AAE Atom on eBay with "BRAND NEW GM Powertrain"?

[Terry Kennedy]

[I'm putting this here since I'm not selling it - just discovered it. Mods, feel free to move to For Sale if you deem it appropriate.]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110507855689

[quote="eBay listing"]One very special feature of this vehcile is that it has a BRAND NEW GM Powertrain; This was just installed by trained Ariel technicians.  New Engine AND Transmission![/quote]

With the logo stickers on it and the big "04" number, this looks like one of the Brammo-built AAE cars. I wonder why it needed a new engine - as far as I know, nobody has ever blown up a Brammo Ecotec. The ad shows the location as "Alton, VA" which is where the TMI factory is. The seller is mbdcdn, registered November 2009, 0 feedback.

[Heywood-Yablowme]

Sweet Jesus..that is a screaming deal.Hmm..

[Jul]

Wow, it is a great deal.


Interesting, chassis has 4950 miles.

[Karl]

Terry, didn't you mention that Brammo blew up an Ecotec during remote oil filter testing, or something along those lines?

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Karl"]
Terry, didn't you mention that Brammo blew up an Ecotec during remote oil filter testing, or something along those lines?
[/quote]

Well, I wasn't counting the factory

I believe that the engine that blew at Brammo never made it back into a customer car (at the time, you could get a crate engine for less  than the cost to tear the blown one apart, and Brammo presumably had a better deal than that with GM anyway).

[Heywood-Yablowme]

This is a TMI car.They lost a motor and had a spare new motor/transaxle, so it is in this car. Just spoke to them about it. This is the last of the 8 AAE cars.   
       
They won't take $35k...   If  I were not on my way,out the door, as we speak, to pick up my new motorcycle....I would now own 4 Atoms...  

[silver]

TMI was working on power adders, just as a side project, no clue if that has anything to do with this engine replacement.

[DarthChicken]

You don't need to add power to blow up and engine.  It might have been nothing more than a misshiift from 4th to 5th that ended up in 3rd.  Fuel cut or not, you rev an engine to 10 or 11k via a mis-shift, bad things happen.  It happens, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[silver]

if it weren't ugly ass BRG AND I had a spare $3X,000 I'd buy it....haha yes I know the panels can be swapped...play along children

[Mota Leira]

1. What's BRG?

2. What should I be concerned about with this one?

3. What will I miss out on buying this one instead of an Atom 3 300?

[Mr.Woolery]

[quote="Mota Leira"]
1. What's BRG?

2. What should I be concerned about with this one?

3. What will I miss out on buying this one instead of an Atom 3 300?
[/quote]

1-British Racing Green
2-Not much, so long as it's running properly.  Maybe consider a rear upright upgrade from Unique Fabrication (~$3500) to be sure.
3.Not much.  Ecotec vs. Honda decision mainly...it's really just a matter of personal preference.

If I didn't have an Atom and was in the market for one, I'd JUMP on this one.  Research registration limitations, however, if you're looking to put it on the road (know your state laws).

[silver]

british racing green

You should buy this one for sure its got lots of useful upgrades and is probably running better than any Ecotec 300

Only thing it might or might not have is the dial bypass endplate, but there is one option I dont recognize. The supercharger header thing, what's that

[silver]

Also it says it already has upgraded uprights...wonder which ones

[John Scherrer]

Do they mean upgraded exhaust manifold?

[Mota Leira]

4. What are "upgraded uprights"?

5. Major change from Atom 2 to Atom 3 from what I understood is that the engine vibration is pretty annoying in the 2, but virtually gone in the 3. Can anyone with a pulitzer prize try to describe the difference?

6. Would also like to hear a descriptive difference in feel from 245hp to 300hp.

7. Most importantly perhaps, is this car going to be street legal in California?