Topic: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

I tried to find this answered in the forum already, and I'm sure it is, but I couldn't find this scenario so I apologize if this is a repost.

Would this scenario run afoul of the $500 budget?

I get a car I like for $400 off craigslist but it has a blown engine. 

I buy another car that has the same engine, but actually runs, for $800.  I pull out the engine from the 2nd car and then part out that 2nd car  and scrap what's left for a total of $700.   So in affect the engine cost me $100.

Does this qualify as $400 + $100  = $500?

I know this ignores a lot of stuff like parting out what i don't need from the first car and whatever other repairs to the first car might push it over $500.  Plus i am guessing the biggest thing that would affect the judging would be if I tried to justify something fishy like buy a $300  sunfire and put in an engine from a Viper.

Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

There is no sure-fire answer here, but as long as you're not using the technique to dramatically improve the performance of whatever the car is to begin with you will probably be OK.  Document the snot out of everything and throw yourself on the mercy of the judges.

Electric Mayhem Racing

Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

Im pretty sure this is allowed, because Ive seen Phil mention how easy LS based motors can be had in Lemons budgets, by selling off parts on early 2000s SUVs.

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Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

Your math seems correct and also your Sunfire/Viper observation.  Basically, the faster/sportier the car the closer the scrutiny.

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Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

I don't see it is any different than buying a $800 and selling $800+ in parts and bring your cost to zero. (like we did) I wish we could have gone sub-zero as I sold more parts than we paid for the car.  The only thing I'd worry about is you taking a V6 f-body and jamming a new LS 350 and 6 speed in it, then yeah you might have some issues.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

We sourced free engines by purchasing and parting out snowmobiles.  And yes, the technique dramatically improved the performance of the car.  For certain values of "performance", anyway.

Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

I applaud your efforts to stay within the budget rules. Consider the following:

  • The budget rules are more like guidelines. Stay within the spirit of those and you'll be OK.

  • As has been stated hundreds of times, don't sweat the budget too much as you likely won't win your class your first race. (Of course, that discounts bringing a f***ing Prius from a race shop after having spent major $$ on testing.

  • After your first race, ask Judge Phil for a residual value. ( I once got a RV of $499.03. The $0.97 was for a pine tree air freshener. Not too much you can do with that.

  • I've received penalty laps for having too stiff of a suspension, even though the car was on cut factory springs and stock struts. No point in complaining.

  • I've raced against a car that never came with a manual trans and had 5-speed conversion. It also had $1400 worth of camshafts that required dyno tuning to get them to not destroy the engine. This same car was judged to be within the $500 budget. Creative bookkeeping to the rescue!!

If the car you are building has a blown engine, AND you are replacing it with the same functional engine from another car, you are operating within the spirit of the $500 budget, even if it cost you the full $800.

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Re: Can you buy and then part out a car for a free or very cheap engine

DelinquentRacer wrote:

After your first race, ask Judge Phil for a residual value. ( I once got a RV of $499.03. The $0.97 was for a pine tree air freshener.

After running the Super Snipe the first time, Judge Phil gave it a residual value of $0.17 and threw in a pine tree air freshener (at least I think it was him that put it in).   I never did use up the RV.

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