Sloppy Mechanics “8s For 8” Project Proves You Can Build an 8-Second Car for $8,000

Going fast can end up being incredibly expensive. We all start out with a budget and somewhere along the line, it can be blown out the window. For anybody who has ever priced out building a go-fast machine, they know all about this phenomenon.

Fortunately, though, being resourceful is a great way to save a little bit of money. For the Sloppy Mechanics community, that is exactly what they thrive off of. One scroll through their Facebook group or YouTube channel will show off some of their creative wares.

Whether it’s sourcing an affordable turbo or figuring out which components from common vehicles will work with your racing application, resourcefulness is what this community is all about. In order to show that off, the man in charge of it all, Matt Happel, has come up with a selection of different builds that really pique mass interest. This time, he teamed up in a joint venture with Mark Urban of Urban Racecars.  They also had some help from Dan Salvatori, Nick Romash, Mitch Eisenhart, Brian Tyers, Cameron Powers, John Martin and many others including Holley EFI, Monkey Fab, VS Racing, Jake’s Performance, and Snake Eater Performance. I guess one could say that it was a bit of a community effort.

Now, sometimes, the “Sloppy” mentality is met with a little bit of apprehension. How could somebody possibly take cheap components and make them go fast reliably and safely? In this situation, the proof is really in the pudding.

The latest project is all about an LS-powered, turbocharged Ford Mustang in a project they call “8s for 8.”

The whole goal here is to make the car run an eight-second quarter mile for $8000 dollars or less. Essentially, it seems as if Matt was setting out to prove a point with this one. Some people seem to think that cheap and efficient junkyard builds aren’t possible. Depending on the level of expertise, that might hold some truth. However, in this one, we watch as a legitimate $8000 build, give or take a few dollars depending on who you ask, that ends up running an 8-second quarter mile. You can definitely color us impressed.

For those who are looking to make horsepower on a budget, we would highly recommend diving into what these guys are all about. If nothing else, perhaps there are some tech tips that could be applied to just about anybody’s repertoire. At the end of the day, this is what it’s all about.

There aren’t too many people who have cracked the code and are willing to give away their secrets. The Sloppy Mechanics are doing just that and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

For now, we’re sinking our teeth into the 8f8 results below!