Whitney's Stalker thread

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:54 am

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/car/521567362.html

Yeah but the bags have been "blowed" !

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:05 am

I call dibs on Mike's Stalker when he decides to sell it! :twisted:

Jeff Underwood · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:36 am

Thanks for the props Ryan, but I have to conceed on this one. My car is quick (2:12-13 on VIR Full) and may get quicker still when I go to full slicks and finish sorting everything (like getting the rear axle straight vs. toed out...) but it is hard to go wrong with the Stalker....especially a SuperStalker.

Despite being a good deal heavier, those cars are just hammers. It is pretty easy to get 400hp out of one of those engines...and you can't argue with that. Not to mention T O R Q U E! You probably only need two gears and most tracks. :shock:

On long tracks, the SuperStalker in the hands of a good driver is going to be insanely fast. My top speed is about 135mph before I run out of 6th gear (it is not going to do more than that gearing or not), but those Stalkers can go 15mph+ more with ease.

If I were starting over again, I would strongly consider building a Stalker...however, I would bastardize the thing and put a Supercharged S2000 engine and 6-speed in one. Same power, less weight, and an engine that does not sound like a giant fart.

Don't get me wrong...I aint jumping ship...I love 12,000rpm and sequential shifting.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:01 am

Mike, Ron Adee was back in the overpowered Viper again last year. Unfortunately he had big problems on the first day and wasn't even able to run the oval. He was put on a trailer and carted home. He did return later in the event after fixing the car and managed to not finish dead last.

BTW - Dibs on a ride along with Mike at his first autocross with the SuperStalker!!! That should be a fun ride!! :twisted:

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:38 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

BTW, that Riv is the 96, so it has the Gen 1 3800sc.

Well crap you're right. I'm just pleased to see that there is like virtually ZERO residual value in a 10 year old unloved mainstream FWD sedan

I'm sure I'll get under the $1000 mark with a few more searches

Actually, looking at the Craigslist page again, it looks like it would be a L67, or Series II:

* 1996-1999 Buick Riviera (optional 1996-97, std. 1998-99)

There are actually 3 versions of the series II motor (yeah, I know..its a GM thing). The 96-97 motors have a different intake, sperpetine belt route thats a PIA , and some have the tensioners and some don't.

The First Gen Series II have the belts routed as such:

The Second gen is much better and puts less strain on the two idler pulleys:

The Third gen is the same as the second with a different cam and a few other tweeks for more power in the upper RPM range.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Todd Breakey wrote:

BTW - Dibs on a ride along with Mike at his first autocross with the SuperStalker!!! That should be a fun ride!! :twisted:

Lol... Don't hold your breath guys, this is going to be a loooooong project.

BTW, I don't even expect to take the thing on track. Just going to be a fun street and autocross car. I plan to keep something around with a roof for track duty.

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:03 am

Mike,

We all live vicariously through you! We can't help but get excited. I have really thought about one of these things. I neighbor down the street has a Locost that he bought from somebody and he has no idea what he has. Rides around with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang goggles on. I have try to have an educated conversation with him but he just knows he bought it from somebody who needed money and the had to learn how to drive a straigh to drive it. I have thought about trying to buy it from him and then doing the motorcycle engine or something but I am afraid I couldn't resist the tempation to take it to the track.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:06 am

clinehall wrote:

Mike,

We all live vicariously through you! We can't help but get excited. I have really thought about one of these things. I neighbor down the street has a Locost that he bought from somebody and he has no idea what he has. Rides around with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang goggles on. I have try to have an educated conversation with him but he just knows he bought it from somebody who needed money and the had to learn how to drive a straigh to drive it. I have thought about trying to buy it from him and then doing the motorcycle engine or something but I am afraid I couldn't resist the tempation to take it to the track.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, click, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, click, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, click, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, click Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, click, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Makes me giggle like a school girl.

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:20 am

Interesting thing about the l67 engine..it has the powerband of a desiel truck. 280 Ft/lbs of tq right off of idle, then dies big time after 4K. This is easily fixed with high profile rockers or cams, but as an AutoX car, it would make third gear awesome.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:03 pm

Mike
You can buy a brand new motor also. More dollar than a used one but, eh, its new.....

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... _950813_-1

Or if you want more HP, there are many to choose from.

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... 3_-1_10175

I'm thinking also about a long term project, but something completely different. To make a long story short, at Kathy dad place in Quebec there is a 1949 Mercury 4 door in a garage. It's park there since 1963. It's not running, but the body is fairly good, and the frame look good. The interior is trash, some animal make a nest in it or took the seat padding to make one. I took a bunch of pictures of it last November.
I saw some posted on E-Bay in worst shape than this one. I can probably get it for what it will cost me to bring it here. If I decide to get it, I will turn it into a kind of Rat Rod but a nice looking one. No chop top, it need to be comfortable and able to do some long trip. For engine, a 350 ZZ4 (see above link) with a 4 speed Automatic should be good.
We will see what happen....

Jeff Underwood · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:31 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

BTW, I don't even expect to take the thing on track. Just going to be a fun street and autocross car. I plan to keep something around with a roof for track duty.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Jeff Underwood wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

BTW, I don't even expect to take the thing on track. Just going to be a fun street and autocross car. I plan to keep something around with a roof for track duty.

It takes a special kind of stupid, IMO, to go 135 MPH in something with such little unibody to protect the driver. Sorry, that's just my opinion. I also won't prep a Miata for track use, I prefer the safety of a fixed roof. (BTW, this is a new attitude of mine which only developed after having kid #2. I found that my personal "acceptable" safety level went way up.)

Yes I just called you stupid

Hahaha.

No hard feelings.

Now guys who run motorcycles on track, now THEY are seriously stupid

PS - knowing myself though, the temptation to take a Superstalker out on track at least once will be too strong to resist

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:43 pm

wow, you called a lot of us stupid....

you stupidhead!!

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Marty Howard wrote:

wow, you called a lot of us stupid....

you stupidhead!!

No you misunderstood -- Miatas have a lot of unibody protection compared to a seven or any open wheel car. And they don't go 135 MPH. I don't think you're stupid, just a little nutso

The pyramid of safety from least to most:

Motorcycles on track
Open-wheel / kit cars on track with big cars
Miatas on track
BMWs on track
Staying in bed

Jeff Underwood · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:57 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

It takes a special kind of stupid, IMO, to go 135 MPH in something with such little unibody to protect the driver. Sorry, that's just my opinion. I also won't prep a Miata for track use, I prefer the safety of a fixed roof. (BTW, this is a new attitude of mine which only developed after having kid #2. I found that my personal "acceptable" safety level went way up.)

Yes I just called you stupid

Hahaha.

No hard feelings.

Wuss....Yes, I just called you a wuss. :lol:

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