In reply to lnlogauge:
I mean the 4x4 guys make driveshafts from 2in box tube so shortening one can't be worse than that.
In reply to lnlogauge:
I mean the 4x4 guys make driveshafts from 2in box tube so shortening one can't be worse than that.
It cost me $180 to have a driveshaft made to replace the home shortened(not by me) one that was welded so not square it could be seen by a blind man. That $180 very well could have had me first overall after racing last year. There is a place to be cheap, for me the driveshaft is not that place.
In reply to appliance_racer:
Yeah. Did it on my L28 s30. The silver fleck in the paint is metal. Helps seal REAL well. Still on the engine too.
Ovid_and_Flem wrote: Didn't the guys who built the killer fast autoX Jeep Cherokee wrap their rear leaf springs with duct tape to effectively stiffen them up? Trying to figure out how to do that on C4 transverse composite monoleaf.....8
Hose Clamps.
My understanding is that the Jeep leaf springs were wrapped to keep the dirt out and grease in. They sanded and greased the leaf springs to get them to slide easily.
spin_out wrote: My understanding is that the Jeep leaf springs were wrapped to keep the dirt out and grease in. They sanded and greased the leaf springs to get them to slide easily.
Now that I think about it you may be right. I stand corrected. Still quite a bit of attention to detail on that jeep.
SVreX wrote: - Zip ties work instead of reinforced SS brake lines (spaced every 1/ 2" on the rubber lines)- I've used this trick on every car since 2004. I'm surprised no one has stolen it yet!
Love it, I am so using this on my Malibu. It will be so much cheaper to get new rubber lines and do zip ties then have custom stainless steel lines fabed up.
Ovid_and_Flem wrote: Didn't the guys who built the killer fast autoX Jeep Cherokee wrap their rear leaf springs with duct tape to effectively stiffen them up? Trying to figure out how to do that on C4 transverse composite monoleaf.....8
Do a Google search for adjustable Corvette composite spring. They're actually quite simple. I used the ideas I saw to build an adjustable transverse spring on the Opel. Basically for stiffening you want to move the contact points outward shortening the distance between the contact point and the end of the spring that attaches to the control arm.
This is how you get a cheap Challenge vehicle.
The news said: Florida woman angered by 'fat' insult bashes boyfriend's windshield, cops say $2,350 worth of damage caused during rampage, deputies say
A lexan windshield and some bedliner paint and it's good to go.
Paint... Topside boat paint is much cheaper than bedliner but your prep needs to be really good.
CL sure, but FB marketplace takes less effort so there's even more junk... err... Gold out there.
Learn to fabricate and get creative... Tools don't count toward budget, but the point is learn and be creative.
pinchvalve wrote: This thread needs to include how to find/negotiate killer deals for the cars!
Step 1. Don't be afraid to walk away.
Step 2. Make lots of offers. Best way is to wait to make the offer till you see the car. They know you are serious if you are willing to show up in person.
Step 3. Have the cash to back those offers up.
Other than that don't limit yourself to a certain car.
Sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time, and persistence pays off.
I have the datsun because I asked about it 2 years before. Then i was at his house again, car was in same spot. I just looked at it and he said it was time to sell and threw out $600. I didn't haggle we just shook hands and i gave him back the cash he gave me for the other deal we just made.
The $2017 build came about because I asked about a trans/diff from the c5 he was parting out and he shot me a number for the whole roller instead.
Don't force the deal, those are the builds I never finished.
Ovid_and_Flem wrote: Didn't the guys who built the killer fast autoX Jeep Cherokee wrap their rear leaf springs with duct tape to effectively stiffen them up?
We disassembled the stock leaf pack, added a couple more leafs from another stock pack, sanded all the leafs smooth, greased them, then wrapped them in duck tape to keep the grease in and dirt out. This was so the leafs would move smoothly and not bind.
My favorite cheap challenge mod was using beer cans to shim a worn limited slip. Trace a friction plate on the can then cut it out and shim between the steel and the case. I used a Coors can because it was thicker then any of the others in the recycling bin. Budget hit was $.05 MA deposit.
In reply to pinchvalve:
Look no further then Atlanta Craigslist... That place honestly holds more good then a Cargo Ship.
Bruce Cheap Car Hunting Tips.
LOOK! Take a different route home from work often and drive slowly. Helps if you can talk a like minded buddy into riding shotgun or even better...driving! You will soon learn to recognize "sitters" that can be had cheaply. If you spot a model, at the store or something, that you like that appears worked on...stop and engage the driver too. They might be source that will have something "at my cousins house" or "my buddy Dan"!
TALK! See something you like? Online, want ads, driving around, word of mouth from a friend or whatever. Put yourself politely in some faces. Give them a way to contact you after said vehicle has sat in their yard a while. Don't show up in your $60,000 shiny vehicle and sweat getting a bit of grease on your Guccis.
PRICING! For Challenge prices, you currently have no money! (Unless they offer it for STUPID low money). Free is good! I have had people offer money to haul cars off too! NEVER be offensive or act offended. They may be the guy who calls back with a buddy selling his car or he finally got tired of looking at his unrealistic project.
Hurry is expensive! Don't be the one in a hurry to close the deal. I am currently stalking an ugly green van that I spotted with 2 flat tire, dirty and expired inspection/registration. They got on the stick and got it clean and legal claiming they are gonna use it. Currently it is sitting with stuff expired 9 of 2016. Gonna call again next month about bill payin' time.
BE PREPARED! When the right one hits, make the deal, grab it and run!
In reply to egnorant:
To expand on the bill paying time, look to buy the week before the 1st and the week after for the sellers that didn't make rent/mortgage.
I ask about any "unloved" vehicle I see. Today I noticed a 2000 BMW 323i that had a flat tire. Turns out it belongs to a friend of my customer. He wants it gone and he's pushing the deal from his end to get his friend to sell to me.
Keep an eye on charity auto auctions in your area, especially if you have some expertise on common failures for the car you are looking for. I bought the donor car for my Challenge project at a goodwill auction. It was labeled as a no-start. I listened when they tried to start it during the auction, and didn't hear the fuel pump. Took a chance on it being okay otherwise, and was able to get it at a decent price.
I like the doubled up stock sway bar trick.
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