The TRUE COST of Building a Racer....

[ptc]

The TRUE COST of putting together a Drag Racer – for the Home Hobbiest…

Traded a $10K valued Family Sedan on a Drag Strip Racer, seller said “It was in ready-to-race condition, just needs some TLC and had people waiting in line to buy it… better HURRY!”

$200 on everything that Meguire’s makes to get that paint to shine like bling bling!
Ready for first checkout drive in front of next door neighbor, Starter fails, starter is corroded
$325 on a NEW Mutha Fv^!<”* bad-ass hi-torque starter! Fire her up! YEA BABY!
$200 on new wiring after finding connections sparking all over the place
$150 on new water hoses, fittings, new water pump after finding rusty water on the driveway
$40 on a new set of plugs
Take it to the track, Run up to the staging lanes and engine stalls. No fuel pressure
Carbs leaking fuel, limp back to pits and haul it home….
$250 on new fuel lines, fittings, regulator, all the lines full of crap
Take it to the track, Run up to the staging lanes, fuel leaking again,
Get a tow from track steward… back to pits, haul it home
$300 on carb rebuilds after fighting with seller to pay for it.
What’s that noise? Is that an exhaust leak? $4.40 on some burn salve for my forearm –OUCH!!!!
$ 40 on a set of Fel-Pro exhaust gaskets- round port
$ 40 on a set of Fel-Pro exhaust gaskets – rectangle port
$120 on some hot rod parts at the Good Guys show swap meet
$35 on beer at the Good Guys show swap meet
$157 on various stainless steel fasteners
$45 on that aluminum thing that I could use…I could cut it and make a custom something…
$1000 for a new trans and driveline because the angle of my dangle isn’t correct
$800 on a new BAD ASS billet carb linkage set, snorkel scoop and fuel rail….
4- 30 packs of Coors + $1000 to install the trans and fix many other WRONG things
$150 Rebuild a worn out ring gear
Run car hard with new drive working perfect and carbs still being a problem and stalling
$300 on a new pair of carbs – BAD ASS BLOWER CARBS!!!! For a Tunnel Ram…
Drag Event; take car out and it wont idle with new carbs. idle it up to 2000 rpm and run it anyways
$45 for new butterflies for the “Blower Carbs” that wont idle on my Tunnel Ram
New butterflies installed engine idles perfect
Test and Tune right before BIG Fathers Day event… No one else at the track awesome runs this side and that and then … Seize the engine, burn up three rod bearings and 2 mains.
$3200 for new engine… season over
$600 new head work
$600 labor for new engine extra work
$75 for all new gaskets, intake, headers, pan, timing….
$200 for new paint on the rear trunk area around the fuel tank to look new again
$200 for powdercoating of bolt on parts
$175 in all new stainless steel hardware for all interior components
$40 for flexplate that doesn’t fit
$150 for new flex plate --- does fit
$70 for new driveline hoop – regulations!
$50 to make driveline hoop fit new mount
$100 for MSD 6 AL box w/ 6000 rev limit to SAVE MOTOR!
$45 for new Blaster coil
$40 for new cap and rotor
$40 for new plugs
New engine installed August still time for some racing
$60 on case of break in oil and cam break in fluid
PRICELESS – Start it up and wake up the neighborhood for cam break in time
$200+ worth of keeping garage fridge full of beer during rebuild time
$80 top off fuel tanks and haul car out to hidden area of countryside to break it in
Get to Launch Spot and find fuel floating in back of car, new paint floating too!
Lose about $40 worth of fuel and time and fuel to get there, another $50
2- 30 packs of Coors Beer and 1 Gal of Jack to repair stainless gas tank bungs that were broken
$45 new fuel fittings and lines from tank to pump
Finally get to break it in at the track!!! F#^! Yeah!
$60 on case of oil - change … adjust valve lash, check plugs
Making some hot passes at the the drags…. looking good baby!
$7 on Six pack of beer to calm down and $5 on underpants deodorizer after car loses steering after a fast pass, u-joint broke!!!
$65 new u-joint and back in biz!
Needs different tires… hmmmm
$150 for a jack that will fit under the car frame sitting on the ground…


$3000 on a set of WELD Wheels and Mickey T’s slicks to REALLY get her outta the hole!

Now that’s what Home Hobby Drag racing is all about…. Isn’t it????

[BR3W CITY]

The TRUE cost of buying some elses "totally working" racecar lol.
Same thing happened to us ~15 years ago when we still raced little British cars in SCCA. Picked up a "Turn key" racecar after our old setup was sold...ended up needing more work then the one we got rid of.

[Super73]

Note to self, if I buy a used race car, meet seller at the track with empty trailer. Have seller make at least 3 passes...

[moggey01]

Best to know the history of the car. History of the builder. As well as the owner. When you see it at the track running then you know if it's what you are looking for. Most people want to buy proven combinations.

[franken]

Sounds a lot like the vehicles I always seem to drag home that have battery trays made w/ rust, a stretchy strap, plywood, drywall screws and a claw hammer. A new battery tray costs less than the effort needed to pound in those drywall screws...

[Mrturner1]

Too funny lol

[urmyboyblue]

$325 for a torque converter and $100 for a MSD box- you got out cheap!

[Boatracer]

Oh man, can I relate. Bought a new to me '65 chevelle pro street car a few months ago and have been pouring $$ into it. Although wanting something cool to tow it to the track is what lead me to my truck project and here.

[moggey01]

Not cheap. Some engine shops also will go to the track and dial a car in for the customer as well. It has to be a really good, loyal customer but it is an option that can save a lot heartache .It's not really for a weekend bracket guy but some of the heads up guys like it.

[BR3W CITY]

Originally Posted by moggey01

Some engine shops also will go to the track and dial a car in for the customer as well. It has to be a really good, loyal customer but it is an option that can save a lot heartache .It's not really for a weekend bracket guy but some of the heads up guys like it.

As a fabricator (and my partner, an engineer and tuner), we offer that as well.
Its largely on the tuning side, but we have a few customers who negotiated track support with their tuning package. A couple straight up pay for track support/data logging on its own...and just a couple (like count them on one hand) routinely spend enough or have enough vehicles coming through us, that we'll offer to do it as a perk.

I have done so as a fabricator as well, but thats more doing triage-support at things like endurance races or special events like Dragweek and KOH.

[moggey01]

I really want to do a truck for dragweek. Lo compression nitrous . Here lately the small block shootouts are big . I am sitting out for a while but thinking of building a big inch small block.

[hotrod 80]

Originally Posted by Super73

Note to self, if I buy a used race car, meet seller at the track with empty trailer. Have seller make at least 3 passes...

Im thinking the same thing.

Originally Posted by urmyboyblue

$325 for a torque converter and $100 for a MSD box- you got out cheap!

If both are good then you got a good deal.

What kind of car / truck is it ?