Yank Cheap Sports Car

So the riding season has ended, was bored so googled "best cheap sports cars" to have fun with when it's cold, wet, extremely windy, etc. All the usual suspects came up but one of the better ranked cars was a Chrysler Crossfire. WTF. I had seen a few over the years roaming the streets hauling Grandpa to the golf course and thought they looked great. So more research to find out they are built in the Karmann factory in Germany, using all MBZ 320SLK components. The only thing American is the sexy/controversial body design.

Friday i got a wild hair and bought a 05 crossfire with only 75 k miles on it for a toy for $7k. It was freaking awesome when I test drove it in W mode, which I learned was winter/wet limited power mode. Yesterday with the help of the crossfire forum I was able to get up to full power, I think with 91 octane fuel and other user settings not well documented. Tires aren't the best, but it still corners on rails when in tight off camber switchbacks. Woo hoo is an understatement. It kicks ass in the corners, straight line acceleration is quite impressive with only 215 naturally aspirated hp but 230 ft/lb or torque for a 3000 lb car. Sure there are rice burners out there that can smoke it in a straight line. Should run strong technical autocross/Hill climb events. Can anbody recommend a good grin remover? Maybe a few cheap hp still hiding is this powerplant yet, but most modern cars/bikes are in a high state of tune.
Snow for the next couple of days so pics to follow.

 

Bump

 

I was posting on my smart phone, sometimes it works other times its like wtf is it doing now. hence the bump to see if it would show up. I normally have to go outside to get a strong enough signal to do an attachment. Cellphone service west of the Mississippi river is pretty hit and miss.

 

"I remember it being referred to as looking like a dog with worms, trying to scratch its arse on the carpet" LOL I read that also but did not make the connection until you posted the dog pic. Bingo

 

I found the steering quick enough for a series of quick switchback corners, but as you say not a lot of feedback, and yes rearward vision is limited, may add camera as they are getting pretty cheap. Daily driver is a company truck.

 

STD crossfire uses all the running gear from the mbz 320slk. This afternoon I took it for run down some recommended twisty fun bike roads about 50 miles away. Had a great time even though it was only 45 f. outside. These are all rural two lane highway paved roads thru farmland, and since harvest is long over, with debris and farm machinery is absent now, only seen about a dozen other cars in about 100 miles. Lots of posted 25-45 mph corners of all sorts of camber and radius changes. Had an awesome time, and the crossfire handled as if on rails even with mediocre tires which will be replaced soon. Most of the afternoon was spent running at 80-90 mph. Hit 130 on a clear stretch of road, and it was still accelerating well. Only one butt pucker moment, but car tracked great. Whoo rahs and yeah babies flowed. I love this "wolf in sheep's clothing" with great usable powerband.

 

Yep, there's a gulf gt-40 and a gulf 917 that roams the local streets near my house. Oh yeah and a yet identified newish McLaren I will have to get some pics

 

Yah, lawyers. JD you know I don't make sqaut being a HVAC systems engineer, all the building $$$$$$$ buget goes to granite countertops, fancy restrooms, and other visual BLING.

 

What does a 15 year old cheap sports car engine bay look like

 

Rest of car needs a wash