A group of friends and I formed a "team" in hopes of participating in the 24 Hours of Lemons. Team Blue Goose (our team) was notified of acceptanace on March 6th for the 24 Hours of LeMons race held on July 7-8, 2007 in Tracy, CA at the Altamont Motorsports Park. We will be campaigning a POS early 80s Honda CRX.

Wish us luck as we build our car and attempt to survive. We've started a blog at http://www.teambluegoose.com.

Nothing's complete without good 'ole fashioned panhandling, so we've included a PayPal donation link on the site for anyone who's interested in helping out. We're also looking for sponsors in case anyone wants to purchase some ad space. The event from 2006 was covered by quite a few automotive magazines and we expect even more coverage this year.

Thanks,

Dat
Hook 'Em!
http://www.teambluegoose.com

Yeah, I saw the R&T article, long after somebody here posted about participating in the race.

Don't be bad-mouthing the CRX though, a 1986 Si with a whopping 91 hp was my first "performance" car. :)

Good luck!

[edit] Just looked at the site. Excellent choice to include the hotties on the application. I doubt the organizers even looked at the rest of the app! Nomex g-string FTW!

LOL, 80 CRX??? I'll be sure to punt it off the track with my 740 Volvo Wagon!!!!!!! That is if we got in. I'll have to check on that, but we've been busy trying to get the Nascar ready for next weekends NASA race at Cal speedway.

My friend and I are thinking of making a team.

Just tried to enter yesterday after a long search for an appropriate car, but ... it's full, and even the waiting list is full. Oh well, our hopes were dashed before we even started.

The '06 race got a lot of press ...

Just tried to enter yesterday after a long search for an appropriate car, but ... it's full, and even the waiting list is full. Oh well, our hopes were dashed before we even started.

The '06 race got a lot of press ...

Damn, I did not think it would fill up that fast. We have a car that we were prepping to run it....

LOL, 80 CRX??? I'll be sure to punt it off the track with my 740 Volvo Wagon!!!!!!! That is if we got in. I'll have to check on that, but we've been busy trying to get the Nascar ready for next weekends NASA race at Cal speedway.

Yep, early 80s CRX. We'll be sure to avoid the wagon, that's if it doesn't break down! :stickoutt

We're taking the car down to Houston and having the cage built in a couple of weeks.

My friend and I are thinking of making a team.

We have two team members too many. Otherwise, you could join our team. We were trying to prep two cars in time, but we were only able to start on one.

Good luck. I read the articles in both CandD and R&T, and thought it looked like a blast. If I had the time or extra $, I would have formed a team too.

Edit: I just looked at the website. It looks like they have scheduled an event in Detroit at the end of September. That is an easier time for me to get a group of guys together, plus it is a lot closer to me.

Just tried to enter yesterday after a long search for an appropriate car, but ... it's full, and even the waiting list is full. Oh well, our hopes were dashed before we even started.

The '06 race got a lot of press ...
Damn :(
We have two team members too many. Otherwise, you could join our team. We were trying to prep two cars in time, but we were only able to start on one.
Let me know if some people back out :cool

Did ya'll come pick up parts at Flamingo Automotive yesterday?

Did ya'll come pick up parts at Flamingo Automotive yesterday?

Yep, we rummaged and tried to grab everything we'd need from the Gen 1 parts car. Do you work there?

ya i work there

Sounds like a lot of fun... Good luck!

Build Day Five is up! I appreciate the humorous writing somebody is putting into the site. Makes it fun to read. Even if you guys are dissing the power of the mighty CRX. :)

Given how fast cars have become, it's hard to believe that the CRX was quick in its day. It didn't beat any V8s, or any of the factory turbos (like the Dodge Omni GLH-T, a fast pile of junk), but it and the VW GTI were the "pocket rockets" of the era, and kings of the hill at their price point. I know it was significantly faster than my girlfriend's E30 318.

THANKS to Terry Sayther for helping us do this.

www.TerrySaytherAuto.com

Title: Racing a $500 Lemon---Can it Be Done?

Everyone always says, "I can't afford to go racing, it's soooo expensive." But, does it really have to be that expensive? Is it possible to go racing on a budget? Or even go racing cheaply? We're going to find out.
We're taking a junk yard BMW, a 1989 325i that we bought as a parts car for $400, making it reliable with more junkyard parts, and then turning it into a race car by the simple expediendt of installing a roll cage and other safety equipment. Several models of BMW would have the potential for this project---the late '80s e30 325i is one, mid 80's 535i, 635i, or even 735i would all work, since the car values have dropped sufficiently to allow picking one up for next to nothing. Our 325i happened to come along when the former owners found out that the car needed to have a drivesaft replacement and they could not stand that last straw for "that damned lemon".
The car will stay essentially stock except for any changes we can do without spending money. For example, we have found other junkyard cars with old Bilstein shocks installed. Bilsteins are performance shocks with a lifetime gaurantee, so sending the dead ones back to Bilstein NA in San Diego gets us free warranty replacements at no cost. We have found a used roll cage and shopped carefully for our best deal on 6-point belts, window nets, fire system, and electrical shutoff. We're using the stock sports seats, taking out old heavy carpets, etc. The car will remain street legal so our testing will be easily done on the local streets.
In April we'll enter our first race---a three day street race in Chihuahua, Mexico. It's a race called the Cihuahua Express that is run in a pro-rally format with 5-6 flat out speed sections each day and rally like transit sections between. The speed sections are on blocked twisty highways and vary between 5 and 15miles long each. Interestingly, the race is sponsored by the Mexican Federal Highway Police. Entry is expensive, but includes luxury hotel.We will be calculating and comparing the ratio of cost per hour of seat time in this race and comparing to the subsequent race events. This event, along with car preparation, will make up our first magazine article, most likely for the Roundel, the magazine of the BMW Car Club of America.
At the end of April we will enter the car in a BMW CCA Club Race at Motorsport Ranch in Ft Worth, Texas. Ahmad is planning to drive this event, and we will chronicle the process of getting the car ready for the CCA and racing with other BMWs. Our second article will finish with a calculation of $/hour as well as a fun factor that will be purely subjective.
Our third article will cover preparing and racing the car in a NASA race here in Texas sometime in May-June. And finally we will get to the high point of our budget racing project---the 24 Hours of LeMons. Our fourth article will cover the big one in California. What a plan; what a project!

W0rd

ya i work there

Tell the guys at the shop thanks a lot. I didn't get the names of anyone else other than Joe though...

Sounds like a lot of fun... Good luck!

Have any experience wrenching on a CRX? :D

Have any experience wrenching on a CRX?

Haha... not really, but a race car is a race car, right?

Now that Holder's car is pretty much finished, let's get back to a REAL racecar build. Where is day six? Do you guys have jobs or something? ;)

Now that Holder's car is pretty much finished, let's get back to a REAL racecar build. Where is day six? Do you guys have jobs or something? ;)

www.terrysaytherauto.com

Bro, the car is ready. Heck I'll be racing it in KP at BMWCCA event at MSR next weekend :) Then its being shipped to CA for the 24 hour race.

Now that Holder's car is pretty much finished, let's get back to a REAL racecar build. Where is day six? Do you guys have jobs or something? ;)

Oh, day six will come tomorrow. We're heading down to Houston to pick the POS up from the cage builder tomorrow morning.

LUTFY,

Terry's car looks nice. Tell him we'll buy it for $499.99...no shipping needed since we're local. :stickoutt Get some video from the KP race!
BTW, I like how the ASM belts were mounted. :evil2 Love the Lemon Pi sticker.

Hopefully dat isnt driving this thing!

Hopefully dat isnt driving this thing!

We'll be safe if there aren't any tire walls ala turn 4 at TWS. Otherwise, we're screwed! :alright

We'll be safe if there aren't any tire walls ala turn 4 at TWS. Otherwise, we're screwed! :alright
Self burn!

www.lemonbimmer.com

Drove it at MSR during a CCA race. Already has 20 hours of racing under its belt, next race will be with NASA and then the final 24 hour of Lemons ;)

Ahmad

www.lemonbimmer.com

Drove it at MSR during a CCA race. Already has 20 hours of racing under its belt, next race will be with NASA and then the final 24 hour of Lemons ;)

Ahmad
I recognize it, I was behind you at the gate Saturday morning.

www.lemonbimmer.com

Drove it at MSR during a CCA race. Already has 20 hours of racing under its belt, next race will be with NASA and then the final 24 hour of Lemons ;)

Ahmad

Hope someone doesnt call the $500 dollar rule on your car... :devillook

I recognize it, I was behind you at the gate Saturday morning.

LOL I have seen you post many times (your car pic). Dont you have a rollbar now? I remember your car. Looks nice.

Hope someone doesnt call the $500 dollar rule on your car... :devillook


DOOD. Please pray for us.

Actually its Terry Sayther's car.

LOL I have seen you post many times (your car pic). Dont you have a rollbar now? I remember your car. Looks nice.
Yes I have a roll bar now. I was busy that weekend with the ITS school so I never got a chance to even really walk around.

DOOD. Please pray for us.

Actually its Terry Sayther's car.

:lol SEND IT TO THE CRUSHER!

We're dropping the motor back in hopefully this week along with the drivetrain. Hoping to make it to TWS at the beginning of June.

:lol SEND IT TO THE CRUSHER!

We're dropping the motor back in hopefully this week along with the drivetrain. Hoping to make it to TWS at the beginning of June.

Sweet, i cant wait to pilot it.



Dat.. READY MY STEED!

Dat.. READY MY MOUSE!
Fixed.

Cool, good luck! We will be there again this year, with 2 cars! It was probably the most fun I have ever had in a car. Amazing how fun it is when the car is already a pile, so a little rubbing is no big deal!

Just FYI, I think you will have a very hard time convincing anyone that that is a $500 car. Safety items can be addressed, but less than $100 investment in suspension, paint, flywheel? You may want to seek a crappier car.

Just FYI, I think you will have a very hard time convincing anyone that that is a $500 car. Safety items can be addressed, but less than $100 investment in suspension, paint, flywheel? You may want to seek a crappier car.

Got it approved already. The flywheel was an even exchange from another junk yard flywheel. Suspension was free since we sent it out for an overhaul and Bilstein performed it for free since it was under warranty.

Hey I heard that the track had its license pulled since they are not supposed to race on anything but a the oval. Anyone heard more about this?

coolio,

the race is safe, just talked to Jay recently and they can make it work even if we cant do the infield

I was just gonna post a thread about the race, we have a team that's running in it. We're running a 1979 320i, Bimmer Power!!! Bad part is, we're four 18 year old guys with no racing experience, and limited $ income, but what the heck, its gonna be a blast.
Anybody who wants to contribute some advice, money, or parts would be amazing :D

Btw, you guys suck for running an E30 :mad E30>>>e21

Lufty,

good luck at the race. I'm hoping to try and get a race here near DC. I picked up a cherry 95 M3 with only 33K miles here in the dc area. Have you sold your car yet?

Man, 12 hours is rough in a good car, 24 is brutal. Good luck!!!

It's really only 13 hours of driving, but Livermore CA in July is gonna be 100+ degrees, with no a/c (no windows either which should help a bit)

Lufty,

good luck at the race. I'm hoping to try and get a race here near DC. I picked up a cherry 95 M3 with only 33K miles here in the dc area. Have you sold your car yet?

Well you wont be racing it in the Lemon's race ;) Are you buidling it as an IS car?

Mine sold within 4 days. Heck I had to choose who I wanted to sell it to ;) Sold it to a guy in Michigan. I miss it but am enjoying some time off from the track/working on cars.

Last year was HOTTT, and it wasnt in July...45 minute stints were about all we could handle. Oh yeah, and if you didnt notice, it will be 45 minutes of beating and banging for position with half of the cars handling impossibly.

Hey I heard that the track had its license pulled since they are not supposed to race on anything but a the oval. Anyone heard more about this?

coolio,

the race is safe, just talked to Jay recently and they can make it work even if we cant do the infieldA race named after some French road race, being held on an oval? BMWs on an oval?

Oh the shame ... :(

Sweet, i cant wait to pilot it.



Dat.. READY MY STEED!

It's ready for you:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c375/shaddow666/MY_little_pony.jpg

Awesome race - too bad there isn't one in the southeast

edit: We have the GRM $200X challenge, but that's just drag racing, autoX and how pretty the car is :(

Confirmed that there are 90 cars entered and the course will be 1.1 miles (vs. 40 cars and .3 miles last year) Should be quite insane. Also found out that Gary Richardson and Jeff Reitmeir are fielding a team with an 89 535i (e34).

Hey guys, just stumbled on this thread. I was at the last race with these guys...

http://evilengineering.com/lemons/images/img_1100.jpg

(more pics... http://evilengineering.com/lemons/ )

And have been putting LONG hours into my own car for this July's race. I'll see you guys out there!

http://evilengineering.com/gallery/d/18365-1/IMG_4807.jpg

We will be there as well. Come say hello ;)

www.lemonbimmer.com

sweet! That 535 was FAST last year. I do love the Cherry Bomb A-Pillar mod!

LOL That exhaust looks sweet. Unfortunately, we wont' make it to the event. The car was tested at MSR Cresson this past weekend and developed multiple problems (wouldn't go in to gear after a lap, master cylinder stopped working, etc...). We've been moved to the October event. Good luck to you guys running in July. :buttrock

bummer! I look forward to more adventures of the blue goose crew.

Haha... that exhaust is SWEEEET! So Works Mitsu, whom is a sponsor of mine will be running a car as well that I helped build (but won't be racing because of the Willow Springs CCA event!!!). It IS a Mirage, but it has a BMW background-- sort of. It was Boris Said's old car and he decided it should be as hairy as he is so he made it happen with some shag rug which looks remarkably like bleach-blonde fur! It has, oh, say 65 hp and weighs like 5000lbs with all that "sefety" equipment and the fur! So don't worry about it as far as competition-- if you REALLY want to slow it down, go spray it with water!

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v71/205/78/132501840/n132501840_30225730_9736.jpg

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v71/205/78/132501840/n132501840_30225731_58.jpg

Note the "wind swept" look after it took a 400+ mile ride on a trailer!

HA!!

I'll be out there next weekend to watch the event. And I hope to participate next year :D

Haha... that exhaust is SWEEEET! So Works Mitsu, whom is a sponsor of mine will be running a car as well that I helped build (but won't be racing because of the Willow Springs CCA event!!!). It IS a Mirage, but it has a BMW background-- sort of. It was Boris Said's old car and he decided it should be as hairy as he is so he made it happen with some shag rug which looks remarkably like bleach-blonde fur! It has, oh, say 65 hp and weighs like 5000lbs with all that "sefety" equipment and the fur! So don't worry about it as far as competition-- if you REALLY want to slow it down, go spray it with water!

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v71/205/78/132501840/n132501840_30225730_9736.jpg

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v71/205/78/132501840/n132501840_30225731_58.jpg

Note the "wind swept" look after it took a 400+ mile ride on a trailer!

That's shagadelic!

Greg S., you have friends? :)

Greg S., you have friends? :)
:confused ?
EDIT-Hi Dave!

See you all there!

See you all there!I can['t figure out what that green thing is on the ass-end, but I LOVE the straw. That's awesome!!! I just wish Altamont was closer.

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v71/205/78/132501840/n132501840_30225730_9736.jpgIt needs a blow up doll in the right seat.

I can['t figure out what that green thing is on the ass-end, but I LOVE the straw. That's awesome!!! I just wish Altamont was closer.

It's supposed to look like a lemon. The green stuff is the stem & leaves.

We can shoot lemonade out of the straw.

sounds like fun, good luck

Ummm, the race is called 24 hours of LeMons, as in the fruit. Like "my Ford Fiesta is a real lemon"
Its a joke --as anything involving $500 cars should be.

Congrats to all those who were there!! Great racing with Terry and the Pirates, the Reitmeir gang in the PopeMobile, the crazy BMW driving Canucks. Awesome experience. Sadly after battling back and forth with the Lemon Lappers for first place all morning we suffered a torn radiator hose that blew the HG and eventually caused the engine to expire. we finished, but had to watch as we fell from 2nd to 3rd and eventually to 10th position...just one position behind the car we built with our customers (EDGE 2)

We'll be back in October, and the car wont have a glass jaw.

Congrats to all those who were there!! Great racing with Terry and the Pirates, the Reitmeir gang in the PopeMobile, the crazy BMW driving Canucks. Awesome experience. Sadly after battling back and forth with the Lemon Lappers for first place all morning we suffered a torn radiator hose that blew the HG and eventually caused the engine to expire. we finished, but had to watch as we fell from 2nd to 3rd and eventually to 10th position...just one position behind the car we built with our customers (EDGE 2)

We'll be back in October, and the car wont have a glass jaw.

I may have jumped ship from the BMW to the Neon this weekend, but I had no less fun. On Sunday when I got in the car, I found myself on the same lap as Erik, fighting for the race lead. We must have passed each other 10 times, mostly just by judging traffic better. It was like trying to pick the fastest line at the supermarket at times, but ... wow, that was awesome racing in the craziest endurance race ever conceived.

I'm sorry that the Edge car had to lose that way, but ... I guess that's racing. Thanks guys for making it really fun!

Josh

Yeah same to you! That battle was awesome, and I continue to say that I have never had as much fun in a car as in a Lemons race! You guys were great fun to race with! Hope to see you in October!

I don't think the Lemon Lappers will be making an October return, but something could change. I could be a free agent driver :-)

Guys it was GREAT fun doing battle with you guys. I think John in the Red E30 and I were fighting a few times on Saturday. Yeah Sunday sucked since Edge and Lappers were fighting 1-2, Edge went to the pits, we got up to 2nd then then went downhill to 8th.

Saturday night was awesome to see David Murry drive. He set the fastest lap record for the event, watching him drive alone was worth the price of the admission ;)

Above all THANKS to Terry for letting us trash his car.

PS: BTW this is about as agressive a wheel to wheel can get. This experience will be my rocking chair equity :)

:needpics

:needpics

Mike Bro,

Chillax man. We are super beat. Just got back to ATL. Tomorrow morning will post some. What does it take for you to come and race with us? We should team up and go. I can SWEAR that E30s are by far the BEST candidate for this. Since safety is unlimited, we should weld in some fat bars on the front end of the chassis (flame suit on)

Lutfy

The e30 is just plain perfect for this event. Fixing the glass jaw is the key!

Saturday night was awesome to see David Murry drive. He set the fastest lap record for the event, watching him drive alone was worth the price of the admission )



Geeze,

THIS David Murry (davidmurry.com) was one of your drivers?

I am curious, how long was he in your car? By the lap count it looks like he set the time toward the end of the evening on Saturday. Was Sat evening his only stint.

Heck all you guys were awesome drivers. I was on the Edge 2 #98 team finishing just behind you guys in 9th. I got around your car a few times during the race and considered it quite an accomplishment. You guys were especially fearless, fast and surprisingly clean going into the chicane under very tight and crowded conditions. I should have spent a little time hanging around your pit. Some of your skills may have rubbed off.

I can't wait until the next one.

Oh yeah, we could never have hoped to even show up for this race without the generous support of Edge Motorworks.

Results?

Results?

Here

mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=585927

The forum won't allow me to post as a full url but you get the idea.

Also look here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/08/live-blog-24-hours-of-lemons-day-two-of-destruction/

Mike Bro,

Chillax man. We are super beat. Just got back to ATL. Tomorrow morning will post some. Tomorrow morning been here and gone. Where 'da pics? :stickoutt

[edit] yay for the autoblog! Nice summary, nice progression of pics. Congrats to Lemon Lappers!!!

Tomorrow morning been here and gone. Where 'da pics? :stickoutt

[edit] yay for the autoblog! Nice summary, nice progression of pics. Congrats to Lemon Lappers!!!

Can someone please host the pics for me? Size is too large to post. THANKS. You can see before and after of our car. UGH!!! Racing will never be the same after this ;)

There you go.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13616&l=99f01&id=500085378

This is by far the most fun I've had in a car. I was on the #98 Edge 2 team. I know our team was very pleased with how we did. Some of our drivers had 0 track or competition experience. But we worked well together and Edge made it all possible for us to drive in this event.

Thanks to Edge Motorworks for including us, we are excited about returning in October. Everyone at the event was great and made the experience worth going back again and again.

How do they govern what $500 is spent? I mean, some people can do a whole lot with $500+their own shop/labor, and others can do close to nothing with $500. :confused

How do they govern what $500 is spent? I mean, some people can do a whole lot with $500+their own shop/labor, and others can do close to nothing with $500. :confused

The $500 is supposed to cover the car and any misc. parts (at a fair mkt. value). Labor doesn't count as long as it isn't paid for, so yes this does give an advantage to people who are skilled and good scavengers. Just the same it is supposed to be a low budget DIY team effort. In the end it is about staying within the spirit of the event. It is my sense that the vast majority of people did keep this in mind. We took it as part of the challenge. There were contributions of time from everyone on the team no matter what their skill level. This is part of what brings the people on the teams together and goes a long way toward making the LeMons such a great event. There is a rather loose inspection regime to prevent people from going overboard and they do penalize cars they think are clearly out of line. It is also a claiming race, meaning in this case that cars can be claimed after the race for $500 less safety equipment.

And yes, it was an absolute blast!

(I'm also a member of the #98 Edge 2 team.)

The $500 is supposed to cover the car and any misc. parts (at a fair mkt. value). Labor doesn't count as long as it isn't paid for, so yes this does give an advantage to people who are skilled and good scavengers. Just the same it is supposed to be a low budget DIY team effort. In the end it is about staying within the spirit of the event. It is my sense that the vast majority of people did keep this in mind. We took it as part of the challenge. There were contributions of time from everyone on the team no matter what their skill level. This is part of what brings the people on the teams together and goes a long way toward making the LeMons such a great event. There is a rather loose inspection regime to prevent people from going overboard and they do penalize cars they think are clearly out of line. It is also a claiming race, meaning in this case that cars can be claimed after the race for $500 less safety equipment.

And yes, it was an absolute blast!

(I'm also a member of the #98 Edge 2 team.)

When is the next one, I will get a team together it sounds like fun.

oct 20th at altamont

oct 20th at altamont

OT a bit, but how do you like your ls1 swap?

its been running for a while (LS2 now) trying to get it dialed in. Be at Oakland Sunday and Atwater in a couple of weeks. Its a blast to drive

Back on Topic...We picked up another e30 today. 4-door eta. Yeehahhh

The $500 is supposed to cover the car and any misc. parts (at a fair mkt. value). Labor doesn't count as long as it isn't paid for, so yes this does give an advantage to people who are skilled and good scavengers. Just the same it is supposed to be a low budget DIY team effort. In the end it is about staying within the spirit of the event. It is my sense that the vast majority of people did keep this in mind. We took it as part of the challenge. There were contributions of time from everyone on the team no matter what their skill level. This is part of what brings the people on the teams together and goes a long way toward making the LeMons such a great event. There is a rather loose inspection regime to prevent people from going overboard and they do penalize cars they think are clearly out of line. It is also a claiming race, meaning in this case that cars can be claimed after the race for $500 less safety equipment.

And yes, it was an absolute blast!

(I'm also a member of the #98 Edge 2 team.)From what I've seen of the cars after the race, you'd have to have a helluva engine or other equipment to make it worth $500 plus safety equipment after what appears to be a combined demo derby/road race. It seems like "swappin' paint" is encouraged rather than discouraged. :D

From what I've seen of the cars after the race, you'd have to have a helluva engine or other equipment to make it worth $500 plus safety equipment after what appears to be a combined demo derby/road race. It seems like "swappin' paint" is encouraged rather than discouraged. :D
I never felt like swapping paint was encouraged, but it was definitely unavoidable.

yeah for sure. Safety was stressed, and rubbing fenders makes for an entertaining race, but there was no demo derby mentality. Even less so this year than last year.