What to do?!

[Tsa`ah]

Winter is coming and it's getting close to project time.

I'm having a tough time deciding what to do though.

Should I mutilate a minivan and turn it into something like this?

[Tsa`ah]

Or should I take a convertable Cutlass and it's brother the Grand Prix... or Lumina and make a convertable out of a coupe?

[Ansherak]

Go with the GP convert......Nothing you could do will make a mini-van "cool".

I'm still tracking down pieces for the interior of my old mustang, and I've had many a winter to work on this project! so good luck to ya!

[Tsa`ah]

Ya... but.. Ever have your ass handed to you by your grandpa's car?

Same goes with having a minivan chew up a 3000GT!

I hate deciding.

[Ansherak]

Ain't gonna happen, my old pony ante's up to the counter with a cool 400hp matched up to a top loader and 3;73 in the rear.

Have time slips of 1/4's in the low 12's when running on cheater slicks....and I look alot cooler in the 'stang than a Dodge Caravan...LOL

Ansherak.

PS: I got pics of the old girl if ya wanna see her, 1969 Mach 1.

[Kurili]

Either should keep you busy. I sort of like the idea of the Mini-Van who got class. And got even. Your mini-can can be a role model to all the other pathetic little mini-vans.

THEY WILL DREAM!

Acolyte Kurili

[Tsa`ah]

That's what I'm talking about.

My L67 Lumina sedan bellies up to the bar with 265 HP, I still pull a mid 12 to a low 13 in the quarter.

I know of two Chrysler/Dodge minivans running TCs. One is a 2.5, the other a 3.3.

The 2.5 is running 17psi boost and pulls a 12.4 second quarter.

The 3.3 is only running 10psi, but manages a 13.1 in the quarter. Were it not for the A604 tranny being so weak, the guy could probably run a boost of 18 or better.... and that translates into a quarter time of around 12.1 seconds.

That's faster than my Lumina now!

The problem with your mustang is not all of that 400hp is getting to the wheels. You're losing a good deal at the flywheel, then again when power is transferred to the diff.

Forced induction on today's 4 and 6 cylinder engines yeilds a good deal of HP to the tires. I've spanked many a "muscle" car light to light in my "family" car. I can even keep up with a C5 on the interstate until I hit 165mph.... then my not so well designed suspension gets "mushy".

[Ansherak]

You know, I always hear these stories of these little rice rockets defeating the giants, but its been my experience, thats what most of these are, just stories.

Off the line, the 390 cid in my mustang will pull almost anything except another, larger V8. Its got a tourque curv that NO 4 or 6 banger will ever come close to....

When the NHRA starts racing Honda civics, then I might be more inclined to see the less is more idea, at the moment, and this is over 10 years of local track experience here, I have yet to have a rice rocket "Embarras" me.

That being said, I have seen some absolutely monster set ups in some of these little cars, but these cars in almost all cases are excessively expensive, I've got about 30k wrapped up in mine spent over the past 16 years, not to shabby for the bang for the buck aspect.

Also to add to that....Old Iron, still the biggest draw at the car shows, people love the heritage and rightly so, but new heritage does indeed have to start somewhere! So let the Civic legend live on in all its 4 banger glory! *chuckle*

I tease here alot, but I am passionate about being a car enthusiast!

Ansherak

[Tsa`ah]

Here are some other minis I haven't seen in person.

http://www.turbovan.net/van.html
Or just watch the vid!
http://www.turbovan.net/pauls_van.mpg

http://www.turbominivan.com/stories.htm

But.. I want a convertable that no one else has!

[Tsa`ah]

93 Lumina.... Purchased in October of 92 for under 17,000.

93 Lumina rebuilt last winter for under 10,000. Mustangs look good in the rear view.

And I never mentioned a ricer. Japanese imports have less HP per litre and a false sense of speed.

Yep, you can build an accord into a racing machine that will take a porche, but it's going to cost well over 50 grand to do it, and then it's only good for 100 miles. Ricers refuse to accept they need heavy modification to the drive train to take exotics, yet if the owner of said Porsche performed a few minor modifications himself, the ricer wouldn't have a prayer.

[Edited on 11-3-2003 by Tsa`ah]

[Ansherak]

*chuckle* Some impressive links to be sure!

Now lets be a little honest here, how much modifications were required? uh huh...

My old girl, is stock with 365 hp, Added headers and tossed the factory carb in addition to the intake, total bill for modifications? Less than 1500 bucks, you take a stock NON juiced (NOS) Lumina and spend only 1500 bucks on mods, then we'll talk!

That all being said, My current real project is a '79 ford Pick up , 2whd short box, I'm looking for ideas on if to go the low low ride look? Or more of a stock look?

I've also been keeping my eyes open for Older Celicas, say 72 to 77, I have a nice little chevy 350 to drop into one when I come across the right deal and the celica!

Ansherak

[Latrinsorm]

pick up = greatest vehicle ever created

[Tsa`ah]

Most of my rebuild was body and interior.

The L67 cost me 400 bucks at the junk yard.. wiring harness and PCM included. Getrag 282 5-speed and linkage 50 bucks.

Considering I did everything to the engine and trans, with the exception of machine work, myself .... labor was the cost of time.

I did my own port work on the intakes, tb, exhaust manifolds and heads.

The most expensive components to my engine were the forged pistons and billet crank.

Drive train cost me just a tad over 2500. That get's me into the the 12 second arena.

Although, I did drop a few thousand more a week back by sending my intakes, heads, and exhaust manifolds to Extrude hone.

The added HP is probably going to force me to drop another 500 on a better clutch.

The things we do to get closer to 12.0

On the pick-up. Slam it low, chop and drop the top 2-4 inches and seal the bed.

[Edited on 11-3-2003 by Tsa`ah]

[Ansherak]

Tell me its not a four door...please? lol

Sounds like you put alot of elbow grease into it, and no matter *what* kinda ride it is, I will always appreciate hard work and pride that goes into something like that.

I've spent many...many a late night out in the shop, grinding away at this or that to make it "just perfect".

I don't have big budget dreams on my projects, I have to do proably 85 percent of the work myself or mooch shop time from friends with the proper tools and or facilities, this is where being involved in the local tracks for so long pays off, the people bend over backwards to help ya!

There are truimphs and staggering defeats, like the time I spent all winter rebuilding an engine, only to discover after I dropped it in the vehicle...I forgot the cam shaft spacer between the gears and the distributor....Doh!

Or the time I took my first real run in the 'stang and I blew out a headgasket, looked really really cool! Like the space shuttle upon lift off! Unfortunately it caused a staggering amount of damage to the heads and cylinder walls! lol

That all said, I wouldn't trade any of that for anything!
Anyones that spent a good deal of time in this hobby knows what I am talking about, once a motor head, always a motor head!

Ansherak

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Ansherak
Tell me its not a four door...please? lol


It wouldn't be a sleeper if it wasn't. :lol:

I feel your pains. My younger brother, my cousin, and myself spent weeks building a 383 stroker for my cousin's 81Z. We lost a small 3/8 wrench in the first week. We found it... in the crank case after the first test fire. :rolleyes:

Nothing beats my dad however. He dropped 4 grand on a T56 tranny the first year they were introduced in the ZR1. He forgot to torque down the new flywheel.... buh bye 4 grand.

[Ansherak]

heh, a copy and paste of something I thought rather funny, hope this turns out alright.


YOU ARE A CAR FREAK IF...



You wash your car like it was your firstborn child, you tend to its needs like it was your own body, you protect it like it's your family, then you drive it like you just stole it.
You know what transmission fluid tastes like and dont really mind it.
You own a vehicle that has at least 300 horsepower more than when it came out of Detroit.
The requirements you give your real estate agent are: "in order of importance..."
8 car climate controlled garage with an attached shop.
Outside parking for 6 cars, a motor home, a crew cab dually, a 28' enclosed trailer and a 34' 5th wheel.
3 phase 220V outlets in the garage for your welder.
A grease pit.
Deaf neighbors.
Some sort of house with a working toilet & shower on the property, or - hookups for the motor home.
Your email address refers to your race car rather than to you.
You astound the clerk at Sears by bringing in a snapped breaker bar every other week or so.
You know at least three 1-800 numbers to aftermarket parts houses by heart.
You can't watch a movie without looking for hi-performance cars in it and try to guess what engine size, tire size, and whether or not it has nitrous in it.
The only pictures in your house are your car, trophies and pictures of your engine!
All the Curtains in your House are in the Checkeredboard Pattern.
Your family brings the couch into the garage to spend time with you.
Instead of pictures in your wallet, you have timeslips.
You change engine oil every other week.
You check tire pressures every other day
You take your helmet along when you go to a car dealership for a test-drive.
You buy a pratice tree so during the winter you can work on your reactions.
Every time you go to the grocery store you feel compelled to beat your previous best time.
You want to take apart and rebuild things, even though they are not broken.
You are the type of person who goes balistic when you have to sit in a traffic jam for more than five minutes, yet you can spend hours in the staging lanes.
You once had an argument with your wife over whether you should pay the mortgage on time or get those new heads while they were on sale.
When something falls off of your car, you wonder how much weight you just saved.
You Use the Armor - All on your tires not the Dash.
You thoroughly enjoy showing the tailgater behind how to drive around a highway off-ramp.
You and your wife go house hunting and you never actually get inside the house because you're checking out the garage to see if it has a 220 volt plug.
You can't drive your car in the rain.
Fuel is delivered to your home in 55 gallon drums.
Your pets scramble for their hiding spots as soon as the garage door is opened!
You've paid $4.00 a gallon for gas without complaining.
You bought a tow vehicle instead of braces for your kid.
You spend more money on tires than on food.
Your wife has to go to the car to get her white Shoe Polish.
Your mechanic names the new wing of his shop after you.
You get pulled over for doing 155 in a 35 but the cops will let you go if "they can look under the hood!"
Your engine idles at 2800 rpm.
You sit in your race car in a dark garage and make car noises and shift and practice your heel and toe, while waiting for your motor to get back from the machine shop.
Your wife doesn't understand why you need three sets of tires for your car.
Your garage holds more cars than your house has bedrooms.
You have car parts in your cubicle at work.
You think the last line of the Star Spangled Banner is: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"
You're tempted to wear your fire suit just to drive to the office.
You wear earplugs in your car.
Your fuel pump flows enough to water a golf course.
You're registered for wedding gifts with Edelbrock and Jegs.
Your Christmas list begins with another set of BFG R1s and aluminum rack bushings and your 'significant other' knows what these are.
Your home library consists of auto parts catalogs, books written by F1 drivers, anything about Carroll Shelby, and 400 car magazines.
You find out that side mirrors don't hold up at speeds exceeding 145 mph.
People know you by your car number or your "offs" -- "Oh, you were the one who kept Red-lighting last weekend!".
Your first date involves asking her to crew for you.
Your friends have never seen your hair actually combed. They only know it's color as "greasy."
You measure the fuel you use in "gallons per mile".
You complain when cars in front of you on highway off-ramps don't stay on the line, causing your exit speed to drop.
A neighbor asks if you have any oil, to which you query, "Synthetic or organic?" and they reply, "Corn."
You always late apex the intersection and try to pass a few cars coming out.
You can't stand anyone telling others how to drive. But than again, you know you are the best.
You can't stand understeer.
You will gladly pay up to $8 for a quart of engine oil.
You hate long distance driving vacations, but you will gladly drive 800 miles to the race track.
You think that traction control and ABS are for those who can't drive.
You save broken car parts as "mementos".
You've tried synthetic oil and racing gas in your lawn mower.
You've tweaked your riding lawn mower trying to improve its cornering ability.
You would choose a rollbar over air conditioning if it were an option.
You enjoy driving through wet, empty parking lots using the Emergency Brake to turn.
You spend more on insurance premiums than on food.
When someone asks where you went to school, you reply, "Skip Barber".
You have racing shops programmed on your speed dialer.
You own five cars and only one of them is street legal.
You know the "racing line" of every turn in your daily commute.
You've slalomed in a construction zone, and counted your penalty time in the rearview mirror afterwards.
After you tell your wife where you'd like to go on your vacation she answers: "Why, is there a race there?"

[Ansherak]

I've been leaning towards the drop, though I wont start sheering out any of the original lines, in years to come I may want to put it back to stock or something close to it and hacking and slashing makes that decidedly more difficult to accomplish.

The Body itself is done and back on the frame, I did a complete body off on the truck, looks really clean I must admit.

Over the course of this winter I am rebuilding the 460 I found in an old tow truck that was sitting behind a service station, replacing the original inline six, though I am keeping that safely boxed up for the future....heh.

The interior is still in shambles though and tracking down decent interior pieces that actually "fit" properly has been an adventure to say the least, Might have to just makean interior myself, I want this on the road for spring!

Mostly right now I am at the....Put it all back together stage, as all the hard work has been done, and its slated for the body shop for paint just after christmas, we'll see if that time table holds up....

Ansherak

[Ben]

PT Crusher.

[Ansherak]

The Turbo charged PT's are pretty quick actually, people either love the PT or hate em, I rather like them, despite being a neon hybrid!

Seen some really nicely done up cruisers aswell at some of the shows I've been to and it never ceases to amaze me just how cool these little cars/suv/vans? lol can look!

[Tsa`ah]

That's Chrysler/Dodge for you. The K car legacy lives on. I'm not bitching, my wife drives a pristine Dynasty and she won't let me near for anything other than oil changes and tune ups.

I've seen some turbo PTs, but nothing extreme. I know a guy in Ottumwa, Iowa that has a turbo prowler that scares the hell out of me. We went light to light in an industrial park... slightly less than a quarter mile... I saw nothing but tail lights and exhaust pipes.

Fast car, but he spent 30 grand for someone else to do it. Bastard.

Man this whole thread has been like charlie brown's teacher to me WAA WAA WAA WAA WAA WAA

[AnticorRifling]

I'm just waiting to get enough saved up to start making a monster out of my 2000 mercury cougar. I've got the ideas it, always looking for more, just need to save the scratch and convince the wife that I should be allowed to do this for her sanity(if not I'll just putz around the house)

[Souzy]

I told you this already, convertible!!!!!

[Tsa`ah]

I don't need technical help here. I need opinions.

Turbo charged, viper inspired mini-van?
Or build a GP or Lumina convertable (These cars were never offered with a convertable option).

I should have made a poll.

Edited to add... I can't make up my mind and I have to decide in two days or I won't be able to get to that 2003 Caravan before it gets pulled into the yard. At that point the title becomes a "junk" title, and it will cost me more to haul it out of there.

[Edited on 11-3-2003 by Tsa`ah]

[Souzy]

Well golly...a turbo charged, Viper inspired mini-van? Sounds kinda cool, but your really trying to whip that van around doing like 180 MPH? I say you build the GP convertible. Nothing like building your own automobile.