yugo.

I drove that damned Wartburg, a gutted caged mostly race car that was cobbled together from 6 other cars and hadn't until 2 days before when it blew its motor, replaced the motor and went on a solo 18 hour "test drive" with no tools.

Before I had to worry about things like a family I would gladly skip meals to pay for parts.

and WARTBURG ;)

And I'm still probably not the nuttiest one here.

JThw8 probably wins this but here goes.

AWD 2.4L turbo minivan + track days/autocross (if they'll let me) = nutty

In reply to moparman76_69:

Nah, it means you've drank too much Chrysler koolaid.

JThw8 writes a mean essay, too.

To be honest from the moment I saw this car I had impure thoughts about what could be. Not those wholesome family impure thoughts like I had when I met my wife's little sister. No, I'm talking about full blown, bottle of Bacardi, some used 40 weight, a Wartburg and me wearing nothing but a smile, kind of impure thoughts.

I bought a car because some idiot i know on here told me to go buy it- my only discussion with the wife on the matter was "Goin' to buy another car, be back later" and I left...... pretty tame, but this is what you people do to me.

JoeyM wrote: JThw8 writes a mean essay, too.

To be honest from the moment I saw this car I had impure thoughts about what could be. Not those wholesome family impure thoughts like I had when I met my wife's little sister. No, I'm talking about full blown, bottle of Bacardi, some used 40 weight, a Wartburg and me wearing nothing but a smile, kind of impure thoughts.

Bacardi writes a mean essay, I am merely the tool through which it communicates.

I just drove 800 miles round trip to buy a set of body molds for my race car. They cost 1/2 what the car initially cost, but less than a new body.

As soon as I install garage heat - necessary to do composite work in a detached garage in winter - I'm going to disassemble the entire car, blast and paint all the suspension bits, scuff and paint the chassis, and reassemble w/ new bearings, bushings and heim joints. Then all the stuff I did last summer goes back on along with the new wing/mounts/subframe that came from the UK.

Simultaneously I'm laying up a new nose, tail and side pods, a couple difusers and making a mold for the flat part of the splitter. (splitters and difusers are carbon/nomex honeycomb/epoxy so you can do those indoors in the shop.

Drop dead date for completion is April 11. I'd prefer to be done in March for a tune and test.

You live on an island in the Caribbean, right? Seems like we're the nutty ones. Also: LOCAL auto-x? That should be more of an issue of $$$ than talent.

That $5 trophy won't make you happy, but getting there should be fun.

I left a very nearly six figure job to sell AN fittings and other race parts out of my living room and build race cars out of my small shop. Its so worth it! Remember you only get one try at life and the only person you have to live with while you're here is you, the only person you may have to explain anything to is God. Do whatever makes you happy!

poopshovel wrote: Also: LOCAL auto-x? That should be more of an issue of $$$ than talent.

We haven't had any of the big-budget people in the top 3 for years.

BoneYard_Racing wrote: I left a very nearly six figure job to sell AN fittings and other race parts out of my living room and build race cars out of my small shop.

You're not fooling anyone, this is completely sane