As I sat in the hotel, a little hung over from the 3rd place $2016 Challenge finish that I helped crew (by help I basically brought beer and played E40 on Pandora) I decided that breakfast was a great idea. I got down to the continental breakfast area and grabbed some coffee and carboliscious foods and sat at a table full of challengers.
We talked for quite a while when someone asked "what's your name on the board?" "Umm... QuasiMofo!?!?" A few seconds of laughing and "no E36 M3s" I found myself engaged in a great conversation with fellow board regular SVReX.
We talked about a lot, the past, present, benched raced a bit and moved on to the future. Specifically the future of his $2016 Challenge RX8. He said a number. I was amenable. I had to explain to the people at home that I am buying a car that was completely different than what we had already started building. But that wasn't the hard part. Figuring out how to actually GET IT FROM GEORGIA was going to be the hard part! No truck, no trailer and no time off work was not going to stop me from my chance at Challenge mediocrity.
A plan hatched, money transferred and plane tickets purchased out of Detroit on the only days possible in almost two months, Thanksgiving.
Paul was gracious enough to meet us at the airport at almost midnight and the missus and I would drive the car back to Michigan because we were both supposed to work on Saturday.
A few days prior to Thanksgiving Paul texted me a little worried, he knew the clutch was hurt but didn't know how bad. He thought it should make the trip but asked that I was prepared for the worst.
The flight was ahead of schedule, the clutch operated quite well and Kelly and I made it to Robbinsville N.C. 3 hours ahead of schedule regardless of a thick fog and forgetting that a cellular phone map program works off cell tier triangulation not satellite signals we got a great deal on a hotel room at 3:00am. The next morning we set off for the real shake down and what would help me to shore up my plans.
First order of business was pulling the 18" OE rolling stock off and add some used 17x10 XXR531 wheels to make it look better at least.
Glad the trip went better than feared by some. So what's the plans? I hear that a clutch job on these involves a LS.
I am currently in the market for one of three drivetrains with a $700 max budget
1: LS anything
2: 5.0L T5
3: 3.8L Split Port T5
Until then I will fix the exhaust leak and clutch and begin the strategic lightening process.
Man, you've been fantasy-building that 3.8 split port forever. Make it so!
AngryCorvair wrote:
Man, you've been fantasy-building that 3.8 split port forever. Make it so!
I know... it's light, stupid cheap, and available
A 1999 up Mustang search is a daily CL/FB sweep
In reply to QuasiMofo:
Re the lightening - there is surprisingly little you can do after pulling out the interior unless you're looking for major surgery. If you cage it, you can replace the doors with CF for a major weight loss, but most of the cheaper and easier ways only result in a minimal gain.
I approve. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
p.s. I drive regularly from chicago to detroit and back (right past you). delivery of parts can be arranged.
Sorry if I'm party crashing, but the SAAB B204 into the rx8 has been done a few times too. That engine would be awesome in a RWD chassis.
BoxheadTim wrote:
In reply to QuasiMofo:
Re the lightening - there is surprisingly little you can do after pulling out the interior unless you're looking for major surgery. If you cage it, you can replace the doors with CF for a major weight loss, but most of the cheaper and easier ways only result in a minimal gain.
The front and rear bumper supports have been eliminated already, I will remove the air bag seats and components, make some steps in removing deadening and NVH components and work off a few pounds under the dash.
It's a Challenge/Rallycross/Drift car when it's done... I'm not trying to take it back to comfortable at any point.
HappyAndy wrote:
Sorry if I'm party crashing, but the SAAB B204 into the rx8 has been done a few times too. That engine would be awesome in a RWD chassis.
Haven't seen it done.
In reality ANY 250-300hp RWD drivetrain is on the radar.
I've considered:
MZR
F Mazda
SBC
SBF
GM 60V6
GM 90 V6
Ford 90*V6
Ford DOHC V6
Mazda V6
I need to find the right deal is all
HappyAndy wrote:
Sorry if I'm party crashing, but the SAAB B204 into the rx8 has been done a few times too. That engine would be awesome in a RWD chassis.
More details please? (sorry for slight threadjack).
In reply to Robbie:
Links interest me as well!
How bad were the fire burns near robbinsville? (Ted Theodore told me that the Tail of the Dragon Hillclimb spot is completely burnt.)
QuasiMofo wrote:
AngryCorvair wrote:
Man, you've been fantasy-building that 3.8 split port forever. Make it so!
I know... it's light, stupid cheap, and available
A 1999 up Mustang search is a daily CL/FB sweep
So tell me more about these split ports. Light you say? Factory around 200hp but I assume easy to make more?
In reply to Mad_Ratel:
I noticed fire trucks and fog. I saw no major damage on 129. I ran the main road as hard as I wanted until about mile 8 (northbound) when I encountered a slow moving F150. By slow moving I literally pulled the car out of gear and paced him for 1/2 mile hitting the fuel once.
Stampie wrote:
QuasiMofo wrote:
AngryCorvair wrote:
Man, you've been fantasy-building that 3.8 split port forever. Make it so!
I know... it's light, stupid cheap, and available
A 1999 up Mustang search is a daily CL/FB sweep
So tell me more about these split ports. Light you say? Factory around 200hp but I assume easy to make more?
There is technical information that can be found at v6power.net
My personal build would be a 4.2 truck long block with Mustang manifolds, bigger injectors and mass air sensor, big cam, and a T5.
Nothing out here yet. but I'm looking for one 
So whats wrong with the engine other than "its a rotary?"
What on earth would be good about what I thought were awful v6s in the pre-2011 Mustangs? Sounds like a step down from the Renesis.
In reply to dculberson:
Just my thought but for Challenge purposes he can probably recover a lot selling a running Renesis and put the V6 of similar power in for less.
fidelity101 wrote:
So whats wrong with the engine other than "its a rotary?"
Nothing at all, the competition is three events the concourse scores for engineering, the autocross rewards torque and the drag race rewards power.
A stock Renesis is an engineering marvel but not within the fenders of an RX8.
