WHAT have I done!!!!!! (Page 2 of 3)

Sounds like a cool and crazy project.

Better change the starter before you put the motor in.

Where are you gonna get a cheap Supra transmission and associated parts?

I have always wanted to put a Q45 motor in a Z but it's just seems like a futile waste.

Serj, funny - I'm sure we'll have fun. Heck, we had fun dodging you with our Celica too.

Troy, the starter is very strong we will see how it goes... I hope everybody doesn't turn on us.. that would be a bummer We aren't going to try for the manual trans (I'm not anyway)... Though I would prefer that, and the guy I got the Corolla from has cheap parts all lined up for us, the advice is that its just not believable, even if we do it all within the rules. I'm gonna hate getting crushed just because people won't believe the truth. Q45 motor in a z would be great... lighter too..

lol... yea, like 4 of them, all lined up, with no waiting... I like your user name btw.

Whuuutttt? Why not? Obvioulsy i haven't done the work yet, but rode in the car of a guy who has. I have a AE86 you might like, and have been racing it for 17 years! I've also had an LS400 as a daily driver...

Corolla was free
Lex was $300
Driveshaft mod maybe around $150 I'm told
I'm sure we can sell off stuff, and reuse most of the rest of what we need from the lex.
We'll use the existing auto trans.
We've bought before, and can again $40 coilover kit.

What else am I missing?

I think he meant you can't do the ITB setup like in the YouTube video for $500.

Yeah, I don't see why you can't combine a Lexus LS and a derelict Corolla into a single car for $500....it's just the throttle bodies that'll push it over the top!

Oh, and you should definitely print out that CL ad for your records before it expires. And, just to be safe, contact your lawyer to discuss a defense strategy for "receiving stolen property." I mean, why else would you have two cheap-ass cars with no titles?

You guys are scaring me... Looks at the CL ads here in Kentucky.. 1/2 of the cheap cars have no title.. weird I know... Never saw that where  I came from in Michigan....

BTW, I hope Nick and Murilee both checked out the CL ad for the lex before it expires - Thats part of the evidence chain! You can see it is for $500, but not what I paid. I got it from a genu-ine repo man, and the sale was notarized. He said it sat at their place for several years, and by the poor ad you can see how it  was easily overlooked by folks. Probably doesn't help that the air suspension is totally failed and thousands to fix! I can give you the name of the guy I got the Corolla from if you want to call him. He has a yard full and I have pics to prove it. - You can see there's nothing to it- its completely stripped and totally banged up (its the remains from him stripping several different ones for parts and giving me the leftovers). Even nice ones don't go for much money (look on ebay right now for instance)....

I know Corollas as well as anybody, and it dang well better hold together, but if you guys put much more fear of the crusher into me (i.e. discouraging an interesting AND legal build, and not believing the truth as best as I can prove it) then I'll just run the stock motor. We haven't started tearing down the lex yet, and my team is not wanting to give the engine back to me when done racing it anyway, so maybe another time. Heck, if notarized proof on the lex isn't enough, nothing will be anyway I guess.

Ha, when we picked up our 200sx, we had to 1) hot wire it to get it to start as the key cylinder was jammed, 2) use the battery from the car we came in to start it and then drive it home on that battery. The car we came in drove home sans battery

You just need to remember that your job isn't done once you sell the judges on the legitimacy of your budget. You need to convince the other teams as well. Just put up a "How We Built This Car" sign like the Eyesore Racing guys did with their Frankenmiata, and then make sure you lend a helpful wrench to other teams in need during the race. They built a turbocharged Miata, stayed among the top cars the whole race, and didn't get any Curse votes that I know of.

I hear ya... Heck, at Toledo we gave some of your Jalopnik guys the whole left front corner for their Celica GT-S when it broke, so we do try to help out... Maybe just discouraged a bit... I guess the question is, "play it boring and safe" or be original?...  Always a price for being different I guess. If the team will support it, I'll still do it, and if not, if there's others here that want to do it with me, I'll do it anyway! What's a drive in the Hachi-Hibachi worth to ya people? (PS, the motor supposedly only has 60k on a rebuild and the starter works great

lol... And I was looking enviously at their piece of crap!

Ours is an ST with drum brakes, no sway bars to speak of and the ultra low revving camry based motor... Unlike most manufacturers, the "GT-S" label really meant something back then.. well, at least until 1988 or so when it became just a tack on body kit and sticker package like everybody else.