It's official, the word "Grassroots" is now meaningless outside of GRM.

If you read some other car magazines (especially a popular one that everyone totally reads for the articles), you'll see post-power-wars pro drift cars being called "grassroots," and high-end purpose-built race cars being called "privateer efforts" as if it means anything.

Today this trend has reached its zenith, and it was actually MotoIQ that did it. Don't worry, Per is not at fault.

The car was built in his garage in New Zealand and it is freakin' awesome. Being a bit of a garage build, a fair amount of bargain shopping was done.

http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/3891/Nerds-Eye-View-Alex-Kelseys-MC2-Rally-Car.aspx

Let me list some of this car's features:

• Custom space frame & suspension members
• Custom CNC'd uprights
• Purpose-built race engine
• Burns Stainless custom exhaust
• Carbon fiber every-berkeleying-where, down to the valve covers, airbox, door cards, even HVAC parts. Kevlar around the wheel wells.
• One of those longitudinal transaxles we're always trying to find cheaper substitutes for. It's hooked up to a sequential shifter.
• Dry sump
• AN lines used at every opportunity
• Coilovers with remote-reservoir shocks
• Mil-spec wiring harness
• Magnesium wheels and water-cooled brakes, both literally from a WRC car

Do you see any bargain-shopping here? Personally this car has broken my record for lack of budgetary restraint seen on a non-factory-backed rally car.

And here's the sad thing, I don't have any problem looking at 7+ digit machines. I like it. So why do these mags think they have to lie to us? Don't get me wrong, I do like to look at "relatable" cars, but I'll look at these just the same. I just don't like the dishonesty.

I would even say that the term "grassroots" has, ummm, evolved fairly substantially in our favorite magazine, too. It's definitely operating from a different arena than it was when I started subscribing 17 or 18 years ago.

Duke wrote: I would even say that the term "grassroots" has, ummm, *evolved* fairly substantially in our favorite magazine, too. It's definitely oerating from a different arena than it was when I started subscribing 17 or 18 years ago.

Correct.. The Clown built a MGB with a cosworth in it for the 2002 challenge and placed high. Now, that would be cool, but not get you near the top.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

It's beautiful.

I didn't see the word "Grassroots" a single time.

Its being built in a garage. There are different kind of garages.

Appleseed wrote: Its being built in a garage. There are different kind of garages.

At some point it transitions from a "garage" to a "factory." Gumpert calls their place a "factory" and this car was built in a similar way - although Gumpert's running from the top floors (!) of a run-down old building, not as spiffy as where this rally car was built by the looks of it.

Edit: Also, Gumpert uses modified production engines.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Duke wrote: I would even say that the term "grassroots" has, ummm, *evolved* fairly substantially in our favorite magazine, too. It's definitely oerating from a different arena than it was when I started subscribing 17 or 18 years ago.

Correct.. The Clown built a MGB with a cosworth in it for the 2002 challenge and placed high. Now, that would be cool, but not get you near the top.

That Cosworth Vega powered Midget was a really nice build. But FBC has made a point I'd like to clarify; it wouldn't place very high now not because of the build itself but because the bar has been raised by the ingenuity of the Challenge participants. Hell, the Abomination was seventh overall at the '06 Challenge but right now would be a midpack ride.

I'm not sure where the cutoff is for 'grassroots'. Let me put it like this: you can buy a Factory Five GTM for about $25k, with some resourceful shopping you can probably finish it for another $15-20k. But that's with you building it, not farming it out. The end result is a $45k car that's damn near a match for a $1 million Veyron and with the judicious application of another $10k or so would probably beat it. Can't get much more grassroots than that but $55k is still a lotta cash.

I'm personally not impressed by wallet builds. We all know someone like that.

Did he buy a factory rally car or did he build one that could compete with them?

If I were the GRM editors, I'd probably regret the word Grassroots in the title of the magazine, as it seems to be interpreted by some people as "something done for a little bit less than I could afford".

In reply to Keith Tanner:

BK's $50 SAAB is more than I could afford

I kind of see grassroots as something that one guy builds, he may need some outside help with some aspects but the design is all his and the majority of the build is completed by himself with a couple buddies help from time to time. It's not designed by a commitie of professional engineers. Money has little to do with it. That's how I see it anyway.

Curmudgeon wrote: I'm not sure where the cutoff is for 'grassroots'. Let me put it like this: you can buy a Factory Five GTM for about $25k, with some resourceful shopping you can probably finish it for another $15-20k. But that's with you building it, not farming it out. The end result is a $45k car that's damn near a match for a $1 million Veyron and with the judicious application of another $10k or so would probably beat it. Can't get much more grassroots than that but $55k is still a lotta cash.

I would say it shouldn't be a cutoff in number, but more of a value-for-money evaluation. Your example is a good one - lotta money, but great value for it. Similar to the Ultima build on here.

This car has been indiscriminately flooded with a tsunami of cash. CF door cards are crazy expensive and no better than coroplast door cards. Most of the CF on this car is a bad deal compared to aluminum parts - in fact, an aluminum firewall would work better as a firewall and be very nearly as light.

Purpose-built race engines are one thing that can never be grassroots. They're composed of madly expensive custom parts and cost tens or hundreds of times what it would to modify a production engine to make similar power. They exist because the slightly better reliability and those last drops of power are worth it to factory race teams with millions of dollars on the line.

I can give a few high-dollar parts that could potentially pay off a pass - I'm planning to put CNC'd uprights on my own car because they'll fix a ton of suspension geometry problems in one fell swoop. But when a car has a whole gaggle of them, that doesn't say "carefully targeted spending."

GameboyRMH said: Purpose-built race engines are one thing that can never be grassroots

Ok, but he DID make the choice to use an NA V-6, instead of the standard WRC turbo 4 cyl.

That makes it a little different.

There are no budget numbers in that article.

For all we know, he could have done his own CF work.

WRC cars cost about $500K.

Would it be grassroots if he built it for $200K?

I wonder how many times this EXACT topic has been discussed on this board.

z31maniac wrote: I wonder how many times this EXACT topic has been discussed on this board.

Where is the goddamn +100000000 on this board.

SVreX wrote: Would it be grassroots if he built it for $200K?

No. Grassroots:

Noun 1. The common or ordinary people, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite of a political party, social organization, etc.; the rank and file.

Adjective 5. Of, relating to, or involving the common people, especially as contrasted with or separable from an elite.

There is a strongly implied "everyman" factor. It's not just a matter of the relative percentage under professional budget - there is also an absolute threshold of affordability that needs to be set pretty low.

I think the car in question is pretty cool, but I cannot see it as "grassroots". I love privateers, too, but simply not having the factory behind you doesn't mean you're "grassroots".

What's the magic absolute threshold? Let me guess, just a bit more than you can afford

If I had to make one, I'd say it's somewhere in the 6 digits, and that's a helluva lot more than I can afford!

Maybe $0.25M...hard to call anything over that "grassroots" even if it's a great deal.

I believe the actual rules for use of the term were known only to high priests in the Ancient Order of Druids and has been lost to time or sequestered by forces seeking to define it on their own terms.

I suggest we abandon it altogether and harshly punish anyone who uses it. The "G" word as it were.

Hold on, maybe I've fallen for the Poe effect. If the opening quote of the article was sarcasm, it all makes sense.

this pic proves that it's a "grassroots" build:

notice how they used a zip tie to hold the speed sensor wiring harness to the chassis instead of fabricating a carbon fiber or billet aluminum bracket for it..

In reply to novaderrik:

Those trick axle shafts were clearly pulled from a dumper behind a WRC garage, look at the rust spots!

Keith Tanner wrote: What's the magic absolute threshold? Let me guess, just a bit more than you can afford

Something under $50,000 at an absolutely ridiculous maximum. To be an "everyman's race car", it should be something around $10,000-$15,000 maximum. Less is better.

I'm not decreeing that GRM the magazine shouldn't cover more expensive cars and projects. They absolutely should. I'm not accusing the editors of turning their magazine into DuPont Registry. They absolutely have not. I'm just saying that the term "grassroots" - in this magazine and throughout the industry, as noted in the OP - has stretched beyond the capacity with which I'm comfortably in agreement. Much like the waistband of my shorts.

I think the term has been lost on this Forum as well, because it seems that people on here think that in order for it to be Grassroots, the car needs to cost scrap price and you only should use money you make from recycling the crushed souls of children to fund the project.

My good friend who ran GT3 in SCCA Club Racing built his FD3S tube chassis racecar from scratch. He used his hard earned money (and any money he won racing) to purchase parts for his car. He bought a used Wilwood brake setup from another racer as well as his radio set up. He gladly accepted free and heavily discounted parts from sponsors.

He's probably put tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money into his shop, tow rig, trailer, racecar, engines, and god knows what else to do what he's passionate about, racing.

If that's not Grassroots, then the definition needs to change.

Duke wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: What's the magic absolute threshold? Let me guess, just a bit more than you can afford

Something under $50,000 at an absolutely ridiculous maximum. To be an "everyman's race car", it should be something around $10,000-$15,000 maximum. Less is better. I'm not decreeing that *GRM* the magazine shouldn't cover more expensive cars and projects. They absolutely should. I'm not accusing the editors of turning their magazine into *DuPont Registry*. They absolutely have not. I'm just saying that the term "grassroots" - in this magazine and throughout the industry, as noted in the OP - has stretched beyond the capacity with which I'm comfortably in agreement. Much like the waistband of my shorts.

That puts a Spec Miata right at the very top of the budget range, FYI.