Thinking about GRM

I was thinking the other day about an article that I think I first read in GRM many years back about a BMW build that involves taking a 325 and building it to match M3 performance specs. This mainly involved a major motor rebuild / upgrade bringing it up to a 2.7 (using a diesel crank????) and some other cool stuff. (kind of an insiders guide to building up an 3 series for the street and the cones)

Skip forward and there was the Volvo (I think) that was converted to injection. I wished there is more details and more photos but still good non the less. I guess I am wanting more down and dirty how to stuff.

I really liked the Saab build up article it enlightened me on some tricks that I new use when working on my cars.

As of late I have been seeing allot less of this kind of article (with the exception of the article on repairing of the valance on the BMW. That was very good!!!!!)

Just bolting on shiny new $600+ exhaust systems and plugging in this chip or getting something flashed is fun but what happened to the down and dirty builds that involved grease and dirt and parts washers. I already know how to spend money and bolt on parts. Trust me I have the spending money part down to good!!!! I would like to know how can you build an exhaust from the stuff you can get at the local parts store that is just about as good as that shiny new stainless steel one. I know this may not be what the demographics say the GRM readership wants, but it is what I would like, and I hope I am not alone. It was just this type of information that drew me to GRM in the first place.

How about a look in to where megasquirt is going and what is on the horizon for "You do it EFI" I think it is just assumed that everyone knows how this stuff works. (we don't)

How about taking a beat up old (insert any car from the late 80's or 90's other than a miata, BMW or a Subaru) and build it into a nice street car / cone killer and than do it again and again just mix up the year make and model. In essence you would have mini go fast guides for various cars. What are the insider tricks to various car builds. Again not necessarily cars built to an SCCA class but cars built for the street, the commute to the office, or the construction site and then on the weekend you take it to the all mighty field of cones and have fun with it. After all this is all about having fun.

Anyway I am just rambling on. I am sure I will get bashed for this and it is in no means meant to say I am not liking GRM. Far from it!!!! GRM has the others beat many times over when it comes to car mags!!!! This was just me rambling on and thinking about things.

I'd love to see a stelth turbobrick buildup. Talk about a Q-ship.

Well, you're kind ignoring that we just did the Neon and now I'm working on the Golf...and we've got the CRX...and the WRX will even be done on a budget.

If you look at any one article, you might think, "hey that's not ...." but you have to look at the whole editorial calendar.

Per

I vote you guys just do something REALLY strange for autocross purposes.

Like... something that starts out as a major POS that can be found all day any day for $500-$1000 in decent shape on Craigslist, anywhere in the country. Something that you guys may know NOTHING about it. And then try to make it handle, or at least be competitive in a regional perspective.

Per Schroeder wrote: Well, you're kind ignoring that we just did the Neon and now I'm working on the Golf...and we've got the CRX...and the WRX will even be done on a budget. If you look at any one article, you might think, "hey that's not ...." but you have to look at the whole editorial calendar. Per

I forgot about the Neon you are correct!!!! That was very good!!!!

Re the WRX I know you are new the new Subi mag but these and EVOs and just getting ... . well old? Great cars for sure but it is becoming the Miata of the AWD turbo world. I absolutely understand that you have to aim your content at what sells the most issues and hits the interest of the larges percentage of the audience. I guess I am looking for a bit more grit, backyard, shade tree, pull a motor with a chain fall stuff.

I'm sort of with you on that, Dean. I think there's some more of that build up fun coming in the form of coverage of Per's Legrand, but I agree that another buildup from more pedestrian beginnings is due. I don't think that GRM as a whole has been neglecting, It just seems IMVHO that coverage goes in cycles depending on what sort of feedback is given from subscribers and that the current coverage is what people have been asking for. It makes sense to me that now that we're getting our fill, it'll swing back the other way some more.

I also would really love to see a "State of The Resistors" article on where DIY EFI and megasquirt especially are currently. It could definitely wait until the new version comes out, which IIRC is tentatively due this summer. With the proliferation of electronic controls in our GRM target zone of modifing cars, they could have a recurring series even.

either that or funky grassroots XP build along challenge-ish principles.

I would kind of enjoy more fabrication/design-oriented articles then bolt-on centric articles.

Apexcarver wrote: either that or funky grassroots XP build along challenge-ish principles. I would kind of enjoy more fabrication/design-oriented articles then bolt-on centric articles.

Ding Ding Ding. Winner!!!!!!

Apexcarver wrote: either that or funky grassroots XP build along challenge-ish principles. I would kind of enjoy more fabrication/design-oriented articles then bolt-on centric articles.

yeah, that exactly. I think we'd love to see a return of the staff car/cars to the challenge I know I would!!!

How ironic, I'm working on the June issue right now. Major focus: How to build a car from scratch.

David S. Wallens wrote: How ironic, I'm working on the June issue right now. Major focus: How to build a car from scratch.

I chuckled.

Scratch = $$$$$ where I come from. . . Just saying

Made me chuckle as well.

bluej wrote: ...It just seems IMVHO that coverage goes in cycles depending on what sort of feedback is given from subscribers and that the current coverage is what people have been asking for. It makes sense to me that now that we're getting our fill, it'll swing back the other way some more.

David S. Wallens wrote: How ironic, I'm working on the June issue right now. Major focus: How to build a car from scratch.

hah! much grassy-a$$!

dean1484 wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: How ironic, I'm working on the June issue right now. Major focus: How to build a car from scratch.

Scratch = $$$$$ where I come from. . .

Remember the article on Sean Hind's locost....it was built on a challenge budget.

93celicaGT2 wrote: I vote you guys just do something REALLY strange for autocross purposes. Like... something that starts out as a major POS that can be found all day any day for $500-$1000 in decent shape on Craigslist, anywhere in the country. Something that you guys may know NOTHING about it. And then try to make it handle, or at least be competitive in a regional perspective.

And give it a cool name, like "Bezerkley"!

Oh, wait.

Remember that the WRX is getting on in years now. They can be a decade old and they're great platforms for building on. So it's the sort of car that you'd expect to see in GRM. It can't be 1980's Hondas forever, time moves on!

The motor got changed so many times in that Neon, that must count for something...

dean1484 wrote: I would like to know how can you build an exhaust from the stuff you can get at the local parts store that is just about as good as that shiny new stainless steel one. [....] How about a look in to where megasquirt is going and what is on the horizon for "You do it EFI" I think it is just assumed that everyone knows how this stuff works. (we don't)

I think those would both be wonderful articles. As we discussed recently, a roll cage article would also be good. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/cage-article/18656/page1/ Not so much from a "how do I build this" standpoint as from a "What does my cage/roll bar need if I want to do X"

An article comparing and contrasting different sanctioning bodies roll cage/bar rules would be a most awesome thing! (including different levels of competition. say if you wanted to do SCCA as well as NASA time trials)

JoeyM wrote: Not so much from a "how do I build this" standpoint as from a "What does my cage/roll bar need if I want to do X"

How you did it is all great and good, but WHY you did it is always of interest.

93celicaGT2 wrote: I vote you guys just do something REALLY strange for autocross purposes. Like... something that starts out as a major POS that can be found all day any day for $500-$1000 in decent shape on Craigslist, anywhere in the country. Something that you guys may know NOTHING about it. And then try to make it handle, or at least be competitive in a regional perspective.

There are a few companies making hard core chassis parts for Volvo 240s now.....

klipless wrote: I'd love to see a stelth turbobrick buildup. Talk about a Q-ship.

+11!1100000000!!!!11!!!!!!, only make it a wagon with a spray bedliner interior and use it to haul greasy crap home from the junk yard for other projects.

Keith wrote: And give it a cool name, like "Bezerkley"! Oh, wait. Remember that the WRX is getting on in years now. They can be a decade old and they're great platforms for building on. So it's the sort of car that you'd expect to see in GRM. It can't be 1980's Hondas forever, time moves on!

How about adding a turbo and/or a 5 speed Legacy/ early Imprezza? I've always heard how simple it is but a budget build would rock. Maybe even an early Forester? Add the new MS and you've got wagon goodness, oddballness, and new MS all in one!

Keith wrote: It can't be 1980's Hondas forever, time moves on!

That's a damn shame. I love 1980s Hondas.

I LOVE XP....build one of those. /thread. the maroon has spoken.

(I would also love to see a MkIII supra build....not that I am biased or anything...but they are super cheap right now. I got two out of the classifieds for 750 with a spare engine.)

maroon92 wrote: I LOVE XP....build one of those. /thread. the maroon has spoken. (I would also love to see a MkIII supra build....not that I am biased or anything...but they are super cheap right now. I got two out of the classifieds for 750 with a spare engine.)

I still remember the car that (I think) modernbeat was building.. Europa with a ferrari V8.. MMMmmmmmmmmm

Junkyard_Dog wrote: How about adding a turbo and/or a 5 speed Legacy/ early Imprezza? I've always heard how simple it is but a budget build would rock. Maybe even an early Forester? Add the new MS and you've got wagon goodness, oddballness, and new MS all in one!

that sounds really, really awesome.

also, just to be clear, I think we all realize it takes time for stuff like that to happen and be in the mag, so we don't expect it next issue. I think we're just trying to put bugs in your ear for future stuff. i'm sure we're not going to be cancelling our subs if it doesn't happen.

Apexcarver wrote:

JoeyM wrote: Not so much from a "how do I build this" standpoint as from a "What does my cage/roll bar need if I want to do X"

How you did it is all great and good, but WHY you did it is always of interest.

Yes. I'd like to see a a series of articles giving breakdown - by class and by organization (e.g. SCCA, NASA, PCA, Chin, etc.) - of what the cage/bar requirements are for autocross, track days, actual road racing.....I bet just covering the autocross could be one article. You could even talk about what's required for NHRA and the GRM challenge.

I liked the oddness of say the Ro-Spit, oddball is king and what I like most about GRM. Why not find an 80s TVR (talking the squared off ugly ones that can be had cheap) or a Maserati Bi-Turbo just for giggles and fool around with it? Hondas, Miatas, WRXs are all well and good but seriously they're very main stream and I always got more excited opening the mags w/the Neon, Saab, Rally vehicles, Locost, on the cover.