"$500" for the car, "$2000" for the cage.
Don't sweat the $500 thing too much. Also some cars look pretty nice from 50 feet but don't close up. Trust the Judges know where to put people and how many penalty laps to give them. It works itself out mostly. And Miata's and "New" beetles are both worth dirt if they are tired. Miata because Miata, and Beetles because they literally hit a "that's not worth fixing" wall.
Also don't forget you can sell crap you take off the car to lower the "Price" So a $2k "New" Beetle gutted, with all the PITA to get expensive interior and A/C and what not bits sold off it can come up pretty well on the final ledger.
But primarily Don't Sweat It. as long as it's in the spirit of Lemons, you won't get much grief. And if it isn't you just get a pile of penalty laps and get to be lucky if you finish the weekend with a positive lap number. You still go racing, and you weren't winning your first time out anyways (seriously, it seems easy, but there's a learning curve to doing really well.) And the Judges know that.
Find something crappy you want to swear at all weekend, get it up to rules snuff and come race!
Also P.S.: a sorted ready to race Lemons car Really costs about $4,000 - $6,000 all said and done once the safety gear is all in. Race seats and stuff are expensive! On the up side, it's a race that needs 4 - 6 drivers so about $1k each! (budget double that if you can to avoid surprises)
Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport
