Cheap, Dumb, Fun Automotive Projects

[Zenith]

Top Gear has done this a dozen times. What are your ideas? Think of anything that would be fun to do with cars on a small budget.

Here are a few to set the tone.

Roadster Minivan- Buy a minivan that uses a chassis, cut the roof off, ride in style.
Bigger Kart- Buy a cheap car off craigslist, strip everything down to the metal and bodywork, then go find a windy road or a dirt lot to get in touch with some raw driving
Old Civic, New VTEC- Put a newer VTEC engine into a 90's Civic.

Ideas, or better yet, examples?

 

[JCE]

How's this?

Buy used Geo Storm, cut off roof, strip down and install a tiny turbo.
Buy a used Ford E-Series with the Triton V10, cut rear cargo area, shape/fab in a pickup truck bed, install monster suspension with 40" swamp mudding tires.

 

[Tornado]

Buy base model Ford Ranger. Install turbo larger than the engine block.

 

[JCE]

Buy base model Ford Ranger. Install turbo larger than the engine block.

Sad thing is the engine would be able to take it!

 

[homeforsummer]

"Budget Superleggera"

Take any econobox and strip out as much of it as you can without not being able to drive it - all interior trim save for the driver seat and controls. Get rid of all sound deadening material and underseal. Replace all the glass with thin perspex. Small fuel tank. Sticky tyres.

However slow the car was to begin with you're going to have increased the performance, and it'll feel even quicker than that due to being so horrifically noisy.

And bucketloads of fun.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Old Civic, New VTEC- Put a newer VTEC engine into a 90's Civic.

Umm, that's not cheap.

Edit:

"Budget Superleggera"

Take any econobox and strip out as much of it as you can without not being able to drive it - all interior trim save for the driver seat and controls. Get rid of all sound deadening material and underseal. Replace all the glass with thin perspex. Small fuel tank. Sticky tyres.

However slow the car was to begin with you're going to have increased the performance, and it'll feel even quicker than that due to being so horrifically noisy.

And bucketloads of fun.

Sport Compact Car Magazine did that with a 2001? Sentra. Really old article, I couldn't find it on the net. They basically cut 1,000lbs off of the thing. In the end it had no roof, no doors, no body panels, and ran on spare tires.

 

[ND4SPD]

Umm, that's not cheap.

Edit:



Sport Compact Car Magazine did that with a 2001? Sentra. Really old article, I couldn't find it on the net. They basically cut 1,000lbs off of the thing. In the end it had no roof, no doors, no body panels, and ran on spare tires.

And their driver was really pretty....I remember that video. It was quite impressive.

 

[benzoboy]

"Budget Superleggera"

Take any econobox and strip out as much of it as you can without not being able to drive it - all interior trim save for the driver seat and controls. Get rid of all sound deadening material and underseal. Replace all the glass with thin perspex. Small fuel tank. Sticky tyres.

However slow the car was to begin with you're going to have increased the performance, and it'll feel even quicker than that due to being so horrifically noisy.

And bucketloads of fun.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=101478

 

[Eric.]

Buy a used Ford E-Series with the Triton V10, cut rear cargo area, shape/fab in a pickup truck bed, install monster suspension with 40" swamp mudding tires.

I did not know about these.

 

[Jim Prower]

Enduro car: See - Budget Superleggerra, except no headlights, no taillights, and with about 15-20 others on an oval.

 

[JCE]

I did not know about these.

They are quite beastly as is the Super Duty with the same engine. They make a good noise when the intake and exhaust get changed out.

Wiki link #1
Wiki link #2

1997
The 1997 Econoline received an updated front end with a new grille that featured an oval cutout and new lower front bumper trim. Also new was an ergonomic dashboard layout containing dual airbags. Also introduced at this time were the new line of Triton V8 engines to replace the Windsors and the 460. The new lineup of engines featured a 4.2 L Essex V6, 4.6 L and 5.4 L Triton V8s, and a 6.8 L Triton V10. The 7.3 L diesel continued

In 2006, the 6.8 L Triton V10 produced 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS) and 420 lb·ft (311 N·m) torque

6.8 L V10

The 6.8 L (6760 cc, 413 CID) V10 is another variation of the Modular family created for use in large trucks. Bore size is 90.2 mm (3.552 in) and stroke is 105.8 mm (4.165 in), identical to the 5.4 L V8. Both 2-valve and 3-valve versions are currently produced. The 6.8 L uses a split-pin crank with 72° firing intervals and a balance shaft to quell vibrations inherent to a 90° bank angle V10 engine. The engine's firing order is 1-6-5-10-2-7-3-8-4-9. The 2-valve version was first introduced in 1997, with a 3-valve non-VCT version to follow in 2005. The 3-valve engine is built alongside the 2-valve engine at Ford's Windsor, Ontario LVL engine line.
Vehicles equipped with the 6.8 L V10 Modular engine include the following:
[edit]2-valve
1997–present Ford E-Series, 2-valve SOHC, 305 hp (227 kW) and 420 lb·ft (569 N·m) ratings for 2000 and later model years
1999–2004 Ford F-Series Super Duty, 2-valve SOHC, 310 hp (231 kW) and 425 lb·ft (576 N·m) ratings for 2000 and later model years
2000–2005 Ford Excursion, 2-valve SOHC, 310 hp (231 kW) and 425 lb·ft (576 N·m)
[28]
[edit]3-valve
2005–present Ford F-Series Super Duty, 3-valve SOHC, 362 hp (270 kW) and 457 lb·ft (620 N·m). 2011 MY only available for F-450 & F-550 as a Chassis cab.
2012 Ford F-650 & Ford F-750, 3-valve SOHC, 362 hp (270 kW) and 457 lb·ft (620 N·m).[29

 

[Tornado]

I never understood how they fit that engine into the Econoline. The 5.4 is a big motor by itself, but the 6.8 is absolutely huge.

 

[disinfected]

Top Gear has done this a dozen times.
Roadster Minivan- Buy a minivan that uses a chassis, cut the roof off, ride in style.

 

[JCE]

I never understood how they fit that engine into the Econoline. The 5.4 is a big motor by itself, but the 6.8 is absolutely huge.

Seriously, the 5.4L fills that engine bay length and width to the max. The 6.8L V10 is literally a 5.4L V8 + 2 cylinders. How they did that is exceptional indeed...always wanted to shoe-horn that V10 in a Ford Panther car.

 

[Tornado]

Didn't Car and Driver make their own Crown Vic with that engine, converted to LPG or something? I seem to recall they compared it to the Marauder when it went on sale, but I don't remember if it was the V10 or if it was just the 5.4.

 

[niky]

Umm, that's not cheap.

Edit:



Sport Compact Car Magazine did that with a 2001? Sentra. Really old article, I couldn't find it on the net. They basically cut 1,000lbs off of the thing. In the end it had no roof, no doors, no body panels, and ran on spare tires.

They moved the article to a number of new hosts when sportcompactcarweb went down. One's here:

http://www.nerocam.com/SCC_TAP.asp

The other is archived at modified.com.

http://www.modified.com/features/0208_technical_assistance_program/index.html

Keep the links alive, boys!

-

I've always wanted to do a LeMons car or a banger... my favorite "cheap" build would be one they did on UK's Thunder Races... strip a tiny hatchback, tub out the rear end, and weld in the entire engine bay of a bigger car into the back. A non-running Suzuki Swift / Geo Metro should cost you nothing but gasoline for towing... then source a front-cut from a bigger automobile... the sky's the limit, really, weld it inside the rear arches, and roll-cage it .

---

Here's the Thunder Races car... a Fiat Uno with a Saab 2.2 Turbo in the back...

http://www.beardmorebros.co.uk/website pages/thunder-races.htm

The build was amazingly neat, simple and incredibly quick. The same should be doable with a Geo Metro and big, carbureted FWD V6.

 

[gogatrs]

What if you took the front end of a FWD car and welded it to the back end of a RWD car.

 

[ND4SPD]

They moved the article to a number of new hosts when sportcompactcarweb went down. One's here:

http://www.nerocam.com/SCC_TAP.asp

The other is archived at modified.com.

http://www.modified.com/features/0208_technical_assistance_program/index.html

Keep the links alive, boys!

.

Hmm guess I saw another program where they did the exact thing to an older red Sentra and the driver an attractive female...

 

[niky]

What if you took the front end of a FWD car and welded it to the back end of a RWD car.

That's basically what they did.

EDIT: whoops... misread that. Problem with a FWD-RWD sandwich is it will only work if you're welding a FWD front end to an MR or RR rear end. But that's a waste. Better to do this:



FWD with another FWD drivetrain in the rear. Most use automatics for ease of conversion, but I've seen one build (a twin V6 Alfa Romeo race-replica) where the builder actually synchronizes two gearboxes to one clutch and one gearshift. From articles about the car, it's difficult to shift, but it actually works.



Not the same Alfa... but amazing, nonetheless...

 

[Cowboys965]

What if you took the front end of a FWD car and welded it to the back end of a RWD car.

The Salfa Romoeb from Top Gear lol

 

[Murcie_LP640]

Not exactly the cheapest thing in the world but surely someone would be willing to do the same thing on a budget.

Also, only an Aussie would want an M5 turned into a ute. Just saying.

 

[Cano]

The other is archived at modified.com.

http://www.modified.com/features/0208_technical_assistance_program/index.html

Keep the links alive, boys!

You're doing it wrong :

Here is the article:

http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/hrdp_1011_corvette_hack_track_test/index.html

And here is... THE VIDEO!!!



And wait, it gets better. Later on they twin-supercharged it... with leaf blowers:

article, again:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_1105_leaf_blower_supercharger/index.html

This is the sickest, most stupid, most fun thing I've ever seen a magazine do.

 

[homeforsummer]

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=101478

Where do you think I got the idea There's a Ka on the same forum undergoing a similar process...

 

[Roo]

...and pretty much everything Mastermilo has ever done.

Also, only an Aussie would want an M5 turned into a ute. Just saying.

Nuh uh.

(Not an M5, but you get the idea. Apologies for the rubbish pictures, they were taken on my phone.)

 

[benzoboy]

Where do you think I got the idea There's a Ka on the same forum undergoing a similar process...

Didn't know you were on Retro Rides 👍, some awesome projects on there don't you think? I'm loving the Ka you mentioned

 

[Tornado]

And wait, it gets better. Later on they twin-supercharged it... with leaf blowers:

.

What the hell?

 

[ChaosStar79]

And wait, it gets better. Later on they twin-supercharged it... with leaf blowers:

My friend and I tried a project like this years ago with his old Scooby GL-10 and some badass hairdryer his wife had. We actually ran timed runs before and after and notice slight improvements on even that little turd. The theory he was working on was that it would maybe increase spooling speed of his turbo, not so much because of added psi.

 

[niky]

Always wanted to try that... obviously (and the article points it out) leaf-blowers won't have enough puff at high rpms, but the mid-range benefits are possible if you have enough hp.

Would be great if you could shove a scooter motor under the hood... given the boost you could get out of a 10-15 hp unit, you could make some serious power.

 

[homeforsummer]

Didn't know you were on Retro Rides 👍, some awesome projects on there don't you think? I'm loving the Ka you mentioned

I browse more than I post, though I did buy my Beetle off that forum. You're right though, some fantastic projects. [/offtopic]

 

[Mr. CoolFiat]

Always wanted to try that... obviously (and the article points it out) leaf-blowers won't have enough puff at high rpms, but the mid-range benefits are possible if you have enough hp.

Would be great if you could shove a scooter motor under the hood... given the boost you could get out of a 10-15 hp unit, you could make some serious power.

So you have two engines as 1???? You sick people.