Grassroots Motorsports $2011 Challenge
11-04-2010, 12:25 AM
#1
Bannana Shine
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Grassroots Motorsports $2011 Challenge
Thousandth post, figure I'd best make it a fun one 
I'm entering the Grassroots Motorsports $2011 Challenge with a turbocharged 944. The challenge is to build a car on a $2011 budget to compete in an autocross, a drag race, and a concours. Parts from the car may be sold off from the car and deducted from the budget, up to the purchase price of the car or $1005.50, whichever is less. Also, as long as the purchase price of the car has not been met through selling parts, unlimited trading of parts from the car is allowed. The Challenge will be held at the end of September 2011 in Gainesville, Florida.
Technically it's based on the chassis and transmission of a 1988 944S, rather than a 951, but it will be powered by a twin-turbocharged all aluminum V8. I figure you guys have more experience not just with turbocharging, but with V8 swaps as well, so this discussion seems more at home in here than the 944/S2 section.
I've been working on detailed, comprehensive plans for a while now, including powertrain, suspension, bodywork, and most importantly, lightening. This car will undergo a very thorough, radical lightening process. Previously the Challenge specified that the car must be roadworthy, but the first draft of the 2011 rules specify that this is no longer the case. I want to be able to drive the car on the street, so I may keep a few things like some form of headlights, but my "comfort" standards for what I'm willing to drive on the street are very, very low. So the car will be stripped like no car has been stripped before. More on these plans will follow.
I will, shortly, begin listing parts here for sale/trading. If there's anything you need that an '88 944S might have, feel free to PM or email me at any time, or post here.
I'm hoping to benefit along the way from any knowledge, advice, and experience you guys might be willing to share, especially relating to 944 V8 swaps.
We got started last week, pulling the old engine out of the car. The cylinder head has a small, fatal crack in it, but the rest of the parts appear to be in excellent condition. I'm going to tear down the whole thing, piece by piece, clean and inspect everything, and I plan to post up any bits and pieces in saleable condition. Or if there's anything that's NOT in saleable condition which somebody wants anyway (I don't know, paper weight?), I'll happily sell it to you.
Before pulling the engine, I stripped everything out of the engine bay that we're not going to keep, and made a lot of extra room in the process. Well, except for the vacuum booster, which actually got in the way and would have helped a lot. Still, I don't know how you guys get these things out the top when you're NOT stripping out the engine bay. If we'd had a lift available at the time, I would definitely have done it all from underneath like they did at Neckarsulm.
We've got quite a few people peripherally involved so far, but this is the core of Team Sunset Island Motorsports so far:
Josh: Overall planning, parts acquisition, selling, and trading, budgeting, backyard engineering, greasemonkey. And most importantly, me.
Michael: Project timeline planning, driveway space manager, greasemonkey, makes Kraft Dinner while we work.
Charlie: Team mascot, easily the cutest kitten I have met in my life. Loves cardboard boxes, bottle caps, and his godfather (me).
If there's anybody else in the area who wants to get involved, your help will be gratefully welcomed, and rewarded with Kraft Dinner and the opportunity to play with Charlie. And, of course, as a team member, you'll get to have all sorts of fun in Gainesville with us next year.
And finally, a prayer:
Dear Doctor Porsche, please protect me and my car, help me get my car to every finish line in one piece, and before everybody else. Please keep my synchros strong and my valves in harmony with my pistons. Please keep my apexes clean and permit me to hook up on every launch. I beg of you to take care of me as I promise to take care of your car, and I swear I'll wash and wax her every weekend once she's put together. Amen.
I'm entering the Grassroots Motorsports $2011 Challenge with a turbocharged 944. The challenge is to build a car on a $2011 budget to compete in an autocross, a drag race, and a concours. Parts from the car may be sold off from the car and deducted from the budget, up to the purchase price of the car or $1005.50, whichever is less. Also, as long as the purchase price of the car has not been met through selling parts, unlimited trading of parts from the car is allowed. The Challenge will be held at the end of September 2011 in Gainesville, Florida.
Technically it's based on the chassis and transmission of a 1988 944S, rather than a 951, but it will be powered by a twin-turbocharged all aluminum V8. I figure you guys have more experience not just with turbocharging, but with V8 swaps as well, so this discussion seems more at home in here than the 944/S2 section.
I've been working on detailed, comprehensive plans for a while now, including powertrain, suspension, bodywork, and most importantly, lightening. This car will undergo a very thorough, radical lightening process. Previously the Challenge specified that the car must be roadworthy, but the first draft of the 2011 rules specify that this is no longer the case. I want to be able to drive the car on the street, so I may keep a few things like some form of headlights, but my "comfort" standards for what I'm willing to drive on the street are very, very low. So the car will be stripped like no car has been stripped before. More on these plans will follow.
I will, shortly, begin listing parts here for sale/trading. If there's anything you need that an '88 944S might have, feel free to PM or email me at any time, or post here.
I'm hoping to benefit along the way from any knowledge, advice, and experience you guys might be willing to share, especially relating to 944 V8 swaps.
We got started last week, pulling the old engine out of the car. The cylinder head has a small, fatal crack in it, but the rest of the parts appear to be in excellent condition. I'm going to tear down the whole thing, piece by piece, clean and inspect everything, and I plan to post up any bits and pieces in saleable condition. Or if there's anything that's NOT in saleable condition which somebody wants anyway (I don't know, paper weight?), I'll happily sell it to you.
Before pulling the engine, I stripped everything out of the engine bay that we're not going to keep, and made a lot of extra room in the process. Well, except for the vacuum booster, which actually got in the way and would have helped a lot. Still, I don't know how you guys get these things out the top when you're NOT stripping out the engine bay. If we'd had a lift available at the time, I would definitely have done it all from underneath like they did at Neckarsulm.
We've got quite a few people peripherally involved so far, but this is the core of Team Sunset Island Motorsports so far:
Josh: Overall planning, parts acquisition, selling, and trading, budgeting, backyard engineering, greasemonkey. And most importantly, me.
Michael: Project timeline planning, driveway space manager, greasemonkey, makes Kraft Dinner while we work.
Charlie: Team mascot, easily the cutest kitten I have met in my life. Loves cardboard boxes, bottle caps, and his godfather (me).
If there's anybody else in the area who wants to get involved, your help will be gratefully welcomed, and rewarded with Kraft Dinner and the opportunity to play with Charlie. And, of course, as a team member, you'll get to have all sorts of fun in Gainesville with us next year.
And finally, a prayer:
Dear Doctor Porsche, please protect me and my car, help me get my car to every finish line in one piece, and before everybody else. Please keep my synchros strong and my valves in harmony with my pistons. Please keep my apexes clean and permit me to hook up on every launch. I beg of you to take care of me as I promise to take care of your car, and I swear I'll wash and wax her every weekend once she's put together. Amen.
11-04-2010, 03:50 AM
#2
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Just to get this right. You want to do a twin turbo V8 transplant for what's left of $2011 after spending $1000 on the car already? Good luck and all, but this I gotta see!!
11-04-2010, 07:10 AM
#4
Bannana Shine
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We spent $900 on the car, and we're going to sell off $900 worth of stuff from the car (or rather, $899.99), leaving us the full $2011 to work with, plus we'll be allowed to trade parts off the car for anything we want. We're going to use a cheap engine (so no LS1, sadly) and cheap, used turbos, probably from people who pull stock turbos off of cars to upgrade them (T25s from DSMs, etc).
And we started the work in Michael's parking lot, but no, we're going to get it into a shop (maybe with a lift, if possible) to put the engine in.
And we started the work in Michael's parking lot, but no, we're going to get it into a shop (maybe with a lift, if possible) to put the engine in.
