Vehicle Projects - Race Cars -- Share yours!

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T_Minus

Build. Break. Fix. Repeat
Feb 15, 2015
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It seems many here have project cars, race cars, etc... share what you have and what you use it for :)

I haven't been into street/cars for a while, my last one was a MR2 Turbo with a bunch of goodies, paint, shaved all around, etc.. was awesome to drive sold it so I wouldn't kill myself or rather get ran over by a truck and die. Next up was off-roading/rock crawling not just trail rides, etc... and last 15 years been into that.

I've got an `89 off-road jeep only, mostly tube now days but transferring some parts and starting to do a frame-up (custom) build of a 1955 CJ5/M38 so that I can be road legal, and drive to/from the trails :) I've started acquiring parts the last few months accidentally ;) some just fell into my lap, ha ha.
- Chevy LS 6.0 (probably just change the top end, cam, minor upgrades) shoot for 425 / 425 (hp/tq)
- NV4500 Transmission (manual heavy duty with over-drive, modern not old school truck slow shifting)
- Atlas 2 Aluminum Transfercase
- ProRock HP60 w/REID Innner & Outer Knuckles & RCV 300M axle shafts w/full hydro custom steering ARB air locker
- 14 Bolt Rear rear axle with detroit locker, stock shafts
- Custom tube/steel frame integrated with full chassis roll-cage
- 1955 CJ5 body, cutting the floor out so I can shove the frame up as much as I can
- King Coilover Shocks
- King Air Bumpstops
- Cetrab (nascar, etc, legal/high-end radiators) coolers (steering, oil, coolant)
- 42" SS IROK Tires on AL beadlocks (needing to have custom inner beadlock added)
- Heated Suspension Seats (looking into custom cooling/fan like cars have now days too)
- 2x Mojava Heaters. 1 for passengers, 1 feeds into a tube that has holes for the front window specifically, and for blowing on rear sides and very rear. (snow builds up fast in the Sierras and going out during a storm is the best) The water container for windshields is also near heat source so it stays warm/usable of course too!

I'm re-using some parts from my `89 but leaving the old ford 5.0 engine and np435 behind in that Jeep Chassis. I'll be doing most of the work myself due to time limits I'll likely barter some work and/or pay to have some stuff done. I did buy the center "sub frame" which has the suspension mounts integrated as well as engine skid plate and engine cradle, which will shave about 2 months of stress/testing designs out so that's great for me :) I've already got plans to move up the engine about 2" so I'll use the mounts and re-mount on the edge, cut and re-weld them back to work how I need.

The end goal is a 2 seater with room in the back (it's a `55 CJ body after all) for ice chest, and some misc gear. I'm going to extend the wheelbase a lot so I'll extend the frame out back about 1' and integrate it with a hinged tire carrier, fuel carrier, water carrier, and also the fuel cell will be middle bottom/back.

I'll post some pictures when I get my network storage back online ;)

I decided to upgrade power to the shop at the same time, eliminate some out building storage, etc, so right now my shop is FULL of crap waiting to be organized/put away and for upgraded power... with summer here this will likely go on hold until fall/winter too.
 

brendantay

Member
Aug 12, 2015
128
18
18
Australia
You sure you want to start this?!

Okay, Here goes..

Can provide specifics if required but not typing all that if no one cares :p If you must know, ask!

Current Daily:

Newest Project
Nissan Onevia (drift build #2)

Project "Bring my first car back to life" - N14 Nissan Pulsar.

How it use to look...



How it currently Looks (car on left - very sad looking) - Fun Fact door to left is server room :p


Project awesome family wagon "WGNZILLA"

How it use to look;



How it currently looks:



Project 1st Drift car- Nissan R32 GTST.

How it looked when I got it;



how it looked after paint with nice rims when i drove it for a bit;





How it looks now;

Thanks for having me!
 
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Terry Kennedy

Well-Known Member
Jun 25, 2015
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New York City
www.glaver.org
It seems many here have project cars, race cars, etc... share what you have and what you use it for :)
I had an Ariel Atom (Brammo), but sold it a few years ago:

It has been across the country 8 or so times. Hence the Atom Across America web site.

Most of the time it was a lot of fun:

Sometimes, not so much:

You know why the call them bucket seats? Because they fill with water!
 
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Diavuno

Active Member
My daily drivers:
For business I have a 2014 F150 FX4 with the 3.5 ecoboost.
For personal I have a 2003 mercury marauder... Might be getting a couple of screws under the hood really soon.

I also have a fire pit for money:
1970 firebird esprit 350/3spd

Talking to a friend about a 3000GT VR4 they want more than its worth... But it'll be mine soon enough.

I also have a stable of Ninjas, 600,750, and a 900

900 is for sale. The 600 I'm probably going to toss.

Sent from my 0PJA2 using Tapatalk
 
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legopc

Active Member
Nov 2, 2014
227
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The Netherlands
Ooh I have been waiting for such a thread :D.
I recently bought my first car, a Volvo 850 t5. But the thing is I was on a small budget and seeing as im 17 years old, I dont have much experience I somewhat bought a car that isnt worth fixing. But im going to do it anyway because man do I love me some Volvo.
Here is a picture of it currently (it still needs a shit load of work) https://puu.sh/vFtJm/16e82c4555.jpg

btw sick stagea brendantay
 
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ideabox

Member
Dec 11, 2016
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I just bought a 83' Mercedes 300GD that I will be putting a Turbo Barra engine in (Barra is a 4L Aussie Straight 6 - 450KW) :)
Always a huge fan of these, Going for a full paint and new body kit from a 2009 model.

P1050752.jpg
Good to see I'm not the only geek into cars :)
 

marcoi

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2013
1,533
289
83
Gotha Florida
When I was single I had this: (2000 RS coupe)
P1030357.JPG

First few years it was running with this: and it was super fun. (custom eaton supercharger kit with 6psi of boost)
000_0009.JPG
Then it was upgraded: (06 WRX engine swap)
P1030366.JPG

I sold it once I got married and had a house to deal with. I miss it.
 

T_Minus

Build. Break. Fix. Repeat
Feb 15, 2015
7,640
2,057
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I just bought a 83' Mercedes 300GD that I will be putting a Turbo Barra engine in (Barra is a 4L Aussie Straight 6 - 450KW) :)
Always a huge fan of these, Going for a full paint and new body kit from a 2009 model.

View attachment 5426
Good to see I'm not the only geek into cars :)
That's going to be an awesome build!!

Once I get caught up I want to get a late 90s Land Cruiser (solid axle + air bags) that has the factory locking rear differential, and if I'm lucky a front one too :) fix her up, throw on some 35" tires and good family vehicle and something my wife can take to work in winter when the storms hit.
 
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Patrick

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 21, 2010
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This is what happens when you are a high school student that sells a site during the 90's tech boom:

BMW M Coupe 191.jpg

The biggest life lesson on that one was that I was 17 when I sold the company. Naturally, as any 17 year old would do, it was time to buy a sports car. At 17 you cannot buy a car in the US since you are a minor. I ended up making a "pitch" deck to convince my father that the M Coupe was a safe option, even though it was the fastest street legal BMW sold at the time (when it was stock.)

I will say, when I had the Cayman S, that was a hoot. Fitting servers in that one was a bit more difficult:
Fitting SM Server in Porsche Cayman S.jpg
One of the main reasons I drive an SUV now.
 

legopc

Active Member
Nov 2, 2014
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The Netherlands
Wow... I am kinda curious as to what you did when you were 17.
Do you take that Porsche to customers? I wouldn't dare, willing to bet you get a lot of strange faces if you show up with that. For that same reason, my dad bought a m235i and not just an m2.
 

Patrick

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 21, 2010
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Believe it or not, I had a site (no longer exists) that had more traffic than AnandTech in the early days (1997/ 1998?)

That car is gone. Now SUV.

The bigger issue with the Cayman S was that if I had to take two clients to lunch, I had to ask one of them to drive.
 
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brendantay

Member
Aug 12, 2015
128
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Australia
I just bought a 83' Mercedes 300GD that I will be putting a Turbo Barra engine in (Barra is a 4L Aussie Straight 6 - 450KW) :)
Always a huge fan of these, Going for a full paint and new body kit from a 2009 model.

View attachment 5426
Good to see I'm not the only geek into cars :)
That would be fun, keen to see more of this along the way!
I decided (as a mate is donating it) to putting a barra in my onevia which should be fun haha.

However, if for any reason he cant deliver ill be going a simple LS as its much smaller
 

ideabox

Member
Dec 11, 2016
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That would be fun, keen to see more of this along the way!
I will keep the thread updated with the build along the way.

One thing to note is that the Barra in your car will need Sump modification and it can be $$$
I was originally going to put a LS1 or 3 inside but once I got it and measured a T-Barra would be more fun :)
 

JSchuricht

Active Member
Apr 4, 2011
198
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Not quite a race car but fun none the less and they are all rotated in for daily driving.
95 F-250 7.3 Diesel. Swapped in a Dana 60 front axle with ARB locker, 35" tires and a ZF6 transmission.

00 F-250 7.3 Diesel. About 530 HP/1200FT lbs at the wheels

16 Mustang GT premium performance pack