In any car and any engine. Let's say, hypothetically, that you have $10,000 to work with.

What would you do?

And sponno, I already know what you're going to say :D

Volksrod.

Haha you could get a 400+ hp volksrod for that, but for absolute most power, blown nitrous fed 350 in a cheap chassis.

http://n2.cdn.spikedhumor.com/1/416000/98053_mad_max.jpg

She sips nitro... with Phase 4 heads! 600 horsepower through the wheels! She's meanness set to music and the bitch is born to run!

Tough to say, if I was to embark on this mission I would pretty much be open to a lot of things and it would depend a lot on what the first proper car I could find for a good price in the class ads was.

American V8 RWD (possibly a 3.8 super/turbo 6 or less likely a 2.2 turbo 4), or japanese 4/6/rotary turbo RWD/AWD. Possibly something european, if it was good enough for the price.

I told you it'd be tough! Too many cars I like, ones that have potential and/or character. $10k is more than I'd need to be happy (and confused!).

http://n2.cdn.spikedhumor.com/1/416000/98053_mad_max.jpg

She sips nitro... with Phase 4 heads! 600 horsepower through the wheels! She's meanness set to music and the bitch is born to run!

haha. that's about 3 threads with the same reply from you now.

That gives me what 6,500 Sterling?

Now presuming that I'm going to do all the work myself...

MG Midget, get a cheapy and weld it up, 180bhp Rover K-Series engine stolen from a stacked MGZR, tune it up to around 200bhp, Ford Type 9 5-speed gearbox from a Sierra, coilovers all round, multi-link rear suspension, rear disc conversion, big discs and 4-pot calipers all round. And if I've got any money left, alloy radiator and alloy panels.

Paint it Old English White with a red leather interior and keep it looking as stock as possible. Then go out and destroy some boy racers.

5.7 litre V8 and box. $1500. (I know someone desperate to sell)

Stroker kit $2500

$4 thousand and I have a 427 motor with a 6 speed transmission.

VX SS Commodore rolling shell $1000.

I have a commodore with a 7 litre V8 motor and a six speed manual box for 5k, probably not entirely street legal.

I have 5k left, to be spent on running gear/suspension/wiring loom etc. and to tidy up the little things.


10 grand and 500+ hp

$10,000?

The numerous sub $1000 V8s around here due to gas prices provide a ready source of working 202 straight sixes, and 308 V8s..
..even the odd 304 EFI V8 around for that much (with the 4 bolt mains block if you're real lucky). You'll get cheaper performance if you go with the 308 and rebuild a trashed secondhand high flow carburettor (few hundred bucks with a rebuild kit).

Rip the V8 out and bore it .030" (costs money, but has to be done), then buy a 355 stroker kit to fit. You can get a half decent one (4340 crank, 4340 lightweight forged rods, 4032 H section pistons, and all the goodies necessary for conversion) and some hydraulic lifters for little over a grand if you look in the right place. $175 for some chromemolybednum pushrods.

$1000 for some high flow alloy heads, another $1200 or so for high rise intake manifold and large tube extractors, and some crow performance stronger valve springs.

So that's what, $6000 at most so far (if you include the earlier machine work i.e. bores and cleaning up block, skimming the heads & the block in these costs)? I could have got all that - with compromising quality - for less than 2/3 the price if I wanted to, and had 2 or 3 months to collect all the parts secondhand.

Get the crank balanced and engine all nicely run in. Can pay anywhere between $100 and $150 down for all the ignition equiptment, but in this case I'd invest a few cents short of $700 for a Pro ignition kit from MSD (you get everything you need bar plugs) because I intend to run high compression and don't want shit going pear shaped.

$400 - 500 for extra costs, $300 for other shit like pumps (water, fuel, oil, rainbow)..

..and although I am so tempted to get the holy pump - centrifugal air pump ($7000 - 7500 10psi kit makes 455hp on otherwise bone stock engine), I won't.

$500 bucks and a trip to the nearest speed shop yields a 100hp Dry Nitrous kit from Edelbrock. If at the end there's enough, we'll scratch that end put in a wet kit with a couple hundred liquid compressed ponies worth of funny gas tanks.

I know theres still an aprecciable hunk of cash left, but for now I'm going to add that all up and see what it comes to, then sit tight with that until I think of the next move. About $8300 maybe.

After using most of the remaining money on a high performance exhaust system, diff, and powerglide or Celica manual , there wouldn't be much to shoehorn that son-of-a-bitch into a Datsun 120Y (add $5 worth of rattlecan 'sleeper beige'). Which, by the way, is another couple hundred for the car, and then $350-400 for a racing seat, roll bar, and harness in the paper. That stuff has to be good quality. If the shit in this last paragraph was done, we're now over budget - but hey, what build up isn't?.

So it'd have to go back in the car in came outta.

I guess if you know enough blokes it could be possible if you went the elbow grease and 8 inch disc route, instead of the 'This certifies that Cowboy can drive this total sleeper and utter beast on public roads and there's jack shit you can do about it other than sit on his tail from a non-harassment complaint distance and wait for him to fuck up' route.

Caveat is that the Nitrous kit would have to be taken off for public road use.

Hey, I suck at budgeting, but at least I'm realistic *cough* Mr Smith *cough*.

Probably a 1971 Plymouth Duster with no options other than the 340. Extremely lightweight car, powerful and high-winding engine, and capable of beating many of the high-dollar muscle cars of the era for very low cost.

^I love the duster, one of my favorite oldies.

This wouldn't be my first choice but I'm partial to the mazda miatas. For $3-5k you can get a decent one then spend the rest bringing it up to ~200hp (~250-300 if you neglect the chassis, fully spend on the engine and don't care about the tranny) and some handling odds and ends. You then have a lightweight very track capable RWD car with more than respectable straight line speed. The primary reason I want it is the size and RWD (handling in general), but with 200 or more horse it could lay down an ok 1/4.

Can anyone help me? I seem to have misplaced an LS1 and two turbos. I've checked the trunk and everything and can't find them. :mad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gncfIvMRdSs&feature=related

I could probably do an LSX block (GMPP Bowtie aftermarket iron block) with some damn good aluminum heads and forged internals and a pair of hairdriers. Probably 1500+hp reliably and consistently. Throw it in a cheap chassis like a Fox Mustang or whatever with a TH400 behind it.

I could probably do an LSX block (GMPP Bowtie aftermarket iron block) with some damn good aluminum heads and forged internals and a pair of hairdriers. Probably 1500+hp reliably and consistently. Throw it in a cheap chassis like a Fox Mustang or whatever with a TH400 behind it.

If you can do that for $10,000 where you live, I'm moving there!

Hey, I suck at budgeting, but at least I'm realistic *cough* Mr Smith *cough*.

I thought we were doing all the work ourselves? not that i know how to stroke a motor but still

The motor and box out of a clubsport, i know the dude selling it.

The VX SS is near me and it's only missing the interior, the box and the motor.

C.O.M.E make a 427 stroker kit for the 5.7, you can get them for $2500

thats only 5k...

how's that unrealistic. using second hand parts, and disregarding the on road legality of the car.


If that's unrealistic ill buy my old commodore back and stroke it to 355.

I thought we were doing all the work ourselves? not that i know how to stroke a motor but still

The motor and box out of a clubsport, i know the dude selling it.
The VX SS is near me and it's only missing the interior, the box and the motor.
C.O.M.E make a 427 stroker kit for the 5.7, you can get them for $2500
thats only 5k...
how's that unrealistic. using second hand parts, and disregarding the on road legality of the car.
If that's unrealistic ill buy my old commodore back and stroke it to 355.

Dunno man, just seems pretty far fetched to get an LS1 AND Tremec 6 speed for $1500, unless they're fucked, the VX SS shell I don't doubt at all, but don't forget there's quite a bit of work (and $$) to get it back to driveable again. C.O.M.E's stroker kit $2500? A steal, must be a runout item.

I didn't say I thought you lying, I just said that shit was unbelievable.

So what gen is the LS1, and what's the damage on it and the trans?. How much mileage? Does it come with loom and accessories etc, or is he selling it as a short motor? If $1500 is mates rates, how much is he willing to sell it for to the public?

Cos this might just be the deal ofa lifetime. I don't know why you don't jump on it man, I'm keen.

Gen 3 motor out of a VT Clubsport, it has 115 thousand on it. the car was written off and insurance didn't pick up the bill so it's being wrecked to make back as much as possible. probably wrecked while DUI.

It doesn't come with the loom as far as i know.

That stroker kit was advertised awhile ago on a V8 website, the guy had a couple of them in new condition he wanted to shift.

the vx shell is everything but seats and interior trim, no motor and box. so driveline, steering, brakes etc are all still their.

i picked that because the V8 will bolt straight into it.

If he's trying to make the money back on it, why doesn't he sell it for more? The trans will easily make $800 - 1200 or so, and the engine around $3000. Gen III and 105,000 sounds great for $1500, and trans. Ask him how much he'll sell it to some dude off totse for.

If you can do that for $10,000 where you live, I'm moving there!

This is, of course, doing all the work and fabrication myself. And no fancy shit either, Master Power T70s instead of Turbonetics, that kind of thing. I can throw together a parts cost list if you want.

Or if that's unbelievable, I'll ditch the LSX and run a similar iron headed Cad 500 that would make close to that kind of power.

This is, of course, doing all the work and fabrication myself. And no fancy shit either, Master Power T70s instead of Turbonetics, that kind of thing. I can throw together a parts cost list if you want.

Or if that's unbelievable, I'll ditch the LSX and run a similar iron headed Cad 500 that would make close to that kind of power.

You guys pay peanuts for prime performance parts over there.

Honda Accords are fairly cheap, I've seen some under $1,000. Find a DOHC VTEC engine to rebuild and sleeve. $1500 or so for an Accord engine. $1500 for sleeve/rebuild. Turbo setup for $2000 (could be cheaper). $4000 for coilovers, shocks, cutting wheels to gut interior and beer and pizza to exchange for labor.

I just saw a fucking 2005 GTO in the local paper for 13,999 with all taxes and fees included. That's fucking insane.

I just saw a fucking 2005 GTO in the local paper for 13,999 with all taxes and fees included. That's fucking insane.

Are you saying this with a mean spirit? :(

Are you saying this with a mean spirit? :(

No, but a 400 hp car for 14k is cheap as hell.

Love the GTO. How could I forget about the LS1 swap for the miata?? Also, Rx-7. I'm a rotary fan so I won't suggest the blasphemy that is LS1 swap..... but a b26 out of a cosmo or something would be sick!

Right now, I've got a 94' T-bird for $250 so if you want to say RIGHT NOW, then about $7,000 on the engine+rear-end (the stock 4.6 plus forced induction like an SVT and more worked) and the rest on the chassis/suspension/tires. It'd be sick!

The new GTOs are an exceptional value, especially if you go a couple years old.

I could probably do an LSX block (GMPP Bowtie aftermarket iron block) with some damn good aluminum heads and forged internals and a pair of hairdriers. Probably 1500+hp reliably and consistently. Throw it in a cheap chassis like a Fox Mustang or whatever with a TH400 behind it.

Seriously. With 10 grand behind you the sky is the limit for just about anything as long as you know what you are doing.