DeadSkunk wrote: I like the mercedes colour idea. This thing is like a 4 cylinder, resto-mod to me. Can't wait to see the finished product. !!
Exact idea Im shooting for long term, resto mod with "tuner" influences. If you are going to go "mod" then why not use modern tech and have fun. Nothing quite like a hot street cruiser that will also get 28 mpg right? :)
Patina is great and all, but from what you're saying it's not so much patina as it is an unfinished car. I vote for putting your best foot forward and doing the bodywork. There will be people at the challenge who won't know about the car's past and probably won't care, especially if you're given a lot of concours points for 'patina' that's really just an incomplete job.
Ignore everyone else and do what you want. Don't give in to peer pressure! 
Bob
P.S. Is the special guest driver Michael Schumacher?
Schmidlap wrote: Patina is great and all, but from what you're saying it's not so much patina as it is an unfinished car. I vote for putting your best foot forward and doing the bodywork. There will be people at the challenge who won't know about the car's past and probably won't care, especially if you're given a lot of concours points for 'patina' that's really just an incomplete job. Ignore everyone else and do what you want. Don't give in to peer pressure!
Special guest driver is more special (but less famous) than that. If we got the nod on the event and driver then Im leaving it but otherwise I'll play it by ear. To "finish" it for GRM will just be a 10/50 job as I said, it wont be finished the way I want, that will require another year or 2 and waaaay more than we have left in the budget.
Jim,
In the other two events the car is NOT judged on appearance. At GRM it is one of the three parts. I vote to finish the body work and paint. If I change my mind in a couple of weeks then you will be the first to know.
TheWake wrote: Jim, In the other two events the car is NOT judged on appearance. At GRM it is one of the three parts. I vote to finish the body work and paint. If I change my mind in a couple of weeks then you will be the first to know.
You are the first on the team to vote to finish and the one closest to me....prepare to give up your fingerprints to sandpaper if the results say to finish it ;)
JThw8 wrote:TheWake wrote: Jim, In the other two events the car is NOT judged on appearance. At GRM it is one of the three parts. I vote to finish the body work and paint. If I change my mind in a couple of weeks then you will be the first to know.You are the first on the team to vote to finish and the one closest to me....prepare to give up your fingerprints to sandpaper if the results say to finish it ;)
By then I'll need to embark on a less than legal career, so fingerprints will be a detriment.
On a serious note, yes I plan on learning and doing as much as I can.
When it comes down to it, the thing we base everything we've done on this car is about the spirit of the events we have run.
We did it on BABE, we did it at LeMons, and we should do it for GRM.
GRM's event is 3 parts, and we need to put the effort into all three parts. For the magazine, this is an editorial event, and they like cars that are not only interesting, but that look good in pictures. I think not doing at least some appropriate butifying would be missing out on the fullness of the last part of the trifecta.
I've got my DA sander, a respirator, and am ready to go. I'll just have to forget that I don't really like bodywork.
Race and road scars, unfinished fabrication look way cooler than a low budget paint job will. Spend the remaining budget on the few things you would like to improve in handling, driving, etc. Hats off to MisFit Toys for accomplishing what many only dream of!
Sonic wrote: When it comes down to it, the thing we base everything we've done on this car is about the spirit of the events we have run. We did it on BABE, we did it at LeMons, and we should do it for GRM. GRM's event is 3 parts, and we need to put the effort into all three parts. For the magazine, this is an editorial event, and they like cars that are not only interesting, but that look good in pictures. I think not doing at least some appropriate butifying would be missing out on the fullness of the last part of the trifecta. I've got my DA sander, a respirator, and am ready to go. I'll just have to forget that I don't really like bodywork.
Ok thats a change from your stance earlier so that weighs in a ton. Its gonna be quick and dirty but if you guys are in for the challenge then prepare for the pain in august.
Just showing up for the challenge is a win, but if you've got the energy and will, go for the best scoring you can whether that's handling power or looks. However it arrives it will be a star. BTW thanks for the inspiring build!
Leave the battle scars. That's patina; real, authentic battle scars with a story. And it looks great. The age-old assumption that every car needs to be shiny and sparkly to be a 100-point car has weakened considerably. I'm glad to see it go. Real, used cars don't look so "cookie cutter" when they're parked next to each other.
Either way its cool. Cooler than my junk.
Finish it. Even if you're going to do it over later its a good dry run and maybe even less to do later.
Jim, take this from some one who does not finish nearly enough great ideas:
For the 2010 Challenge leave it as is. Correct any mechanical deficiencies and bring it to the dance.
AFTER the challenge you can start with the tedium of renovating the car and make it a cool cruiser.
Finish it.
I think a pivotal point here is whether you define these three races as one "event" or as three separate goals. Because yes, a professional team can and should clean a car as well as possible between events.
I've always got the feeling part of the appeal of this car was the diversity of its competitions. I think you'd be selling the story short by cleaning it up significantly before the Challenge.
One of the biggest lessons we learned last year was the concours is about editorial content and nothing more. Our car was (pardon the bravado) incredibly clean. There was not a spec of dirt on there, and nothing was out of place. But it was a plain white turbo Civic with minimal fabrication, and that "boringness" garnered us a 15th place in that segment of the event. We felt angry, cheated, etc, until we realized we had the complete wrong view of the concours.
Not saying paint will make the car boring, but removing the battle scars that got her this far will slightly detract from the appeal of the journey.
What's the name of that old Soviet car that started with a V? There was some article about some guys in Moscow that bulid a hot-rodded version of one recently. Arghh. You're making me want an old, obscure car to throw junkyard parts at.
Edit: Volga! That's it.
Finish it.
"FINISH HIM" eeeer I mean, finish it 
I think unevolved summed it up nicely, I vote leave it for the challenge.
Didn't the Forty-Niner do really well in the concours portion of the challenge?
Here's my vote -- finish it. Yes the wounds tell the story. But that story has been told numerous times so far. It's time for a new chapter to keep the audience engaged.
In reply to JThw8:
Please give me a heads up when you guys start.
IMHO
Tune it first.
Tune it second.
Make it handle and go fast 3rd-10th.
Then do the body work.
The better it runs at the event, the happier you will be, I think. Turning, stopping, going, etc- remember how much weight goes twoard the moving events.
As for finishing it- remember, concourse is relative. If it's highly photgenic, and the story is compelling, I honestly think that the judges will look highly on it.
But, even if you finish first in the concours, if your car won't go, stop, and turn, it's all acedemic.
Eric
take lots of pictures, get an econo-bucket sized tub of bondo.
... and a handle.
Remember how well loved JHaas' Police Decrepidator was.
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