help with strange decisions....

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EGLSHB

Senior Member
Ok, bear with me..

I am 27 years old, and i am starting to get to the point in life where i am about to have to "outgrow" some of my hobbies..

so the question i have is this,,'

If ou were going to build a car, one that might be your last projects for a long time, what would it be?

I mean, would you build a 240? maybe set up for strip/track only?

Rotary datsun 510?

or stick with hondas?

Sr20 in a nissan truck?

I realize this is Hondaswap... and i love hondas...
but i am wanting to really go crazy on a car... and build one right...

now, keep in mind... i am not going to have unlimited funds to build on, but i have the mechanical knowledge to pull off several different alternatives..

what do you guys think?

thanks for listening...
 
Of the choices mentioned, how familiar are you with them? Your friends have had them so you've driven them alot? What have you owned? If you are mechanically adept, then you can do what you what to. Personally, I am a Honda/Acura person for life. They have been reliable and easy to maintain... and I love driving them. So for me, there have been no compromises at all. I feel really lucky in feeling this way about all of my cars. No other car handles like my Hondas. Sitting in my Si feels as comfortable as a favorite pair of blue jeans.

At 27, I understand that maybe you shouldn't put all of your extra money into your car hobby, there are other adult things in life to start considering like real estate and financial planning. Staying with Hondas/Acuras is the most practical, but life is short and it's the only one you get, so pick the choice that gives you the most pleasure. If you drive and maintain it well, I don't think that you'll problems with any of them being money pits. It's not likely that you'll be beating on it like a kid. Just don't take any shortcuts while building your next vehicle.
 
yeah... i have owned 15 hondas now.... and i currently have a del sol VTEC

i LOVE hondas...

and i am certainly not discounting them..

realistically speaking, though , 300 HP in a 2500 pound RWD car is gonna be faster than the same in a FWD car... from a standpoint of traction..

i have thought about a CRX drag car... and i have not ruled it out.,..

I am really just creatively "frustrated"
 
I would suggest you do a non-honda project. Staying with one marque leads to stagnation.

I can make a few fun and relatively easy suggestions:

First off, I would deal with a new company from your last project. Going to a Toyota project may be in order. The differences are great enough to just keep you on your toes. Just a few suggestions:

1984-1986 Supra road race / autocross project.
1986-1989 MR2 autocrosser. You can make these things ultra light.


If you want to delve into a completely different motor, than the RX7 is a great choice. A 1987-1990 RX7 project is very rewarding.

If you wanna do something besides performance, try your hand at building an offroader. a first gen 4Runner or Brat is an easy, flexible and rewarding build.

Or you can try some sort of weird swap. a V8 into a first or second gen Celica is supported with aftermarket kits and tricks. Same with a Toyota truck. Or a V8 Pontiac Fiero. Yummy.

check out Jaguars that Run (google it) or V8 Archie for some V8 swap ideas.

-> Steve
 
BTW, a few weeks ago, I suddenly got into the mood to have a second car. I wasn't sure whether it would be a winter beater or something to build up for autocrossing. I like my Si, and it's my work vehicle too. I plan to keep her forever... as my friends know, I am obsessed with the Volvo P1800S that's reached 2 million miles so far on its odometer. So naturally, I should be able to reach a million on my car. So I went through the classifieds and drove a lot of funky old cars. I was concentrating on cars under $1500. They were all fun, but nothing handled like my Si or was as quick. I tried a Saab 900 and even this beautiful '89 Peugeot Mi16 in red, all cars with a loyal following. The '88 version of the Mi16 was European car of the year. It was a $20K car when new. In England, they hold "pugfests". But every time, getting back into my Si, she was always the superior car by far. The GS-R was a higher price point for me at $2500, but sitting in her felt like coming home, so I killed myself to come up with the extra moulah to buy her.


So there's a supercharged '89 MR2 ending on eBay tomorrow... that would be a great project car for you maybe. My sister had a regular one, but I never cared for it. But they are cool looking.
 
Originally posted by Celerity@Nov 26 2003, 12:58 PM

1984-1986 Supra road race / autocross project.
1986-1989 MR2 autocrosser. You can make these things ultra light.
Click to expand...

i like both these ideas but i would breccommend a gen up on both

MKIII Supra ...maybe w/ MKIV power ;)

of the 1990-94 MR2 put in the camry V-6 and supercharge that
 
yeah... i want to do something a llittle less traditional..... you know?

i think a 3 rotor in an early 7 would be awesome..

or maybe a 3 rotor in a datsun 240???
something wierd like that
 
Originally posted by EGLSHB@Nov 26 2003, 01:41 PM
yeah... i want to do something a llittle less traditional..... you know?

i think a 3 rotor in an early 7 would be awesome..

or maybe a 3 rotor in a datsun 240???
something wierd like that
Click to expand...

Then go for it! Ultimately it's your choice. :thumbsup:
 
To many mad monsters out there to build.....

but sick cars can be built.....

a 2 rotor 1st gen CRX
an LS1 powered 240Z
a 3 rotor AE86
a 7MGTE AE86
an RB powered 260Z
a GSR powered 1st gen CRX



just to list a few......

But keeping the shell, body and outside appearances stock, or as close to stock as possible, while shoehorning an engine that is 2-5 times more powerful into it.....while keeping to oldschool looks.....gets a thumbs up from me.


One of my favorite sites to oggle at, looking at oldschool Z....with new school engines is Rockey's Auto in Japan.
 
and I'm 31.....and plan on making monsters for a few more years...until I can't afford them anymore.....


Once the bug bites you...your hooked.
 
There's a RX7 Convertible 1988 Chassis for sale up in NH. The guy's asking $1988 for it.

SiSteve- There's an automatic 92 Subaru AWD Legacy GT wagon for sale. 140K miles. $1900 OBO.
 
70-73 240Z with an RB26DETT or build an L28T up you can put out 500HP with out toooo much work from the L28 and its a pretty easy motor swap

or just buy/trade for my car =)
 
if i were in your position, i would build something totally unexpected.

i like the nissan truck idea. go find a nice beater in a used car lot or something, and drop a sr20det in it and turbo it, find some way to lower it and put racing wheels on it, then make the body look good with some new paint and body work. not only would this be a fun car to drive but it would be a sleeper like whoa and i would give you mad props. ive seen some videos of old datsun trucks with built as hell motors in them off roading like a bat out of hell, and then driving off the mud and beating hondas left and right. (im not dissing on hondas, just saying) i think that flexability would be awesome.
 
I think the coolest car I ever saw was a guy in austraila put an EJ20 WRX motor with a huge t3/t4 turbo in a 1986 subaru brat, and was whipping the shit out out a Porche 996. He said the car ran low 12's with stock 13 inch tires. I was os amazed by this, that I emailed hime and asked how he did it, and he emailed me back, saying that for the most part, the engine/trans just bolted in with minimal mods to the guide pins on the engine mounts to clear the frame on the 1986. He said the hardest part was the electronics. He told me after a moths of trying to make the stock WRX harness work, he ended up going with a stand alone system. The site is www.funonwheels.net
 
Originally posted by jeffie7@Nov 26 2003, 05:56 PM
70-73 240Z with an RB26DETT or build an L28T up you can put out 500HP with out toooo much work from the L28 and its a pretty easy motor swap
Click to expand...

:concur: :ditto: :werd: :withstupid:
 
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