Team External Combustion–a bunch of dudes from Massachusetts–got everyone talking the year they won the $2000 Challenge autocross with a most unlikely chassis: a Jeep Cherokee. (It was surprisingly …
Finishing mid-pack with an undeveloped chassis is still a pretty amazing accomplishment in my opinion. I wonder if they are going to come back next year with the same car. It would very interesting to see and compare the results.
Wow... that was 10 years ago. Great seeing the Spirit again! Unfortunately, it's long gone, thanks to some rather terminal A-pillar rust. I believe the drivetrain is still kicking around, though.
Also, at the time, I'm pretty sure this was the only 1982 AMC Spirit on the planet that you could tune with a laptop. 
And I'll never forget the "hospitality" of the Best Western Gateway Grand graciously letting us dry our freshly painted fender and front valance in the back stairway. Painted with the cheapest...err... FINEST paint Home Depot had to offer!
Hopefully, we'll make it back down someday with something different.
I wish more people would save these cars before they hit the crusher. That includes the AMX version, the eagle sx/4 version etc. I think they are the perfect size. I hate huge cars but I also hate Kei cars. I love "just right" medium sized cars where your arm can rest on the window frame and are light enough to get max power to weight ratio out of but not small enough to die in a wreck when you get inevitably hit by the stupid drivers everywhere in the us.
I do miss that project. It was slapped together in 30 days and wish I had more time to refine it. The 2.31 gears were terrible and I wanted to swap in a ford 8.8 with 3.73 gears. Front suspension had cut springs but I couldn't get it much lower unless I redesigned some parts. Also the transmission was the weaker 904 and it didn't help I accidentally got sand it the converter when it was out while sand blasting the engine bad. Almost backed out the last second but we slapped whatever used tire we could find on it and headed south with it completely untested.
I did register it and drive it on the street after the challenge for a year or two. The A pillar was soft since a tree fell on it and the previous owner patched it poorly. The rotted badly and leaked water onto the megasquirt and wideband controler. Also the driver's side frame rail rotted out too and the steering box pulled away from the rail.
Even with all the setbacks it was still a fun project.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
That Best Western is so tolerant of our $2000 shenanigans. Probably more tolerant than most hotels. 
In reply to Colin Wood :
Name another hotel that automatically rolls out multiple extension cords on arrival so guests can weld and grind stuff in their parking lot until the wee hours for 3 days straight. They are truly amazing.
In reply to PseudoSport (Forum Supporter) :
I know of a certain other turbocharged AMC-powered vehicle that could make an appearance again someday... 
I almost bought an AMC Spirit with a stick and (I think) a four cylinder, back in the late 1980s. Can't recall why I didn't even test drive it. I wound up buying a Ford Courier the next aisle over. Yes, I had automotive dyslexia back then.
Every now and again a road race one will come up for sale and I will gaze wistfully at the ad, while also being glad I'm out of garage space. I like AMC stuff, but know it would be bad for me.
You'll need to log in to post.
