Topic: Hi from Central Florida

Hi All,
I've been following Lemons for a couple years now and have always wanted to race.  I saw one race in Sebring a while back.  I live in Melbourne, FL and finally starting the car build and putting together a team.

I've been given cars from various family and friends this past year.  First was a MK4 Jetta GL that a co-workers husband gave me.  It was kinda running and one brake caliper wasn't working at all along with the interior being trashed from hauling boating supplies.  I wasn't too much of a fan of the 8v motor so I haven't given that car too much thought.

Later my cousin gave me a MK2 Golf w/VR swap but it was so rusted out that he couldn't pass inspection so I went and towed it down to Florida.  After getting it running I thought I would look for a new cheap body to swap the VR but over the past few months I have not been able to find a body that is cheap enough.

Heading out to look at a MK3 Jetta TDI this weekend.  Hopefully it'll be the car.  Racing a diesel seems fun.  I've run a BABE Rally team before, ran the BABE Rally two years, but I'm sure running a Lemons team way different and more complicated. 

I did some preliminary searches online for cage builders and found one that has been used for a couple of Lemons and\or Chump Car races from Tampa.  It's a little ways away and Orlando is a lot closer so if anybody knows of somebody in the Central Florida area let me know.  I'd greatly appreciate a reference for a good local cage builder.

Re: Hi from Central Florida

welcome to the insanity. depending on the rustiness (important parts, not body) of the vR6 I like it, those are pretty reliable and make good power. the sticky caliper wouldn't worry me unless it was attached to a bunch of other stuff about to go wrong (rusty brake lines, bad master cylinder stuck bearings) the TDI is likely to get you a Class C the first time out unless you really prepare the car. We run a lot of VWs here in california they surprise a lot of people with there handling and agility. 5 speed all the way and might as well get a bearing puller now if you don't have one.

#44 VW Jetta "Le Mondrian"
Arsesweat '17 finished 10th in (B), 3 finishes in 7 races
#96 Silver Subaru Legacy Automatic w Orange Top (formerly)

Re: Hi from Central Florida

For me I think it's going to be VR or TDI.  The car I was going to look at this weekend fell through.  sad 

I've read about the wheel bearings being a problem when racing them.  I'm going to do a few of the suggestions like re-pack them with better grease, making sure there are some cooling ducts on them, and use all MK3 hubs up front.  I've got a press that I've done bearings with before so I'll just have to find a way to get it to the track in case they break there.

Re: Hi from Central Florida

I can fix your rear bearing issue send me an email

dougieboudreau  at gmail.com

959 Toyota Tercel   6x Lemons loser

New England Area roll cages send me an email I'm in Central MA

Re: Hi from Central Florida

I think I've got my car lined up.  After losing a few cars to other buyers before I could get to them I've set a deposit on one for him to hold for me and I'm heading on a 7 hour trip from Melbourne to Atlanta to pick it up this weekend.  MK3 VR6 Jetta.

I kinda have one question.  How do I deal with vehicles that are given to me and using parts from them?  I've got two sitting at the house right now that I'm not going to use for Lemons but I want to take the suspension off of a MK2 Golf that I was given and use it on the MK3 along with a few parts from the MK4 that a co-workers husband gave me.  It's a coilover suspension so will I be dinged laps for having that on the vehicle and not have a price paid for it?  I did go and tow the vehicle from Massachusetts to Florida so technically it wasn't free as far as that goes but that was for the whole vehicle.

Re: Hi from Central Florida

You have to account for any go faster goodies you put on the car. You may not have paid for them, but you have to come up with somethimg. Unless you plan to sell off the other cars to bring down costs, you should treat the parts as being independant of the other cars.

Either way, you’ll still probably get penalty laps for the coil overs unless they are beat to hell. But you’re not winning your first time out anyway so don’t worry too much.

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

Re: Hi from Central Florida

Actually I am selling off parts and one of the whole cars that I got.  I'll make sure to track all of those sales and what not.  I'm just trying to play as close to the rules as possible.  Definitely not trying to win our first time out.  I'll be happy if we finish the race.

Thanks for the help with that info!

Re: Hi from Central Florida

I just picked up a 1996 Jetta VR6 last weekend from Atlanta.  It was a long day going from Central Florida to Atlanta and back in one day.  It's looking good so far for my Lemons car.  The previous owner included a few boxes of extra parts in the car.  Would those parts be able to be sold to counter the price of the vehicle and if so how would I prove that they weren't just my parts from my house that I was selling?  I've got two pictures of the boxes of stuff in my text messages from when I picked it up.  Would I just print out those texts and put it into a binder for the car build?  Most of it are stock parts but some of them are aftermarket.

https://i.imgur.com/jZMR2GU.jpg

9 (edited by cheseroo 2018-08-15 10:19 AM)

Re: Hi from Central Florida

Documentation is everything.  Pictures help.  Texts help, etc.  Pictures of random parts buyers handing you money as you hand them parts, etc.   Just beware that the judges are fulling aware that anyone can (and several have) dummyed up documentation like that.  They are also are fully aware that presidents of VR6 clubs will have boxes of VR6 stuff laying around that they can sell to offset the costs of cheaty bits so don't be shocked if they don't believe you. 

If you want to help things along, make them laugh.  I particularly liked the documentation where the guy used drawing paper and crayons to demonstrate the team removing the V8 engine from a van in a field to put into their hooptie, stick figures, stick farm animals and all.  So maybe put together a crayon drawn scrapbook of your Central FL <-> GA travels.  Paste some leaves/flowers onto the pages from when you "stopped" along the way.  Maybe some wrappers from road food along the way (a Stuckey's Pecan Log wrapper would be golden).  Maybe soil a page where your dog peed on it during a bathroom break.  How about including a picture of an exceptionally stupid act performed by the stereotypical Florida idiot that you "witnessed".  That sort of thing.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Hi from Central Florida

Thanks for the tips cheseroo.

How about a short video?  Would they be willing to watch a couple minute YouTube video during inspection?   I did take a few short clips of adult store billboard signs (THERE WERE SO MANY!) while I was on I-75 traveling to pick up the car.  I also got a quick video of the guy selling the car and us shaking hands but no mention except in the texts about the extra parts.

I saved the craigslist ad of the vehicle but it didn't list any of the parts either.  sad

Re: Hi from Central Florida

Couple minute?  No.  30 seconds?  Maybe.  Grab stills of your video and put them in your scrapbook or whatever.  Remember while you think you are doing this to have fun playing car, you are actually content for the Lemons commercial machine which means if it's good enough they will want to publish it somewhere.  The easiest way is for them is via still pictures.  Your video you can put up on Youtube with the #lemonsworld tag and maybe they will use it but to get through BS inspection keep it short and sweet.  You can also email it to Nick at HQ and  they might include some of it in their race wrapup.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)