Starting this thread to keep myself honest.

Today is as little less than 2 weeks from the $2015 GRM Challenge. DSMs will be well represented this year. About a year ago a friend and I purchased the former Hawver test mule, a 1991 Eagle Talon TSI. I purchased the car to take the intake manifold and it was our intent to part out the car. However, the condition was too good for either of us to ruin a very salvageable car.

The result, less than $2000 total later we had a very nice 300 ish HP car which runs and drives perfectly. The car is a blast and the AC even works. This was the planned car for this year while out 4g63 power Triumph Spitfire is in process. It is very presentable and will probably finish top quarter of the participants.

After plans were set GRM issues an invitation for former Challenge cars to return. I have a 1993 Eagle Talon which participated in the $2010 GRM challenge and has since had a significant number of modifications. The car is principally a track car and I suspect the Holset HX35 is way too big to be effective on the autocross, but they do tend to run a very fast autocross course.

From a performance standpoint, the 1993 Eagle Talon has over 600AWHP and could probably run a low 10 Second quarter mile with the right conditions. However, I am no drag racer and I doubt I have the experience to run that kind of time. This car currently has the charge piping removed and some other small details which must be addressed before the challenge. I had high oil temp issues I needed to address and like many things the project became bigger than expected. I will post some pictures of the current status later today with a list of things accomplished vs. .

I am starting this thread because with an 8 month old at home I need some motivation to get everything done in the next 10 days. Help me stay motivated!

Link if unfamiliar: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/events/2015-challenge/

Badass, best of luck man!

Completed Tasks:
Larger Oil Cooler
Oil Filter Relocation
Coil Pack Relocation
New Power Steering Reservoir
Oil Drain Line
Cut and Mend Front Bumper

To Be Completed:
New Plug Wires
Plumbing Oil Cooler
Charge Piping (Welding to eliminate Silicone Couplers)
Replace Oil Pressure Sender
Replace Front Race Slicks
Rally Style Shifter Build
Fill Power Steering Reservoir
Reassemble Front
Solder Uego Wiring
Reinstall front Motor Mount Bar
Install Oil Drain

If Time Allows:
Timing Belt Swap (Rock wedged in the cover and cut a small groove)
Cleaning and De-greasing

New Power Steering Reservoir. Built this from an e-bay universal model. Really surprised with the quality, seemed very good. Fabricated a mount out of aluminum and the 90 degree bend off of the bottom. Total volume is more than twice the OEM reservoir. Replaced because my reservoir was leaking from the middle where teh two halves were pressed together. The hole under the reservoir has been cut away. The prior owner cut a hole with a hammer and a chisel . I cut square and smoothed the edges. Red hose is 1/2" Oil rated hose from NAPA; $10/ft.

Mounted the new oil cooler. This is behind the Intercooler, but before the radiator. There is no room on the other side of the intercooler. Some cutting was done to improve air flow over the radiator. Those with a good eye will see the lower radiator support has been cut and re-welded into place. The bottom support was shifted out .5" to make room for the Holset HX35 charge piping.

Purchased Oil Drain Hose Rated for Oil up to 400 degrees F and 1600 PSI.

WOW! That is some hose!

Thanks for keeping us up to date, I'm interested. What are the rules for the $2010 challenge? What is excluded from the price. I would guess safety equipment, anything else?

Even with my bigass oil cooler, my temperatures still eclipse (get it??) about 265 when I push my car hard.

Pending the cost of safety equipment and rules just take a fairly stock AWD DSM and chop the living hell out of it. If you could get it down to around 2,200lb it wouldn't need much done to the engine to be fast.

2,200lbs would take a ridiculous amount. That would require gutting 100% of the interior and reinforcing structure, chopping the top, ditching or reducing crossmembers and rear diff subframe (assuming AWD car), and not having a cage. Even then you'd be lucky.

Does this require a cage?

Event does not require a cage.

My car was an exhibition car and is way above the $20XX limit, but was a challenge car back in 2010.

I ended up finishing 14th overall out of 60 cars, but that was with tires that were still greasy and a 12.9 @ 120MPH quarter mile where I blew something in the motor and coasted the back half of the track. Engine still runs, but I have piston pulses in the valve cover and it pressurized my oil system enough to blow off lines to the oil cooler. I suspect piston rings, but I wont know until I get into the engine.

The red car had an engine failure as well. So x2 DSMs went and both came back with engine damage.