The parts car ACR. challenge build!

Just wanted to make it official. Im a dumbass. And a masochistic s.o.b.

More details later, but this is far enough away from the rest of the neon horde at the moment to be its own theead.

I know what's about to be happen and approve of this message.

200 shot of nitrous?

In reply to Stampie :

Nope.  Catastrophic failure is not an award i want to win.

Only 50

Looks like 150 is viable as long as you don’t hit the rev limiter.

I have personally run 150 shot. Soon as limiter is hit your done. 

That settles it. No way can you let Professor_Brap out nitrous you 3 fold. You must do a 200 shot now.

In reply to Stampie :

200 shot or bust. Itll be ok.... Till it's not.

Nope.  Don't want to risk the entire reason i bought this one 

So, this car exists purely for the drivetrain and wheels. I was much pissed to find that the numbers matching engine for my ACR restoration was anything but numbers matching. Good an bad at the same time. Means the overall resto is cheaper because im not having to have machine work done, but bad that its not numbers matching.

So, like many of us, I constantly hunt craigslist and facebook for cheap parts and cars. I came across an ad in Georgia for a 96 sedan, with a bunch of speed parts and a bad steering rack. Guy was originally asking 800, lowered the price to 750 and wouldn't budge. It sat there for a while. I finally inquired about it as a drivetrain donor. Guy sent a few videos, and I got together with a good neon friend of mine to think about it. The video had a little bit of lifter noise, and showed a strong running car with no smoke or other noises.

Screenshot_20200208-054925_Facebook by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

Screenshot_20200208-071621_Facebook by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

now, a lot of the speed parts it has, I dont need. Or want. But, the engine, trans, wheels, headlights, throttle body all wind up on the ACR. Rest will go away. My friend and I discussed some values of the stuff I don't want/need, which means that all said and done ill have about $250 in the engine and trans that I need for the ACR. It makes a lot of sense. And gets me another whole car worth of clips and hardware and such. For $250! that's before selling the other stuff that isn't spoken for.

So, couple of weeks ago Dallas and I loaded up at balls thirty and headed towards Atlanta. On the way down, it snowed. A lot. In Georgia. In the spring.

20200208_121443 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

we got there, the car was under three inches of snow. Hadn't been run in a week. Fired right off, no noises or smoke, idled up to temp and we left it idle for about an hour. No smoke or noises. Took it for a rip around the block and I fell in love. The rack is garbage. The springs and shocks are way undersprung. The all seasons have no grip. But my god dos this thing RIP!!!

I tried haggling. Guy said no, but instead threw in a spare battery, coupe door panels, extra seat foams, and misc parts. Good enough!

So dallas and I loaded up in the quickly melting snow.

20200208_150223 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200208_151938 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

and headed home

20200208_204313 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

when we got home, I got it unloaded and went for a run around the neighborhood. This things is properly quick. Runs strong, and just keeps pulling. Will be so great in a good car. Soooo great.

So, what I bought:

96 neon 4 door sedan with junk paint and lots of dents.

2.0 DOHC engine with all motor mike no 90 intake, MPX 60mm throttle body, underdrive crank pulley, long tube, mopar performance PCM, a good clutch, maddog short throw shifter, TYC euro clear headlights and turns, moroso battery box and 0 gauge cable, JVC stereo with infinty reference speakers, second gen leather seats, rear strut bar, stagg struts and vogtland springs, ebay axleback, new radiator, 15x7 rota slipstreams with nearly new 195/60/15, nearly new 4 wheel discs, new radiator, and

other goodies I aint found yet! Hell of a score for $750!!!

20200210_131825 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_131833 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_131839 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142031 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142037 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142124 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142136 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142139 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142200 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20200210_142228 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

after taking inventory, and driving it some more, I put it away until part out time.

20200217_171200 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

But wheres the fun in that? I mean, I already have way too many cars for the available space, no free time, etc.

so, what the hell, lets build a challenge car!!

the first step was a plan.

Plan (subject to change) is to go after half budget and top 10. to get there, I plan to add as much lightness as possible while keeping cosmetics decent. Fix the steering, add spring rate and a rear sway bar. Strap a 50 shot to it to not risk the engine. Add sticky rubber to the rubber. Spray a coat of paint. Go to challenge. Sell all the parts ive got handshake on, and donate the rest to the ACR.

Its been registered, inspected, and insured. After I get the mustang out of my bay, ill sort the steering. But today I made the first sale: the coupe door panels the seller threw in. wae needed a set, and we settles on 60.

so, budget so far:

750 parts lot and car

sold door panels for 60

got 5 for battery core from spare in the trunk.

New total: 685

recoup 65

I missed the part where the ACR engine wasn't numbers matching. What happened?

Still jellous of the deal you got 

In reply to Stampie :

Either engine was swapped early in the cars life, or the guy i sold it to lost the numbers matching one and lied about it on the return deal.

Professor_Brap said:

Still jellous of the deal you got 

You enable me .

Awesome score! Let me know if you ever decide to sell the Rotas. I'm looking around for an extra set for the race car.

Also on the intake manifolds, I think I will be doing a NA shootout this fall once I get more E36 M3 collected. 

Well, we need to figure out how to get your stuff to you this summer then!

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

When there is a will there is a way. It's crazy there is so many first this year. 

Numbers matching neon. Now that is not something I would ever thought to be a cause for concern. 

Duster makes me kinda want to snag a Neon to see what all the fuss is about, but here in the Rust belt they feel like they're made of the same quality plastics and metal you find in used needles that have washed up on beaches.

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

As someone who owns 4 rust free neons in Midwest. Excuses. 

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

They feel like that in the rust free south as well.

But much like washed up needles, the contents are fun and addictive!

I've been tempted to do a turbo neon, just because ultimate E36 M3 box. But if I'm going that far, I'm going straight to cloud platform egg van. 

If i can get the mustang done, i can figure out what is going on with the steering with this one and start challenge prep.

When you start to dig into steering fire me a call and I'll see what I know.