I was rummaging through the most reliable thread - then saw a post on seeing two bi-turbos in one day. I already have a 928s, so I'm not exactly risk averse. Sort of considering a modern Maser Quattroporte - they're a cheap buy in and a bit on the scary side for what could go wrong...
What are the scary cars you've taken on?
Europas.
I haven't really taken on anything terrifying. Air cooled 911s, 80s/90s BMWs... a bunch of 60s/70s american muscle. All pretty safe bets with enough up-front examination to not get burned.
I briefly entertained the idea of an 80s Ferrari V8 and almost bought a BMW 850 but didn't for one reason or another.
I've had enough trouble with a '90s Corolla TYVM!
Formula SAE.
Thankfully I wasn't doing it alone.
NOHOME wrote:
Can I be your Protege??? I would love to LEARN how to do it. I need someone that has the time and patience to TEACH me
I bought this as my first car for $1:
Some consider wankels scary. Nor is one which suffered an engine fire for the feint of heart.
2.4 DOHC swap into a 1995 SOHC Neon. This was in about 2000 when it was not a common swap, and almost nothing had been worked out yet. Engine source / swap assist from a really sketchy dude with minimal resources. Got it done, but it was not pretty for a month or two - especially since it was SWMBO's car and she was stuck in the '92 base Caravan while her Neon was under full anesthesia.
We bought a new CR TDI Jetta in '09, according to the internet our HPFP should have killed the engine 10-20K miles ago. Maintained by me for all but the transmission service every 40K miles. knock on wood. 
I bought the "wrong" engine when my Volvo 850 needed a transplant. It was cheap, bought over the phone/email and shipped from a yard 300 miles away in St. Louis. Either I, the guy at the junk yard, or both were unclear what either of us were talking about. I couldn't afford another engine, couldn't return the one I got, it's not like there's a huge market for used N/A Volvo 5 cylinders. I persevered, deleted the emissions systems from the new-to-me engine, adapted my original harness/vacuum plumbing to it, and "engineered" its variable intake system to function in my car that was not originally equipped with it.
I was 18, just graduated high school, and my Jeep developed a huge exhaust leak due to a broken manifold stud. Of course it was the rear most stud, impossible to get to with the engine in the Jeep. I parked it in grandpa's shop, and proceeded to pull the head to remove/replace the stud. Dad got home from work, to discover what I had done, a little dismayed at first, but proud I took the initiative, so he bought new gaskets, and the stud for me. I had it fixed and running the day after the parts arrived.
Scratch building a car from the ground up.
I guess this counts - it wasn't for the feint of heart, anyway:
From here....
To here....
There were some steps in the middle I'm skipping over.
ambitious? yes. brave? maybe. stupid? possibly. giant pile of parts requiring lots of assembly, fabrication, cutting out FUBAR'ed repairs, un-tweaking the body so the trunk and doors would fit? most definitely.
balls deep in it now.
Sine_Qua_Non
Looking at your profile and fleet of Volvos, I think you would prefer to be on-board for the current build. P1800ES with Miata suspension and 302 V8.
The Bugeye was my first ever attempt to restore a car. Like a lot of what I seem to do, its a matter of backing yourself into a corner in the deep-end and refusing to give up.
I DD a Land Rover Disco... I think that is scary enough for most people
I think it would have to be the Abomination. A $150 Spitfire, a bunch of Miata parts and 2 wrecked RX7's combined with rudimentary welding skills = a lot of tiptoeing.
Curmudgeon wrote: I think it would have to be the Abomination. A $150 Spitfire, a bunch of Miata parts and 2 wrecked RX7's combined with rudimentary welding skills = a lot of tiptoeing.
That sounds exceptionally awesome
I've seriously entertained buying an XJS-V12 and an Alfa Milano. There is a free BMW e28 offer dangling in front of me, just crying out for some sort of V8 swap. If I had a garage I would definitely have one of them now.
TBH, Rust scares me far more than electrical or mechanical issues.
I don't know if I am brave or stupid for putting up with my project SAAB's problems.
Dr. Hess wrote: Europas.
I have a friend dangling the carrot of a complete S2 (rust free chassis) with a duratech and a turbo fuego transmission on the side to go with it. (stock renualt engine seized and still in the car)
How awful of an idea is it to take on this project and why?
NOHOME wrote: Sine_Qua_Non Looking at your profile and fleet of Volvos, I think you would prefer to be on-board for the current build. P1800ES with Miata suspension and 302 V8. The Bugeye was my first ever attempt to restore a car. Like a lot of what I seem to do, its a matter of backing yourself into a corner in the deep-end and refusing to give up.
You kicked ass, though. I think he appreciates that. I sure do. His 1800 will kick ass too, but it's not done like your Sprite is.
ryanty22 wrote:Curmudgeon wrote: I think it would have to be the Abomination. A $150 Spitfire, a bunch of Miata parts and 2 wrecked RX7's combined with rudimentary welding skills = a lot of tiptoeing.That sounds exceptionally awesome
Trust me. He is a king among men.
HappyAndy wrote: I've seriously entertained buying an XJS-V12 and an Alfa Milano. There is a free BMW e28 offer dangling in front of me, just crying out for some sort of V8 swap. If I had a garage I would definitely have one of them now. TBH, Rust scares me far more than electrical or mechanical issues. I don't know if I am brave or stupid for putting up with my project SAAB's problems.
Alfa Milano isn't too scary. I had one as a DD for over 2 years, worst part was the crappy headlights and non working heater. I have driven a Biturbo but it wasn't that exciting for how much the parts cost. The list of cars id like someday includes a quattroporte 3, XJS, range rover classic and a Citroen SM.
I'm sheltered, worst I've done is a bunch of wiring work in a Dodge pickup to fix the dead everything in it.
I have a Yugo, I've driven it like 7 times*. I'm serious about being willing to trade it for a trabant.
\
*In the past 2 years
Travis_K wrote:HappyAndy wrote: I've seriously entertained buying an XJS-V12 and an Alfa Milano. There is a free BMW e28 offer dangling in front of me, just crying out for some sort of V8 swap. If I had a garage I would definitely have one of them now. TBH, Rust scares me far more than electrical or mechanical issues. I don't know if I am brave or stupid for putting up with my project SAAB's problems.Alfa Milano isn't too scary. I had one as a DD for over 2 years, worst part was the crappy headlights and non working heater. I have driven a Biturbo but it wasn't that exciting for how much the parts cost. The list of cars id like someday includes a quattroporte 3, XJS, range rover classic and a Citroen SM.
I've also had a Milano as a DD, and it wasn't scary. It wasn't reliable either. First car I wrenched on.
Scariest are my two current scratch-builds: 1930 Plymouth boattail speedster and custom-designed and build tubular-framed bike engined road-racing buggy. Those two have a lot of potential for screw-ups
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