JOC2D - Figuring Out
Florida, July 1984.
Kenneth Bower is now 49 years old. A lot has happened in the past 13 years. Kenneth used to be a test pilot but one thing led to another and by 1976, after many years of training, Kenneth had become an astronaut at NASA. Despite being new at the time, he was entrusted with many important missions including some of the first Space Shuttle test flights. Kenneth truly can get much higher (so high) (oh, oh, oh).
By 1984, Kenneth still worked for NASA. He still gets selected for missions into space but his age is starting to affect his otherwise good physical health. He is no longer in his prime. And with that, Kenneth started to doubt himself and his identity. A mid-life crisis, if you will.
The solution to all this? Run away! As fast as he could until he can’t run from it no more. And what exactly will Kenneth run away with? In addition to massive rockets, planes, and space shuttles, well, he doesn’t know yet. Should it fully embrace his all-American identity? Or should he embrace a new continental or oriental style? Is he attracted to women after all? Or should he Go West where the opposite is… acceptable? Besides, as great of a car as the the Cabirou Rosson was, it is already quite old at this point so it needed to be replaced… or at least put into storage while the new car takes over its role.
Priorities
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Styling. What kind of person making bank doing the things they love would settle for an ugly car?
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Drivability. Kenneth wants to be in control of his car. Driving aids like power steering or an automatic transmission could help but are obviously not required. Kenneth still likes rowing his own gears though he also likes the convenience of the automatic.
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Sportiness. After driving one of his friend’s sports cars, Kenneth has developed a taste for cars that can turn as well as it can accelerate.
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Performance. Kenneth is used to being strapped onto machines with tens of thousands of horsepower. He wants good power but is now also aware that horsepower numbers aren’t everything.
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Comfort. He wants to go fast, but he doesn’t want to break his back while doing so. That being said, he doesn’t need a car that’s super cushy as the Armor does that job for him.
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Safety. Kenneth probably has more days behind him than ahead, but he doesn’t want to die in a vehicle that is going very fast on January 28, 1986.
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Fuel Economy. Gas may be cheaper nowadays but Kenneth remembered how things were right after he bought the Armor in '71. He knows that sports cars will definitely drink a lot of gas but it shouldn’t be as bad as his two boats.
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Reliability. Your problems will catch up to you if you stop for repairs.
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Environmental Resistance. Kenneth still lives near the coast and could do with rust protection.
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Practicality. Kenneth might have a big and spacious wagon but his new car should still be able to carry some luggage.
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Purchase/Service Costs. As long as it isn’t overpriced, it’s good.
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Prestige. The badge doesn’t matter as long as it delivers. Kenneth prefers a good old V8 but with the fuel crisis in recent memory and technological advancements, Kenneth now hold six cylinders in high regard as well. Four cylinders? But with a little tomfoolery, maybe.
Rules:
Engine
- Family year ≤1984
- Variant year 1984
- Maximum loudness: 50
- At least one muffler required
- Catalytic converter required
- Unleaded fuel only
- 95 RON/90 AKI fuel ONLY
- No V16s
- Techpool: 10 points, limited to 4 per area
Trim
- Model year ≤1984
- Trim year 1984
- Max. wheelbase: 2.8m
- No semi slicks
- Must have at least 2 seats
- Must be a 2-door coupe/sedan or a 3-door liftback
- Techpool: 20 points, limited to 4 per area
Naming Convention
- Model/engine family name: JOC2D-(your forum username)
- Trim name: name of your car
- Variant name: name of your engine
Additional Rules
- A post/advertisement of your entry must be posted on this thread.
Realism Notes
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It goes without saying that unrealistic styling and/or engineering will result in a bin. Automobile-Catalog is a helpful website that provides all kinds of information from a car’s tyre diameter down to the type of carburettor an engine uses. From my experience, however, the website does not have much information on certain brands (including Toyota) but a quick search on the search engine of your choice should give you the information you need regardless.
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TRX tyres (tyre sizes that end in “0”) are allowed for this round though I will penalize them slightly if you use them on your entry. Entries that mix TRX and non-TRX tyres on the same car will be binned on sight.
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Since it is literally 1984, sealed beams are no longer a requirement so you can use composite headlights. Use whichever that suits your design best.
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Kenneth is open to many different kinds of cars. Working with people from all over the country and even abroad, Kenneth has had the pleasure to try all sorts of different cars from the traditional big American V8 that he’d been driving all his life to rear-engined sports cars and cars with turbocharged engines. Still, he holds the V8 near and dear to his heart so he will have a slight bias to what’s familiar to him. But then again, maybe something new is just what he needs…
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Engines with four valves per cylinder will be put under more scrutiny as the technology had only begun to trickle down to normal, consumer cars down from race cars and very high-end sports cars. If you are unsure what configuration to use, do some research and/or ask others.
TLDR; you can do whatever you want but make sure you know what you’re doing
Extra Notes
- Interiors are not mandatory but I will review them if you decide to make one
Inspirations
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
BMW 6-Series
Porsche 911
Alpine A310
Jaguar XJ-S
Toyota Soarer
Nissan Leopard
Submissions
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Submissions will open on Sunday, January 8th at 23.59 (UTC+7). The rules will be open to deliberation and subject to change until then.
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Submissions will close on Tuesday, January 24th at 23.59 (UTC+7).
Changelog
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Added notes regarding valvetrain
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Added notes regarding Kenneth’s preferences
That is all
In the meantime, enjoy some early 90s J-pop.
Honestly I could’ve taken more time to write this but it is what it is so please report any flaws with the ruleset before the round begins