what's more lemony? super beetle/750i/xj6 (Page 1 of 2)

If you need simplicity, the VW is the way to go

Wait 'til after Arse Freeze - I'm fielding a 64 beetle and will have a post race report
Team "-ing with bad ideas"

30 years? Hell, the gas in the tank is probably still good!

Fire. Fire always works.

<3 middle of nowhere.

Realistically, the VW should be your best bet for simplicity and reliability... which is exactly why a  big BMW or a Jag would be considered "more lemony". (moreso the Jag because it's British)

Not saying that a VW will be "easy" by any stretch of the imagination, of course.  Unless you intend to baby it around the track, it's going to take some well-reasoned prep to ensure its reliability.

We ran a '73 Super Beetle at CMP last month, and will run it there again in May. I personally think there is real potential to be both competitive as well as, well, hooptie. The biggest thing you MUST do, that we did not (it's a long story), is to convert your bug to disc brakes and then upgrade the pads. We still had the stock drums on ours and it turns out its hard to go fast when you can't stop!

Also, you may want to add an extra external oil-cooler to the engine. The obvious engine swaps would be with a turbo Subaru (you have to make a couple mods to reverse the direction of the drive shaft) or if you want to stay air-cooled try and find an old 4-cylinder 914/type 4 engine.

You forgot the most important keywords of all:
Ran when parked.

You forgot the Stag.

My "friend" just sent a 929 to get crushed... He is no longer a friend.

I'd say the most LeMony of the three is an XJ6. Don't run one.

Ours is still 4000lbs, and that's after we ditched 900lbs of interior crap. Parts costs are stupid-high ($70 each for 4 ball-joints? Get the front-end kit from FCPGroton for $280). Race brake pads are necessary on such a big car, and a $300 custom order (Carbotech via Amp'd Autosport). Tires are a PITA to find in a good size (Sumitomo HTR200s in 225/50R-15 fit on the stock rim). You'll need at least 60 ft of 1.75"x.120" tubing, whereas a smaller car can use about 40-50 ft of 1.50" tubing. Inboard rear brakes, and the stock exhaust rests against the left rear caliper - plan on dropping the rearend so you can replace the discs and rebuild the calipers. The wiring is far more complex than it needs to be - so keep it all intact and double-check in the wiring diagram before you remove anything. The Jag-Lovers website has all the information you need, but good luck finding it; their website is very unorganized, and apparently all the Jaguar lovers think this is the way it's supposed to be.

I'd go with the Beetle, or I'd rig up a carb and stand-alone distributor for the BMW.

I'm in the process of building a 73" super Beetle for the Miami season ender. I used to run this car at a local dirt track many years ago, and it almost always kicked ass. Obviously it will need a different set up to go road racing. Anybody running an old VW have any tips? I've Got PLENTY of spares for every part on the car, and intend on bringing all I can haul with me. I figure an old VW has got to have some fan appeal, and is pretty simple to maintain.
Paul

What if you took a Robin and grafted a nice two-wheeled front suspension to it?  Certainly not the craziest feat to be attempted in the name of Lemons racing.