Over in the Things we secretly believe about the forum thread here, egnorant posted:
I believe...everyone here has a project in mind that would be the coolest ever and wonder why no one has done it.
Brilliant! And so true.
What's yours? Be prepared to get enablement, encouragement, or maybe someone else inspired to build your dream.
Here's mine:
Smallmouth Triumph TR3 widened roughly 10", largemouth grill installed to maintain the front "look", engine / suspension fron NC Miata (Hey, purists, it's still a 2.0L inline 4!).
The need for cubic $ and time prevent this. But it would be very cool.
I had one, then someone showed me Project Binky. I'm not worthy of even attempting my own after seeing the amount of thought, detail and fab they're doing, and filming for us to follow along with them.
Is there actually a project the GRM crowd hasn't done?
DC2/DC4 Integra coupe with a midmounted K24 / 6 speed and a Comptech supercharger kit.
I've seen similar takes on this, but none exactly like it. Imagine a parallel universe where Jeep continued to make the Comanche through the entire lifespan of the XJ Cherokee, or longer, and imagine they started the Rubicon trim level a year earlier for more than just the Wrangler. In this parallel universe you could get an '01 or newer equivalent Rubicon Comanche. Additionally imagine that the original Liberty never existed, and instead we got a CRD Cherokee and/or Comanche instead.
To achieve said imaginary little Jeep truck conglomeration, it'd simply be migrating body panels and interior from a '96+ XJ (only Classic or Limited trim for my imaginary truck) to an MJ, that's been done. Then applying Rubicon TJ's 6 speed NSG370, Rock Track NP241, and air locker equipped Dana 44s, similar has been done. I might take some creative licensing and skip the VM Motori CRD in favor of an OM603 or OM606, we can pretend that the Chrysler-Dimler relationship in this parallel universe led to Merc I6 turbo diesels finding their way into Jeeps. I've seen the OM615 in Cherokees, I don't recall seeing it or any of the I6 Merc TD engines being swapped into Comanches.
So '01 or newer equivalent spec turbo diesel, six speed, Rubicon, Comanche. 
GSmith wrote: Here's mine: Smallmouth Triumph TR3 widened roughly 10", largemouth grill installed to maintain the front "look", engine / suspension fron NC Miata (Hey, purists, it's still a 2.0L inline 4!).
I've seen just about that exact same thing done...Although I seem to recall it using a Z32 300ZX drivetrain.
I don't come up with imaginary projects for other people. I come up with ones for myself and then usually do something with them 
This is my most recent lunatic project idea that I could never complete,but is probably possible for someone: Tesla model S rebodied as as mid-sixties Lincoln Continental, suicide doors, wide whitewalls and all.
I want to find a 1972 Capri, fit a Miata subframe to the rear, upgrade the front suspension bits (Lotus Cortina?), and swap in a 2.0 Ecoboost from a Focus. I'd mostly gut the interior as the original is likely completely rotted. Reduce weight as much as reasonable for a street car. For extra credit, make it look like an RS2600. Here's what I imagine this would be like.
The trouble is finding a relatively rust-free Capri.
Facelift (01-03) I6 E39 with the M54 engine swapped for the S54 out of the E46 M3. I know there's already a factory E39 M5, but I want one with an I6, dammit.
Imagine this... a dark blue 88-90 Caprice with tint and missing hubcaps. But wait... those aren't steelies... they are really some massive 17x10 wheels wrapped in some 295 tires hiding some hugenormous Baer brakes. It's also sitting a little too low. Open the door to find not one, not two but FOUR recaro's in the car with harnesses. pop the hood to see a nice aluminum LSx engine in there only to find out it's a 6.0L block with a 4.8 crank, proper cam and valvetrain that lets it spin to 8k rpms backed by a tremec 6-spd. custom control arms, 3 link rear with watts link, quiet exhaust with some 3" cutouts underneath.
That.. that is my OLOA dream car.
JoeTR6 wrote: I want to find a 1972 Capri, fit a Miata subframe to the rear, upgrade the front suspension bits (Lotus Cortina?), and swap in a 2.0 Ecoboost from a Focus. I'd mostly gut the interior as the original is likely completely rotted. Reduce weight as much as reasonable for a street car. For extra credit, make it look like an RS2600. Here's what I imagine this would be like.
I had a Mk1 Capri in high school and have always wanted to do an RS2600 clone, but with a 302...
Another project I think about a lot is a early 90's Sentra with a midship VQ35 driving the rear wheels, and big box flares. Think Japanese R5 Turbo 2...
Unfortunately, I've got enough actual projects to keep me busy for quite some time!
After doing a V8 swap (which many people have done)... I want to chop the top of my Volvo 1" and then channel it 1" (which no one has done).
Over square turbocharged 3.0l Mazda v6 motor in a FD RX7
Mid-mounted turbo rotary in the back of a Datsun 1200 or B210.
easy..... mix one part RA29
and mix one part Toyota 4V (not valves, engine code) 3.4 liter HEMI V8 under the hood....
Add in a 1st gen Supra disc brake rear (3.5 gears), along with a W58
Blend carefully, serve HOT
Prosthetic chin, a ghostwriter or two, kidnap Jay Leno and take over his collection. Easy.
For some reason the miller cycle motor that Mazda made has me wanting to use it with a normal cam and external boost. Say the M62 hybrid that I built a while back and documented here. Not sure what I would put it in.
The cool part with that motor is the all aluminum split block design. Strait from the racing world. I don't know much about the heads but an all aluminum split block 2.25l racing inspired motor under boost has me wanting it in something.
Mazda 3 for the stealth option or the FD is the other.
A twin-turbo, AWD, LS-powered, early-C3 Vette.
Bobzilla wrote: Imagine this... a dark blue 88-90 Caprice with tint and missing hubcaps. But wait... those aren't steelies... they are really some massive 17x10 wheels wrapped in some 295 tires hiding some hugenormous Baer brakes. It's also sitting a little too low. Open the door to find not one, not two but FOUR recaro's in the car with harnesses. pop the hood to see a nice aluminum LSx engine in there only to find out it's a 6.0L block with a 4.8 crank, proper cam and valvetrain that lets it spin to 8k rpms backed by a tremec 6-spd. custom control arms, 3 link rear with watts link, quiet exhaust with some 3" cutouts underneath. That.. that is my OLOA dream car.
Project Buford was pretty close to this, but I like the way you think. Def want an 97-90 9C1 to molest.
Oddly, the two big ones for me involve miatas.
The first would be dropping a turbo diesel into it, and somehow keeping it RWD. I just imagine the torque you could put through would get it close to v8 swap territory, but I have no idea. If nothing else, I think it would be funny to pull up next to a brodozer and roll coal at him from a miata.
The second involves an STI driveline and a Miata. Something about a highstrung low centered boxer motor and AWD in that little package just sounds like fun.
I've always wanted to see a 2 or more motor conversion done to something, but between the cost and I'm sure a need for very custom drivetrain parts would make it too challenging.
Edd China is my hero. Whatever he does.
Four door S10 with the Astro AWD transfer case on the manual transmission hooked up to a turbocharged 3800. Add blazer parts as required for the best brakes.
Alternately, any 40's pickup plus a Subaru flat-6 and FWD transmission mounted in the rear to a DeDion rear axle with the stock bed set over the top. Exhaust via a pair of stacks, add turbo(s) as desired.
I'd like to put a Maserati BiTurbo engine into a Lotus Europa, and build a coal-fired Toyota Prius, but I doubt that either one of those things would ever even begin to happen.
A more realistic fantasy would be to put a complete Miata drivetrain into a Lotus Elan. I'd probably be in the midst of this one by now if I'd ever found the right Elan to start with.
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