Our very first low-buck motorsport event, the $1500 Challenge

It was a simple challenge: Can you build a real race car for $1500? So simple, yet so improbable that when we issued our $1500 Challenge to our staff and readers several months ago, we anticipated that few would accept it. We pretty much envisioned the story as a closed competition among our own editorial staff. 

Then we ran the news …

Read the rest of the story

The one that started it all!

The day I learned what GRM was! I was at the dragstrip with my family and thought the zany $1500 cars were really cool. Picked up my first issue that week. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

That was my GLH turbo I sold to JG just for the challenge.  The car was rude and crude, but put a smile on my face every time I drove it.  I had it 8 yrs and won a C Stock regional championship.  Parked with all of the other CS sports cars, first gen MR2s and RX7s, it looked like a phone booth LOL  Good times!

In reply to gp99 :

Yup, that’s JG’s GLH. Amazing that’s what they sold for back then. I prepped an ’86 Civic Si. Tim did an SVO Mustang. 

J.G. Pasterjak said:

...The 0-60 times dropped into the 6.8-sec­ond range and the car felt like a crazy mon­key full of bathtub crystal meth...

Now that's an image right there. Thanks for posting the article. It was an entertaining read. I just wish that there were more pictures of the cars.

ShawneeCreek said:

J.G. Pasterjak said:

...The 0-60 times dropped into the 6.8-sec­ond range and the car felt like a crazy mon­key full of bathtub crystal meth...

Now that's an image right there. Thanks for posting the article. It was an entertaining read. I just wish that there were more pictures of the cars.

There is video evidence. JG did a video coverage. Probably just need to ask for the link...

I was there.  I am old 

So what is $1500 adjusted for inflation?

stafford1500 said:

ShawneeCreek said:

J.G. Pasterjak said:

...The 0-60 times dropped into the 6.8-sec­ond range and the car felt like a crazy mon­key full of bathtub crystal meth...

Now that's an image right there. Thanks for posting the article. It was an entertaining read. I just wish that there were more pictures of the cars.

There is video evidence. JG did a video coverage. Probably just need to ask for the link...

I believe this is the link your looking for: 

Bringing this article back gave OCR a real workout didn't it?

A lot of these cars would be tough to find at all in half the US today. I probably haven't seen a Toyota Cressida since 2002. 1985 200SX? Not in Ohio.

Wow those dudes reporting are really really young.