Lateral-G. What motivates YOU

[Ron in SoCal]

I feel I'm living a part of everyone's answer. My reasons:

95% it's just in me. I built my first motorsport project (mini bike) at eight years old. Today I'm like a kid in a candy store and go fast stuff makes me all tingley. I'm an addict a chasing buzz, and it gets more challenging with every fix.

5% I've discovered, is trying to fill a hole that can't be filled. It's my DNA, I accept it and have learned to live with it.

[FETorino]

Originally Posted by INTMD8

So the question of course is what motivates YOU to build the car you are building?

That being said, is your ultimate goal some type of compromise as well or are you after the highest performing fastest cornering car you can build?

After answering that, have you rode in/driven/experienced in some sort of way the type of car you are trying to build or do just believe the end result of your car will be what you expect based on your component selection?

Jim are you writing a book about us idiots

I've always loved turning corners and the feeling of pulling Gs. As a teenager in the 80s I was enamored with the performance cars from the late 60s I saw as a young kid.

The overriding driver of my build madness is I like to build things more than just buy things.

My daily driver is a tool of necessity this car is a toy to enjoy, not something practical or needed. Just a toy, the ultimate Hotwheel or Shuco.

Three things drove me to choose my car and the motor for the car.

1. The History of the car as the first Aero Warrior of NASCAR.
2. The racing History of the FORD FE in the late 60s.
3. I wanted to build the street car from the 60s ads. The one that not only looked like the race car but could actually be the race car.

Well maybe 4. In my mind I loved the body style and thought with the right wheels and stance it could look really sinister.

My Daily driver is quiet, rides nice and has modern amenities. It actually handles pretty darn well itself.

I don't need or want my car to be that same car. I want it to be brash and obnoxious.

[Lous69]

I started out like most car guys who have high mechanical aptitude and little money. The lack of money forced me to learn how to build things I wanted which led to the realization that learning new skills is the most exciting part of the process. I also realized that I need to have projects in which I am creating something new to maintain my life balance.

Luckily my son also caught the car guy gene. He has developed skills I never had that compliment my own. As a result, building cars together is a hobby that makes the 1000 miles between our homes almost seem non existent.

[DFRESH]

I have some life long friends I still get to meet with regularly that are outside of the car experience. One of them is much older and is a very well known psychologist and is always trying to figure me out. He doesn't see how the car thing fits in based on the rest of my life---I do mostly Finance and Accounting for a living (as Assistant VP of Business and Finance) and in his way of lining up personalities and such, it just never fits. It drives him crazy since that's how his brain works-- trying to figure out how peoples lives line up in all that they do. He is still trying.

I've come to the realization the older I get that ignorance is bliss. I don't care to know why I love it the way I do. I love working on it as much as driving/racing it. The people in the hobby/sport are a great group. I am grateful to have something I enjoy this much and hope it never dies off. I slow down when or if the car gets overwhelming (problems, issues, etc.) to remember how blessed I am to be able to do this at all when there are so many who wish they could have a PT car that runs and drives.

I know this wasn't exactly your topic, but it made me think about it and how I've arrived at where I am at right now with my car.

To answer your question, I would say I am building my car first for how I want it to look, then see how much performance I can get out of it. I will sacrifice some seconds on the autocross or road course to keep the car low and at the ride height I like personally. I am building it to drive long distances so that I can drive up the coast, to Vegas, to Arizona and perform in any situation well, all the while looking the way I would like it to. I will admit I want it to be faster and have more bite that it currently does, but the wait for those things is worth it. It's part of what keeps me interested in the car---always looking forward to the next modification that I have planned.

D

[intocarss]

I was born with it

[DaleTx]

I really enjoy the whole process… planning the build, building the car, and driving the car! Building a PT type car that works well on the street, and on the track is very technically challenging, and I enjoy that part of it very much.

The real hook for me though is getting out on a track where there is no speed limits… very few rules… and you just go for it! Wind it up… slide sideways… skid into a corner… do what you want legally. It’s great when you can push the limits of the car and test out the new parts that you put on after the last time out.

Also… there is nothing better than spending a day out at the track with fellow enthusiasts… whether their driving a Corvette, Mustang, BMW or Porsche. Everyone is there for the same reasons, and it’s always a great bunch of guys.

[KPC67]

This car will always be in my life. I see it at my wedding, I want my kids and my grandkids to possibly enjoy it. want to travel Canada and the United States with it. I want to have it in my garage and be able to tinker on it when ever. I want to take it for evening drives and go for ice cream. I want to make memories building it and driving it and be able to pass those on.
For me its about building a legacy.
I have not had the opportunity to drive/ride in anything like it. My goal at this point and time is to have something I can comfortably cruise in. If it does not meet those expectations I will change it. I will change it to do what ever it is I want it to do at the time.
Writing this it seems to get pretty deep so I will stop there.
It is my dream car simple as that.

[Lenie]

I'm an artist, the frame was my canvas and I'm painting my masterpiece!

I build things because:
1. I enjoy it..
2. I like putting my own personal touch on things.
3. It keeps me occupied.
4. I'm a jack of all trades and master of none!

Car porn... To me it's all about stance, sound and body lines w/alittle bit of nastiness to make it interesting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_hLvWmytTo

[Rod P]

What motivates me?

driving

friends

building

driving

friends

building

driving

friends

mostly friends

and more friends

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by INTMD8

I was thinking about the various builds detailed here, how much thought, time, effort and money goes into them. This made me curious about what motivates you to build what you are building.

So the question of course is what motivates YOU to build the car you are building?

After doing several cars that had drivetrains and suspensions leaning towards the more racy side of things, I've realized that I personally enjoy a car more when I sacrifice performance capability to comfort.

That being said, is your ultimate goal some type of compromise as well or are you after the highest performing fastest cornering car you can build?

After answering that, have you rode in/driven/experienced in some sort of way the type of car you are trying to build or do just believe the end result of your car will be what you expect based on your component selection?

Great thread. Nice to see this question posed and the various answers. Some are obvious as heck and others not so much.

Being one of those 3 trillion 1st gen Camaro guys around here I've been trying to take a less traveled path for a variety of reasons. It's full of compromise and shifting more towards one end of the spectrum than most "pro touring" cars, but I always say the proof is in the pudding when it comes to driving your car.

I became really interested in Trans Am vintage after attending the Historics at Laguna Seca a couple years ago. And even though I don't watch NASCAR, I wanted to incorporate some of their tech in my car and especially the engine system. When the engine/head combo became difficult to accommodate a realistic pump gas scenario, I opted to go E85 as I don't see many PT Camaros running that.

The list of trying to be different goes on but you get the idea.

I have rode in and driven a few other very nicely done PT Camaros, but honestly they were too tame for my taste. I want loud, nasty, raw and not a daily driver type of car. Performance has become the clear driving force for me, but yet I will drive it on the street as much as humanly possible for me. I just don't need to do Power Tour with it.

When I go to an open track day (where not many PT cars are present) I want to be able to hang with many of the track cars and late model Vettes there. I like the Optima type events, but I really enjoy the value and track time of a simple open track day of 5 sessions of 20-25 minutes.

I've enlisted enough help and advice from good people so I am pretty confident that the finished product will certainly satisfy my appetite. Heck, it might even scare the begeezus out of me.