Rally racing on the cheap
2010-03-22 23:12:31.824711+00 by
Dan Lyke
9 comments
How a $500 Craigslist car beat $400k rally racers. Bill Caswell bought a 1991 BMW 318i, found a way in the FIA rules into the World Rally Championship's Rally Mexico, with stage notes in Portugese borrowed from another competitor (which caused some unintended air-time). Via MeFi.
When you read those smug Esquire articles written by Manhattan dwelling Princeton grads who think putting the bike rack on the Volvo is mechanical prowess about skills every man should have? Yeah, this is the sort of bad-assery we should aspire to.
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comments in descending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-25 01:32:58.807688+00 by:
Mars Saxman
Inspiring. My car is an '85 325 that's seen some 186k miles. Inspiring to see what this guy did with what is
basically the same car.
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-25 00:45:47.406982+00 by:
skrubly
I loved both of those stories. I forwarded the link to my boss with the
statement, "Whenever anyone asks me how to do something, regardless of topic, I
will send them this link and say 'THIS IS HOW YOU DO THINGS'"
Speaking of Lemons, I've got a Saturn that has lost first gear. In a 24 hour
endurance race, I don't think I'd need first gear. The search for a rollcage
begins...
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-25 00:18:24.204893+00 by:
jeff
That's quite a story... I wish I had that much moxie and talent!
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-24 00:25:35.518104+00 by:
Dan Lyke
As undoubtedly will be pointed out, just like 24 Hours of LeMons, that's not really a $500 car either, in this case the first thing the guy did was drop a $5k engine in it.
But, yeah, what Meuon said.
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-23 19:03:36.015744+00 by:
meuon
I'm in awe: balls, skill and luck all at the same time.
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-23 17:00:21.421416+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Looks like this is the co-driver's version of events: http://www.worldrallysport.com...orona-rally-mexico-rally-america
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-23 16:02:26.826133+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Yep. It's a matter of priorities.
I'll never have a shop large enough to contain all the tools I want to play with, but if I had unlimited time it'd be really cool to play on the local dirt track, and I know a guy who's run the 24 Hours of Lemons a couple of times (which excites me more than the friend who drives fairly expensive cars on those same tracks...).
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-23 12:08:32.374744+00 by:
Larry Burton
You need an extensive background in autos and mechanics to pull something like that off on that scale. The way you get that background is by pulling something like that off on the local autocross events or dirt track or what ever strikes your fancy. I think the most important message in that story is that it illustrates the old axiom of "If there is a will, there is a way." The only difference between the writer and he subject was the writer talked about doing while the subject did what he talked about.
#Comment Re: craigslist car made: 2010-03-23 01:46:48.459192+00 by:
Richard
Cool story, but you need a pretty extensive background in autos and mechanics to be able to pull something like that off.