My car usually goes in the garage around the beginning of next month. and stays there through at least Feb. early march. It really depends around here sometimes we have snow clear through the beginning of april and some years its dry by mid January. It really sucks having to rely on other people throughout the winter for transportation, and I also got a new job this year I have to travel a good 40 miles for each day so I really don't think getting rides will be an option this year. I would just spend 1000 on a winter beater and call it good, but then I wouldn't be very confident in the beaters reliability (big deal driving 30 miles into the mountain roads to get home. and I hate cars with no ***** so to speak. So to me it just seems like a waste of a thousand dollars.

 

Thank you all again for the input. I really want a car I can enjoy 110% of the time and it looks like im headed in the right direction.

 

Everyone starts out wanting an all-around car. Problem is, it's usually not good enough in one particular area so people start fiddling with it. From there it usually goes pretty far in one certain direction.
Example: mine does well on the road course, does decent at autox, and sucks at the drag strip.
An all around car is probably only going to run 11-12sec 1/4mi.

 

You can build an awesome all around 10 second car. A 2.3L with an FP Red or Green would run high 10's or low 11's on kill in the 1/4, and be an awesome torque monster on a "detuned"/low boost setting for autocross and road course work.

 

True. I usually assume most people don't want to open up the engine to do strokers, etc. Especially someone just starting out.

 

I am new to the evo yes but I do have quite a bit of experience working on quite a few different types of motors such as Old school SBC's, LS's ( Im aware push rod v8 design is insanely simple) Turbo diesels, k20/b16 Honda motors, A few modular fords.. etc. My brother also owns a Gsx ive been around maybe a handful of times. so im somewhat familiar with the setup, and to be honest I don't feel it will be hard for me to work on at all. Thats exactly why I wont even consider a Subaru to be honest, I don't like boxer motor design and I think it would be a big pita and require a fat(ter) wallet to deal with. The stroker sounds very attractive to me coming from the torque of v8s and all. But yeah I do understand what you are saying kaj "jack of all trades master of none" is generally true. These cars just seem very well rounded.

 

Maybe factor in a $1000 beater if you want to compete just in case of failures

 

Or keep the car built within reasonable parameters and not have to worry about it breaking.
IMO, if one needs a back up car "just in case", they probably took their build too far, unless it's a dedicated track car or they didn't build it right.

 

Eh, not true. My car keeps having stupid drivetrain issues. My tcase just **** the bed with a whopping, fairly easy, 2k miles on it.


When you have a car you are using hard at an autocross, track days, etc, it is wise to have a back up beater car. You never know when a random failure can occur. Such as last year when my harmonic balancer about fell off. It took almost a whole week to get parts, and another day to install them (needed a timing belt). If I hadn't had an extre car to drive, I would've been riding my bike or the bus 15 miles to work...

 

It seems that forum is pretty dead. Any other Colorado Evo secrets?

 

True: it does take about a week every time you need a part. Any part. God forbid you order, find another need, and have to order again LOL
Took me a year to build my car.