So I am determined to make it to the Challenge this year but I want some thoughts on possible candidates for cars.
I have no ideas of winning the challenge or anything like that and the car will be driven down there. Really I just want to go and have fun as I have before but with my own car this time. I also am planning on doing the Lemons Rally with this vehicle. But after both of these I want to be left with a fun weekend car that is a little unique.
So far thoughts on possible candidates are Saab 99 or 900, any Peugeot, 1st or 2nd gen Prelude, 4th gen Civic wagon, 1st gen CRX, W201, BMW E12 or maybe a Volvo wagon. I also might look for a 2nd gen Civic if I can swap Triumph Acclaim bodywork on to it easily (looking into that now).
Are there any other cars I should be looking for that could be found as not complete rust buckets/ wrecks for challenge budget? Really want something European and manual. Wagons would be cool. Not interested in American cars. Mostly not interested in Japanese car except Honda or if anyone knows of some cool obscure wagons from Japan that would make fun cars. Looking in the mid-70s to late 80s year range.
Sounds like your #1 priority is reliability, since you will be doing a lot of driving in it. Start there. Compile of list of ads for running, driving cars under $2,000 local to you that also fit your specific interests. I imagine the list of running, driving 70s/80s quirky foreign cars for Challenge money local to you is pretty short. Go look at them all. If they all suck, be ready to buy the right one when it does reveal itself.
This year the sub-class is wagons, so that fits in nicely with your plans.
If you're not going to win, there's two approaches you could go with here.
1. What's the most fun to fling around an autocross course?
2. What's the most laughably inappropriate car to race?
I’d rather take a stock 80’s Ford Grenada that runs and drives than furiously try to put together an oddball European whatever.
I went with a car I do NOT fit in last year put some money in it to make it work long enough for the challenge and had a blast finishing 18th.
I despise it with every fiber of my being. I’m a big 3 guy and brought a Mazda Miata.
Quit being specific for your first ever challenge. Find something that runs and drives under budget and go have fun!!! Your next year build what you specifically want. That is what I’m exactly doing for ‘18.
What car do you LIKE the best?
I keep pointing that out because it's really important. You are going to spend a LOT of time on the car, so you should at least like it.
If you have two that you like equally- which is the one you can work on the easiest? Again, you are going to spend a LOT of time on the car. Probably by yourself most of the time. Better make it easy-ish to work on.
And whatever it is, it should be completable by August (by a hard plan). That gives you a few months of leeway- either to tune it, or to make up for lost time. KISS works better than a complex plan sometimes, especially when complexity can be added over time.
Since you've always wanted to do this, the last sentence is important. The long term time matters a lot- getting to the Challenge and competing AND running the LeMans Rally will likely lead to long term enjoyment of it. So 1) don't kill yourself just doing it (or you may hate the experience) and 2) there's always another opportunity to add something more to the car.
maschinenbau said:
Sounds like your #1 priority is reliability, since you will be doing a lot of driving in it. Start there. Compile of list of ads for running, driving cars under $2,000 local to you that also fit your specific interests. I imagine the list of running, driving 70s/80s quirky foreign cars for Challenge money local to you is pretty short. Go look at them all. If they all suck, be ready to buy the right one when it does reveal itself.
There is going to be a lot of this I admit. Cause I am looking for the right car and something I will enjoy.
Ranger50 said:
Quit being specific for your first ever challenge. Find something that runs and drives under budget and go have fun!!! Your next year build what you specifically want. That is what I’m exactly doing for ‘18.
I mean this would be my fourth challenge. Just my first on my own.
The Lemons Rally is honestly a bigger goal so if I don't make the GRM Challenge this year it would suck but not be the end of the world. Find something I like and will be fun for the Lemons Rally that is more important and if it doesn't make it this year to the Challenge maybe next. But doing a Lemons Rally soon is a must.
alfadriver said:
What car do you LIKE the best?
I keep pointing that out because it's really important. You are going to spend a LOT of time on the car, so you should at least like it.
If you have two that you like equally- which is the one you can work on the easiest? Again, you are going to spend a LOT of time on the car. Probably by yourself most of the time. Better make it easy-ish to work on.
And whatever it is, it should be completable by August (by a hard plan). That gives you a few months of leeway- either to tune it, or to make up for lost time. KISS works better than a complex plan sometimes, especially when complexity can be added over time.
Since you've always wanted to do this, the last sentence is important. The long term time matters a lot- getting to the Challenge and competing AND running the LeMans Rally will likely lead to long term enjoyment of it. So 1) don't kill yourself just doing it (or you may hate the experience) and 2) there's always another opportunity to add something more to the car.
Good advice. I think I would enjoy any of them in their own way. I have wanted a "vintage" Honda, an older MB, a Swedish car or a French car for a while. The only one I am worried about possibly not liking is the Peugeot at least as far as driving but all things considered a Peugeot seems the least likely to be found. The Hondas seem the easy button. I am not planning an engine swap if I can avoid it. Basically want to fresh the suspension, make sure it is reliable, clean up the interior and exterior and whatever budget is left goes to performance parts.
I recommend building for the wagon class. If I were building for reliability and long drives and the wagon class I'd be putting a lot of thought into a saturn wagon. It's american but it is weird enough to consider it not-really-american.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/internet-bench-racing-challenge-wagon/136202/page1/
Other wagons that could clean up:
- ford focus wagon (svt suspension kit is $300 brand new and should bolt right in - some minor work in the rear for the wagon)
- saab 9-5 wagon (2.3t takes a tune really well)
- merc/bmw/volvo wagon from the 90s
- toyota corolla wagon (just call team echo echo echo for prep tips - most of us would do well to learn from them)
- if the subaru forester counts, then I think the kia/suzuki/crv/rav4 CUVs are hard to argue against (beat with lowering stick)
- Honda civic/accord or mazda protege wagon (same as corolla wagon above really)
It occurs to me that everything I am listing is from the 90s, and you want something a bit older. My wife also accuses me of only liking 90s cars. Get off my lawn.
I'm just going to drop this here, too.
https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/barn-find-saab-95-station/6543405890.html
This is a 3-cylinder, 2-stroke engined Saab station wagon. Made from 1965 till 1967. I pulled this out of a barn where it had been parked for at least the last ten years, maybe longer. Last registered in Oklahoma in the 1980s. No title, but I do have the keys for it and will provide a bill of sale. Car has a little rust on the floor area near the firewall (common spot for rust on old saabs) the rest of the floor is solid - see pics! Windshield and back window are in tact, two of the small side windows (flat glass) are cracked. Door windows are in tact. Engine has triple barrel carb option. Rare car.
If this was closer I would already be on my way to get it. That 2 stroke, 3 cyl, 3 carb set up is WAY cool. Driving this to th Challenge and on a LeMons rally would be past epic.
In reply to hobiercr :
Wow, that is awesome. Too bad it is over 1200 miles from me.
In reply to EvanB :
I thought very hard about swapping my BMW v12 into a 5wagon just like that one.
hobiercr said:
I'm just going to drop this here, too.
https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/barn-find-saab-95-station/6543405890.html
This is a 3-cylinder, 2-stroke engined Saab station wagon. Made from 1965 till 1967. I pulled this out of a barn where it had been parked for at least the last ten years, maybe longer. Last registered in Oklahoma in the 1980s. No title, but I do have the keys for it and will provide a bill of sale. Car has a little rust on the floor area near the firewall (common spot for rust on old saabs) the rest of the floor is solid - see pics! Windshield and back window are in tact, two of the small side windows (flat glass) are cracked. Door windows are in tact. Engine has triple barrel carb option. Rare car.
If this was closer I would already be on my way to get it. That 2 stroke, 3 cyl, 3 carb set up is WAY cool. Driving this to th Challenge and on a LeMons rally would be past epic.
That is uber cool but the time it would take to get that thing road worthy again seems much more then what I have. Also the lack of title from out of state might be a problem.
In reply to 93EXCivic :
RE: Lack of title- I wonder if that's really an issue or not? Some states didn't have titles to cars that old, and if it never changed hands when titles were introduced, it may be ok. I got an Alfa that way, and even called my state, and they were pretty clear- a '67 car from Georgia may not have a title, so Michigan was ok to issue one based on the bill of sale.
(yea, I know that it may be too much for what you are looking for- just a possible tangent)
After my one Challenge entry I thought I would buy a $2000 car and a can of wax. It's not that I don't enjoy long nights in the garage, wrestling fitment and electrical problems while balancing money, time and family needs. Oh yeah, there's that work stuff in the way too. I started but couldn't compete a few starts after that, life in the way.
No matter what you do, it's a good time. Go as a spectator and buy a ticket to the banquet!
Dan
In reply to alfadriver :
I would have to look into Texas. Alabama doesn't require titles on cars over 35 years old but if you are bringing it from out of state and that state does have titles I would need one.
I did the 2015 and 2017 challange with a subby outback wagon that doebles as a daily also so have fun and just get soemthing and go.
