With car fans as friends who needs enemies? We learned this week that you all have it somewhere inside to torture us all with bad car builds. There was no shortage of rotten ideas to torture each other this week after we asked, “What Project Car Would You Force Your Worst Enemy To Finish?”
Admittedly, when Executive Editor Andrew Collins posed the question, the gimmes were fast and furious. Anything German is a gimme, for example. An oversized motor in any car—but especially in an odd place or weird configuration—was a natural idea, too. But to you, the commenters, that was just chumming the water. The real sharks rolled in with fussy Brit ideas, extreme race-car problems, and a sadist even said they’d force someone to finish a rotary swap in a Previa while preserving the all-wheel-drive system. That’s just mean, man.
Every Tuesday we'll be asking a Quick Question for you to chew on and discuss. On Thursdays, we'll share a selection of the best answers and offer some context. Quotes in italics are reader comments, and the only editing on the comments we feature will be occasional shortening for formatting.
Here’s how you can hurt each other and remind me to never get on the bad side of any of you.
B5 or B6, B-cause Audi
B5 S4 Avant, it will never be done, it is literally an exercise for the Ship of Theseus with how many parts you will have to replace to fix that minor vacuum leak or odd oil drip. Even then give it 2000 miles and something else is going to break. And nothing is easy or cheap to get now. ~ SocDriver
As a proud-yet-fearful owner of a B5 Audi S4, I'd say a high-mileage B6 S4 that's in need of a full timing chain refresh. ~ The Drive Staff Writer Peter Nelson
Well, yeah
Any BMW just out of warranty. ~ Krudler
Anything German. ~ Cheats
Any 20th Century Mercedes. Those cars are the demon spawn of Satan. ~ Snexxus
Clear Geneva Convention violations
'87-93 Foxbody Mustang with a bad heater core. One of the only jobs I've ever said never again. You have to remove the entire dashboard and half the interior. ~ RIRFIB
1991 Alfa 164 Quadifoglio Verde...Timing Belt Service. The car that made me swear off Italian cars forever. ~ Bird2112
A rotary swap on a 90's-era Toyota Previa/Estima All-trac, and preserving the All-trac. My folks had one and I recall helping work on it in my youth.
Engine under the seats with just 2 inspection ports, the front accessory shaft, and the all-trac combination bell housing and differentials alone make me wake up in a cold sweat. Add that plumbing a rotary to work on that chassis isn't entirely infeasible, just nightmarish.
The lack of topside accessibility and the funky remote accessory layout of the Previa would require ages of tedious fitting under a car. And if you want to make it any easier? You'll have to drop the engine and drivetrain... Again and again. ~ Firestorm252
