Topic: My First LeMon

Hello all my name is Ronnie,

Well I am going to build my first LeMon and seeing how I am new to all this I thought I would ask some question and get some wisdom for you Pro LeMoners .

What is a good first build car? (Easy to work on and lots of cheap parts) Civic? Camry? Fire bird?

is it better to buy the best working car you can get for $500.00 or  buy the cheapest LeMon you can find and strategically use your remaining $500.00 limit to fixing it up?

I have budgeted $3000.00 for this build ($500.00 for the car, and the rest for the roll cage, bucket seat, 5 point harness, master kill switch, etc.)
should this be enough for a Lemons car?

What are some good weight reductions? do weight reductions go towards you $500.00 limit?

Automatic or Manual Transmission?

once on the track if something breaks, does the cost of replacing the broken part go against you $500.00 limit?

Where can I order or print a work log book from to track the build?

I thank you for taking the time to read this post and for any advice you offer.
       Ronnie

Re: My First LeMon

No Fail! It says it in the name, "CHAMP!"

Seriously, use the search function. That's why you gave Web HQ your info.
Common responses:
What do you want to do, have fun, set lap records, etc.?
$3000 is a tight budget.
Buy a built and sorted car for $3000, you'll come out ahead, probably with spares, and extra wheels.
Get lighter drivers.
You will spend your first few races getting sorted.
Auto or Manual - Yes.
Breaks at track during a race, not usually counted.
Print your log of expense from your home computer/printer. Google sheets.
Buy somebody's log book for $3000 and ask them to throw in the car for free.
Attend a race. Ask HQ for recommendations of what teams to talk to for advice. Go talk to them. Stay out of the way when they are working, unless you've got mad skills or spare parts they need.
AZ? Buy something from Spank, or not. Great deals on weird cars.

BTW - This is not a flame. Rather, these questions have been asked many, many, many, many, many times.
While they're important to you, and in no way do I discount them, they have all been answered.

"Search" is your friend.

Best of luck to ya.

Capt. Delinquent Racing
RUST-TITE XR4Ti - '21 ARSE-FREEZE-APALOOZA  I Got Screwed
The One & Only Taurus V8 SHO #31(now moved on to another OG Delinquent)
'17 Vodden the Hell - (No) Hope for the Future Award, '08 AMP Survivor, '08 ARSE-FREEZE-APALOOZA Mega-Cheater

Re: My First LeMon

A good first build car is whatever car your team is MOST familiar with. Unless you have some pro or semi-pro mechanics onboard who don't get surprised/frustrated by all the random stupid each individual make and model of car inherently has, life will be easier if you walk a path you've already been down before.

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: My First LeMon

As mentioned there are a bunch of these answered repeatedly but:

Escort GT
Buy street legal and running
$3000 total is on the light end of the spectrum but possible
Sawzall blades are cheap
Yes
Spares are budget exempt unless obvious performance enhancers
Never heard for work log book

Now, best bet, buy a used Lemons car unless the most important part of the experience for you is the build.  Most of the bugs will be worked out, it will come with spares, the old team is usually an endless resource of help and it is much cheaper.

Re: My First LeMon

I suggest you go to the Inde race and talk to people first.  There aren't many races near AZ and if you make bad choices now, double digit hour tows ending with expensive failure attached will be problematic for your team.  If you are thinking about actually doing this year's race, you probably are out of time unless you buy someone's completed or almost completed car.  Tight budget and tight schedule are the recipe for an expensive failure.  Come talk to us at the track.  I'll be with Spank and we'll have a Mazda and a Yugo there.  I believe the Yugo still has seats available and while I can't speak for the owner, you might consider an Arrive & Drive in someone's car if you can make them feel comfortable enough to allow you to do that.  The base problem with car choice is that it's almost counter intuitive as to which crappy cars do well in endurance road racing.  Those cars you listed will run for 100s of thousands of miles on the road and 100s of seconds on the racetrack.

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: My First LeMon

Go to a race, see what is out there.  Do not overly worry about the $500, get a functional cheap car and do not put on too many cheaty parts and figure out a decent theme.  Worry about wear items like bushings and brakes.  Pick a car/make you are familiar with.  $3000 is a very lean budget especially if you do not have the skill/equipment to install a cage.  Using easy numbers rounded up, budget $5000 for car and personal safety equipment (sharing helmets and HANS device.  $1000 for wheels and tires (should give you a spare or 2),  $3000 for race entry hotel fuel towing, and $1000 for hookers and blow,   Yes, it can be done for less,  but budget high, so you don't end up screwing yourselves on race weekend.

Re: My First LeMon

Relevant:

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/4520 … -Sale.html

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

Re: My First LeMon

Buy My Lemon!

http://www.racingjunk.com/24-Hours-of-L … elude.html