24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

[Fair!]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

OK, so say that ~6 people in DFW (and maybe some Houston/Austin folks who want to hop on board!) were to get together build one of these cars and drive it at the MSR LeMons event. Each person could chip in ~$150-200 and that should cover the $500 budget + the safety items and wheels/tires, which are outside the $500 budgetary expenses. I can count 2, maybe 3 right now how I know would be interested... so who's potentially up for this?

1. Fair
2. Amy
3. McCall?
4. _____ (insert your name here if you can pitch in $, some labor, and would drive a stint in a 24 hour race)

Also, what kinda car would be the best to run? I watched the videos and there seemed to be....

• Bunch of E30 BMWs
• tons of FWD sh!tboxes like VW Rabbits, Corollas, Hondas
• big domestic RWD beasts from the 1980s
• Big F-bodies from the 1970s, 80s and 90s
• Mustangs from 1980s and 90s

Here's what I think would be potentially "good cars" to build, and why:

• 1982-91 BMW 325i or 325is, 5-spd.... cheap as dirt, fairly durable, and we have some spares already and can get more. Maybe Vorshlag could sell a set of "blem" camber plates at a discount (minimal hit to the budget - it all has to be accounted for, as even free parts should factor into the budget). We can get something for the suspension like used Bilsteins cheap, and we've got used coilover springs laying around. Studs, etc. We should have some 15x7 D-Force wheels soon, ha! Otherwise we might can mimic wheels/tires used on the 318is we have? Light and cheap.
• 1992-95 E36 325 5-spd - great chassis, better motor than E30, but I doubt it could be bought for under $500, much less prepped to race
• 1986-1992 Mustang 5.0L 5-spd - might be hard to get at this price, really. But fast and durable as all getout!
• 1985-1991 Camaro 5.0 5-spd - again, price is hard to get that low without it being a total PoS... but it would run circles around anything else at the LeMons... probably get the People's Curse for overspending and/or a lot of BSF points.

I have some ideas about the modified brakes we could use on just about any of these cars, and they would be indestructible.

There have to be other car ideas... post up!

And remember: this car will be utterly destroyed after this event.

[Tommy R]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

I'm in, but we need to know the date of this event to ensure it doesn't overlap with other plans we might have.

But seriously, I'm in.

Tommy

[Fair!]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

Preparation for 24 hours de LeMons:

The rules are pretty much wide open, as the $500 budget is supposed to reign everyone in. That leaves lots of loopholes to exploit while staying within the budget and the spirit of the competition!

1. Cage: Obviously, not much skimping here. I think cheaper ERW tubing might be fine, as we can go thicker wall section to get back much of the strength of DOM at a fraction of the cost. MIG welded by one of us.

2. Bumpers/external reinforcement: I think this is key - protect the radiator, driver's door, and the tires. Maybe add some "nerf" bars around each wheel arch? The front needs a "brush guard" type bumper structure.

3. Engine: Minimal mods, as this could eat up tons of budget and TIME. No engine swaps - this is a time killer! Finding a good running 6 cylinder or better car is key. Sure, make a cheap unrestricted exhaust, and rid the car of all emissions controls and other nonsense, but that's about it. Durability and simiplicity trumps extreme power.

4. Cooling. This seems to be the death of many 24 hour race cars. We'd want to use the cheapest aluminum stock car radiator we could find on eBay. Some folks move them to the trunk to avoid damage? Make an opening in the hood (cut a large "flap", bend it down at the front edge) to extract more radiator heat as well (cost $0).

5. Brakes. This is tricky and can eat up the budget fast. Brake ducting is obviously a way to help cooling. Good pads (Autozone PFCs for cost?). Maybe a home brew caliper/rotor swap to add some beef to the stock stuff, if necessary. Junkyard sources. I think it would be wise to prep the car well before the race and do a DE in it to shake down everything (like the brakes!).

6. Wheels/tires. Cheap durable wheels (steel or cast) and some long wearing yet grippy tires. And cheap. Something along the lines of a Hankook Z212 or Toyo RA1? I think a lot of entries are on maypops so anything would be better than that.

7. Safety: Cheap Sparco Sprint seat (FIA approved, 19-20 pounds, steel framed, $299 retail). Window nets (to help avoid flying lemons!). Fire bottle (not a fire system - if it catches fire just let it burn!). Harness. The seat + harness and maybe even the bottle could last the race and be used again later. I don't think much else would...

8. Suspension: Cheap but durable. Used parts more than likely, nothing fancy. LOTS OF CAMBER in front for any strut car (I think we've got a solution for that. ) Lots of spring rate to minimize lean. Not much you can do with a $500 total budget! This makes the $2007 GRM Challenge budget look extravagant.

9. Race Prep: Gutting the interior and all glass costs $0, and its kinda fun. Weld up any sunroof opening, if equipped. Weld the doors in place? Tuck the wheels/tires inside the stock fenders to avoid contact with another car.

What else?

[Tommy R]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

I'm thinking a 6 cylinder E30 would be the ticket. Reliable, good brakes, and I bet Ground Control would sponsor us.

Seriously, I think an E30 would be a great car to run. If we put Vorshlag stickers all over it, would we automatically get protested for exceeding the $500 budget 'cause everyone would ASSume it's got all kinds of high zoot go-fast parts installed?

T

[Fair!]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

I'm thinking a 6 cylinder E30 would be the ticket. Reliable, good brakes, and I bet Ground Control would sponsor us.

Seriously, I think an E30 would be a great car to run. If we put Vorshlag stickers all over it, would we automatically get protested for exceeding the $500 budget 'cause everyone would ASSume it's got all kinds of high zoot go-fast parts installed?

T

I had the same thoughts - it might be smart to minimize or omit any Vorshlag livery... not only to preserve our image when/if this PoS blows up (ha!), but also to prevent the thoughts of "lots of free high end parts!" as you mentioned.

I honestly don't want to dump a lotta money or time into this, but I do think it would be fun. And for a $500 car to complete 24 hours of racing?! That's nuts! Cost per mile is extremely LOW!

[Tommy R]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

Exactly. I'd want to keep within the spirit of the event anyway (keeping it cheap, fun, and lighthearted).

T

[Hunter]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

I would love to get in on this

[Hunter]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

http://austin.craigslist.org/car/554191271.html

[Shortcutsleeping]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

Witchdoctor Motorsports WILL be in this event.

Brakes are considered safety and do NOT count towards the 500$.

4: VEHICLE PRICE
· 4.1: Total Investment in Vehicle Can Not Exceed $500: Except for items described in Rules 4.2 and 4.3, the total spent to purchase and prepare any car may not exceed $500.
o 4.1.1: Lame-Ass Rationalizations: Cars that "should be" worth $500 don't count; cars that "were worth $500" before you spent another $2000 to fix them don't count; cars you've owned for 20 years and spent more than $500 on during that time don't count; "it would have been worth $500 if it didn't already have a cage" doesn't count. Five hundred dollars means five hundred frickin' dollars.
· 4.2: Safety Equipment DOES NOT Count Toward $500 Total: Safety equipment described in Section 3 DOES NOT count toward the $500 total. There is NO LIMIT on safety-equipment spending. Tires, wheels, and brake components are also considered safety equipment and DO NOT count toward the $500 total. While not mandatory, additional safety items such as fuel cells and plumbed fire suppression systems are highly recommended and DO NOT count toward the $500 total. Exhaust systems aft of the header DO NOT count toward the $500 total.


3rd gen or Monza? V6 or v8, rwd....or maybe 1st gen rx7...

Hmmm...


Costas

[Tommy R]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

http://austin.craigslist.org/car/554191271.html

And it even comes with race wheelz!!!!!11

T

[McCall]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

And it even comes with race wheelz!!!!!11

T

On SNAP! Lets buy that shiiittt!!! I'm in btw

As far as prep, Costas is right. Brakes, wheels, and tires are unlimited. I say we do my "super-secret" brake upgrade idea plus splurge for 8 steel wheels/tires. Also, staying within the spirit of the rules only counts for stuff the organizers and competitors can actually SEE. We must maintenance or even rebuild a lot of the critical areas of the drivetrain like the tranny/clutch, and rear end. These are things that no one can see you have upgraded/fixed beyond the $500 range but are essential to making through the whole race.

[Fair!]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

http://austin.craigslist.org/car/554191271.html

Already sent an e-mail to that one (thanks!) and I'm looking at Craigslist all over the state now...

update: OK, just sent out about a dozen inquiries on E30 and even E36 cars in the $500-1500 price range in Austin, Houston and Dallas, with several more I need to call (no e-mail address). I will explain.

I think the best way to search is on the various Craigslists in "cars+trucks", "list all", then use the modifiers of "bmw" and in the max price field put "1500". Then send me a link to any ad for a running or fixable E30 or E36 6 cylinder manual transmission car. I actually found a lot of them this way!

I then sent the amazingly true sob story about only being able to make a $500 offer on their car... we'll see if any of them pans out? Who knows, there were some good ones in that price range for other projects, too!

[hancheyb]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

Already sent an e-mail to that one (thanks!) and I'm looking at Craigslist Dallas now...

Oh LOARD! This just in. Fair, McCall, Magyar and others place 23rd through 30th at SCCA Nationals because they were too busy building a $500 race car. I crack myself up. No jacket for you Paul!

[Fair!]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/548581164.html - and we have a winner! My first of several $500 offers was accepted within 2 hours. He actually liked the 24 hours of LeMons idea! Sweet...

• 86 BMW 325e 2dr, 5-spd. Body looks great, and "Lots of power on this German Engine".

This ad started at $1500, then went to $950. I figure we can recoup some budget by selling off some of the nicer bits we remove? It seems to be a fully functional, clean car from the looks of the pictures?

McCall - call me, we need to go look at this biznatch and maybe pick it up. Heck, I may have another $500 offer accepted in the next 24 hours, and if so we can pick the best one for LeMons, swap the best parts onto one car, and sell the other.

This is for real now.

[Tommy R]

Re: 24 Hours of LeMons in Texas!

Yeah, baby!!!