Long and short of it is that locally there's an incomplete kit car that runs for sale locally, it's been made very small, very light and is very mid engine. In a normal year the drags would hinder it's potential competitiveness, but it'd have excellent odds of winning the autocross portion.
It may also be running an alcohol burning 2 stroke rev happy motor as torque isn't an issue due to being sub 1100lb and to further save weight.
How challenge illegal would it be?
I don't have an answer to your question but by God it sounds like fun
When are you starting a build thread?
Any four-wheeled, production-based vehicle that was originally sold as a passenger vehicle is allowed. (You know what this means, but generally speaking we’re going to want to see production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures.)
Stampie said:Any four-wheeled, production-based vehicle that was originally sold as a passenger vehicle is allowed. (You know what this means, but generally speaking we’re going to want to see production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures.)
When pondering what I'd bring to The Challenge, a motorcycle powered LoCost came to mind. I have the engine I would use and the Miata suspension bits are cheap. I recalled that there had been a few of them in previous events so I thought that would be fun. Then I read that rule. Pretty much rules out the LoCost, scratch builds and I guess most kit cars.
There's a Bradley GT that I could get for about free but the thought of attempting to make an Air-cooled Bug chassis competitive gave me a migraine.
The Captain's kit car does sound like more fun than a barrel of monkeys, though.
exhibition
In reply to rdcyclist :
My Bradley GT won't be on an ACVW chassis.
Or give it a production body...
Rd - I'm currently building a long term challenge project that is a Fiat x1/9 with gsxr1000 power 
There is a caveat in the rules to check with MANAGEMENT if you have something oddball...
Last years mini-mystery machine was cleared ahead of time, and was a dwarf or legends chassis or something similar with a micro-van body fitted to it.
Contact Tom Suddard with the details and ask. Rules say it had to start life as a passenger vehicle. That's pretty open-ended. Entries are lower, so there may be some extra flexibility in play this year.
Stampie said:Any four-wheeled, production-based vehicle that was originally sold as a passenger vehicle is allowed. (You know what this means, but generally speaking we’re going to want to see production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures.)
The Scooby van didn’t meet this at all, but the body shell was stock. So I’d say something in that realm may be ok.
In reply to Pete Gossett :
The argument could be made that the van body panels were it's unibody originally.
Pete Gossett said:The Scooby van didn’t meet this at all, but the body shell was stock. So I’d say something in that realm may be ok.
That seemed like a pretty big rule stretch to me.
n8 said:Pete Gossett said:The Scooby van didn’t meet this at all, but the body shell was stock. So I’d say something in that realm may be ok.
That seemed like a pretty big rule stretch to me.
See my comment above...
stafford1500 said:See my comment above...
I'm aware, but I'm not sure that was the best call in that case. While part of the original unibody, the body panels weren't close to resembling anything structural.
Tim asks on another thread what it would take to get someone to enter The Challenge.
Maybe this question is a cry for another class and an answer to Tim's question - the home brew class of putting tubing and junkyard parts together into a vehicle.
n8 said:stafford1500 said:See my comment above...
I'm aware, but I'm not sure that was the best call in that case. While part of the original unibody, the body panels weren't close to resembling anything structural.
This is one of the reasons I lost interest in doing a challenge build. When the rule is anything you can talk 'management' into is legal, you've got a game I don't care about playing.
Robbie said:Or give it a production body...
Rd - I'm currently building a long term challenge project that is a Fiat x1/9 with gsxr1000 power
R1 powered spitfire
Im less than $300 in so far and have most of the suspension and brakes other than masters (miata swap, its body on frame) other than springs/shocks as well as the rolling shell.
In reply to rdcyclist :
ACVW's can be quite competitive, the secret? Lots and lots of sticky tire under it and as little suspension travel as possible. In fact this is how most anything works better in an autocross setting, as proved by that Corolla that ran the other year with no springs, just bumpstops, lowered and sticky tires. Think of it as a large Kart instead of a car and you'll begin to understand the concept.
In reply to Titan4 :
HINT: This competition is about generating editorial content for the magazine. So as such, its their magazine, their contest and if someone says they are bringing a Subaru micro-van on a legend chassis, they can choose to allow it or not after seeing the pictures. They decided it did meet the letter of the rules (I agree that it barely did) That said, don't let it stop you from building something crazy or interesting. If I had the time and was closer, I'd be down, but my situation right now means other choices are made.
Talk to management. The "rule stretchers" always get everyone up in arms but they are usually not competitive. They are entertaining as can be though and they darn sure make interesting story the magazine can print. The magazine would be foolish to not allow them.
/\ This.
The Challenge isn't about a set of rigid rules. It's the difference between a LeMons race and an SCCA Regional. CanAm with a $2018 limit would suit me just fine. Currently (the rules have morphed over time) there is a pretty loose requirement about bodies so that the cars kinda look like cars. My build is an old Corolla. The body's original strength will be compromised by removing most/all of the floor and fabbing a tubular frame in it's place, but it will still look like a Corolla and be a steel body with slamming doors. The best part of hanging out behind the hotel Thursday afternoon and evening is getting to see what wondrous creations show up . There's a big range of cars, just look at the Challenge issue of the magazine, and that's one of the draws for me. Everything from relatively stock Miatas and luxury sedans to a Subaru powered Honda Insight and Subaru microvan on a Legends chassis. It's all fun, Fun, FUN !!!
Case law is pretty clear on this. We're cool with frame rails or some sort of unibody equivalent, but we also allow tube frames if there is a production or production-looking body mounted on them.
Sadly it sold before I could even get there :(
Do you really need to win the Challenge? Wouldn't it be almost as much fun to just show up and run something in an Exhibition Class?
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