Help me with a long term project....

[jr007]

OK, so I HATE New Year resolutions with a passion. Stupidest idea ever.
Anyway, around the 1st of January I decided I would start a project at the end of the year. I was resolute in this decision.

There are a few key points to note:
- Single income, three kids, own rental in CHCH (f**ked), rent in Auckland (f**ked), therefore i'm budget conscious.
- Although i've build a mini engine and a Chevette engine in the far distant past, i'm no mechanic. I know a valve from a piston, and that's about it. I'm keen to work on that.
- I'm going for something to occupy some time and have a bit of fun, not build a 10 sec 1/4 mile car, or a Show n Shine car of the year.

Soooooo, what are some ideas to start with? I'm keen to basically find a chassis that is fairly straight and low on rust, don't care about the interior or motor.

Starlets interest me, but that was probably just Karens' infectious obsession with them. I had an AE101 Levin that was OK. I've got a 202 Celica now (automatic... cough).

[Dell'Orto]

For a fun road car or ? Guessing you probably wont have the budget for 80's rwd stuff anymore

[Al]

Maybe look for a car that has been modified poorly and bring it back to stock?

Plenty of cars with ruined resale values because of poor modification around.

[rollaholic]

does it have to be a toyota? honda have alot of great options in the engine swap department.

[Grrrrrrr!]

Buy my mondeo wagon and return it to good condition. But seriously, what sort of car do you want to end up with.. cruiser, trackday toy, drag car, circuit racing, drift machine, quickish road car?

So many options, you need to have a goal in mind or you will start the build with one thing in mind and change your mind/lose motivation halfway thru. Also, what level of work are you willing to undertake? Pull and rebuild a motor? Fabricate stuff from scratch? Or just bolting on stuff you can buy off the shelf?

And a ball park idea of budget would be useful. ie $200/month or $500/month?

[KE20]

Hows this for a do up

small amount of rust




if ya keen let me know

[jr007]

All points taken. I've never been a fan of show, definitely go. I want to do something that's not run-of-the-mill, possibly a track car. I don't want to refurbish a car.

I've never been a fan of Honda, but that's just Toyota ego stubbornness. If I stay toyota, whatever I do will be turbo. I like the purist naturally aspirate idea, but don't have the funds to get HP, turbo is easy in that department.

I'm also keen on building something up looking at all areas, i.e. over time doig engine, brakes, drivetrain, suspension etc. Some off the shelf new, some wreckers, maybe a bit of custom fabrication.

Not putting a timeframe on this, so no monthly limit. I read an article in a magazine over a decade ago (before internet foums), and the author built a drag car from a dunger, wrecked car parts, second hand etc. I think I would appreciate that more than just dropping $10k to a tuning shop and picking up a sports car!

If I were to pretend to put a budget on it, i'd say $8k and 3 years.

Man I can ramble!

[Dell'Orto]

Buy a cheap AE101, quick and dirty 4AGZE block/20v head/Link/Churrrbo. Reckon if you took your time finding cheap stuff on TM you'd do it for $8k pretty easily.

[diss7]

Make a track car out of a van

[jr007]

^^ I actually really like that idea

Maybe I should do that with an AE101! The back seats are f**king useless anyway!

BTW, I have an uncle in Taupo who was a mechanic for 20+ years, and build many hot rods, including a 37 Chev chop-top, 55 Chev, and a few T-buckets he built from scratch. So, I may be able to scrounge a bit of his expertise when the time comes.

I love planning and problem solving (hence starting the process almost a year out), so by the time I start, I doubt I will change my mind repeatedly. That's what you guys are meant to do for me now

[rollaholic]

mr2 is what i would be looking at with your goals etc

[diss7]

If money is a concern, don't go turbo. Get a decent NA motor thats tough, that you can ring, in a light car.

Keep the motor simple. Worst case, if you manage to get a dud and blow it, another beams can be found for sub $1k.

Even a piss weak rear end like in a kp starlet would handle a beams motor fine. Not for drifting/skids, but it still would. Starlet rear ends can be found for $50. Even if you do blow a diff/axle, 30 mins and $50 later its back in business.

I used to do this with a 4age kp paddock/river/hack car back in the day. Shit that was a good car.

I should build another. Nothing like thrashing a car that has little value! I'd put a beams in it though, as you're not spending much more than a 4age anyway.

[iOnic]

Turbo might be cheap power but reliability will cripple you.
If I were you I would look for a simple light chassis to throw a 2000cc+ engine in.

EG/EK Civic, H22A off Trademe, Motor swap kit from the States, strip interior, Coilovers, half cage, Prelude brakes, fixed back seat, awesome trackday toy.
MX5, SR20DE/Beams 3SGE swap, Coilovers, rollbar, stronger rear end (Silvia?), RX7 Brakes, Fixed back seats, good trackday toy
E70 Corolla/P60 Starlet, as above
And so on and so forth

IMO, you'll have more fun building and driving any of the above than you will a turbo FWD eg AE101

[phoenix]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-ca ... 277716.htm


BEAMS + mx5?

[Quint]

imo, you're asking the wrong question.

What you really should be asking is 'What car do i think is $&#$% sweet.'
and go with that.
You can make anything go fast, or handle well. But if you want something that'll make you happy to drive and see to completion it comes down to what you like. Which shouldn't be a question you're asking us.

90% of a project you spend cursing or avoiding it, so you want to know that the end product is gonna make you smile.

my 2c, anyway.

ma45, Done.
ga61, Not started.
ga70. found the leak.
(though i'd love another ae70)

[Lurkin]

Agreed.

The last car I owned in NZ was an ae101.

Excellent run about, great thrash about car.

But... once bitten by the power bug, turbos the only way. It can get expensive quick, especially if you (a) don't do all the work yourself (b) something goes wrong and it lunchs itself.

Further, I decided that I would prefer a rwd with too much power....

Agreed with the comments above re cheap rwd beater i.e. starlet or ke70 etc.

what about the Nissan route? a silvia or skyline? then you have the choice of buying something cheap and n/a, and buying turbo bits later, or buying something turbo to start with? Unfortunately it will attract the wrong type of admirer...

You'll also be able to sell it if you need to....

[eskimo]

what about the Nissan route? a silvia or skyline? then you have the choice of buying something cheap and n/a, and buying turbo bits later, or buying something turbo to start with? Unfortunately it will attract the wrong type of admirer...

Have you seen what people are asking for N/A "s chassis" or skylines these days

They KP route seem like a cheapish route to take or you could go the other way with fwd 1600/1800cc twin cam. An AE82/92 corolla could be a bit of fun around the track and gym/grass khana etc

[Lith]

There is a bunch of S-chassis Nissans for under $5000, considering how much more car and potential you are getting than AE82/92 and KPs etc it's pretty sweet buying imho.

[jr007]

I'm thinking perhaps the Starlet / Corolla RWD may be the way to go. Or even an Escort if I could find one that's not f**ked.

I'm not taking much persuasion to go away from the turbo route. A standard Beams would give plenty of punch in the smaller chassis.

Quint, I know what you mean about getting something I want, not others. The good thing about this thread is i'm getting ideas for stuff I haven't thought of, and a few insights from people that have been there before

So question number 250, if I did go small chassis and RWD (if I can find a good one), would I be better going for the Beams 3SGE, or smaller 4AGE blacktop/Silvertop? No replacement for displacement?

Feel free to keep the ideas and comments coming guys.

[BattleSnayke]

I have a mate that could possibly be parting with a KP starlet shell, has recently been painted. Was originally going to be a rotor project so the fire wall has been cut and a tunnel started for the gearbox.

He started converting it to 4AGE so could be a good platform to build on...

It's in Wellington though.