Who's prepping for the $2010 Challenge?

kcbhiw wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: How's about i bring my EGT to you, and you do an AWD conversion, yes yes? My girlfriend has been reading your build thread over on FEOA, and bugs me about wanting to do it, not realizing that i don't have those kind of skills.

Why not? :)

Hahah, it'll put us over budget for the challenge, though. Hell, we might already be over. (yeahhhh.... we sunk money into an Escort WTF?)

But i may be picking your brain someday in the distant future about the transformation if i can't figure everything out from your build thread.

914Driver wrote:

kcbhiw wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: How's about i bring my EGT to you, and you do an AWD conversion, yes yes? My girlfriend has been reading your build thread over on FEOA, and bugs me about wanting to do it, not realizing that i don't have those kind of skills.

Why not? :)

What skill? Make it a family thing, get her out there gutting and brush painting a $500 gem and then go have a good time. You'll have something to tell the grandkids.

That will probably happen for $2011, actually. She's having fun with the Escort, so i'm sure i could talk her into it for $2011. The MX6 is the $2010 car, though, and not much more needs to be done with it, luckily. Besides surviving the next 15k miles that i put on it.

93celicaGT2 wrote: Hahah, it'll put us over budget for the challenge, though. Hell, we might already be over. (yeahhhh.... we sunk money into an Escort WTF?)

Done that before, a SOHC Escort to boot :) Wish I would have known about the Challenge back then, it was making 180whp/230tq and would have passed the budget cutoff with flying colors...

dok33 wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: Hahah, it'll put us over budget for the challenge, though. Hell, we might already be over. (yeahhhh.... we sunk money into an Escort WTF?)

Done that before, a SOHC Escort to boot :) Wish I would have known about the Challenge back then, it was making 180whp/230tq and would have passed the budget cutoff with flying colors...

And it was a wagon to boot! I've seen those videos.

I'm just poking fun... this thing is great. It's sadly more fun to drive than my Celica, since you can drive it on the street without fear of rupturing something inside you.

I will hopefully be prepping for the '10 challenge. Living in an apartment now with no place to work on a car definitely puts a damper on things.

Who wants to help me pick a project that won't require major engine swaps that I could work on during the weekends but keep drivable for the most part?

Ideas so far:

• Jaguar XJS V12 - stripped and flared, maybe manual trans, regear to get rid of the 2.4ish (around that I believe) rear end. This one is a stretch.

• Nissan Hardbody with KA-T, lowered, wide tires, more box flares

• Spitfire or MG for caveman class

EvanB wrote: + Jaguar XJS V12 - stripped and flared, maybe manual trans, regear to get rid of the 2.4ish (around that I believe) rear end. This one is a stretch.

i wanted to call dibs on this idea, as i found a cheap white XJS but it's an automatic. in ten years of challenges, nobody's done a jag and nobody's done a Group 44 livery. a white XJS is a good starting point.

alas, my family budget is focused on retirement in 18 years, so even a challenge-cheap build is outside my financial reach.

All V12 XJS's are auto except for a few in the first year of production (79-80?) from what I have read so It would have to be swapped. That would be my ideal project, I have an eye out for a running XJS < $1000. So far I have found a few cheap non-running cars and one running for $1500.

I also found a 350 chevy swapped XJ:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1415846319.html

That would be fun if I had more money, or could talk him down to $1000

Just found this one too:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1398433761.html

http://www.vimeo.com/1948841

I may have to buy one of those 350 swapped Jags, I would really like to have the V12 but that just looks awesome and a V8 would be easier on my budget and wrenching arrangements.

EvanB wrote: All V12 XJS's are auto except for a few in the first year of production (79-80?) from what I have read so It would have to be swapped. That would be my ideal project, I have an eye out for a running XJS < $1000. So far I have found a few cheap non-running cars and one running for $1500. I also found a 350 chevy swapped XJ: http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1415846319.html That would be fun if I had more money, or could talk him down to $1000 Just found this one too: http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1398433761.html

That '74 Jag is gorgeous. If you can get him down from $1600, that would be a fantastic buy.

I have to wait at least 2 months to "continue" on the 76 Olds Cutlass I bought for the 2009 challenge. I bought the car in December, and my back started to flare up in January. My wife had a "stroke like" incident in March a month after we bought some property (that also has a 1200 sq ft garage) that we started to repair to use as a hobby shop-but could not finish after my back continued to get worse. Thankfully, my wife has fully recovered (in fact she ran a 5K run 2 weeks ago). I had back surgery on Oct 7th for a bulged disc, a swollen disc, and two pinched nerves. It will be at least 2 to 3 months before I can work on anything. I had to quit doing anything physical since July 1st after a MRI confirmed my issues. Its driving me nuts. The cause is believed to be 3 decades of playing basketball. I can retire my Air Jordans, but I cannot retire my auto tools. Having to lay around out of work for a few weeks reading magazines, books, watching Speed and ESPN is making my car bug worse. I'm hoping to be able to finish the garage repairs early this year to leave time to build the car for 2010.

93celicaGT2 wrote: Hahah, it'll put us over budget for the challenge, though. Hell, we might already be over. (yeahhhh.... we sunk money into an Escort WTF?) But i may be picking your brain someday in the distant future about the transformation if i can't figure everything out from your build thread.

I still have a nice set of headlights that'll help you out on the concours ;).

TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: I have to wait at least 2 months to "continue" on the 76 Olds Cutlass I bought for the 2009 challenge. I bought the car in December, and my back started to flare up in January. My wife had a "stroke like" incident in March a month after we bought some property (that also has a 1200 sq ft garage) that we started to repair to use as a hobby shop-but could not finish after my back continued to get worse. Thankfully, my wife has fully recovered (in fact she ran a 5K run 2 weeks ago). I had back surgery on Oct 7th for a bulged disc, a swollen disc, and two pinched nerves. It will be at least 2 to 3 months before I can work on anything. I had to quit doing anything physical since July 1st after a MRI confirmed my issues. Its driving me nuts. The cause is believed to be 3 decades of playing basketball. I can retire my Air Jordans, but I cannot retire my auto tools. Having to lay around out of work for a few weeks reading magazines, books, watching Speed and ESPN is making my car bug worse. I'm hoping to be able to finish the garage repairs early this year to leave time to build the car for 2010.

I am sorry to hear that about your wife, but it is great that she recovered! And I know all about the lying around while you feel like you need to be doing something. I hope you are able to get around soon. We hope to see you at the Challenge!

-Les

plus I have the additional time to surf craigslist to find challenge junk parts I cannot go out and get. I'll need to make offers with delivery included

kcbhiw wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: Hahah, it'll put us over budget for the challenge, though. Hell, we might already be over. (yeahhhh.... we sunk money into an Escort WTF?) But i may be picking your brain someday in the distant future about the transformation if i can't figure everything out from your build thread.

I still have a nice set of headlights that'll help you out on the concours ;).

We have a new set of Eagle Eyes on there now, with the matching non-rice clear corners.

BUT, they fit kindof strange... i think one of the tabs is broken. Would you mind emailing me with the details on yours again?

I think there's only budget for tires and some basic concours stuff left in the budget of that car. It would be slow down the strip, low 15s at best, and not look that great, but should be decent on Autox, if i could drive.

I was REALLY skeptical when i saw people posting their 112mph traps on these cars with stock turbos.

...im failing to see how you are making enough power to trap 118 in a car of that weight with 440cc injectors... what is your fuel pressure?

Im just trying to catch up on all the assignments i've missed in my classes working on my $2009 car.

If im able financially to come back next year, the Aries will be back as a SORTED car thats been driven more than 10 minutes.

Im considering towing it with my 5-speed turbo caravan next year and entering that one too for giggles.

The car doesn't really weigh much...

Under 2500lbs with the way it sits currently i would imagine. They aren't all that heavy to start with (~2700), which surprised me too, since it looks pretty large.

I haven't messed with the fuel pressure yet, and probably won't. That pass was done at 19psi creeping to 21psi, and i was still showing healthy wideband readings.

I'll be honest and say that i don't understand it either. I ridiculed people on the mx6 forums for posting that they were breaking deep 12s on stock turbo or a tbird hybrid with stock fuel and a rigged 5th injector setup. And then they posted videos, and then i ran my car. It almost makes sense, considering my turbo is rather large compared to theirs, and i have a little bit more fuel available than them.

I have no idea what kind of power it's putting down either. From the way it feels, i doubt that the HP is anything crazy, but the torque feels outright ridiculous.

But yes. It looks wrong to me, too. I can dig up the slip again, but it won't mean anything without video, so you'll have to wait til spring.

I picked up my intended 2010 entry a while back. Its a 86 IROC-Z. This will be my 1rst Challenge and I'm not much of a mechanic so I don't expect to win but I'm hoping to not embarass myself or my brother who is helping me. We will be competing in the Caveman class, if it's carried over. This class is perfect for us because we don't have a welder or an air compressor. I will need to find a hand drill but that can't be too hard. Due to my work schedule ( I'm an OTR Truck driver ) all we've done is remove most of the interior and some clean up. This should be fun

wheels777 wrote: If anyone is interested in going to these, PM me. 10/17/09 http://www.maplegroveraceway.com/blog/?page_id=621 11/7 Should be the Harrisburg Farm Show Complrx Racer's Flea Market (I will confirm) This is the big FM that has major parts. 11/14 Lincoln Speedway (Smaller show, great for small parts) 11/28 Krietz (People dump there stuff at this one. I have bought many many many big solid roller cams at this one - 3 for $10)

FYI - The 10/17 fall flea market at the Grove has been rescheduled for the 31st. I just got the notice a few minutes ago.

-Rob

93celicaGT2, i appreciate the honesty.. this is something i want to figure out! Ive seen the stock ihi turbos on those things and it seems to me they'd only flow about 200hp worth of air!

What forums are you going to for these things? I wanna read up!

Vigo wrote: 93celicaGT2, i appreciate the honesty.. this is something i want to figure out! Ive seen the stock ihi turbos on those things and it seems to me they'd only flow about 200hp worth of air! What forums are you going to for these things? I wanna read up!

www.mx6.com

Like i was trying to say... my car makes sense compared to the examples that i was skeptical of to start, but those examples still don't make sense to me. "That's impossible, but if you look at the impossible and add this to it, you could get something even more impossible that would make sense if you use the impossible as your baseline."

That's pretty much where i am.

The stock turbo seems to crap out at about 240whp if i remember correctly. About the same time the stock fuel pump becomes inadequate. Luckily, i have a 255lph.

But it's definitely not the HP that moves these cars, it's the torque. About two months ago now, a guy up in canada put down 350whp/468wtq on a basic 50trim turbo setup with megasquirt. On a 200k bone stock OEM motor. With a 2.5" exhaust. 26psi i think it was. There's numerous examples of people breaking the 300wtq mark on the tbird hybrid turbo, which isn't exactly large, either.

IF i had to hazard a guess, and that's exactly what it would be, since i haven't dyno'd it, and i don't trust butt dynos, i'd say i'm probably just under 300whp, and somewhere north of 350wtq.

Nexens or not, they're new tires, and i absolutely do not get full traction until 4th gear even in dry conditions. The first time i broke 20psi on this car it was rolling into the gas in 3rd gear at 40mph, and it just tach'd out and went for the nearest tree/telephone pole trying it's damndest to commit automotive suicide.

It's a handful. During DD duties, it really never sees positive pressure, because it's just not something i want to deal with commuting to work at 5am.

Just to make this a smidge more unbelievable... I have a stock clutch, and it's held up so far without a complaint. On the flip side, there's numerous reports of the original stock clutches holding to 300k+ miles. Everything on this car was overbuilt to the point of insanity with the exception of the gearbox.

I guess I found something new to keep an eye out for.....this sounds like fun....

Just picked up an 88 crx hf roller today for $300 and I have my eye on a grand prix with a supercharged 3.8 so we will see what comes out of the two of them!!!

Found a car I'd really like as a challenge car but still working on negotiation of the price.

I am surprised that there aren't more Subarus at the Challenge... Anytime I search on Craigslist, I find a few mid-late 90's models in budget.

Just posted a couple of pics of the crx i picked up in my garage!