Here is what drives me. I love at shows when people have to look at the nameplate just to find out what kind of car it is. I feel that when I am building a car it is no longer a Pontiac or a Chevy, its mine. And it is one of a kind. I enjoy it when you look at a car and can not figure out who it is made by. That to me is cool. To me it shows me that the builder had a completely different idea then what the factory intended, and personally, if I wanted a factory car I wouldn’t be in this hobby. I do prefer to follow the body lines because it is hard to change a rounded car to a boxy one. Some things you just have to work with and really just don’t work out if you do try to change them. On having said that read below.
I have been putting allot of thought into where do I go from here on the car. Its been a couple of years where little stuff has changed but nothing dramatic, part of me really wants to tear the car down to a bare shell and start over, and when I mean over I mean as in redoing the entire car from top to bottom underside, engine bay all of it to take it to a higher level of competition. Basically in doing that it will become a trailer queen because to compete at that level I just won’t be able to go out driving it all over for the fun of it. I feel like changing the car but keeping it drivable on the streets is just somewhat counter productive, or more a unilateral move. I would still be putting money into it, but I would be competing at the same level. I know allot of people aren’t big on the show scene but its what me and the wife enjoy, we love going to Cincinnati or Louisville etc for a few days, showing off the car. Maybe winning some cash and having a good time. So if I want to move into the money ranks I have to make a decision. Do I stay at the level I am at or do I go for it, nothing like trying to competing against 6 figure cars with a 2 figure budget lol.
So, lets here some thoughts and opinions…..
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keep the 'fire as it is, start over with a different base...two is always better than one when you're talking cars, beers and girls.
Brian
I'd stay where you are.
It's still a beautiful show-oriented car. Yet it's not over-the-top. Most importantly, it's still practical. Thus even more importantly you can still enjoy it with limited stress.
Get the blower on it and enjoy her for years to come.
think it would be cheaper to find another car to start w/, rather than tear down what you've got. yes there are things you want to redo anyways. do you think you need to change stuff each year to compete? will you ever settle for havin the same style for 2 years let alone 1? bigger questions.
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my carDomain updated 8/2/08 Forged B-day!
I say go for it. If you don't you will always have what ifs. I don't think I would tear the fire apart to do it though, I would keep the fire, drive the balls off of it and start a new car.
KevinP (Stabby McShankyou) wrote:
and I'm NOT a pedo. everyone knows i've got a wheelchair fetish.
i would say rent a garage to store the fire and buy a shell and start with that...
I love it the way it is and would hate to see it torn down.. but it's yours.. I just think it would be easier and more cost productive to start with a new shell or car and keep this as a show car at its current level but still enjoy it for the weekend rides
LE61T PTE6262 Powered 
I think you should either boost it and enjoy it, or store it and build another one. I don't think you should tear that nice piece of work apart and start over, try to keep it
JBOK.org / J-Bodies of Kentucky
i think you should buy my car and take it a step further
I'll give you a great deal. Hell, I could sell you the shell pretty cheap and part out whatever you didn't want
trust me when I say this...............but I very much regret going so crazy with my car. I still wish I would have left it with the bigmouth kit, when it was blue.
Your car is beautiful man, I personally would not go insane on it. But then again, you do things so cleanly I'm sure it would look dope regardless.
All I can say from experience, is think it thru long and hard(no homo). I didn't think it thru and regret every bit of it.
just my $0.02
I say buy a saturn, but hey, I'm biased
nothing will be done without thought. if the teardown occurs it won't be till after this show season. i dont usually do anything without putting allot of thought into it. renting a storage space could work, butttt im possibly looking into buying a 71 cutlass convertible at the moment as well. so keeping the fire, having a cutlass to work on having two daily drivers and then another car to work on would be too much. here's the thing though, by taking it a step forward, i could start coming home from shows with cash versus a simple plaque, winning top spot in indianapolis a few weeks ago and taking home $350 was allot nicer then just a plaque.
joey, i'll take the front end off you
oh and pm me a price on the shell.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
Here's my 0.02. Some times you just have to take it over the top to be where you want it to be. There comes a time when you just get tired of looking at the car and you need to do something to change it, to make everyone stop and be like WTF that can't be the same car. In your case if that means making it a trailer queen then by all means, as long as the car is done right and everything is thought through and not half way done, which in your case it wouldn't be. Personally I want to be over the top, but still have a car I drive to shows, so I know that I'll never go that extra step to try and compete for the Best in Shows, but at the same time I'll know that I built a car that can stand out and wow everyone, but if I want to take it out and drive it I still can.
i say do it but I am at the same cross roads as u I have done decent in the north eats in ncca and hin shows the past 2 years and placed at the first f4 series show formaly ncca on the east coast 2 weekends agoe and I am at the point where i wanna do it big or just be done I do have my eye on the new challenger but at the same time like u said 30 40 50 k in a car to gt 5 or 10 k just sucks on top of the time blood sweat and tears we put into these cars and I started to trailer mine last year its not that bad myt boys bust my ball but they respect me and the car and y I do it so thats my short version of my thoughts and by the way build it big I woudl love to see a j-body competing for car of the year or atleast one in the top 10 in the nation.
sndsgood wrote:well dont have the garage space to keep it and build another one. and not looking into really selling a 30k investment for 6k either.
this settles it.. buy a new house.. 6car garage. add in like a guest house and ill live there and can help you work on your cars and clean them and all that
Personally jason.. i like it where its at. You've made small changes that when i catch them in person its just still amazes me. I like cruising with you because everyone's looking like omg. I say boost that bitch and have fun with that and maybe redo the bay some to help tie all that in and stuff. Also think it would be sick to see you tucking like some 24s or something in the rear lol.. tub that bitch
I do have to add though, whichever you do I can't wait to see whats next.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Thursday, March 05, 2009 3:58 PM
the paint alone on the car is super impressive. a lot of time and money into that alone would make me want to keep the car as it is but just spice it up some. sounds like you enjoy going to shows. and driving the car. and you can still do that and enjoy it. but if you go over the top, then you have to tow it there and deal with that aspect. i would love to see you driving it around the bash or even ride along in a group with that same car. its an amazing piece of artwork. there are so many options for you to choose and so many positive options with either choice. will be amazing.
keep it as is man. i love ur car!
WiGM-Tuners member.
I don't know if this will make a difference, but I've been on the .org for just over 6 years. A week ago, a coworker came to me going on and on about a car he saw at a show. After about two sentences, he began to described your car. That is the impression you make on the average car show attendee. Most of my coworkers know that I enjoy j-bodies. This was the first time that a person, even of mild tuner interest, perceived the possibility and extent of a j-body owner. I have always respected your work. To see someone who has little experience with the platform lay such high praise upon your car made me somewhat warm inside. This isn't a $100,000 trailer queen sitting in a show. This an amalgamation of form and function that actually produces presence when viewed. I wish I had half the investment of time, patients, and effort applied to my car. Be proud of your creation. Perhaps it's time to move to a new platform, but don't forget what you've accomplished.
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"The J's weren't designed to be sports cars, the suspension sucks, the brakes are tiny, and the target market for our car doesn't need to be able to do any more than 65mph." - Shifted
A more accurate observation has never been typed. These should be the starting points before any serious performance modification. What's the point of making a serious performer if you can't control it's power?
well heres the deal with shows. with a wife, a kid, canopy, chairs, cooler cleaning supplies etc. etc you cant do that in one car so almost every show we go to were allready bringing two cars. the benefit of trailering is that im now only wasting gas on one car and my wife doesnt have to drive everywhere. i can spend less then 8 hours cleaning it. nobody at shows beleive i drive it anyway lol i mean it is kind of a badge of honor knowing i drive it. some of these trailor queens can't even unload the cars in the parking lot they have to drive the trailors into the show and unload. some cars that to me weren't even worth being in a trailor to begin with. but then as i clean when i see a new rock chip, it frustrates the hell out of me.
i like the fact that the j-bodies in the tuning and car world arn't considered as an option, it makes me the underdog. i was being completly nonest in my gaugemagazine.com shoot when asked why i built my car and i said "because everybody hates j-bodies."i like being able to show what the j-bodies can be made into. and love hearing when guys go "i hate j-bodies but yours is bad assed". or "i never thought a cav/sunfire could look that good". and like it even more when those that say "its still a j-body" get pissy when i walk away with best of show, or best tuner or whatever it is. i like proving that it doesnt matter what badge is on the car it can be made nice if you work at it. thats part of the reason i want to stick with this and dont have a huge desire to change platforms. and i have a huge competitive streak in me. it started out just wanting a trophy, then it was wanting to win my class, then it was wanting to win the the wild class. then i wanted a best of, now i want best of shows. its just my nature to continue to set the bar higher and take it further then most do. now im not one to get pissy if i dont win. im not a poor loser, hell most of my friends get more pissed at me losing then i do. but it does usually make me want to push the car further.
and no worries vincent, the car will be at the bash and it will be driven there and back. well unless the wife pulls rank and takes it to slamology that saturday lol.
as far as driving it, its really not a huge deal to me either way, i do like driving it, and its fun to watch all the people looking, but at the same time when you have more into your paint them most people have into their cars it tends to be allot more worrysome. though now that its properly insured the thought has come to my mind to just total it and take the cash lol.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
Stephen (manta z) wrote:sndsgood wrote:well dont have the garage space to keep it and build another one. and not looking into really selling a 30k investment for 6k either.
this settles it.. buy a new house.. 6car garage. add in like a guest house and ill live there and can help you work on your cars and clean them and all that
Personally jason.. i like it where its at. You've made small changes that when i catch them in person its just still amazes me. I like cruising with you because everyone's looking like omg. I say boost that bitch and have fun with that and maybe redo the bay some to help tie all that in and stuff. Also think it would be sick to see you tucking like some 24s or something in the rear lol.. tub that bitch
I do have to add though, whichever you do I can't wait to see whats next.
wait a sec. I think I offered to move in w/ him back when I living in an apt. haha.
if he tubs it, he'll lose all that trunk space that he's fighting over room already.
oh damn slamology > the bash. that would make at least 3 years in a row you've missed.
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my carDomain updated 8/2/08 Forged B-day!
sndsgood wrote:well dont have the garage space to keep it and build another one. and not looking into really selling a 30k investment for 6k either.
from a purely financial stand point, its going to be much better of an investment to start on a new car. if you take this one to the next level, youre going to have another 30k+ put into it and you will still only have a minimal return if/when you ever go to sell it. the difference is that you wont be able to enjoy it except at the occasional show.
i vote for you to buy another car. you can get a stock cav for dirt cheap, and in the end you will have two amazing cars to show. another car also lets this one live on as it currently is. it would be terrible for it to only be remembered in pictures.
Jason,
I would honestly drive the sh!t out of it and enjoy it... Thats basically where I am at with mine, I can't wait to get the new engine done so I can drive it again (has not moved since June 08)... I was in the same boat, about to totally rebuild from the ground up. I have thought about it and will be building something else instead (something more fun/won't lose its value like the Jbody) .. Enjoy it, thats why you built it..
On a side note, I hated to hear about ITB.. I had gone to all of them except the last 2. Erin and I even got engaged at the last one we were at (06)... Many good memories!
P&P Tuning
420.5whp / 359.8wtq
Jason ive got an idea do the SS to match hahaha
Tell you what Jason. I will let you store the fire in my garage where my cav is now. You can drive my cav home and play with it. And when you want your fire back we can swap again
