List of what can be rented?

"Like the suit, transponder, radio, helmet, really anything other than the car itself.... I do know that there is a section on the forums for people selling things, but I figured I'd check here first."

http://racesuitrental.com/
They have your personal safety gear.  Website might have prices and most folks I brought into the insanity used them first and were very happy.

Transponder comes from Lemons of you click that option in registration.

On an overall note, if you aren't ready right now as a newbie team, you likely are not racing your car in the Midwest this year.  Gingerman is oversold and they waitlisted teams...first time ever in this region.

Do not despair!  Come be crew, arrive and drive or just hang out at what is guaranteed to be a great spectacle.

Thanks for the rental link! That will certainly help! And yeah, I kinda figured I wasn't getting in midwest this year when I saw everything I'd have to do in the rules. It was a fun goal for a second though! I'm sure we'll at least come spectate. Depends, we'll see what the future brings.

Hodgepodge,

You really should do this.  The offer extended to you is top rate, take it.  The time spent seeing the workings of a seasoned team that runs interesting cars and is part of the color of Lemons, is invaluable when you execute your own build.  The little tips, tricks, and "doh" moments payoff ten fold in work hours and money saved.

Heck If I wasn't doing Buttonwillow the week prior, I might take OnkelUdo up on his offer to just spectate while watching the 10th aniversary.  The food and booze alone is worth the trip.

FWIW,

Hamsa

We are full up for this race unless you want to sign up as a crew member ($75 instead of the normal $30 paddock pass)...let me know and I can send you the invite code.  that would give you chance to try your hand at fueling if we have a suit that will fit you but otherwise, not too much advantage.  We have a crew member plus 4.5 drivers plus our Team Mom and a few others that come and go.

Mostly it was an offer to hang out at the race and watch a team in motion, meet other teams, etc.  The 18 or so reserved electrified paddocks spots are populated by "The Usual Suspects" which is a group of the Midwest faithfuls that want to be near Soggy (the bacon man) and each other for fun and to share resources.  There will be everything from Spec Land Yatchs to a RWD Golf to a (hopefully) 1948 Plymouth to a first gen Celica with an Ecotec motor and Colorado transmission to a Saturn with a ram air intake and this annoying leaf blower sounding thing that I am told has  spinning Dorito of misery for an engine.

We have an enclosed trailer with plenty of floor space.  I usually cook more than we can eat so I roam the paddock trying to give away food.I will have 15-20 gallons of homebrew beer with us as well.

Excellent thinking - and you still have a month to prep - plenty of time - registration aside, why not go for it and see what see what comes out in the end?

More practically, if this is your first Lemons race you'll have seen (and even more so if it's your first enduro), expect to be hooked afterwards - we warned you!

Also, consider asking around to see if there are teams running cars the same or similar as what you're running or have some expertise (!) in.  Perhaps call the Powers-That-Be and ask who's running what and get their contact info?

Throw your field tool set in - when you get pulled in to working on someone's car, which _will_ happen, having tools right at hand is golden.

And bring trade goods.  Spare parts/alcohol/bacon are the currency of the land, from what I know.

Have fun!

The only difference is that without a crew wristband, you are prohibited from doing anything other than watching.   It's purely an insurance thing.

That applies to most of us, even if we've been doing it for years.   

Welcome to the forum, and the a very expensive hobby. 

+1 for RaceSuitRentals my team used them for the first two races and I have nothing but good things to say.

Just going to throw my two cents in here.  I'm in the BUY over build camp, its just cheaper and easier. To build a well sorted and safe car will cost you upwards of $3000 likely $4500 or so.  You can buy cars that are ready to race from $1000 to $3000. My team bought a car to build and then after about a month of working on it we realized it would still be cheaper to buy a built car.   Even after we had spent $500 on the first car. 

Always buy built for your first car, or even try for an arrive and drive before you fully commit. 

Also since rims are exempt from the budget you cannot sell them to reduce the cost of your car.  Sorry.  The same is true for other budget exempt items like glass, brakes, and fuel systems.  You can still sell them to get money, but it does not come off the budget.  I would go lights and interior/exterior trim to get money of your budget.  Also you can sell hood/trunk/doors as long as you replace them. Sell a clean one, get a dented one form a junkyard.

The running through the paddocks asking random folks for a picklefork or 1 3/8" deep well socket or piece of 1/8" plate about so big or...yeah, we have sent newbies just there for the ambiance South on such quests while a team member went North.

Running to the parts store or to get fuel or ice or whatever...also favorite duties.

Yes, by all means keep it street legal and licensed/insured.   That makes it sooooooo much easier when you need to take it to the muffler shop, tire store, or just do a quick road test.   You can also get lots of attention by taking it to your local "Cars and Coffee" on Saturday morning.  When I did that with the Super Snipe, the kids were agog at a car that could be started with a hand crank!

Unless you are experienced madmen and work long hours at it, those "few items" will probably take you a few months.   Seriously.

What worked well for me was to keep a clipboard hanging near the car with a list of "to do" items.   As you work on the car, add new items to the list.   After each work session, edit the list on your computer, sorting the new "to do" items into an order that makes sense.   DO NOT delete the "done" items, but move them to the end with a separate header.   This will help you feel good about what you have accomplished, in relation to what still needs to be done.

For certain critical items like "put oil in engine", write it on the windshield in grease pencil, or someplace else where you cannot miss it.   A whiteboard often works for this.

If building your own cage, print a copy of "How Not to Fail Lemons Tech Inspection" and hang the pages in your work area.   Refer to them often.

Good luck and have fun!

Noooooo!   Not a spreadsheet!   I hate using spreadsheets for everything!   For this application I used a simple text file, which worked perfectly.