I have a brilliant terrible idea...

[awesomeaustinv]

Team-building car! Rather than one person having access to all the controls, every passenger has access to only one control! On the driver's side in the front, there will be a steering wheel and nothing else. On the passenger side you will find the brake pedal. The three passengers in the second row will individually have access to the clutch, gas, and shifter. Unless the clutch and gas people can't get the hang of cooperating with each other, then one of them may have to scooch over and operate both. Any third row passengers will have access to the turn signals, horn, radio, A/C, etc. If there's a fourth row, preferably the kind that faces backwards, that guy gets to be the navigator and will be provided with a map. Straws will be drawn to determine who does what, and then the team will be turned loose on a closed course (because I'm not crazy enough to suggest you actually drive this thing on public roads), and let hilarity ensue as they try to improve their lap times. For best results, allow them to compete against a second team with a similar car.

I recommend finding a course with as few things you can crash into as possible, as this will almost certainly be doing at least a little bit off accidental off-roading.

[Fancy Toyota-Family]

Where’d you find that beauty? I’m like 99% sure that’s my friend’s old wagon he sold last year.

[way2blu]

@awesomeaustinv This is a solid idea. Would be pretty funny to have a “Team Trials” autocross event and see which teams could work together effectively.

Autocross already gives you limited time to figure out the course, and the team aspect could be quite fun too.

[awesomeaustinv]

@fancy-toyota-family I just did a Google image search for 1979 Ford LTD wagons and found this image. It is a very nice LTD. I think it would be a perfect candidate for my dumb idea.

[awesomeaustinv]

@way2blu I'm sure this sort of thing would be hilarious to watch and participate in. Would probably make a fantastic Youtube video or spec racing series.

[just-a-scratch]

@awesomeaustinv Go old school and give it a non-synchronized transmission. Give some controls to the folks in there very back. Who doesn't like manually adjusting spark advance and choke?
How big is the team now? 12? We're gonna need a van.

[just-a-scratch]

@way2blu 10/10 would watch.

Now imagine if the teams were selected at random and participants had to do each of the different positions for a composite score or time.

[Urambo Tauro]

@awesomeaustinv Sounds like something that would be very frustrating to be a part of... but fun to watch!

[MM54]

Some friends and I conceptualized this a while ago, we realized it had spiraled out of control when the front passenger also had to use one hand to spin the alternator (mounted on the door) and someone in the back seat had a manual fuel pump.

[BaconSandwich]

@just-a-scratch said in I have a brilliant terrible idea...:

@awesomeaustinv Go old school and give it a non-synchronized transmission. Give some controls to the folks in there very back. Who doesn't like manually adjusting spark advance and choke?
How big is the team now? 12? We're gonna need a van.

I'm now picturing some abomination of a hand operated carburetor.

[SmugAardvark]

@awesomeaustinv So basically, an automotive Voltron? Count me in.

[sn4cktimes]

@awesomeaustinv maybe this could be a warm up event at Lemons

[awesomeaustinv]

@mm54 It hadn't even occurred to me to let the passengers do some of the engine's work! They've got to at least pump oil like in an antique car.

[kiltedpadre]

@awesomeaustinv So a more advanced version of chain car racing at figure 8 tracks? In those you have two cars connected by a length of chain. The front car has the engine and steering. The back car is the only one with brakes.
You’re disqualified when the chain gets broken. Last cars still hooked together win.

[pickup_man]

@awesomeaustinv Not quite at the same level but I think there's a category of boat racing that works this way, one person runs the throttle, and the other steers.

[awesomeaustinv]

@pickup_man There was also an episode of Top Gear where they raced cars that had the body of a second car welded to the roof, and the person in the top car steered while the person below had the gas and brakes.