An idea so brilliant it's a shame I can't afford it.

I've been thinking for a while about what would make an ideal autocross car for the track and classing structure by me, and finally I settled on a GRC Lites car. It wouldn't even be unsporting to enter an actual GRC Lites car against the kind of cars that are competing these days.

Then I thought, how could I build my own cheapo knockoff of such a car? And I came up with an idea of pure brilliance. Start with a smashed Evo (any generation could work, you'd want a lateral-AWD powertrain for maximum traction and minimum front overhang), take the suspension, brakes, and powertrain...basically toss the body and maybe the subframes. Build a small tube-framed chassis (not making the chassis wider than necessary, for reasons I'll get to later) with a short wheelbase to attach said parts to. Shorten driveshaft, put radiator stack in the back (with air-to-water intercooler), optionally change suspension to bellcranks.

So now you've given an Evo the Exocet treatment, that's a pretty quick car! But wait, it could be even better!

Maybe it would be nice if it was a "real car" with doors and windows and a windshield and wipers and lights and so on. It could be street legal and you could do stage rally with it. But building all that stuff is tiresome, right? So instead of building it, you find an EP70 Starlet body that hasn't returned to the earth yet, and stretch it over the tube frame Justang-style, using mighty box flares to relocate the wheel arches as necessary. Ratty EP70s are cheap and usually rusted in the floor anyway. Now the car has all those "real car" goodies, plus 80s-tastic styling, and box flares!

Now the worst thing about this idea is that it's not all that ridiculous. It's not madly expensive and all the serious fab work is in the chassis. Scary thoughts.

Sounds expensive. Even wrecked evos aren’t cheap. 

GameboyRMH said:

I've been thinking for a while about what would make an ideal autocross car for the track and classing structure by me, and finally I settled on a GRC Lites car. It wouldn't even be unsporting to enter an actual GRC Lites car against the kind of cars that are competing these days.

Then I thought, how could I build my own cheapo knockoff of such a car? And I came up with an idea of pure brilliance. Start with a smashed Evo (any generation could work, you'd want a lateral-AWD powertrain for maximum traction and minimum front overhang), take the suspension, brakes, and powertrain...basically toss the body and maybe the subframes. Build a small tube-framed chassis (not making the chassis wider than necessary, for reasons I'll get to later) with a short wheelbase to attach said parts to. Shorten driveshaft, put radiator stack in the back (with air-to-water intercooler), optionally change suspension to bellcranks.

So now you've given an Evo the Exocet treatment, that's a pretty quick car! But wait, it could be even better!

Maybe it would be nice if it was a "real car" with doors and windows and a windshield and wipers and lights and so on. It could be street legal and you could do stage rally with it. But building all that stuff is tiresome, right? So instead of building it, you find an EP70 Starlet body that hasn't returned to the earth yet, and stretch it over the tube frame Justang-style, using mighty box flares to relocate the wheel arches as necessary. Ratty EP70s are cheap and usually rusted in the floor anyway. Now the car has all those "real car" goodies, plus 80s-tastic styling, and box flares!

Now the worst thing about this idea is that it's not all that ridiculous. It's not madly expensive and all the serious fab work is in the chassis. Scary thoughts.

I know!  Stuff it into the smallest shell you can find, like a Mini or something.

...

(wait for it)

...

(I take offense that transverse engine cars have less front overhang than, say, Subaru.  Look at cutaways, it's impressive how much of a Subaru drivetrain ISN'T ahead of the axle compared to a transverse, and how little it actually extends forward

One of my Big Stupid Ideas is to jam an entire EJ20/subframe/etc in the RX-7.  It will fit with ease, the RX-7 has more front overhang than Imprezas do)

I've got a Justy if someone would like to build  Subaru based WRX version.  

Oooooo, a WRX powered Justy sounds pretty cool!

A bit like this?

http://www.uphillracers.com/showthread.php?t=5390

There's lot's more in the build thread and lot's of vids.  I've followed it for years.  BTW, it's got lots of power too.

^Pretty much exactly like that!

Although it's disappointing to see how heavy the Evo powertrain is. Before settling on that idea, I thought about a dual-powertrain setup, but chose against it for cost, weight and packaging reasons...since the Evo parts are heavy and expensive, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all?

I pick up a 2 door justy the week after christmas.

 It will be an ice racer next yr,since my mid mounted R1 engined awd geo caused a rules rewrite this one has a different slant to it.

It will retain the stock justy 5sp and I will chain drive the input shaft and provide power with a 1000cc Vtwin sport bike engine.Most likely a suzuki TL1000r,hunting for a donor now.

There's a guy named Robert who builds what are currently referred to as "ghettocets", but he's way beyond the usual quality.

Anyhow, I don't think it's been seen in public, but he has built a four seat version based on an Evo.

The cheapest and most similar answer to this thread is a two door Expo with awd and lots of turbo swap.

Glad to help, get to building.

The issue with Ghettocets to me is that 'Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder'  No amount of beer could convince me that something like that was worth my time, effort, dollars or beer to make up for the embarrassment of being seen in something that looked like a third graders rejected scribblings of a Mad Max car.

Grizz said:

The cheapest and most similar answer to this thread is a two door Expo with awd and lots of turbo swap.

Glad to help, get to building.

Expo? Do you mean Evo?

That's pretty close as well, but to be competitive I'd have to strip a great deal of weight out of it, and at some point you have to choose between CF/FG panels and losing the panels...

Evos are cool, but I'm hoping he meant this:

2 Door Mitsubishi Expo LRV aka Eagle Summit and Dodge Colt

Your idea reminds me of the Audi Super Chicken.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

What Ten Toe said.

That or an eclipse driveline into a regular colt hatch.

I've thought a worrying amount about the same kind of setup, and I think an AWD Astro van would be a perfect donor for this. Bear with me. . . 

• Unibody construction means that the front subframe would unbolt and locate the engine, T-case, transmission, and suspension. 
• "Frame-rail" subframe could be boxed and used to build the tube frame off of.
• 4.3L capable and will withstand some boost stock, SBC based motors will install readily.
• Full-Time AWD transfer case that will take abuse readily.

All that is left is to source a rear subframe and build a cage to fit it all. Only draw back is weight of the Astro parts and an auto trans.