Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » What "spectacular" things has this magazine driven you to do? 1 2

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  May 2, 2011 12:22 a.m. 11s42k New Reader

  My first issue of GRM had coverage of the $1500 Challenge event. Reading that motivated me to drag a left-for-dead Mustang out of the yard and into the shop for the $2001 Challenge, where we won the coveted "Most Spectacular Failure" trophy. It was a pretty spectacular weekend, so we decided to do it again, this time with a little more serious effort. Next came the yellow V8 z-car that worked her way up from 6th to 1st in the following years, which was pretty spectacular for a rust bucket. We got a bit burned out by that car and had to take a break from Challenge racing, which is still in effect, but I still read the mag regularly.

  Most recently, I innocently read the 944 Buyer's Guide article several months ago and found it intriguing. Through my daily CL review, I stumbled on an ad for a "Porcshe" 944 with a broken timing belt. It was rougher in person than it was in the photos, but the seller was eager to get rid of it, and it was only 30 minutes away.

  Fast forward about a month to today. With (8) new valves in place, I got to take it for a spirited drive for the first time. I have been lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a really long list of fun cars, but in a sweeping corner this machine is different than anything I have ever driven! It's just a 1983 model, so it is by no means "fast", but what a spectacular feel it has! It seems to settle into a corner like most cars settle into a straightaway. It's the anti-Mustang. I'm anxious to get some decent tires and brakes on it and push it further.

  Thanks to GRM for continuing to fill my head with spectacular ideas. What have they done to you???

  Erik

  
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  May 2, 2011 12:49 a.m. turboswede SuperDork

  Beautiful car!

  Bought my Porsche 924 after reading about all of the Challenge and Project car articles in the magazine.

  5 years later, I've modified and rebuilt nearly every part on the car and I'm looking at actually driving it again this summer.

  I've never tackled a project like this before and I've taught myself body work, including fiberglass repair, converted the car to EFI and EDIS ignition, etc.

  Even though I know the end result won't be that fast (it is a rather tired 79 924 after all) It will be mine!

  

  "I can pretty much guarantee that when you were in both lanes sideways you didn't have your turn signal on." - engineerd

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  May 2, 2011 5:29 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

  Isn't this enough?

  Moved to the fastest run group so I can drive "flat out"

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  May 2, 2011 6:48 a.m. 11s42k New Reader

  Yeah, I suppose that counts.

  For anyone who didn't see that 2002 in person, that car was an example of spectacular effort. Pictures did not do it justice. Erik

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  May 2, 2011 6:59 a.m. RossD SuperDork

  I bought a hair dressers car :

  

  The answer is 288. No joke.

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  May 2, 2011 7:53 a.m. integraguy Dork

  What has GRM done for me?
  

  It's filled up A LOT of what might have been empty hours, kept me awake at night (and sometimes during the day...) with dreams of this or that car or car modification, been a topic of considerable conversation with friends and co-workers who may or may not be as car obsessive as I am.

  I could go on, but basically, GRM has been MORE than worth every penny each issue costs. As I always say, "ANY magazine that makes you happy to read the ads...well, it's a standout in the field of car magazines.

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  May 2, 2011 7:56 a.m. pres589 Dork

  It made me believe I could get a Mustang to handle; there is now an SN95 in my garage. Don't know if I'll get to the handling part this year but I'm having fun just getting back into the garage (more, my motorcycle already had me out there now and then).

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  May 2, 2011 8:43 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

  Mine was the 318ti I drive daily. The Classic 900 was also influenced by people on this board.

  If cars are bait, I swallowed the hook, line, and sinker whole

  Mercenary Stage Hand: When the money's gone, so am I.

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  May 2, 2011 8:43 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork

  

  Then:

  
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  May 2, 2011 9:02 a.m. Sofa King Reader

  Back in about 2002, I read an article in Car and Driver about the $2001 Challenge. I was intrigued, so I went out and bought a GRM. At the time I had just bought a 90 Miata, and I liked sports cars, but that was the extent of my interest. I had never done any wrenching other than simple maintenance. With no fabrication skills, I decided to build a Challenge car. I did know that I needed help!

  I introduced myself to a guy in the neighborhood, that I knew was into hot rods and asked him if he would be interested in helping me build a Challenge car. We had never even spoken to each other before that meeting, but he agreed to help me build the car as long as I covered the budget. Since that point cars have been my major recreational focus.

  We built a V8 RX7 for the 2003 Challenge in his garage.

  We then built a V8 Miata in my garage.

  At that point with both of our wives tired of the fumes from welding, cutting and painting, we decided to rent a building to house our hobby. We found a 2500 sq ft out building and set up shop. We have since built 2 cars for the 2009 Challenge, a 99 Miata and a LT1`powered 944, and we are in the process of building 2 more cars that will hopefully be done for this year's Challenge.

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  May 2, 2011 9:04 a.m. Cole_Trickle New Reader

  pres589 wrote: It made me believe I could get a Mustang to handle; there is now an SN95 in my garage. Don't know if I'll get to the handling part this year but I'm having fun just getting back into the garage (more, my motorcycle already had me out there now and then).

  Same here.
  

  I had started on 2 $20XX cars since reading the articles, but never finished either and had too sell for different reasons. They were both T-birds. (I was taking ANY cheap car at the time.) One was a 88 Turbo Coupe that I stripped down and was in the process of adding a Garret T3/T4. I didnt finish on time, and a local fellow enthusiast bought it shortly after. The other was a free 96 Thunderbird LX that ran great, but looked like it got hit by a bus. The body work was wayyy more than I could handle on my budget and I sold the project for alot more than I had in it.

  Hit the Pace Car!

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  May 2, 2011 9:09 a.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader

  Like others, it's inspired me to work on a Challenge car.

  

  That's me in the driver's seat, running that 58.004 lap.

  Beyond that, GRM has constantly reminded me that I don't need to spend tons and tons of money to get out there and have fun. I wouldn't say I've bought a car specifically because of GRM - yet - but I've carried the GRM philosophy through most of my project and autocross cars.

  Not specifically because of GRM, but I've also adopted the attitude that it's more important to me to have fun than win. Certainly I've done both on many occasions, but I'm not one to spend thousands on parts where I could spend hundreds instead for 90% of the benefit. It's all about having fun for me.

  - Justin

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  May 2, 2011 9:20 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  Got me autocrossing again after a 5+ year hiatus.

  Hasn't REALLY influenced me on any car purchases. (You could count the Jeep, but that was because of the forum, not the mag, necessarily.)

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  May 2, 2011 9:24 a.m. mndsm SuperDork

  I saw a bunch of cones in a parking lot with some cars running around em, and thought I would give it a whirl. This is LITERALLY the only run I had sun for- it was either raining or snowing or 20+mph winds the entire weekend, didn't get over 40 degrees. But it was fun. (really, this was my first autox. I had never gotten a chance to get out before.... signed up as soon as this one came along.)

  

  Go fast or go broke.

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  May 2, 2011 9:25 a.m. Woody SuperDork

  Thanks to GRM, I have now both purchased, and sold, an engine, in exchange for beer.

  Spectacular.

  

  I lift things up and put them down.

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  May 2, 2011 10:25 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

  Used a dirt modifed nose to add aero to an E30...

  Allowed "bigger" folk access to the driver seat (it's damn hard to climb thru a sedan window wearing a HANS):

  ...and just this weekend (after a bit of thinking and drinking) made a shifter out of an old flywheel spacer:

  Lord of drivel and harbinger of Floundering

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  May 2, 2011 10:49 a.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

  I own a Miata and a P71.

  I'm feeling damned impressionable just now.

  spending money I don't have to buy parts I don't need to impress people I don't know

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  May 2, 2011 11:13 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

  belteshazzar wrote: I own a Miata and a P71. I'm feeling damned impressionable just now.

  Time to complete the tri-fecta. I just saw a $1200 E30 floating around on the for-sale board...

  Lord of drivel and harbinger of Floundering

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  May 2, 2011 11:18 a.m. curtis73 Dork

  This magazine/forum has basically given me confidence to try more things than I would have before as far as engine swaps, grassroots fixes, etc.

  ... like putting a duramax in my 66 Bonneville, an LS1 in an S10, a Caddy 500 in my 67 LeMans. It has also given me tons of confidence in purchasing off-the-wall cars. When I see a weird, cool car on ebay for cheap, chance are someone here has a ton of knowledge about them and can inform me of whether or not its good.

  I'm bringing sexy back

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  May 2, 2011 11:29 a.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

  belteshazzar wrote: I own a Miata and a P71. I'm feeling damned impressionable just now.

  Time to complete the tri-fecta. I just saw a $1200 E30 floating around on the for-sale board...

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  I owned an '88 SuperETA before I found GRM, and I've had three more e30's since.<img src="/media/img/icons/smilies/wink-18.png" class="smiley"

  spending money I don't have to buy parts I don't need to impress people I don't know

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  May 2, 2011 11:48 a.m. Lesley SuperDork

  I feel so humbled! Haven't really done anything "spectacular" with my vehicles, in fact, over the last couple of years I've hardly picked up a wrench. I did send my wee MX3 out to have a KLZE installed, dunno if that qualifies, but I'm certainly happy with the results.

  Cool on all the postings, you guys are inspirational

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  May 2, 2011 12:15 p.m. Xceler8x SuperDork

  Raced Lemons, ChumpCar, HPDE's. I thought racing was for rich guys. Now it's for me.

  You are what you do, when it counts.

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  May 2, 2011 12:28 p.m. Vigo Dork

  I would say the most spectacular thing the magazine has driven me to do is drag one piece of junk across the country with another piece of junk nonstop from 2am to 10pm the next day after working on them since 9am the day before.

  At that time, it seemed crazy.. but now...

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  May 2, 2011 12:43 p.m. Entropyman New Reader

  To take an epic journey in a vehicle that was almost 30 years old. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/o-brother-where-art-we...

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  May 2, 2011 1:02 p.m. JThw8 SuperDork

  This

  And more recently, this

  And in between 5 years of Epic BABE rally competition with an assortment of oddities which I wont clog up the "tubes" with at the moment

  OTTER: "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part." BLUTO: "We're just the guys to do it."

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