SLIM JIM'S CHALLENGESo your cousin Nicky, who has far more money than brains, has a fondness for nostalgic designs. It shows through once again when he drives up to the family Christmas dinner (in 1980) in a brand new Misty Cruiser. Known for being rather plush sedans, the design has been around forever with almost no changes. Its manufacturer subscribes to the same theory that Nicky does, that older is pretty much always better. After all, that's the only explanation for the lovely long-stroke Straight-6 they use in this model (well, it's really that they never bothered to make a V8 because they're also kind of cheapskates). You roll your eyes and groan as he steps inside the front door.
Fortunately you manage to stay away from the topic of his car for most of the night, but invariably (and after several spiked egg nogs) he corners you and engages you in conversation about his new toy. After a few minutes of him gloating about his relic of the 60's, you snap, and let him know what you really think about the car. You even make an off-hand comment about how nobody gives the Misty Cruiser the time of day anymore, and that the only chicks he could pick up are from the retirement home. He grins, puts his arm around you, and lowers his voice creepily.
"Well then. If you think that you can make it go faster and still keep my butt comfy, then go ahead. But just remember. Ol Nicky doesn't like chickens. Or liars."
It's only then that you remember that he has some vague mob connections.
"Oh, and since you like performance so much, it has to do well in all kinds of situations. Open roads, curves, you name it. And it has to get Nicky the ladies."
THE BASE CAR:
- mistycruiser.jpg (240.63 KiB) Viewed 4783 times
Yup, it's a luxury car. Not a particularly impressive one anyway. But at least they sprang for MFI instead of the 2 barrel carb that used to be on the engine a couple years ago. But Nicky has put it ALL on you to pony up the dough and the labor to make this thing work better.
RESTRICTIONS:
Bore, stroke, valve configuration, engine internals, materials, and ANY/EVERYTHING on the Platform tab (Chassis, Body, Fixtures) may NOT be touched.
Exception: may add a lip to front, rear, or both
Mechanical injection must be retained, 91 RON
The transmission may NOT be touched (yes, you're stuck with a crappy wide-ratio 3 speed auto)
May not touch anything on the trim tab except insulation.
May not add under-cladding
Minimum ride height of 200mm
Total Cost must be no more than $14000
Production Units no more than 150
No semi-slick tires
Anything not mentioned above, including quality sliders (except for trim and transmission) is fair game.
METRICS:
Must get better than 1:58 on the FLYING LAP portion of Laguna Seca (Sector 3)
Must get better than 1:37 on the Airfield Track
Must have comfort greater than 45
Must have prestige over 35
REWARD:
Meet the bare minimums, Nicky is happy, reimburses you for your time and capital, and lets you go on your way.
If you can improve the track performance by at least 6 seconds between the 2 tracks, or meet minimum track performance and exceed comfort and prestige goals by a combined total of 8 or more points, Nicky gives you a job... "fixing"... cars in his syndicate. You are set for life, living lavishy (although with one eye constantly over your shoulder)
Fri Dec 19, 2014 6:32 am 
I wonder how much pressure that old block can take.
All the damage was to the front end, so the turbocharger was still in tact! I bought the turbo, fabricated a custom manifold for it and an intercooler. A few twists of the ignition distributor, and voila! Timing = optimized. I modified the fuel relay to raise the rev limiter, installed a custom 2.5-inch exhaust with cat and mufflers, and fiddled with the suspension.
