Suggestions for platform please

Hi Everyone,

Im new to the forum and this is my first post! I joined because I saw a lot of good discussions coming up over google.

I am looking to build a racecar based on american running gear commonly found in nascar/ stock cars. The abundance of these super high end parts for low prices on ebay is very attractive. I am not really looking to fit in a specific class with it. I want it more of an unlimited /development toy.

My question to you all is, could you give some examples of purpose built road racers that are built using those components? I will probably do my own body and aero, so I just care that the chassis is good and light, and that it's geometry is built around huge tires. If its modular in any way, that's a bonus as I intend to do an independent rear on it. 

So far I found trans am gt1 and modifieds. Are there other categories like it?

Alternatively are there prototype style racers that are super common? For a while I saw a good amount of 80's or early 90's buick gtp/ other platforms using american engines.

Thanks! 

Lukas 

Putting a complete retired Cup car on a road course is always an option; here's one I photographed at the Mitty. It looks like fun, even if the woman in the foreground is not impressed.

I'm pretty sure the road course cars use their own separate chassis version that is more symmetric than the oval track version, but I'm not sure how much work it takes to convert over an oval track version.

In reply to MadScientistMatt :

Thanks! That would be a good option.  Maybe if I find one for a good deal I'll take the drivetrain and modify the chassis. I am very impressed with the hp of those stock cars.  

Good morning everyone.  

Any other suggestions?  I haven't had much luck myself.  

I did find a couple of interesting European options called "mitjet" and "solution F" that are purpose built tube chassis. Might be interesting to put a SBC in those but man shipping a car here from England seems scary

Buy a salvaged or highly used (or really good) C4 or C5 Corvette.  Take the body off.  That way, you can apply a body to a thing that already works (and has IRS).  Both chassis are happy to accommodate huge tires.  See any local autocross for evidence.  

Race car is much more about engineering than race car parts (many of which are actually pretty cheap).  As tech goes, there are some cool GT1 designs floating around the internet, namely with nice, light 2x2 box frame construction.

In reply to rustomatic :

The corvettes are definitely an attractive option. My father does NASA ttu in a c6z and it's a beast. 

I'll dig around for the designs, thanks!  Are those gt1 designs legal for trans am competition? Maybe one day I'll venture east and try to enter an event.

I also recommend looking for a retired nascar type tube frame car/chassis. They can be found surprising cheap. Especially without drivetrain. 

It's a bit tough to answer the question as posed. But the simply answer is, "You can make a circle track car turn left AND right. But you'll have to set it up properly." 

Setting it up will require, at minimum, a clear understanding of how the suspension of your given car works and is setup initially. A lot of circle track cars are built asymmetrically - all are setup asymmetrically. You'll spend a lot of time figuring out how the car was setup to turn left - in order to reverse it so it turns left and right. 

It can certainly be done and done on a budget. You just need to have the right mindset. 

A big bar cup car sans drivetrain - if you can get a road course car - is a good place to start. Folks have converted circle track cars into road racers already. Probably searching "Big Bar Cup Car to Road Race Car" will find you some interesting reading material. 

Cheap drivetrain components will be way down the list compared to getting the chassis setup. Remember too these cars are heavy and FAST and they eat up consumables. Budget accordingly, these are cheaper cars to build in some ways, but stock car teams have massive budgets that grassroots folks don't have. If "cheap" is part of the equation - buying an already prepped Spec Miata, Spec E30, or Honda Challenge car is probably long-term less expensive. 
 

In order to get a frame, do search for ex ASA rolling chassis or stock car chassis. Another alternative would be buy an ex ASA car and part out all the bits you don't need.