Unnecessary Car Shopping With Mercedes: Another Great Build Graces CraigsList.

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
03/22/2018 at 18:57 • Filed to: unnecessary car shopping with mercedes, Smart

We should totally crowdfund my next smart.

The only way to get any truly good performance out of a smart is to shove a big turbo into it. If that doesn’t give you enough speed, you have to swap out the engine. The most popular engine swap for smarts is the engine from a sport bike. This is partially because of videos like this:

Contrary to popular belief, if you want the fastest and most reliable engine-swapped smart, you should swap in a small car engine, not a bike engine.

Bike engine conversions tend to have a lot of reliability issues, most of them revolving around the chain drive, which doesn’t like the whole idea of propelling a car. It’s much easier if you strip the car down, but unlike the above video, most bike engine conversions seek to have the car remain able to be a daily driver...which means more weight.

Ignoring the chain drive, another huge issue is the lack of a Reverse gear. Some builders will figure out how to get a Reverse gear working, but most will not. Some of these builds have even gotten engines starved of oil because again, they weren’t really made to be in a car.

However, despite the issues, Hayabusa builds remain highly popular and they will turn the car into a hilarious sportscar-beating sleeper.

I know the guy who built today’s example.

Built by a fabrication shop named Boesch Built (now known as B2 Fabrication), this car is the fruit of a project that only produced this single example.

Back in 2008, Boesch wanted to offer a truly one of a kind Hayabusa conversion kit. He’d basically standardize the process as much as possible so that he could provide different “packages” depending on your skill level. The established packages were anywhere from the bare bones parts to make the conversion happen, to a full-blown “drop your car off, pay us $17k, and we’ll do all the work for you” turnkey conversion.

The one and only customer for the Hayabusa project chose that latter “all-in” option.

And after a long and difficult build, the car was finally born:

The car is sporting the engine from a GSXR 1300 and I forgot how many ponies it made new, but it was more than any smart would ever need. It even has a reverse gear. Matt is a mad scientist when it comes to his work.

Ultimately the program was shelved. There just wasn’t enough interest in such a business. In a way, it was foreshadowing the demise of smart modification in the US years before it happened.

The car has changed hands a few times since then, and now it’s finally hitting the List of Craig.

The build has not ventured that far from where it was made, it’s still in Michigan! And the fact that the steering wheel isn’t that shiny is a sign that this car has not moved a whole lot in the 10 years of its life. I do see that Matt’s sweet custom armrest is still in the car too, so it’s largely unchanged.

It looks like the car has spent some of its life as a rolling advertisement.

Is it worth the $12,000 cost of entry? Well assuming not much has changed about the car since it was built? I’d say yes. There is incredible craftsmanship in this car and no Hayabusa conversion in the world is like it. I’d say it’s probably even daily driver material.

Oppo, we should totally do this!!!

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DISCUSSION (19)

E90M3 > Mercedes Streeter
03/22/2018 at 19:08

12k is getting into decent E34 M5 territory.

AestheticsInMotion > Mercedes Streeter
03/22/2018 at 19:09

This is awesome but that wrap is atrocious.

What (car) engines are people throwing in these?

E90M3 > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 19:24

Probably an LS, what car hasn’t that been swapped into?

WilliamsSW > E90M3
03/22/2018 at 20:11

wat? Please tell me where to find a good E34 M5 for $12k?

WilliamsSW > E90M3
03/22/2018 at 20:20

Hm, well the only one I can find for that price is in YOUR NEW HOMETOWN, so go buy it right now

https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1991/bmw/m5/100906172

Kiltedpadre > Mercedes Streeter
03/22/2018 at 20:41

No, what you really need is the truck I found earlier today. Turn it into a slant back car hauler on air suspension and you can probably haul your whole fleet.

Think of how many Smarts you could rescue if instead of flying out to get them one at a time you could grab them in multiples.

I’ve included my highly technical drawing of what your Smarthauler (tm) would look like.

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/d/1964-chevrolet-c60/6536678739.html

Kinja'd!!!

E90M3 > WilliamsSW
03/22/2018 at 20:45

There are a few out there. Also, why must you tempt me like this?

WilliamsSW > E90M3
03/22/2018 at 21:13

Because you’re constantly doing that to the rest of us?

E90M3 > WilliamsSW
03/22/2018 at 21:16

I think I might call the seller. Since you know, I might be able to fit that mofo in my garage along with the M3.

Mercedes Streeter > E90M3
03/22/2018 at 21:49

Because you’re me, only with BMWs :)

Mercedes Streeter > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 22:08

So far I’ve seen:

- Chevy small block V8.

- Chevy big block V8.

- GM EcoTec 4 cyl.

- Paseo engine (forget which generation).

- Tercel engine.

- MR2 engine (2.0 2nd gen). The MR2 conversion is almost as popular as the hayabusa.

- VW 1.9 TDI.

- Honda K20

- A couple jet engines. :D

Mercedes Streeter > Kiltedpadre
03/22/2018 at 22:09

Yeah but it probably doesn’t run. I’m not David Tracy :P

AestheticsInMotion > Mercedes Streeter
03/22/2018 at 23:58

Hmm... K20 seems like a good match!

pip bip - choose Corrour > Mercedes Streeter
03/23/2018 at 06:23

i’m in.

Kiltedpadre > Mercedes Streeter
03/23/2018 at 07:11

You’re being extremely optimistic saying it “probably” doesn’t run. There’s not a chance in hell it runs.

Mercedes Streeter > Kiltedpadre
03/23/2018 at 08:45

I am usually blindly optimistic. I just spent a couple grand on a smart car and I still only have a single picture of it. lol Hopefully the previous owner didn’t exaggerate the condition of the car!

Mercedes Streeter > pip bip - choose Corrour
03/23/2018 at 08:46

That’s what he said. :3

pip bip - choose Corrour > Mercedes Streeter
03/23/2018 at 08:47

Kiltedpadre > Mercedes Streeter
03/23/2018 at 12:48

Wow, I had no idea you’d only gotten one picture of it. I truly hope it’s even better than you’re anticipating.

It’s just too bad the weather won’t be better for cruising home your new convertible.