First (possible) Challenge build thread

I want to build a car for the Challenge one day, after hearing about it less than a year ago. As some of y'all know, the "free GRM Lotus Europa" may be changing hands soon. I want it to go to me, but I'm not and alumni.

I'm in S.E. Alabama... technically just north of the other L.A. My life has turned into a total lack of motivation to move out a LOT of former projects, and orginize whats left into being able to move in the 24 x 40 shop I just built last year; and proceeded to throw so much stuff in it that ya cant move!

I would like to talk to some of y'all about starting a team up.

My contacts for fab work were all in VA, and I've got great skill with tools, but not the vision to do things clean!

I said I could throw a motorcycle engine in the lotus to make the event this year, but without my VA friends help, I can't. I might get one guy to come down on vacation, and the retired guy would have the time, but no way he'd work under my current conditions... if fact, he;d smack me if he came down and saw my shop. ( and I'm not using hyperbole... he WOULD!)

But if someone wants to go in on the $900 Avalon/free lotus, we could build a death cart avalon this year, and roll out a lotus next?

I don't have real power run to shop yet, but do have a miller 250 at work, and another at a mates a few miles away. I can tack things up, just need a skilled man (or lady!) to weld it up right. I don't have any body work equipment, but do have a flame wrench. And no lift, but do have access to a couple different forklifts and tractors with buckets/boom poles

Anyway, who wants to be a part of the free GRM Europa build, and can help me get ti started.

I have several trailers, enclosed and open, and a couple trucks to move it here with. Or the Avalon where ever ya want!

Good luck! I'm too far away to be any help, but I hope to see you in Gainesville either way. 

In reply to barefootskater :

Thanks... hey kick in for the Avalon, and I'll bring it to FL for YA!!!

Maybe I can do a "go fund me" for broke wanna-be racers...

Anybody following along knows I've never owned a europa... or worked on one. In fact every thing I know about them (other than always loving the oddball looks) has been here. Prolly on his build; I think he is the brave individual that started his build in a container!

"Gee Boss, I ain't never worked on one o' them furrin' cars before!" How many catch that paraphrased reverence?

But I'd never worked on a Harley before I bought one... but "lefty loosey, righty tighty can perseverance does go a long way. A mate in VA bought an Alfa 40 years ago... 16 years old - nobody told him Alfas are hard to work on, and he couldn't afford to buy Guido(at the shops) a new house, so he started maintaining his own. Now lots of folks in the Alfa club bring stuff for him to tune for 'em.

I believe this has the stock front suspension, and would not be hard to assemble that... not ideal, but enough for my plans! I have thoughts for rear with the motorcycle engine (hard core Alfa nut in VA is one of 'em for a hint), but am clueless as to mounting the body back on the stock spine. I assume not to big a deal?

The windshield is my one over budget cost concern... any low buck-will last an event-fix later suggestions? I'm not afraid of bailing wire and duct tape!

How many more holes can be cut in that spine to add some more lightness? looks like a lot to me; might matter if it ever gets a lot of UJM power (Universal Jap. Motorcycle) but at the low HP I can afford, light is better than strong!

In reply to 03Panther :

Gonna have to plead broke on this one. Likely bringing a half budget car because I can't afford speed parts for a sbc! 

barefootskater said:

In reply to 03Panther :

Gonna have to plead broke on this one. Likely bringing a half budget car because I can't afford speed parts for a sbc! 

Yea, was a joke... not to say I wouldn't let ya throw money at me, but, really, a joke!

I've let all my SBC stuff go away over the last few years. I supposedly still have a fresh 350 short block under a bench at a friends in VA; but I haven't talked to him in about 6 years, and he just started his own division of a "club" (they no longer care to be called bike gangs) back then, so, it may be there, and may not. If I ever NEEDED it, he'd come through with it or something. But just to slide it under a bench down here; hadn;t been worth askin'

I was in process of getting the SBC out of my hod rod ford - for either a 390FE, or a Detroit Diesel, but its a stock 305 2bbl i threw in it (from same guy) till I could get it to AL. Closest thing to a SBC i'd do anything with in the future is the 97 LT1. And I only have it for the 6MT potential.

I'm sure there's an industrial plastics supplier somewhere in either the Mobile or Pcola area. They should have a lice of lexan big enough for the windshield for around $100-$150.

I believe there are 5(or maybe 7) bolts that hold the stock Europa body to the backbone frame/chassis.

If the Avalon chassis is square enough to use whole, that sounds like a good plan for a first-year car. Maybe we could find a cast-off late-model for cheap & use its bodywork on top of the Avalon chassis?

A buck or two for a windshield would be well worth it. Or should we start calling it the windscreen?  You are starting to sound hooked... er... interested. Guess I need to DM SVREX, start seeing what I can work out.

I dont know anything at all about Avalons, or their drivetrains. I assume FWD and unibody, with a minium of structure, aside from shaped sheetmetal. I would have no clue how to remove unnecessary metal and ad in support. Ain't it almost all necessary? I can use a torch and a quickie saw, though!

What kind of late model cast off were ya thinking? I would think something similar and running with a stick, and use this one for spare parts? Unless hacking it up for a death cart, of course! what else would fit  - with a heat wrench?

I have a question I just thought of ... I’m 5’10” and 225 lbs. would I even FIT in a stock Europa???

can I, possibly, change your thread title?

sleepyhead the buffalo said:

can I, possibly, change your thread title?

Suit yourself!  My grammar ain’t  to good In retrospect ! Or move to more appropriate place. I have nothing to build yet... just want to get some dialogue going to see if I can work something out with sverex   without high jacking his more than I did!

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

And I never did get the whole spellin’ thing figured out...

In reply to 03Panther :

no worries.  mine aint that wonderful, if you ask the sleepywife

edit:
and, if it gives you any comfort... apparently there's two other threads with "possable" in the title.

03Panther said:

I have a question I just thought of ... I’m 5’10” and 225 lbs. would I even FIT in a stock Europa???

As long as your height isn't all in your torso, then you'd probably fit. The stock seats are very recumbent. With the free Europa not having any seats, the best option would likely be a low riveted/welded aluminum sheet seat "tub", filled with 2-part expanding foam & shaved into its final shape. I'm not aware of any off-the-shelf seats that would fit, though I suppose if you're handy with TIG you could start with a cheap Kirkey, etc. and modify it. 

sleepyhead the buffalo said:

In reply to 03Panther :

no worries.  mine aint that wonderful, if you ask the sleepywife

edit:
and, if it gives you any comfort... apparently there's two other threads with "possable" in the title.

Hey, its America.. We can all be wrong!

03Panther said:

A buck or two for a windshield would be well worth it. Or should we start calling it the windscreen?  You are starting to sound hooked... er... interested. Guess I need to DM SVREX, start seeing what I can work out.

I dont know anything at all about Avalons, or their drivetrains. I assume FWD and unibody, with a minium of structure, aside from shaped sheetmetal. I would have no clue how to remove unnecessary metal and ad in support. Ain't it almost all necessary? I can use a torch and a quickie saw, though!

What kind of late model cast off were ya thinking? I would think something similar and running with a stick, and use this one for spare parts? Unless hacking it up for a death cart, of course! what else would fit  - with a heat wrench?

I'm thinking of taking something like this(or possibly a GM metric chassis-based one - whatever fits the Avalon better), removing all the Avalon body work(windshield/fenders/quarters/hood/trunk/etc.), and draping that stock car body over the top of it with enough attachment points to hold it in place & pass tech. 

Regarding "I’m 5’10” and 225 lbs. would I even FIT in a stock Europa???":  Obviously YMMV, but for the record, and as God is my witness, I once saw a Europa that successfully contained two adult humans AND an Old English Sheepdog.  I'm pretty sure that if those people had it to do over again they'd find alternative transportation for the dog, but they did make it work.  Somehow.

In reply to Stealthtercel :

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

Oh, THAT kinda late model! That would be cool!

im only familiar with the GM g body based cars, a step or few below “late model “ dirt track cars; and not too familiar at that. 

GM  G body’d be way to large, I think?

Thats a good start at $225... are deals in that range available often, or should I be trying to get eyes on it? Can ya tell what that body resembles? Looks like a dodge Daytona to my untrained eye?

I can talk my wife into a road trip to the beach in FL, as long as we don’t have to drive the diesel! She can’t take the diesel smell. 

In reply to 03Panther :

I have no clue what that racecar body is supposed to be either, but it was close enough to the vague image in my mind to share it. 

I sent you a message through the site earlier, let me know if you don't receive it in your email. 

barefootskater said:

In reply to 03Panther :

Gonna have to plead broke on this one. Likely bringing a half budget car because I can't afford speed parts for a sbc! 

There's nothing better than beating a bunch of full budget Challenge cars at half budget.  

In reply to 03Panther :

I sent you a PM.

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to 03Panther :

I have no clue what that racecar body is supposed to be either, but it was close enough to the vague image in my mind to share it. 

I sent you a message through the site earlier, let me know if you don't receive it in your email. 

Did get. Will reply. 

I like the look of the car. I think I’m gonna take a couple of the project hunkers to scrap to make the boss happy! Then tell her I’m bringing more in!