I recently picked up a '92 GS-R for “cheap” with plans for using it as a road race, track only car. I knew the car had some rust, but I didn’t mind so long as the frame was still good, so I bought it thinking that I would just part it out if the rust was too bad.
Well, once the car arrived in BC from Ontario, I quickly figured out why the price was so low. Let’s just say that in the pictures I saw before buying the car the rust didn’t look quite so bad, and there are a bunch of other issues with it that came to light once we inspected it. I think I’ve learned my lesson on buying cars for cheap without checking them out in person first :).
Because the car is so rusty and beaten on we started calling it “The Ugly One”. Happily, the frame appears to be in good enough shape to use, so I’m going ahead with the project.
I’m hoping to have the car ready by the start of the race season next year. At a minimum I need to strip the interior, put a cage in it and fix up the rust, but the current plan is to do much more than that. I can only work on it weekends, so progress is going to be slow. At this point I’ve stripped out the back half of the interior. I guess we’ll see how far I get by next spring.
Anyway, pictures of The Ugly One in all it’s rusty, cancerous glory:
I think water is getting inside, somehow. Maybe :).
It must have been driven through a paint storm at some point.
Yes, it should be lightweight. The target weight is 2430 lbs with me, a roll cage and a full tank of gas.
I haven’t driven the car because it failed provincial inspection :mad: so I’m not sure what shape the engine is in. My dad drove it to and from the inspection and says it’s pretty gutless. There’s a bit of valve clatter when revving it in the driveway, but we were going to rebuild it before hitting the track anyway.
Stock engine only for the class it’s going to be raced in. Only things I can do are intake, header, exhaust, bump compression 0.5 by shaving the head, and maybe a 1mm overbore. I have to use “OEM equivalent” pistons, so they would have to be custom made for that size. Too expensive to do this year, I think.
And besides being illegal in all road race organizations, I don’t think nitrous would last me through a 30 minute race :).
There’s a hole in the floor, but apparently it’s not from rust. We’re guessing the car hit a rock or something at some point. From the first look at the chassis it’s still good. I’m going to give the car a more thorough going over once it’s fully stripped down.
Who are you intending to race with?
Sanctioning body?
Do you have a racing license?
Have you taken any driving courses or track days at Mission, Pacific Raceways or Portland?
Who is going to build your cage?
Who are you intending to race with?
Sanctioning body?
CACC. The car will be built to be legal in both CACC IP3 and SCCA ITS classes.
Do you have a racing license?
Yes
Have you taken any driving courses or track days at Mission, Pacific Raceways or Portland?
Yes. I’ve been racing a CRX for 3 years now. All at Mission, hoping to race The Ugly One at Pacific Raceway and Portland as well.
Who is going to build your cage?
I’m planning on building my own cage this time around.
how apropriate