Previous NMS Cars

The NMS team has owned other cars before we started autocrossing, but who wants to hear about a VW Rabbit, Plymouth Voyager, Plymouth Neon, or Ford Taurus? Our 04 Mustang GT Convertible was cool, but we didn't know about autocross back then! Instead, we thought we'd use this page to highlight our previous fun cars. 

FIAT 500 Abarth at Watkins Glen, 2019, Kyle Ray-Smith Instructor
Photo by Wind Shadow

-2013 FIAT 500 Abarth FIAT returned to the US in 2012, so Italian car fan Robert test drove the basic 500 and then the 500 Abarth before ordering an Abarth. Built to NMS specifications, the car was delivered to South Carolina in September 2012 as an early 13 year model, and we started autocrossing early in 2013. Robert enjoyed a good number of class wins in GS and HS (thanks to low numbers of other competitors) and won his class three years running with the Tidewater Sports Car Club in Virginia Beach (2015-2017). Upgrades  included lowering springs, and FREE new shocks that we won in an online contest from Koni. Free is still our favorite flavor! The FIAT 500 Abarth was originally classed in G Street by the SCCA, then later in HS. With upgrades the car then entered the new Hot Hatch class in 2019. This was a daily driver as well, and was sold in 2020. Now living in Manhattan, NY. 

Ford Probe: RALLYCROSS!

-Ford Probe Late in the 2017 season, Brian and a team of drivers that looks amazingly like Team Coronautski also purchased this sorry looking Ford Probe for a few magic beans! After towing it home, and making some very minor repairs, they fired it up and competed at one Rallycross event with no breakdowns! Since it didn't break, Brian even took it to an autocross and won his class!



1978 Datsun B210gx  Featuring Stage 1 rust (for weight savings), A15 motor, Weber carb, missing back seat, bucket seats from a Datsun Z car. Brian and some South Carolina friends bought this car, and with some repair work, drove it in Rallycross. This Datsun is now in the stable of our friends at Shellie's House of Speed. 


2004 MazdaSpeed Miata (turbo)

Above, the 2004 MazdaSpeed Miata  They only made this model for 2 years, and it's cool because it came stock with a turbo. Brian started autocrossing in this in 2013, and then sold it to buy the current 99 Miata. We both drove it at ZMax (Charlotte NC) in our 2nd event, and Robert managed to spin out on  his first run, not being so familiar with rear wheel drive. Somehow Brian was faster.

2015 Ford Fiesta ST

2015 Ford Fiesta ST This is a great autocross car, currently placed in HS class by the SCCA. This photo was taken at an event held at Cherry Point Marine Naval Air Station, North Carolina, which is an awesome location for driving. They have huge amounts of runway, and you might get serenaded by active Harrier jets over on the other runway way in the background! Brian competed in several events with it, and took a good number of HS wins. Both Brian and Robert drove it at Cherry Point, as well as another driver, and just like when they shared the Miata at Zmax, somehow Brian was faster!


2000 Mustang
This 2000 V6 Mustang followed us home from a Norfolk Naval Base abandoned auto auction, and would have been a huge bargain, but the engine was dead and we didn't feel the need to get it going again. It's now got a new home in Virginia with a driver that already had an engine and just needed a good Mustang body. We got a good deal on it, sold it for slightly more, and the new owner still got a good deal too. Everyone wins at NMS!



2004 Mustang GT convertible  (no photos) Purchased new way back in 2004 after we sold a house at the top of the real estate market (thank you US Army for making us move then!) the mighty Mustang was used as a daily driver until the FIAT 500 Abarth came along in 2012. The convertible survived being out in a tornado in Missouri, so after that it enjoyed a new coat of paint, new top, new windshield, new trim, basically a LOT of new stuff thanks to the tornado and a little thing that we call "auto insurance." 


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