1 (edited by MZAVARIN 2019-11-22 08:33 PM)

Topic: Student Drivers: Expelled

Our 1987 Honda Prelude of MarioKart Student Drivers unfortunately had an incident with a spinning car in NJ this year.  The front end got pushed in significantly, and even though we were able to make it "good enough" to finish the race, I have not been able to get it straightened.  I took it to a few body shops that had chassis machines, and they kind of just rolled their eyes when I asked them to try to get it straight again

Originally, the car was used in circle track, then used in one Chump race, and then in 2014, I purchased it in North Carolina and towed it to Boston area.

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837328034/large/1574475582/enhance

It did need some work, mainly some serious modifications to the roll bar.  Fortunately, the roll bar was well built, in general, and eventually approved by Lemons.  At Loudon in 2014, it entered its first race.

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837330646/medium/1574475674/enhance

The engine lasted approximately one year, and in 2015 I did my first engine swap over the winter (with some help). 

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/103814214364/large/1523667227/enhance

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/103158211681/large/1574476083/enhance

Since then, 3 races per year, the engine is still running well, and burns almost no oil.  We did do a tranny swap also, in addition to a bunch of other stuff along the way.  The main issue that we faced, was that it would break a hub at every race and there were no aftermarket sold, and barely any junk yard spares sold.  Doing some research, we were able to swap to an Accord knuckle, axle, rotor, brake, hub set up.  The Accord of that generation had bigger hubs and replacements are available new.  And since, it has been running very well, except for the usual small issues that tend to come along.

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837333633/large/1574475763/enhance

But the Lightening track in NJ 2019 was not kind to it, it got "STRUCK"!  With the help of some fantastic team mates, we got it to finish the race by pulling out the front end "enough"

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837335824/medium/1574475821/enhance
https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837336271/large/1574475835/enhance

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837337228/large/1574475853/enhance

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837337681/large/1574475866/enhance

Note: outside of left tire completely worn out, that started out new

But the alignment is too far off to get it to any acceptable condition.
So now, faced with a dilemma---
a) Buy a different prebuilt, ready to race car (but nothing out there really appealed to me....and certainly no Preludes up for sale...but the engine in the wrecked car is still totally good)...but might be a relatively cheap option?
b) Do a completely new, really cool build on something totally unrelated (expensive, and I have so many Prelude parts lying around now...what a waste it would be)
c) Get the same car, and just transplant parts ---which seemed the most cost effective solution (although a bit boring....).  Its just that the engine is running so well, and I have 2 spare trannys, lots of wheels, plus so many other good parts.  Unfortunately, these 2nd generation Prelude cars are getting exceedingly difficult to find now, especially in a manual tranny, fuel injected.  Closest one was on the other side of the country.  But....a Lemons friend a few towns over emailed me and said he drives by one every day to work, sitting next to some railroad tracks, in someone’s back yard covered in leaves....but automatic, and with carburetor.  Seemed like maybe a good option?....supposedly body solid, starts right up...
So I went to check it out, but while running, a stream of oil came out from under the car....eh who cares? either easy fix? and maybe run it in Class C, or just swap in my fuel injected engine and change to my manual tranny (probably easier said than done...?), and keep going in Class B. 
So $500 later, it sits in my driveway...

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104837339220/large/1574475907/enhance

What have I gotten myself into....well, I guess I have all winter to fix it....
And maybe do another "Theme"...
(Certainly you're not going to see any speed creep here unless you have any great ideas)

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Can you just replace the front gubbibns from the white prelude to the race car? or is it bent that far back?

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

what in the world is a "gubbibn" s  ??

I thought about keeping the "race car" but it seems the frame, steel is bent significantly
Race car, with steel forward of engine mount bent downward

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104841561175/large/1574625086/enhance

Donor car:

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104841559445/large/1574625050/enhance

and so much of "race car" is held together with coat hangers, zip ties, duct tape, metal strapping, angle irons, rivets, JB Weld, etc.

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104614647433/large/1562212163/enhance

I'm always amazed at how many handfuls of tire chunks I scoop out of all the cracks after each race....

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Common Honda problem up to at least 2001. Once you pull the engine you will likely find the frame between the shock tower and the firewall has a dimple. Rarely on those chassis is it just a bent front frame horn that can be replaced. Toss the old chassis and build the new one.

5 (edited by DirtyDuc 2019-11-24 06:47 PM)

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Definition:

Gubbins - "all those bits hanging off that thing over there"

plural - gubbinses

That guy

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

If you lived closer, I would say walk down the street and knock on a door. There are two black preludes of that vintage in a driveway unregistered.

Don’t ask me what you should do... I’ll only recommend something terrible

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

moparfan wrote:

Common Honda problem up to at least 2001. Once you pull the engine you will likely find the frame between the shock tower and the firewall has a dimple. Rarely on those chassis is it just a bent front frame horn that can be replaced. Toss the old chassis and build the new one.


you guessed it!
Actually, the dimples have dimples....

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

chaase wrote:

If you lived closer, I would say walk down the street and knock on a door. There are two black preludes of that vintage in a driveway unregistered.

Don’t ask me what you should do... I’ll only recommend something terrible

Oh no o o o o o o ....

I'm afraid to ask....

- SI (fuel injected model)?
- Manual or automatic tranny?
- Year? etc.
- What should I do? (there is a chance that your recommendation is actually better than my terrible ideas...)

(anything within a 6-7 hour driving distance I do not consider "far")

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

9 (edited by chaase 2019-11-27 08:12 AM)

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

MZAVARIN wrote:
chaase wrote:

If you lived closer, I would say walk down the street and knock on a door. There are two black preludes of that vintage in a driveway unregistered.

Don’t ask me what you should do... I’ll only recommend something terrible

Oh no o o o o o o ....

I'm afraid to ask....

- SI (fuel injected model)?
- Manual or automatic tranny?
- Year? etc.
- What should I do? (there is a chance that your recommendation is actually better than my terrible ideas...)

(anything within a 6-7 hour driving distance I do not consider "far")

I know nothing about Preludes. I just know there are two sitting in the driveway of a house down the street from me. I don't even know if they would be willing to sell them.

My recommendation is almost always involves class C and a lot of pain. Most of the awesome stuff I've seen lately has been on the left coast so it doesn't help. For example, there is a 1970 Rover P6 3500 in Napa. Someone was giving away a Bricklin to the right now.

I saw a Cosworth Vega for sale on Craigslist a few months ago. That looked fun! Manny might still have the gutted Cavalier sitting in his lot. I don't know if they still have it but a friend of mine had a whooped Cobalt auto they were basically trying to get rid of.  Personally, I think we should sell our 3rd racecar, the Saturn SL1 sedan with the big ole fuel cell and focus on the Javelin and SW2 but I doubt that will fly.

There is also this car available in Syracuse

https://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/view … p?id=38597

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

You can always resurrect https://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/view … 49#p334949

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Thanks for the info on the Preludes: good to know in case I need spare parts, donor car

Otherwise, I have come to the rrealization, that even though I'd love to do an awesome Class C build, I'm just not that talented of a mechanic and fabricator to be able to pull something epic off, that would actually be able to turn laps consistently and not be a hazard at current speeds.

And I'd love to do an awesome Class A build, but I also realize that (currently), I am just not that great of a driver to handle a super top notch speedy dominating car....
Hence, here I am in B....(and really no regrets)...getting to be a better mechanic/fabricator and learning to be a better driver, hopefully someday eventually having the Class A car and Class C car, best of both worlds

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

The B in class B stands for "Better things to do than try and win/keep a heap barely running"

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Im in the area if you need a roll cage or fabricator to help you out.  always willing to give a deal to the fellow Lemons racer

959 Toyota Tercel   6x Lemons loser

New England Area roll cages send me an email I'm in Central MA

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Cool!
I might take you up on that offer!
I'll send you an email this week.  The car is getting gutted and  hopefully I could get the dashboard out this week, if the snow permits.
I also need to figure out how to do the pedal box swap from automatic to manual before the cage goes in...
I also found out that I need to move the ECU and all the spaghetti wiring from the race car to the carburetor -ed donor car...but that could probably be done after the cage...

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

MZAVARIN wrote:

Cool!
I might take you up on that offer!
I'll send you an email this week.  The car is getting gutted and  hopefully I could get the dashboard out this week, if the snow permits.
I also need to figure out how to do the pedal box swap from automatic to manual before the cage goes in...
I also found out that I need to move the ECU and all the spaghetti wiring from the race car to the carburetor -ed donor car...but that could probably be done after the cage...


You could just keep it carb'd. A lot less wiring, weight and electrical gremlins to chase.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

What's worse, electrical gremilins or vacuum hose gremlins?
I've never seen so much vacuum hose spaghetti !!!
Maps of most major cities are less complicated that this vacuum hose diagram...

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/003008623257/media/104907130118/medium/1576536168/enhance

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Student Drivers: Expelled

Vacuum hose Gremlins are totally worse.

Speaking from experience with a 3rd gen rx7.

That guy