Not a miata....what to do with it.

So although I cant be on BABE this year I was asked to help the organizers set up a car for a special driver with a special role (sorry cant tell much more than that right now)

Anyway I wanted to ensure they were on equal footing with other ralliers and wanted something spectacularly craptacular.

I really wanted to put them in a big american cruiser but then I was offered this little tidbit for $400 and said what the hell. I have had less than pleasant experinces with low buck drop tops on BABE and never want to do another but since I dont have to drive it, muuuhahaha....suffer mystery driver.

93 Capri XR2, turbo....or as it has been called, Mazda 323 convertible.

Not a bad little car, havent seen it in person yet but the known issues are ignition breaks up under load (found to be common issue, should be resolvable with a tune up and new wires.) And the temps run high under hard use. No sign of HG failure so Im hoping its just an old crusty radiator. If not "guest driver" will just have to keep the speeds reasonable. Actually he HAS to keep the speeds reasonable due to his role so maybe I'll leave it that way as a po-man's governor. Car is supposed to come back to me post rally, not sure what to do with it yet.. Maybe lemons, but we already have one car running this season and another in the pipes. Maybe fix up for the daughter although I dont know how I feel about a tiny turbo toy as her first car. Might add a $40 boost controller and bump it from 8psi to 11 and just have fun till it blows.

Soooo....who knows about these things...what should I worry about to make sure I dont completely hose the driver for the rally. What stupid fun things can be done with it later? Anyone want a cheap turbo 'vert sometime in mid June?

Grandma had one (non-turbo though).

She didn't like it because it was too boring...

Tom Suddard wrote: Grandma had one (non-turbo though). She didn't like it because it was too boring...

This needs to go in the reader's quotes.

Anything sub $500 can be un-boring, turn up the boost till it goes insane :)

Actually I've seen a few that had the 323 GTX AWD components swapped in....that could be interesting.

Blow the motor and figure out how to stuff an LS1 in it?

Put Big Ass injectors, increase the boost and run E85?

I think Ford really missed a treat when they didn't offer an AWD variant of this thing. That plus the required bracing to make it decently stiff and such would probably add weight it didn't need though.

pres589 wrote: I think Ford really missed a treat when they didn't offer an AWD variant of this thing. That plus the required bracing to make it decently stiff and such would probably add weight it didn't need though.

I tend to be fairly good at weight reduction so I could easily offset some chassis stiffening with a mostly fiberglass body :)

I hope you mean fiberglass wide body :D

Remove motor, plop in Familia GTR motor. Turn boost to 11. Run 11 second quarter miles.

That car, from the looks of it, is in pretty good shape. I think you made a fine choice sir!

Maybe install a wastegate cut solenoid so it goes all ape shizzle at the flick of a switch ala Clarkson and the Starion/Conquest he drove in TG?

imirk wrote: I hope you mean fiberglass wide body :D

um...yeah...wiiiiide. that would be interesting. If I flared that thing it could end up wider than it is long.

Xceler8x wrote: That car, from the looks of it, is in pretty good shape. I think you made a fine choice sir! Maybe install a wastegate cut solenoid so it goes all ape shizzle at the flick of a switch ala Clarkson and the Starion/Conquest he drove in TG?

Kinda what Im looking at, its a wastgate contoller that lets me boost it up to 11 safely (more if I wanna watch things go poof)

It does seem to be in good shape, havent met it in person yet since Im overseas right now. If its nice I may fix and enjoy, if its crap I'll turn it up to 11 and wait for the sound of poof

Blow it up, swap a KLDE from a V6 MX6/Probe into it, add Ebay turbo kit and megasquirt?

Swap an F2T into it? Should fit.

hmmmm, drop top awd monster....

A roof adds quite a bit of chassis structure

sounds like a recipe for taffy to me

I love it! Well, really I think the Capri was a terrible missed opportunity for Ford and didn't hold a candle to the Miata, but for $400 and for the BABE rally, that's a score. If it's in good shape, turn the boost up and bomb around in it for a while after the mystery driver's done with it. When it fails, sell it on for what you have in it.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Remove motor, plop in Familia GTR motor. Turn boost to 11. Run 11 second quarter miles.

I wish engine swapps were so simple

Joey

that engine needs more festiva around it.

joey48442 wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Remove motor, plop in Familia GTR motor. Turn boost to 11. Run 11 second quarter miles.

I wish engine swapps were so simple Joey

Actually.... that one really isn't a whole lot more than that. Some wiring, but not much. The GTR is worth it.

WilberM3 wrote: that engine needs more festiva around it.

Today was retrieval day so here's the report....its a heap. The photos lie, its a pile. YEA!!! We like piles. No seriously, I was warned it was a heap and for what I paid Im ok with that.

Was red, poorly painted black, possibly by rattlecan over some terrible body work. The interior looks like the interior of a convertible with a bad top that's gone 178,000 miles.

The original piping from turbo to intake was replaced by 1.5 inch copper tubing...neat. So much crap plugged or disconnected under the hood I'm surprised it runs. Runs...hmmm...that's a vague term. The ignition breaks up between 2500 and 3500 rpm...ALOT. But above 3500 its a driveable with just an occasional reminder that something is amiss in the ignition. Turns out 3500 in 5th gear is right around 70-75mph so that's survivable.

On the upside the cruise control works!!!

The top kept me dry in the morning rain....it did not keep the whole interior dry, in fact the rear portion tried to make a run for the border out on the highway but that was easily sorted out.

So it was about a 2.5 hour drive home, and it made it. That makes this officially the first BABE rally car I've been involved with that was brought home on its own power, and its officially had more "working out the bugs" time than any other car I've set up for BABE. Usually they get one trip around the block and I head out.

Even with the horrid ignition miss its more driveable than just about every other car I've ever had on the rally. Its just screwed up enough to remind you this isnt supposed to be easy. But I hope to sort that out because when it wasnt breaking up it was actually fun to drive, hopefully the guest driver returns it in one piece and I can beat it around for the summer or something.

Oh the rear struts are shot too and I should probably figure out why the drivers front wheel has positive camber. Its a heap....but I like it.

Sounds like you got your moneys worth and then some. Sounds like fun too.

Needs moar boooooooost! yO!

Also, tri spoke wheels are awesome.

Sonic wrote: Needs moar boooooooost! yO! Also, tri spoke wheels are awesome.

Already talked to a guy who can reflash the ECU to take up to 15 lbs of boost (just changes the fuel maps, still have to add an MBC to up the boost) That and a good FMIC are supposed to get ya in the 160-175 hp range.

JThw8 wrote: Today was retrieval day so here's the report....its a heap. The photos lie, its a pile. YEA!!! We like piles. No seriously, I was warned it was a heap and for what I paid Im ok with that. Was red, poorly painted black, possibly by rattlecan over some terrible body work. The interior looks like the interior of a convertible with a bad top that's gone 178,000 miles. The original piping from turbo to intake was replaced by 1.5 inch copper tubing...neat. So much crap plugged or disconnected under the hood I'm surprised it runs. Runs...hmmm...that's a vague term. The ignition breaks up between 2500 and 3500 rpm...ALOT. But above 3500 its a driveable with just an occasional reminder that something is amiss in the ignition. Turns out 3500 in 5th gear is right around 70-75mph so that's survivable. On the upside the cruise control works!!! The top kept me dry in the morning rain....it did not keep the whole interior dry, in fact the rear portion tried to make a run for the border out on the highway but that was easily sorted out. So it was about a 2.5 hour drive home, and it made it. That makes this officially the first BABE rally car I've been involved with that was brought home on its own power, and its officially had more "working out the bugs" time than any other car I've set up for BABE. Usually they get one trip around the block and I head out. Even with the horrid ignition miss its more driveable than just about every other car I've ever had on the rally. Its just screwed up enough to remind you this isnt supposed to be easy. But I hope to sort that out because when it wasnt breaking up it was actually fun to drive, hopefully the guest driver returns it in one piece and I can beat it around for the summer or something. Oh the rear struts are shot too and I should probably figure out why the drivers front wheel has positive camber. Its a heap....but I like it.

Betcha plug wires dontchaknow.

Joey

joey48442 wrote: Betcha plug wires dontchaknow. Joey

Wishing/hoping its that simple but I found a stack of receipts in the glovebox and it looks like the PO just went through plugs, wires, cap and rotor, and fuel filter last year so it looks like he tried the obvious to sort the problem. I had already ordered all the parts so I'll do it anyway to be sure but at this point it's probably either vacuum leaks or I've seen many posts on the last remaining specialty forum for these cars that describe these exact symptoms being caused by bad grounds in the engine bay and at the fuel pump so it may not be too bad.