So What 80s American Car With a Foreign Motor Did I Buy?

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
12/21/2019 at 13:04 • Filed to: None

Let me just say first I hope this isn’t a letdown, but I don’t think I’ve oversold this...Oppo is the sort of place to find this as interesting as I do. I had two extremely close guesses: themanwithsauce guessed a Pontiac Sunbird with the Opel turbo motor, and Discerning guessed a Buick Skyhawk hatch, also with the Opel motor.

Those two guesses are so close I can basically call them correct without feeling too badly about it. However, it’s not EXACTLY right, and there’s something about this example that...I guess sets it apart a little bit. So what is it

It’s a 1982 Pontiac J2000 built for Pontiac from new to compete in the IMSA Champion Spark Plug Challenge!

The car was delivered to the builder as a body in white, it was never a road car...and for a while it was never a race car, because Pontiac backed out of the program after racer Bobby Brown built his own J2000. So the car sat, prepared but unraced until the late 80s when it was raced as a privateer.

Around 2010 it was substantially modernized, with a fire suppression system, Accusump, rev limited and other goodies. This little pile is a legitimately built race car. It’s very nicely put together, though a bit ragged around the edges.

Power comes from a heavily worked 1.8 liter Opel OHC engine, it has flat top pistons so it’s at least trying to make power. All needs to be put back together, of course.

Inside it has a full cage, Autometer gauges, a nice Kirkey seat that’s just a little bit too small for your boy Kurtis, but I can be made to fit.

It’s been sitting for about ten years by my math. I found an old website tells some of the history of the car from a former owner when he was selling it in 2011 or so, everything I know about it is from that page. So weird that it even exists.

http://newvoiceoldcars.com/ebay/history/82j2000racer/

Also so weird that I even found the thing again. It was on Facebook Marketplace a year ago for $1200 and I had messaged the guy, then ended up buying something else. Somehow it ended up back on my Marketplace feed this week for $600, and I still don’t get that because if I went to Marketplace and searched for it I couldn’t find the damn car. I guess I was just meant to have it.

I’ve got all (or most anyway) of the motor parts in a box, so I’ll put that back together and start doing little stuff on the car. I’ll set the suspension (fully adjustable with Koni coil-overs and custom camber/caster plates) to neutral to make it easier to move, update the harness and replace rubber fuel lines, lose some weight so I can fit in it (I’m close!).

$500 for this car, I don’t even think I could replicate the gauge cluster for $500.

Tomorrow I’ll vacuum it all out, maybe take some Tilex to the hood. For now I’ll just sit here and look at it.

So that’s what I bought. It’s good to be back.

DISCUSSION (30)

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:26

Sweet find! What’s the plan after fixing it ? AutoX? You’re sorta close to Lime Rock too, aren’t you?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
12/21/2019 at 13:31

Lime Rock and Thompson are close to me, and I guess Thompson recently reopened their road course. I’m thinking auto-x, track days...I don’t think I’ll go full on vintage racing but maybe someday? There’s a 2.5RS Reunion Class I could race it in.

smobgirl > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:38

Oh that’s pretty neat!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:43

This was not ov erhyped! Well worth the wait!

gin-san - shitpost specialist > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:43

At $500 it’s one of those “how could I afford not to” purchases.

Hopefully it doesn’t become a “wtf was I thinking” purchase.

Cash Rewards > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:44

Awesome. Not over sold, you bought a racecar!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:45

That is awesome!!! Nice find and hilariously nice price! :D

Guessing it won't be street legal, so assuming you'll be trailering it everywhere?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 13:53

NEAT

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
12/21/2019 at 14:01

I considering installing lights and stuff but it doesn’t have a VIN number so I don’t even think I could find a way to register it if I did. A car trailer may be my tax refund purchase.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > gin-san - shitpost specialist
12/21/2019 at 14:03

I figure I’ll get the engine rebuilt and in there, and then I can decide how to proceed with it. That won’t cost me much, so I don’t think I’ll get into too much trouble with it.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Cash Rewards
12/21/2019 at 14:03

I love the dumb little thing. It’s all very nicely built, it’s excellent.

CompactLuxuryFan > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 14:07

One of the rare “what the hell is that thing?”moments. Sweet deal for a very unique car! I’m thinking you can’t have gone wrong. Does it qualify for LeMons?

Brickman > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 14:24

Wow! I would of never guessed that :D

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > CompactLuxuryFan
12/21/2019 at 14:26

I was unaware a Pontiac J2000 was a thing until I saw this one. LeMons at least used to have a ‘no old race cars’ rule, but I don’t know if I want to go there with it anyway. I’d rather just make a track day thing out of it, set it up just for me instead of for four people.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Brickman
12/21/2019 at 14:47

I’m shocked how close some people got.

RallyWrench > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 15:49

That's so cool!! I love improbable racecars. I bet that Myron Vernis would absolutely love this.

shop-teacher > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 15:51

Whoa!!! You have definitely not oversold that. That is insanely cool, and an amazing deal!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 15:52

Huh, surprised they removed the VIN...most folks leave it even if the car is going to be track only.

RacinBob > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 16:01

Brilliant buy. I remember those cars. Didn’t the Archer brothers ra n Caveliers? Those Champion Spark Plug Challenge cars were stock in body only, with good factory support. Those cars were heavily breathed upon especially under the hood. Exotic stuff in a pedestrian wrapper .

We were hanging out at Road America on a Saturday night and I recall seeing Joe Varde field rebuilding an engine at about 12:30 in the morning. We were there because a friend was running the Firehawk race. My buddy and I spent the night in the paddock sleeping with the seats reclined in m y Omni GLH. We called it the Omni Inn. Those were cool days and neat cars.

RacinBob > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 16:14

PS - One other comment. Having owned three succe ssful ex pro racecars, I am embarased to say I managed to make each slower with my improvements rather than faster. Do not change a thing. If it was professionally developed. I can assure you t hat crappy exhaust manifold is probably the fastest one in existance. Same with the horrible intake manifold or plenum. Don’t change anything, because probably they spent days of dynotime and testing getting that thing competitive and your changes will just slow it down!!!

Also, as having raced a Citation X-11 of that era, front hubs are weak, You will probably need to change them periodically, Also rears are weak too. The rears are not seviceable. If they get sloppy, you need to change them. Th e cavelier front hubs were better than the X-11 though so you are starting from a better place than I. I needed to adapt my knuckles to fit the Cavelier hubs in order to get something that would last more than a week at Blackhawk.....

punkgoose17 > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 16:51

Very cool. I am guessing the race has some weird rhd requirement. I will read up on it later.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
12/21/2019 at 16:56

My understanding is that it literally never had one, it was a body-in-white delivered to the builder as a body and that’s it.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RacinBob
12/21/2019 at 16:58

Yes! The Archers ran Cavaliers, Bobby won a race in one of them. I think the factory support going to them and the Chevy played a part in support being pulled for my car. Fine by me, if it was raced maybe it wouldn’t have survived to be bought by me for $500, haha.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RacinBob
12/21/2019 at 16:59

I’m planning to put the motor back together as is. I’ve actually got a really nice tubular header they were running. Only thing I seem to be missing is an intake manifold and carburetor...it had a 2bbl Holley at some point, but I can’t find that manifold so I just picked up one for a pair of Weber DCOEs. Besides that change it’ll go back together totally stock.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 17:13

Oh, right! Yes, if it came straight from GM, that could very well be...

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
12/21/2019 at 18:25

Hah, that’s such an awesome ifnd ! My dad worked at a Jasper transmission shop when he gradua ted high school and someone there had a similar vintage J-body he setup for racing too. Same guy also had a 70s sunbird with a trans-am V8 swapped into it that apparently ate suspension components since the car was never meant to have that much weight to begin with, and my dad and the other guys would go bar hopping in it.

Apparently my dad worked with a Pontiac fanatic back in the 80s.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
12/21/2019 at 19:28

Sunbird with a big ol v8 would have been a great setup, as long as you’re going straight anyway. I’m trying to find more of these j-body racers, but the only ones I’ve found are the Archer Cavaliers and the Bobby Brown J2000...and there aren’t many pictures of them. Somehow mine is the most photographed j-body IMSA racer even though it never competed, though nothing before like 2010 which is a shame.

RacinBob > RacinBob
12/21/2019 at 19:45

Glad to see you are restoring it. I believe these are vintage eligible. Does it have a 4 speed or is it a 5?

RacinBob > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
01/15/2020 at 08:06

I’d forgotten that I had seen this post. Are your front hibs the ones with a hole in the front flange?? The hole is for access to the hub mounting bolts. I expect they are.

You do not want to use the hubs that have a cut out U shaped notch for access. They will break off the hu b flange under load. Ask me how I know......

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RacinBob
01/15/2020 at 14:09

Good question, I have no idea! Actually this weekend I’m going to throw the car up on jack stands and try to neutral out the front suspension...it’s a bitch to move around with all that toe and camber. Once I get the wheels off I’ll report back.