Topic: Realistic cost of starting from scratch?
I picked up a 97 Ford Escort station wagon and was wanting to get it set up for one of these races. As an estimate, how much are we looking to spend to get it to pass inspection?
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I picked up a 97 Ford Escort station wagon and was wanting to get it set up for one of these races. As an estimate, how much are we looking to spend to get it to pass inspection?
$3500
$3501
There are a lot of these threads floating around with all kinds of answers.
I always say expect to spend $5k from the purchase of your car through the end of the first race. It can be more, or less depending on a million factors. But assume $5k and you'll be pointed in the right direction.
We are a total noob team here in Seattle. We bought a car, rather than build one, for under $2K with spares, roll cage, seat and belts. We'll probably be between $4-5K by the end of our first race, not counting entry fees and travel to that event. In our case, that does include $1,000 for a cheap trailer, but not a tow vehicle, which someone already had.
Thanks for the info guys, I didn't realize how in-depth some of the safety rules are. We were hoping to be race ready for about $2k so I guess i'll just turn this thing into a desert junker.
Lots of good info and perspectives here:
It''ll be at least 5k before your first race IMO. You can't believe how many times you'll spend another $20 on things you'll never remember.
building a car now and 5k is in the ballpark. I have 3500+ just in the roll cage.
2 divorces and an alimony payment.
I have 3500+ just in the roll cage.
What? Is it made from 14k gold?
Safety3rdRacing wrote:I have 3500+ just in the roll cage.
What? Is it made from 14k gold?
I believe they've had to do the cage twice. First guy made a lot of mistakes.
we started about 4 years ago smh ---> we are in at $6,343.07 (that's including car prep + purchase + 2 track days + 3 trailer rentals + gas + theme prep) currently and our first race is in November. looking through all of our expenses there is just a lot of little shit that adds up. hardware - paint - fasteners - trailer rentals - gas - shop towels - and a ton of oem parts - hoses - belts - . we have bought a few expensive items need to sell / return - an OMP seat for 600 we didnt end up using - a momo steering wheel with too deep of a dish for 200.
im pretty much constantly shaking our team down for money - - - not super fun but my team is pretty good about being fair when it comes to donating money and time. thank god.....
Thanks for the info guys, I didn't realize how in-depth some of the safety rules are. We were hoping to be race ready for about $2k so I guess i'll just turn this thing into a desert junker.
$2000.00 is tight for us and we can do all of the work ourselves. You might be better served to purchase an already made car with that budget where are you located?
It will be at least $5k to get you to the track for your first event. The low cost option in time, money, and sanity is to buy a second hand car that is ready to go.
https://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/view … p?id=36689
Take the easy route. We are heeding all the advice ourselves, and if the damn car were close to us, we'd be at $2K just for the car. I would guess it’s unpossible to build a car for $2k, but magically you can pay someone less than half that to do it for you. Bargain.
Just to be clear, is your budget only for the car or all the other things you’ll need, like fuel cans, extinguishers, tires, brake pads, etc?
The cheapest way is to actually buy a seat on someone else's team.
Yea, first cage was a mess. I had to cut it out of the car. The guy who built it wouldn't do crap to help me after the fact plus he had the car almost 4mo to do a BS cage out of the wrong material. Bought a Roll Cage Components kit and had a local speed shop install it....3500.00 later we have a nice cage in our car. I will learn to weld over winter so I don't have to pay someone else....the time was expensive to say the least.
The cheapest way is to actually buy a seat on someone else's team.
And adviseable at least for one or two primaries on the car. Seriously, Rich is one of my co-owners but he got the experience of my failing MISERABLY as a car owner before he came on. Car was actually sound and tech-worthy...still cost a lot to get to race #2 due to my inexperience.
BUY A USED LEMON!!!!
This is probably the only way to spend under 2K any more, unless you do everything yourself on the super cheap.
BUY A USED LEMON!!!!
This is probably the only way to spend under 2K any more, unless you do everything yourself on the super cheap.
THIS THIS THIS
Im new as well. I just got a 91 CRX from a friend for $50. We are building it with a bunch of left over parts form other projects iv worked on over the years. Were just about all a mix of mechanics, body repair guys, and fabricators. I have been doing car repair for friends for parts donations and just looking for hot deals. Today we got a junk yard Honda B20 engine for $65. Were just building it one part at a time. Our biggest expense has been the safety gear. Most of us have done track days and tuns of kart racing and have a good amount of gear already.
Yes, the cost is not the car or the mechanicals. It is the safety, tires, fuel and fees. Many of of actually, per the rules, have honest to goodness $500 cars but might fudge a bit ignoring cost of belts and hose for instance.
Pre-bent cage in our case was $650 delivered (difference to use buying tube and plate at our prices was about $60) but probably more with current DOM prices. Decent seat is a few hundred and bents are minimum $1000...I know. so let call it $1000 just for the car unless you can find a used seat or get discounted tube pricing.
Tires can be cheap and you can have fun with cheap tires. you cannot be competative ut who cares the first couple of races?
Fuel is a function of HP. Our Saturn was $175 for a weekend...Dustbuster minivan $250....Supercharged 3800 in our 1947 Plymouth $425.
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