• Registered: 2010-07-23
  • Posts: 49

Topic: Have we screwed ourselves?

So we were pretty convinced we were on the right track, bought a fairly solid (wrecked) car for cheapish, figured we could straighten it out the old fashioned way, throw some u-pull it parts on to get it running, and sell off all the pretty body pieces and interior for a couple hundred and call it good. Unfortunately, from what I've read here in the last couple days, it sounds like as soon as they see us coming they will rain down on us with the fist of an angry god for having something ONLY 10 years old, and a "performance" car (despite the fact that it's an automatic anemic v6 high school girls car...with a chassis from 1979).

So here's what I mean:

Bought for $779 (all the cash we had in our pockets, less some change) from two Iranian guys in a sketchy Latino neighborhood!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5031986850_f6863c2173_z.jpg

Straightened out the old fashioned way

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5031986954_499e0461a5_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5031987102_01f22fbfcd_z.jpg

Are we destined for a billion (with a b) penalty laps our first time out? We're guaranteed to have a good theme and some bribes.

Squatting Dog Racing
2000 Mustang - sold to those Hokie Pokie losers
1970 Valiant - 2015 Southern Discomfort Organizer's Choice - 2016 Southern Discomfort Most Heroic Fix
  • JThw8
  • JThw8
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  • From: Mullica Hill, NJ
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
  • Posts: 1,781

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

I wouldnt stress that one too much.  As long as you dont try and do much more to it.

http://wartburg.misfittoysracing.com
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."

JThw8's Website

  • From: Central NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-05
  • Posts: 1,681

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Don't worry too much about penalty laps. You aren't going to win your first time out no matter what.

After a race or two it will be sufficiently crappy to pass easily through tech on value.

  • From: Safety Harbor, FL (Tampa)
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 668

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

I think you're okay with a V6 Mustang.  It was the guys who pulled the same sort of trick with a hopped up Mustang GT that got crushed.

Resist the urge to throw performance parts at it, keep good records, put a good theme on it, and it should sail through tech.  Don't drive like dicks and you'll also avoid the curse.

Easy.

Lemons South 2008 - Fail, Lemons South Spring 2009 - Fail, Lemons Detroit(ish) 2008 - Fail, Lemons South Fall 2009 - Fail, Lamest Day 2009 - Fail, Miami 2010 (Chump) - 2nd!, Sebring 2010 (Chump) - Fail, Cuba 2010 - Crew Chief, Roebling 2011 (Chump) - 8th!, Sebring 2011(Chump) - 19th!
  • From: Automation Alley
  • Registered: 2009-07-14
  • Posts: 206

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

^What he said.

Captainess: #88 Scirocket Racing - Did someone say Pikachu?

atomicalex's Website

  • From: Houston - Katy
  • Registered: 2010-08-04
  • Posts: 361

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Agree with the comments. sell as much of that as you can, you'll be suprised at what crap some folks will buy!  Don't forget that rims and tyres don't count towards your total......we spent 3 weeks cleaning and selling a lovely set of BBS split rims for $310, only to have to spend $285 on a crappy set and then it didn't count off our total!

Keep all records and reciepts for the sales and get all the extras off the engine....then enjoy the race!

Is it because I is an E30 owner???
  • From: Houston (Spring) Texas
  • Registered: 2010-02-22
  • Posts: 1,624

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Advice from the guy who just tried to race a totaled car:

Give it a serious hoon-fest. Do a track day. Use it as a get-away car in a bank robbery. Anything that will full-throttle to stop back to full throttle for atleast an hour.
You will discover what broke in that accident other then the bumper.

My example was a brake line that crimped. Everything on the car worked, but after 5 minutes of driving (braking) brake pressure would build up and not be able to release past the crimp. My front brakes were locked. It took me all day sunday to find and fix the problem. That was a whole day of racing wasted, not to mention about 60 miles of driving to get the parts to fix it.

Yee-Haw 2010 "Most Heroic Fix" & "I Got Screwed" -2 trophies for 1 lap, but I took checkered on my lap.
Gator-O-Rama 2012 "Organizers Choice" -2 laps 1 trophy, but i still finished ahead of an E30
Yee-Haw 2013 No trophy -26 laps, I think I see a pattern here
Gator-O-Rama 2014 "Waiting for the Last Minute Call from the Governor Award" -who's counting? John

Hoonatic Racing's Website

  • From: 5,280 ft.
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 1,298

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Loren wrote:

I think you're okay with a V6 Mustang.  It was the guys who pulled the same sort of trick with a hopped up Mustang GT that got crushed.

and that's really only b/c they drove and acted like d-bags the whole weekend.

mike - Schumacher Taxi Service
12+-time loser
"Winner" - We Got Screwed, NJMP '11

Buzz Killington's Website

  • From: Lockport , IL
  • Registered: 2010-08-22
  • Posts: 76

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

LOL, there is nothing "performance" about a stock V6 Mustang, I think you will be fine.

All great moments start with the phrase "hey man, hold my beer"
http://dumbshitswithabeater.blogspot.com/
  • From: Sacramento
  • Registered: 2010-08-09
  • Posts: 1,665

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

You could to the Tiger Woods mistress thing as was done this summer - a few dozen smart hits with nine-irons will do it wonders!

~no kidding though, spend some time and $$ on a good (not merely passable) theme, drive with conviction (and not like convicts) and you'll be well thought of!

Good luck and have fun.

  • From: Atlanta, GA
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 102

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Those stripes look pretty quick.  As everyone has said, strip to down the basics you need to get you around the track and you should be fine.

http://grrsports.blogspot.com/
#6 1991 Ford Escort

Michael Rennick's Website

  • Registered: 2010-06-07
  • Posts: 39

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

squirrelfab wrote:

We're guaranteed to have a good theme and some bribes.

Don't bribe the judges, it's not worth it.  I'm dead serious...

  • From: St Louis, MO
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,014

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Make it a point to let people know it's just a v6 and you'll be fine.

Team Final Gear Crew Chief
#138 1997 Pontiac GTP - Supercharged 3800
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  • From: Automation Alley
  • Registered: 2009-07-14
  • Posts: 206

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

ohaythair wrote:
squirrelfab wrote:

We're guaranteed to have a good theme and some bribes.

Don't bribe the judges, it's not worth it.  I'm dead serious...

Don't listen to this guy.

Bribing the judges with a well-thought-out, humorous bribe in an attempt to give them a reason to like you as humans is totally worth it. Bribing them with food and cold (non-alcoholic) drinks is totally worth it. It makes them smile and that is the point of Lemons. Even a good bottle of scotch is fun, just because it makes everyone smile.

OTOH, serious bribes with the intent to sway the panel away from the two extra cylinders that you aren't telling us about, well, those are actually worthless.

I think the only bribe attempt like that that actually worked was the guys in one of the first few races who taped $5 bills to all of their go-fast bits. I don't think that works any more! tongue

Captainess: #88 Scirocket Racing - Did someone say Pikachu?

atomicalex's Website

  • From: Automation Alley
  • Registered: 2009-07-14
  • Posts: 206

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Oh, and theme idea that you have probably already had:

Dress up like secretaries. With steno pads and all. Much win there. If fact, that alone might sail you through BS.

Captainess: #88 Scirocket Racing - Did someone say Pikachu?

atomicalex's Website

  • From: Charleston, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 20

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

...Bought for $779 (all the cash we had in our pockets, less some change) from two Iranian guys in a sketchy Latino neighborhood!......


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I believe you mean $500 before inflation, right?  ;-)

Bill Hamilton
Infidel Racing
Team Number 3
1988 Mustang 2.3 liter with 88 Shetland ponies under the hood
  • Stevo
  • Ripened Lemon
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  • From: Indianapolis
  • Registered: 2009-05-26
  • Posts: 102

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Why stop at $500?

18 Reply by minimatt (edited by minimatt 2010-10-04 05:49 PM)

  • Registered: 2009-11-14
  • Posts: 7

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

We showed up to Phoenix with a 1994 GT 5.0 and a 5-speed and got no BS points. The car was completely stock, except for cut stock springs and a welded diff.. We didn't even go to aftermarket brakes or wheels. And it did indeed handle like a garbage truck full of piss, as Judge Phil so eloquently pointed out...  We just tried to stay in the spirit of the rules, and knew we would never win becuase we lack driving skills and talent. We proved this by crashing head-on into a K-rail the first lap of practice...

  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
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  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
  • Posts: 5,864

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

minimatt wrote:

We just tried to stay in the spirit of the rules, and knew we would never win becuase we lack driving skills and talent. We proved this by crashing head-on into a K-rail the first lap of practice...

Note to self: Bring uber-cheater car and purposely crash it (perhaps repeatedly) during practice but before BS inspection so the judges think we're inept and not a threat. Brilliant Plan.

Spank's Website

  • From: Safety Harbor, FL (Tampa)
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 668

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Spank wrote:

Note to self: Bring uber-cheater car and purposely crash it (perhaps repeatedly) during practice but before BS inspection so the judges think we're inept and not a threat. Brilliant Plan.

What could possibly go wrong?

Lemons South 2008 - Fail, Lemons South Spring 2009 - Fail, Lemons Detroit(ish) 2008 - Fail, Lemons South Fall 2009 - Fail, Lamest Day 2009 - Fail, Miami 2010 (Chump) - 2nd!, Sebring 2010 (Chump) - Fail, Cuba 2010 - Crew Chief, Roebling 2011 (Chump) - 8th!, Sebring 2011(Chump) - 19th!
  • Serj
  • Serj
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  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 1,601

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

does this happen to have the IRS rear? from what I remember of those model year fox-bodies is that the V6 and the Cobra had IRS but the GT had a solid(live) rear axle.

I recommend complete door removal and sell them as single pieces; should make it nice n' light, and whole door assemblies should be quite sellable for decent moola.

  • ronman
  • ronman
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  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2009-09-15
  • Posts: 1,842

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

What?
No Fox ever had an IRS or a V6, and the only RWD Ford I can recall with a V6 and IRS is the '06+ Explorer. And the Fox platform evolved dramatically into SN95 for MY1994. The only use of the IRS in that platform is the '96+ Cobra. V6s absolutely never had IRS.

Official photographer/Team Police Brutality|Speedycop & the Gang
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  • From: Choctaw, Oklahoma
  • Registered: 2009-11-12
  • Posts: 2,145

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

the only RWD Ford I can recall with a V6 and IRS is the '06+ Explorer.

I thought those had the IRS, but were FWD with no rear driveshaft/differential.

  • ronman
  • ronman
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  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2009-09-15
  • Posts: 1,842

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

Nope, only the brand-new ones are FWD-biased. All the Explorers prior to this year were still largely Ranger-based.

Official photographer/Team Police Brutality|Speedycop & the Gang
Lackey-mechanic-whatever/NSF Racing
Sycophant/Judge Phil, Jay Lamm, Kim Harmon
Galaxie Driver/not Parnelli Jones
  • From: Detroit, MI
  • Registered: 2009-05-16
  • Posts: 1,594

Re: Have we screwed ourselves?

ronman wrote:

The only use of the IRS in that platform is the '96+ Cobra. V6s absolutely never had IRS.

Close.  IRS came in the '99 Cobra, not the '96.  It was in the '99 Cobra, '00 Cobra R, '01 Cobra, and '03-'04 Cobra.  There were no '00 or '02 Cobras.

BRE Datsun (Broke Racing Effluence) formerly Dawn of the Zed Racing
'74 260Z
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