Awesome. My mom had one of those when she lived on the Oregon coast as a replacement for her Fiat Strada (which finally died on a trip out of Utah in the mid-90's) and loved embarrassing people on the coastal roads with it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Route_6 (Tail of the dragon eat your heart out):
When she moved to New Mexico she ended up with another as a spare that had a larger, EFI motor but only a 5-speed. I wanted to combine the two, but the little dual-stick champ hadn't held up well at the Oregon coast and the rust was just eating it alive. The replacement was Orange with awesome 80's graphics along the bottom.
pic unrelated:
yeah--- I'm pretty sure they were joking about using the Champ. With all of it's bushings badly perished, autocrossing it would be um.......interesting. The shock towers also have rust damage making for interesting mid-corner camber changes--- as I'm pretty sure they are flexing.
Using the Champ would add an element of danger to the autocross---- so that would make it more fun right? 
In reply to Joe Gearin:
You guys still have that bitchin' old AMC Eagle? That would be a great autocross mule! 
(I want that thing in the worst way...)
Joe Gearin wrote:
yeah--- I'm pretty sure they were joking about using the Champ. With all of it's bushings badly perished, autocrossing it would be um.......interesting. The shock towers also have rust damage making for interesting mid-corner camber changes--- as I'm pretty sure they are flexing.
Using the Champ would add an element of danger to the autocross---- so that would make it more fun right?
What? You guys got a welder.... :)
Silverfleet---- the mighty Eagle now lives with former GRMer Alan Cesar. He's been working on it.....and no--- it would not make a good autocrosser. A hilarious autocrosser perhaps, but good......ah no!
I did rally-cross it a bit, but found the design to be a bit fragile. Eagles are great doing what they were designed for--- being a good all-weather car. When you ask them to act like a rally-car or 4x4 truck, things start to break. It can be done--- but it takes a lot of modifications.
Alan is attempting to turn it into a Chump / LeMons car. Although I think it's a doomed idea--- I applaud his optimism. A Spirit or Concorde would be a better / lighter / faster / less complicated choice. Not nearly as cool though!
and yes--- the Champ can be fixed. I'm not sure I'll get to it by Challenge time though. Lots going on around here that is higher on the priority list!
Wait... Alan is now a former GRMer? 
Swank---- yes, Alan's been gone for months. He got a local job that doesn't require traveling as he and his wife recently had their first child. He's still part of the "family", but he's not an official GRM staff member anymore.
Bummer. 
That'd explain why he didn't respond to my last email or two.
Is this where my Clubroadster friend Ed came into play?
Joe Gearin wrote:
Of course it has a dual-stick! Although I'm not sure you guys can handle the power and fury of it's mighty 80 horsepower. I mean it's probably making a whopping 60hp at the wheels! 
It is actually riding on General Altimax tires----- they were $158 for the SET through Tire Rack! 
The Champ rocks!
My first autocross car was a 1981 Mazda GLC Sport. It had considerably less than 80 HP, 67 IIRC, and it was still fun. You just have to learn to drive without using the brakes. I don't know if I could handle a Champ with all its extra power.
Email received. Looking forward to.
So the official release is out now. New event for the first 20 entrants will be the opportunity to be in the General Tire Challenge autocross event. Cars will be two identical 2014 Fiat 500 Abarths.
Also new will be a new class for last chance challengers. Working on the details so keep checking the event page for updates on the rules and prizes for the class.
Rick Goolsby wrote:
So the official release is out now. New event for the first 20 entrants will be the opportunity to be in the General Tire Challenge autocross event. Cars will be two identical 2014 Fiat 500 Abarths.
Also new will be a new class for last chance challengers. Working on the details so keep checking the event page for updates on the rules and prizes for the class.
We may or may not have purchased a car we might be bringing with us just last weekend. Does that make it exempt from this Last Chance class? Did we not procrastinate enough?
Swank Force One wrote:
Bummer.
That'd explain why he didn't respond to my last email or two.
Is this where my Clubroadster friend Ed came into play?
Yep, pretty much. Wish I had been around while Alan was here. Pretty solid dude.
If I can get one of the "Pro Drivers" to spend a couple of hours working on our car, can I ask him to drive the Abarth for our team? :)
Or are we using the pro drivers to set a benchmark.
Do we toss a coin to see who gets the faster identical car? My hunch is that one Will be faster.
Rick Goolsby wrote:
So the official release is out now. New event for the first 20 entrants will be the opportunity to be in the General Tire Challenge autocross event. Cars will be two identical 2014 Fiat 500 Abarths.
Also new will be a new class for last chance challengers. Working on the details so keep checking the event page for updates on the rules and prizes for the class.
In reply to spin_out:
This is for entrants only! NO PRO DRIVERS. Details are still coming together on how the runs will work, but I would imagine we would switch cars, giving you guys two runs each.
