Old school vs new school for newbs? (Page 1 of 2)

The #1 suggestion on this forum regarding 'how to get started in Lemons' appears to be:

*** Buy a pre-raced car ***

I know that's not any of your targets, but it directly answers your question.

Going beyond that, some frequent suggestions (in no particular order here) are:

Build what you know.

Build what you would like or want to drive during a race.

Consider expected reliability for time on track vs. wrenching.

Consider the cost of consumables: brakes, tires, fuel, etc.

I think each of the additional suggestions have answers that are specific to each team.

I would be wary of the computers in certain newer cars.  I have heard some won't work if you take out any of the security system such as door locks. Some go into limp mode. I know a certain Jaguar that is currently has a bricked ECU, because Jaguar.

Thanks for the replies everyone! Especially The Engineer. After reading your tagline I quietly deleted the dodge turbo Z from contention.

That Honda is a screaming good deal. The reason we’re looking to build a car is in part to teach our kids wrenching. My buddies and I took the kids to the Petit Le Mans at road Atlanta this year. It’s an interesting feeling to see the kids eyes light up and listen to them talking about wrenching and cars like myself and their dads used to. For my part in this madness, I think dealing with the issues of fabrication, reading the rules, comprehending the rules, and learning to properly bend the rules will be a good experience. As well as teaching them about team communication, and commitment. As well as the satisfaction of working on a project and seeing that project come to fruition. If it was just gonna be me and my hermanos, an already prepped car would be ideal. Thanks for the suggestion and I’ll run by the others.

Just me asking has been beneficial tbh. Since we’re gonna have our kids helping and driving (ages 16-17 rn) I think a bigger, heavier car would be asking for trouble. That mass requires earlier braking and a softer touch unless you wanna end up in the outfield. Ditto anything that may be too fast. Slowing down from 150-160 is MUCH different than slowing down from 90-100!

modern cars and electronics are fun for sure, but not deal breaking. The trick is making sure you can get all the diagnostic tools to get around them. I'm sure Jag tools are expensive. Our Saab is a nightmare of interconnected electronics, we couldn't even remove the onstar box without it getting mad. But clones of the tech II exist for cheap enough, and ours has saved us a TON of times. If you plan ahead and get the right tools, a modern car shouldn't be too scary.

Some additional comments:

1. The "Index Of Effluvium" is the Grand Prize in Lemons, and comes with the largest financial benefit.

2. ... crap, I forgot the quote about the benefits of "Learning to drive a SLOW car FAST, rather than a fast car fast", or something like that. Experienced racers: please help me out here - thanks

3. Mount the seat before planning the cage.

I might as well offer my $0.02.

If you want to just drive, buy a pre-built car.

Pros:

-Cheaper
-Probably pass tech the first time
-Might even last the whole race

Cons:

-You don't know jack about who/how it was put together so you probably can't fix it.
-The REAL reason it's being sold is not obvious (i.e. "ran when parked")
-You miss the 'building' aspect of the car, which can be fun

My advice is if you want to just "see what it's like" just do an arrive-n-drive rental with an existing team.  Who knows, you might hate this whole Lemons thing.  It's quite an investment with all the gear and associated stuff like gas cans, radios, tow vehicle, spare parts, etc.  if you happen to love it like the rest of us fools, be prepared to part ways with a lot of of your time and money!

Big Block...Big Block.....Big Block  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I listened to everyone’s suggestions. Buying an already prepped Lemons car makes the most sense. If I just wanted seat time I’d go that route.
Getting a big ‘ol honkin land barge REALLY appeals to me. The ‘77 GP is the last year of the full size A body. And the marquise has a 429!!! However, I’ve owned a Buick Roadmaster in the past and remember the, erm, unsettling feeling of taking sweepers at around triple digits! Scary!!!!
So, after taking everyone’s thoughts into consideration, I went with option C. Aka South America’s finest! A ‘89 VW Fox wagon! Yes, 80 horsepower of longitudinal front wheel drive domination!!!! Lol
TBH, I’m super stoked about it. The car is a manual, and it’s light. Also, it was sold originally here in GA and has no rust! (I sense BS factor laps already) also, it has a Bosch cis FI system, which is mechanical. The fuel distributor is bad, and it has a busted injector. But both of those are safety items! Mwahahaha! The plan is to get it running and autocross it this year a few times while upgrading items. The boy is super excited about it too! Honestly quite surprised when I showed him the articles on driving a slow car fast. He got it! I’m looking forward to a thorough prep and hounding y’all with questions that hopefully lessen in stupidity as time goes on!

Thanks y’all!

Now how do I post a pic? I’ll try the search button first.

Nobody will know or care if you replace the injector or fuel distributor to get it running.  Keep it stock and you have an IOE candidate.

Bring a SU carb and some wood for when that CIS craps out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSLcti9jTf8

That thing looks sweet. I've always wanted one. Don't let all the haters get you down, this is a fine racing machine!

I wouldn't spend too much time/effort on the CIS, just 1.8T swap it and call it a day