LocostUSA.com

But would it work though?

The 24 hours of Lemons fields are getting thick and it's getting harder and harder to get your team in the race. You need some sort of gimmick to get in these days. Cover your car with carpet or fur you say, sorry it's been done to death. How about this idea:

It came to me as I looked at this POS Neon on Craigslist. What if you took the Neon's transverse mounted front wheel drive engine/transaxle out of the car, rotated it around 180 degrees and put it back in with the steering rack replaced with something to lock the wheels in your desired alignment. Then you could strip out the interior and install your drivers seat, steering wheel, shifter and the pedal box pointing the opposite direction. Bam! You got yourself a rear wheel drive backwards driving car. Sure would be a pain in the ass and a lot of fabrication to pull it off, but it would be totally awesome to see a car mixing it up on the track going backwards. Of course I'm not sure how safe it would be driving looking out the rear window.

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

after having 2 cars crushed in a row and picked again in our third "race" -- I would just skip the Lemons or Chump Car

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William Keeling
Houston Texas
Spec Miata Racer

Sounds like a winner to me!

I thought they stopped the car crushing, am I wrong?

I like the idea of cheap car racing, I do not like the demolition derby style racing that some engage in.
Nor do I care for the stupid, tacky, lame and otherwise ugly decorations and themes.

I would love to see a backwards car, painted up like a Nas(ty)car with the required team outfits with name tags of "Billy Bob, Bubba, etc."
Of course the required and rehearsed sponsor shout-out at every opportunity. With appropriate fictitious sponsors of course. The driver could be called "The Exterminator" or something similar....

Good fun!

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Attitude =
the Difference between
Ordeal and Adventure
James

now you can vote not to crush anyone -- but I think the vote is just for show Jay Lamm does what he wants. See the first rule of Lemons racing. It is more of show or party than a race. Some say that is why we got "selected" everytime we showed up. We are Miata racers that brought good cars (still $500) and good drivers. 2 of the 3 on the team don't do it anymore and the other has switched to a VW karman ghia and goes for fun not the racing and he has not been crushed (even won some money)

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William Keeling
Houston Texas
Spec Miata Racer

Could one do an engine swap for a similar-block engine in a Civic? Does Honda make any right way rotation engines that would bolt onto a Civic transaxle? 'Cause if so and if it's a manual, all you'd have to do is lock the steering to get a backwards driver (I know, you'd need steering gear at the other end, but it would be a heck of a lot easier than turning the whole drivetrain around).

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Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

I think it would be more fun to get another Neon motor and put it in the back.

If I am getting the tone right, that would get crushed.

You could get two $250 Neon and cut the back half off and weld the two fronts together.

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

I like your style Chetcpo!!

Jay, likes stuff like this so I do not think it would get crushed

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William Keeling
Houston Texas
Spec Miata Racer

Technically, it would be easier to cut the body shell away from the floor pan, leaving the firewall and drivetrain in place, and flip the body around.

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Jack Collins

I remember a twin engine hyundai in a sport compact car issue, probably 10 years ago, they ran two turbo motors on alcohol (through automatics)
I always wanted to try that.

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Slow as mole asses build log http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=12426

This seems far easier.

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"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead. "
Mac McCleary

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Ford 5.0 into an M3
mikaelvroom.com | @MikaelVroom

Love it! Be sure to watch the last 0:15 of that video.

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

I always thought this video was pretty cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TyqT0Erpk&feature=fvst
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
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