Georgia Tech Wreck Racing

Today’s is from Leon, our Treasurer. You might remember his Mazda3 but keep reading to hear about his new acquisition!
“I got my $2500 2000 Mazda Miata MX-5 “Sugoi” this past December, with 115,000 (real) miles. I have been shopping around for a RWD roadster for a while, and when this car appeared in Facebook Marketplace feed, I simply could not pass him up. The driver’s side door didn’t latch properly, the odometer was rolled back 40,000 miles (it shows 75,000), there was a CEL for EGR, the soft top was missing the rear window, the front lip was cracked, the paint is faded in multiple areas, the tires were dry-rotted, the pilot bearing is incredibly loud, the fog lights have a short to ground, engine oil leaked out everywhere, power steering fluid leaked out everywhere, and the car had years’ worth of undone, overdue maintenance. But hey, I don’t have to do emissions on this car.

I am the fifth owner of Sugoi, and I will likely not be last. Aside from driving the snot out of this car, I have been busy catching up on the years of deferred maintenance/repair that needed to be done, like the timing belt and brakes. The only modification that I am aware of is my $5 Ikea pillowcase tongue; everything else on the car (at least mechanically) is what came out of the factory in Hiroshima, Japan. I hate Sugoi nearly as much as I love him, and I really, really hope nothing else breaks on this car.”

Pictures in-motion credit to .mcf

Today’s submission is from Miles, our former Treasurer and S-10 Revival Engineering lead. Swipe to see and read about the cursed “Annabelle,” his 1965 Ford Mustang.
“I first got my mustang when I was 14 right after COVID hit. I always had an interest in cars from hot wheels to RC cars and everything in between so this was the next step to fuel my passion. We found the car on craigslist just outside of Atlanta and picked it up late in the summer. After getting it my mom made me put proper seatbelts in to replace the lap belts it came with stock. After a few safety upgrades I overhauled the main suspension components, bushings and upgraded the brakes. This made the car handle so much better and was a huge step up from the 60 year old technology. The car came swapped with a 302 ci V8 out of a 70s Ford F100 that suffered carburetor issues. After numerous rebuilds and part replacements I finally got it to run reliably. Next came overheating issues solved with a coolant flush and radiator cleaning/repair. For my senior project I got to prep and repaint the car myself, I went from the factory Bronze to the classic GT40 Le Mans color, Gulf Blue. This is the car that taught me how to work on and drive cars through Youtube videos and trial and error. No one in my family is mechanically inclined or as interested in cars as I am so I never had someone to show me how to do these things, but I learned how to teach myself. Nowadays I have plans for a manual transmission swap(currently has a 3speed slush box auto), power steering upgrade, cooling system improvements, hopefully an EFI swap, and more handling modifications.”

Interested in joining the Wreck Racing team? Click the link in bio to join our slack 🔗

Happy ! Today’s post features our current Skills Coordinator, Tyler’s, two Toyota trucks. Here’s what he has to say:
“I am the proud owner of two very high milage Toyota trucks. The first of which is a 2011 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7L V8. I received this truck as a hand-me-down from my dad at the age of 16. Having been used as a work truck in construction for 250,000 miles, just about everywhere you look there’s some sort of dent, scratch, or imperfection. But through the eyes of a very recently licensed high-schooler, it was the coolest thing in the world. I drove it every day though the rest of high school, watching as the odometer rolled past the 300,000 mile mark, until I came to tech and had to leave the truck behind. Now it rests in my parents driveway waiting for me to address some concerning problems (potential head gasket leak) until it can become a daily driver once more.

When I got the truck, it already had a 4-inch lift kit and Fuel wheels with 35-inch all-terrain tires. I mainly just handle maintenance and repairs; notably, I fixed a corroded four-wheel-drive actuator over the summer.

Over the summer, I also purchased my 2007 single-cab, stick-shift Tacoma off Facebook Marketplace. I wanted something a little more convenient and fuel-efficient for getting around the city plus something to teach me how to drive manual while still being a little cool (in my eyes, at least). So far, it’s been a blast to drive and very handy for hauling stuff around.

After buying the truck, I plasti-dipped the emblems and rusty stock wheels matte black. I also restored all of the plastic trim, including the grille and front bumper, and I sanded down the foggy headlights to make them look a little newer.”