Looking For Budget Project Car Ideas

[jy211]

what about a duster?

[Damn True]

Liz,

Take your 510 and put a GMPP turbo ecotec crate motor in it. 260hp and great mileage in a light car that handles well, and has a prolific performance aftermarket for suspension bits.

Or a V8 Miata. Nothing has a performance aftermarket like Miata's do. Nothing.

[TonyL]

Man I wish I was not below Bill's post when I mention this next car but I have to, The Corvair.

LOL. I woulda said Corvair too. Talk about "budget". Thing is, there's nothing in it for a magazine. I DARE PHR to build one. Thing is, they'd have to do it themselves There aren't piles of vendors clamoring to give them any parts, because their just isn't any. Big brake kit? lowering springs? crate motors? interior kits? Good luck finding a vendor making some.

These cars require a true budget build. One that means research and development, and hard work. Not dialing up the phone to get someone to donate time and parts.
The vair would be the cheapest project car ever done by a magazine. It'd be good timing too, thanks to our 20+ mpg on a hopped up motor, cheap cars, and cheap parts. You want handling? Drop a vair, set it up properly and see why they still win races and autocross events today with the stock suspension parts.

It'll never happen though. Corvairs are just to weird to 90% of hot rodding book readers. They dont make the right sound, and the engine is in the wrong end of the car.

The most logical choice for PHR? G body. Hands down. readily made parts and services exist.

[Bow Tie 67]

G-body, C3, or C4

[MilesSpeed]

man this thread exploded! there's no set budget for the car, just looking for something more affordable than the chevelle, camaro, mustang fastback family.

[novaderrik]

That's a good idea. Make it a budget build where nothing can be bought from a vendor or suppier. Everying must come from either parts already on hand, on the car or bought local and used or from places like craigslist or ebay. Same for the car. Set a price for a car ahead of time before the type of car is chosen then look for one local that meets that price.

the only problem is that the magazines always seem to just happen to have a set of big flowing aluminum heads and a matching intake and carb "just laying around the shop". they also seem to always have premium aftermarket suspension parts and expensive wheels taking up space, too.
just get whatever car can be had for cheap, and do it the way Car Craft would have done it 15 years ago..
trans mount broken? no problem- grab some hose clamps.
driveshaft hitting the trans tunnel? grab a hammer and clearance it.

[cantvalve16]

Relating to the budget thing, why not build something mainstream, but on a tight budget? As many stock parts as possible. Nothing trick. Just stuff that really makes a difference.

Guess that wouldn't sell much add space though.

[CRCRFT78]

I know your asking us for suggestions but why not have a list of say maybe 10 or so vehicles that aren't popular (Camaro, Mustang or Cuda) and let the readers decide by voting on the PHR website. Then build that as your budget project. You've already got a nice list of suggestions.

[Steve1968LS2]

the only problem is that the magazines always seem to just happen to have a set of big flowing aluminum heads and a matching intake and carb "just laying around the shop". they also seem to always have premium aftermarket suspension parts and expensive wheels taking up space, too.
just get whatever car can be had for cheap, and do it the way Car Craft would have done it 15 years ago..
trans mount broken? no problem- grab some hose clamps.
driveshaft hitting the trans tunnel? grab a hammer and clearance it.

Man, we never have "stuff" just laying around... I need to go work for this magazine!

[ADaughen]

'78 Pinto Cruisn' Wagon... FI 302, T5, 3.73 posi, 8.8", 16" wheels, Grenada 11" rotors... I have ~$1500 into the car. I need paint, body work and odds 'n ends (maybe another ~$3000 with paint).

THAT is a budget build. ;)

[ADaughen]

the only problem is that the magazines always seem to just happen to have a set of big flowing aluminum heads and a matching intake and carb "just laying around the shop". they also seem to always have premium aftermarket suspension parts and expensive wheels taking up space, too.
just get whatever car can be had for cheap, and do it the way Car Craft would have done it 15 years ago..
trans mount broken? no problem- grab some hose clamps.
driveshaft hitting the trans tunnel? grab a hammer and clearance it.

My wife's uncle just happened to have two built 8.8" posi-traks laying around... He gave me both, along with a bushing kit and some other SBF stuff. :D

[Steve1968LS2]

My wife's uncle just happened to have two built 8.8" posi-traks laying around... He gave me both, along with a bushing kit and some other SBF stuff. :D

What magazine are you with since it would see this only happens to magazines and not "real people".. lol

[ADaughen]

What magazine are you with since it would see this only happens to magazines and not "real people".. lol

"Adam's crappy cars that spend more time on jack stands than on the road"

I have two subscribers.

[bbcc]

Two years ago I decided to do an s-10 blazer. Cheap, easy to find parts, relativly light, and unsuspecting. Finaly found one other guy who had the same vision as I do. His is done, and I like to say this is how I've always invisioned mine.






I'll have my own take on the asthetics of course. But just plain knarly imo.

Here's a buddy's miata. The car regularly kills vettes and proches at the local track.




Ryer

[ADaughen]

Two years ago I decided to do an s-10 blazer. Cheap, easy to find parts, relativly light, and unsuspecting. Finaly found one other guy who had the same vision as I do. His is done, and I like to say this is how I've always invisioned mine.

Exactly.

My uncle has a LT1 powered 1st gen S10 he paid $5000.

I'd love to do the same with my sister's 91 Blazer. Turn it into a Cyclone-clone.

[larknut]

I'm sure this will get shot down but how about a Chevy fullsize squarebody truck, of the '73-'87 years. Of course it won't be the fastest and most agile thing out there but it's definatly different. And again there is always a Skylark or Apollo.

I say forget the budget and just build something out of the ordinary. It'll be refreshing.

[joemac]

I havent read all the posts yet. but a lincoln mark VIII. would be awesome.

4.6 4cam motor. so drop in a ford GT 5.4 super charged motor. independent rear suspension with air bags on all four corners. and really cheap for a 94 model. look in to it.

This is essentially the same thing under the skin as the same year thunderbird or cougar except several hundred lbs heavier. Now a thunderbird with the mark viii powertrain would be interesting and pretty cheap.

[79-TA]

If you're worried about saving some money, how about some basic tuning articles? That is, working with what you already have. The G-28 is the antithesis of this idea as it keeps getting different suspensions and powertrains, but is never actually tracked enough to get sorted out.


Maybe write some articles on what it takes to make a car trackworthy. I'm not talking hardcore, just reliable, safe, and fairly quick. And if you do, don't go with radical (read expensive) transformations. In the case of brakes, avoid complete brake kits from Wilwood or Baer; just get decent pads, rotors, and lines. In the case of suspension, hold off on the A-arm kits and drop spindles. Just see what shocks, springs, and swaybars can do. Just a thought . . . perhaps more appropriate for Grassroots Motorsports Magazine.


Last idea: Lincoln Mark VIII. Not the car necessarily, but some of the parts. The car comes with what is essentially an underbuilt 5.4 Cobra engine. That should be a good starting point for many different Ford-based projects.

The number of 69 camaros produced is about 1/2 of the total number of Fieros produced in what? 5 years of production? There must be a reason the quit making them?

It's not fair to quote the '69 production numbers. We all know that the second gen Camaro was delayed, so 1st gen production was extended (or perhaps not cut off early is another way to look at it) all the way through '69.

No, an oddball car costs EXACTLY the same as a popular car provided you do the same level of work to each car.



For the same quality paint job.. with the same amount of bodywork what costs more to paint.. a Camaro or a Vega?

That is until said oddball car needs custom headers for the V8 you stuffed in it etc. Even headers for Olds equipped (stock engine!) Trans Ams are hard to find.

I don't really have a dog in this race as I let all my car magazine subscriptions lapse years ago.



However, if the goal is to do a "budget build" and you want to get my attention enough to pick up a copy of the magazine do a true budget build. I don't CARE what body it wears, but the budget builds I'd seen in the magazine where "we bought part x from such and such, and part y from so and so" aren't so much budget. How about one where every part short of consumables (belts, hoses, plugs) comes from a salvage yard, where the parts are adapted to fit old-school hotrodding style?

Car Craft much?

[67autocross]

I'm sure this will get shot down but how about a Chevy fullsize squarebody truck, of the '73-'87 years. Of course it won't be the fastest and most agile thing out there but it's definatly different. And again there is always a Skylark or Apollo.

I say forget the budget and just build something out of the ordinary. It'll be refreshing.

Do it!!!!!!!! Mine works better in the real world ( pot holes, speed bumps and gravel cover streets ) than most cars/

[BADNBLK]

I'm sure this will get shot down but how about a Chevy fullsize squarebody truck, of the '73-'87 years. Of course it won't be the fastest and most agile thing out there but it's definatly different. And again there is always a Skylark or Apollo.

I say forget the budget and just build something out of the ordinary. It'll be refreshing.

Hot Rod mag has been builiding one for a little while now. Don't remember the name. Carbed lsx? and air bags.