Do shipping costs to the challenge count as a cost? Seriously I would consider shipping the car down fly down and then drive back.
Do shipping costs to the challenge count as a cost? Seriously I would consider shipping the car down fly down and then drive back.
I will just leave this here (easy fix)
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/5163659899.html
dean1484 wrote: Do shipping costs to the challenge count as a cost? Seriously I would consider shipping the car down fly down and then drive back.
Transportation to the challange doesn't cont toward the budget.
i know in 01 or 02 tatuted welder brought a 84 deville with a 500 cid engine. in 04 i brought a 82 olds delta 88 and i damn it...i would love to find it again just to beat up the land yaghts comeing......
dean1484 wrote: Do shipping costs to the challenge count as a cost? Seriously I would consider shipping the car down fly down and then drive back.
If you need a place to ship it to, I have plenty of storage space and can pick you up at JAX which is probably the closest major airport.
We have a new Aristocrat, I think bringing the total to 8 for sure...
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/grm-2015-build-i-bought-back-my-old-maxima/97332/page1/
Sethmeister4 actually is probably the original Aristocrat this year, he started his build quite a bit before any of us...
Who would have thought beige would be the number one color for this years challenge...
Thanks for the props pimpm3! This totally is the encouragement I need to get that thing finished! It's getting a 3.5 from an '02 Max, plus will be losing some weight and getting sticky tires, so hopefully I don't finish last. 
I also will be driving it there, not trailering it, and I'm coming from VA Beach.
See you in October. This is shaping up to be pretty cool. 
In reply to sethmeister4:
I think you may have meant to say that the 3.5L was pulled from an Infiniti i35.
Welcome to The Aristocracy!
Membership has it's privileges.
hmmm.. lots of cheap old luxmobiles in the DC area. hmmmmmm.
Woody wrote:pimpm3 wrote:I don't care about the investment, I just don't feel like driving to Florida and back again.Woody wrote: Not since I bought the bare Formula Ford chassis a few years ago, have I wanted to attend the Challenge so badly...Bucket list! Buy something huge and not in anyway sporting. I am sure you can recoup your investment after the challenge.
Another option is to engage one of us Gainesville locals. Troll the local CL starting ~2 weeks in advance. Find a candidate and we can help with the transaction, including somewhere to stash it. Fly in 1-2 days early, compete and fly home!
So are these Luxobarges getting stripped down to the quick, or run with all the upholstry, sound-deadening, et cetera still intact?
Kreb wrote: So are these Luxobarges getting stripped down to the quick, or run with all the upholstry, sound-deadening, et cetera still intact?
Good question. I don't think there is any precedent, however, I bet that stripped cars may do slightly better in autox/drag, but will get smothered in the concours. Up to the team I guess to hedge their bets.
In reply to JohnRW1621:
Nope, the motor is from a Maxima. '02-03 Maximas are 3.5 cars, just like the I35s.
Concours will probably be my weak point, as I plan on stripping out a lot of the disgusting interior.
pimpm3 wrote: Needs more Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercury and Mercedes. Come on folks lets step up... Tommy you need to bring something ridiculous and diesel. Edwardh80 needs to bring his Volvo 850 T5 that he bought from me a month ago.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/200x-classifieds/92-mark-vii-mine-and-affiliated-sad-but-necessary/100036/page2/#post1876632
I'm interested in trades: either other whole vehicles or drivetrain and suspension parts for a GC Impreza, suspension and performance exhaust bits for an '05 Outback 3.0R or wheels and tires and front suspension parts for a '99 Crown Vic.
Will make a spectacular deal for a last minute challenger.
PM or email at Don Hooligan 1 (at) Yahoo .com if you're interested.
Kreb wrote: So are these Luxobarges getting stripped down to the quick, or run with all the upholstry, sound-deadening, et cetera still intact?
If I make it the car will be factory original down to the cd player and cigarette lighter. I am not even going to remove the spare tire or jack (maintain weight balance) for the autocross is my theory anyway.
Aristocrat Judges, do we get extra points for burl wood interiors?
On a serious note.
Do we have to run watter when on track?
What are the helmet requirements. Just realized mine is out of date.
In reply to dean1484:
Do you mean "just" water in the cooling system? If so, no. You can run a mix.
I would suggest bringing plenty of water for yourself though. It can get HOT at the track.
Out of date helmet shouldn't be a problem. Bring it.
Were I to attend one of these I would definitely opt for the Aristocrat class.
Seems to me that if the interiors are being left in, it's more of a gimmick class. If guys are genuinely maximizing the cars potential, it'll mean taking out everything unnecessary, plexiglass in the windows, welding rear doors, et cetera.
I don't have happy feelings about gimmick classes. Seems to me that's going the Lemons direction, which is fine in its own right, but it starts placing style ahead of performance.
In reply to Kreb:
Yes, we are trying to bring some gimmick. Less of a joke and more of a way to put a battle in the middle.
This class was started late enough that it will be unlikely that a Member of The Aristocricy will have time to put in Lexan windows but, if they should, more power to them.
We are not under separate rules just a contest of which Luxo-Brage can do best within the rules. Sort of a side bet.
As for placing style over performance:
A great thing about The Challenge is that both speed and appearance count. Each competitor will need to decide if the increased points in speed will make up for the possible decrease in points for appearance.
See what I wrote in this thread on page two:
WillrunifChased wrote: I think some people are failing to realize how competitive you could actually become in one of these cars.
An unsorted, mostly stock example took 11th last year before engine failure; beating 3 Miatas while being beaten by 1 Miata.
Of the 10 cars that finished better, 5 had either larger engines than stock or turbos and 1 re-fabricated the entire chassis.
9th was a 4th Gen Camaro
10th was a 3rd Gen Firebird
11th was a '91 Infiniti Q45
12th was a Merkur XR4Ti
That's good company!
Kreb wrote: Seems to me that if the interiors are being left in, it's more of a gimmick class. If guys are genuinely maximizing the cars potential, it'll mean taking out everything unnecessary, plexiglass in the windows, welding rear doors, et cetera. I don't have happy feelings about gimmick classes. Seems to me that's going the Lemons direction, which is fine in its own right, but it starts placing style ahead of performance.
I hope to pull my full interior for racing then put it all back in for the show portion. Seats in an LS400 have to be 70 lbs each. I'm also prepared to do a drive and fly if my car blows up at some point. Still haven't decided between used Hoosiers or new RE-11r tires.
I don't doubt that some of the cars will be quite fast. I remember having a Cadillac CTS holeshoot my Stalker once when I wasn't paying enough attention. Don't mean to me a wet blanket, but to me the essence of the GRM challenge is ingenuity and clean execution. It might be a bit of a buzz kill if the mouse that someone has been trying to make roar gets stomped by a stock Infiniti racing with A/C on and stereo blaring. But that's up to the judges to figure out. Motor on.
JohnRW1621 wrote: A great thing about The Challenge is that both speed and appearance count. Each competitor will need to decide if the increased points in speed will make up for the possible decrease in points for appearance.
That's not quite accurate.
Cars are NOT judged for appearance. Cars are judged on innovation, execution and presentation.
Honestly, a stock interior with no effort shows pretty much zero innovation or execution. Might have some presentation if it's nice. If the car was once a chicken coup but has been restored to factory condition (and you can prove it), it will earn some points.
A well executed gutted interior with everything cleaned up and presented well might earn a higher score on the Concours then an unmolested factory interior.
The "appearance" thing is a misunderstanding that gets a lot of people tripped up. They think paste wax on the exterior and vacuum on the interior scores them points, but neither of those things show much innovation or execution.
SVreX wrote:JohnRW1621 wrote: A great thing about The Challenge is that both speed and appearance count. Each competitor will need to decide if the increased points in speed will make up for the possible decrease in points for appearance.That's not quite accurate. Cars are NOT judged for appearance. Cars are judged on innovation, execution and presentation. Honestly, a stock interior with no effort shows pretty much zero innovation or execution. Might have some presentation if it's nice. If the car was once a chicken coup but has been restored to factory condition (and you can prove it), it will earn some points. A well executed gutted interior with everything cleaned up and presented well might earn a higher score on the Concours then an unmolested factory interior. The "appearance" thing is a misunderstanding that gets a lot of people tripped up. They think paste wax on the exterior and vacuum on the interior scores them points, but neither of those things show much innovation or execution.
This is true, really need to have a good story. I think some people were disappointed to finish behind the Fiero last year in the concours. Especially considering we spray painted the car in the hotel parking lot and had to tape off around the stickers to finish the painting.
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