If necessity is the mother of invention, then a tight budget is the tequila that makes that mother particularly frisky. Our $2008 Challenge competitors brought cars that showed off a variety of clever, low-budget solutions to both aesthetic and performance-related problems.
These are the kinds of fixes that get a car back in the game—or get it to the big show in the first place. Sure, the factory might have intended its vehicles to go together in one particular way, but who says that’s the only way? After all, innovation and ingenuity are the American way.
Our Challengers aren’t the only clever ones, as GRM readers have also been submitting their favorite low-buck tips via our website. We didn’t want to keep all of these nuggets of genius to ourselves, so here are 35 of our favorites.
Paper Trail
Tired of losing small bolts or nuts in tight spaces? Well, here’s a tip to keep them in the socket: Just put a small piece of paper between the socket and the bolt or nut, and it will stay in there snugly—even upside down.
Sean Dittmer • Rohnert Park, California
I Tumble for You
For easy, gentle cleaning of rusty parts, use a brass tumbler (available at most gun shops). Load in the parts, add media, plug in, and walk away. Won’t mess up threads or damage chrome.
Dutch Kluge • Stuart, Florida
A Knob’s a Knob
A surprising variety of items can be used as shift knobs, but Randy Knick’s solution was actually designed from the start to be grasped by a human hand. He bought a $7 doorknob…
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