$20XX Challenge (total/actual budget)

He did. Same car as me, but in nicer shape aesthetically. For less than half the price.

Yeah, definitely factor in travel costs. Last year, we had two vehicles entered and two tow rigs. One tow rig had two people in it, and got decent mileage towing. The other had 4 of us in it (it was a $1000 Suburban) and was extremely questionable and was less reliable than our Challenge cars. On the way down, we averaged something like 8-9mpg and I don't know how much we spent on repairs. Mind you, we are from MA. Made for an interesting trip, to say the least.

For $2009, there were 4 of us spread across two vehicles. The same solid tow rig and another $1000 special (Ford F150 that time) and it also had some issues on the way down.

Spread out over the amount of people on the team though, the travel costs weren't all that bad, even with all the tow rig issues. Moral of the story: enter the Challenge with some friends. It will be more fun, and it will be easier if an emergency comes up. And get a reliable tow rig!

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Pretty much all you're going to get by with on "safety gear" is a seatbelt and a window net. Though I think they added something about a bolt in bar. Check the rules. "Spare parts" ??? Anything that goes on the car goes in the budget, tires included. GRM block hotel rate is $55-$60 per night IIRC. Gas is total miles from where you live to Gainesville X2 divided by whatever mileage you get X whatever gas costs per gallon.

Well, spare parts... For instance, i'll probably bring a spare transmission. Showing up with one transmission on the car, then blowing it up on day one, swapping to good used transmission that night = same budget. At least, how i understand it. Budget is parts ON the car, doesn't include everything sitting in your trailer waiting to go on if something breaks, right?

If both transmissions are used, they both go in the budget.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Pretty much all you're going to get by with on "safety gear" is a seatbelt and a window net. Though I think they added something about a bolt in bar. Check the rules. "Spare parts" ??? Anything that goes on the car goes in the budget, tires included. GRM block hotel rate is $55-$60 per night IIRC. Gas is total miles from where you live to Gainesville X2 divided by whatever mileage you get X whatever gas costs per gallon.

Well, spare parts... For instance, i'll probably bring a spare transmission. Showing up with one transmission on the car, then blowing it up on day one, swapping to good used transmission that night = same budget. At least, how i understand it. Budget is parts ON the car, doesn't include everything sitting in your trailer waiting to go on if something breaks, right?

If both transmissions are used, they both go in the budget.

Works for me.

I figure worst case scenario, i get DQ'd, but i'm still able to get home.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: But in the meantime, if the transmission goes BEFORE the challenge, i can replace at no budget hit, because it worked 20k miles ago when i bought it?

No. If you spend $500 on a transmission, it goes in the budget.

Oh. That kindof sucks. Especially since i'll have driven 20k miles on this transmission/car before it even shows up at the Challenge.

1. We've never had a transmission that had less than 150,000 miles on it.

2. Good news is, you'll put maybe all of 5 miles on said transmission at the event.

RE: Brakes, consumables, etc., we have never put a set of brake pads on a Challenge car. Seriously.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: But in the meantime, if the transmission goes BEFORE the challenge, i can replace at no budget hit, because it worked 20k miles ago when i bought it?

No. If you spend $500 on a transmission, it goes in the budget.

50/50 split now. Arg.

Welp, what i've learned is that i probably shouldn't ever buy a challenge car unless i can afford to only drive it at the challenge. And i can't.

I know slippery slope and all that, but this doesn't make any sense to me.

Bought car for $900 with a good working transmission. If i frag it today (on the way home from work), the transmission is now worth $0. I replace with $500 unit in used condition (exactly as the one that came with the car is), and all of a sudden my $900 car is $1400 two years later in the same working condition as purchased for $900? I think the lines between "fixing initial purchase" vs. "maintaining," vs. "modifying" are a bit strange.

We'll call it my fault for daily driving a Challenge car. But, seems i should also be counting the ~$60 in spark plugs i've run through this car in two years, so i'm afraid i'm over budget between those, the 3 cam seals, and 2 valve cover gaskets in the same time frame.

I will not protest.

poopshovel wrote:

Oh. That kindof sucks. Especially since i'll have driven 20k miles on this transmission/car before it even shows up at the Challenge.

1. We've never had a transmission that had less than 150,000 miles on it. 2. Good news is, you'll put maybe all of 5 miles on said transmission at the event. RE: Brakes, consumables, etc., we have never put a set of brake pads on a Challenge car. Seriously.

I put brake pads on my car, counted it in budget since they're Axxis Metal Masters.

My transmission has 183k miles on it, which is EXCEPTIONALLY long-lived for a Mazda FWD transmission in a boosted application. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if it cracked the casing on the way home today. But of course, i've had the car for 2 years, run it hard and racked up some miles on it.

Not trying to pull a fast one, just trying to get a handle on the rules. But basically it sounds like one group says that if the car has any sort of failure that happens during/is caused by daily duties, i'll be ineligible due to budget.

I understand that the challenge isn't about daily drivers and the rules have to be written assuming the cars are driven at the Challenge and nowhere else.

poopshovel wrote: I will not protest.

ROFL!!!

Probably should have kept my mouth shut on this one, eh?

fwiw; I also (perhaps foolishly) counted new spark plugs in my budget... but only the 4 that I actually used at the challenge...I also will not protest

tb wrote: fwiw; I also (perhaps foolishly) counted new spark plugs in my budget... but only the 4 that I actually used at the challenge...I also will not protest

Well, that i would count.

I'm counting one set, the set that's on the car, because the car had the wrong plugs when i bought it.

But i replace them every oil change because i run rather..... rich.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

tb wrote: fwiw; I also (perhaps foolishly) counted new spark plugs in my budget... but only the 4 that I actually used at the challenge...I also will not protest

Well, that i would count. I'm counting one set, the set that's on the car, because the car had the wrong plugs when i bought it. But i replace them every oil change because i run rather..... rich.

Gotta love NGK coppers for less than 10$ a go.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: But in the meantime, if the transmission goes BEFORE the challenge, i can replace at no budget hit, because it worked 20k miles ago when i bought it?

No. If you spend $500 on a transmission, it goes in the budget.

50/50 split now. Arg.

in this circumstance, DILYSI Dave is wrong. the trans was fine when you bought the car, and over the last year or two of daily-driving the car you've upped the boost significantly. if the stock trans frags under the increased boost and you replace it with another used stock trans, that should not hit the challenge budget.

mndsm wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

tb wrote: fwiw; I also (perhaps foolishly) counted new spark plugs in my budget... but only the 4 that I actually used at the challenge...I also will not protest

Well, that i would count. I'm counting one set, the set that's on the car, because the car had the wrong plugs when i bought it. But i replace them every oil change because i run rather..... rich.

Gotta love NGK coppers for less than 10$ a go.

Agreed, that's what i run! Love 'em!

And it's a good thing they're cheap, because i go through a set or 4 a year.

This is going to be interesting. I'm entering by myself, and driving the challenge car up to Gainesville from Ormond Beach. If I drive it up and I have a tow vehicle with a trailer (just incase something happens) but I don't use it to trailer the car, would gas for that be included in the budget or just gas I used for the Z?

turboHLS30 wrote: This is going to be interesting. I'm entering by myself, and driving the challenge car up to Gainesville from Ormond Beach. If I drive it up and I have a tow vehicle with a trailer (just incase something happens) but I don't use it to trailer the car, would gas for that be included in the budget or just gas I used for the Z?

You don't budget gas to and from the event. Well you budget it, but not in THE budget.

AngryCorvair wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: But in the meantime, if the transmission goes BEFORE the challenge, i can replace at no budget hit, because it worked 20k miles ago when i bought it?

No. If you spend $500 on a transmission, it goes in the budget.

50/50 split now. Arg.

in this circumstance, DILYSI Dave is wrong. the trans was fine when you bought the car, and over the last year or two of daily-driving the car you've upped the boost significantly. *if* the stock trans frags under the increased boost and you replace it with another used stock trans, that should not hit the challenge budget.

I agree with the Angry One on this with one exception.

If the trans fails AT the event during the first day and you swap the new one in for the second day of competition, BOTH hit the budget. You are clearly inside of Rule #15 which states: "All parts used at the event (including multiple sets of tires) shall be part of that $2011 budget."

If both transmissions appear on the car at the event, BOTH MUST be in the budget.

SVreX wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: But in the meantime, if the transmission goes BEFORE the challenge, i can replace at no budget hit, because it worked 20k miles ago when i bought it?

No. If you spend $500 on a transmission, it goes in the budget.

50/50 split now. Arg.

in this circumstance, DILYSI Dave is wrong. the trans was fine when you bought the car, and over the last year or two of daily-driving the car you've upped the boost significantly. *if* the stock trans frags under the increased boost and you replace it with another used stock trans, that should not hit the challenge budget.

I agree with the Angry One on this with one exception. If the trans fails AT the event during the first day and you swap the new one in for the second day of competition, BOTH hit the budget. You are clearly inside of Rule #15 which states: "All parts used at the event (including multiple sets of tires) shall be part of that $2011 budget." If both transmissions appear on the car at the event, BOTH MUST be in the budget.

That's how i interpreted the Angry One, and i can live with that scenario.

Ahhh, someone told me in my build thread that the gas I used to tow it/drive it when I first bought it, and when I go up to Gainesville will be part of the $2011 budget. Oh well, either way it shouldn't be that much. The tow vehicle will be a Dodge 3500 dually. We've made it from Ormond to Atlanta, and half way back on a full tank of gas

Yeah, that's how I read it too. I'm hoping gas prices fall, and I'm SERIOUSLY tempted to see if I can do challenge weekend on 1000$ including the car, hotel, food, the works. Just for shens.

Incorrect.

The gas (or shipping cost) for picking it up at the time of purchase DOES count.

The transport TO the event DOES NOT.

It's to discourage people from buying stuff from halfway around the world for their build without including the shipping costs. It's not supposed to discourage people from participating who live a long distance away.

turboHLS30 wrote: Ahhh, someone told me in my build thread that the gas I used to tow it/drive it when I first bought it, and when I go up to Gainesville will be part of the $2011 budget. Oh well, either way it shouldn't be that much. The tow vehicle will be a Dodge 3500 dually. We've made it from Ormond to Atlanta, and half way back on a full tank of gas

West coast guys would be SCREWED!!!!!!

Ok, thanks for clearing that up you guys, and sorry for getting off topic.

AngryCorvair wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: But in the meantime, if the transmission goes BEFORE the challenge, i can replace at no budget hit, because it worked 20k miles ago when i bought it?

No. If you spend $500 on a transmission, it goes in the budget.

50/50 split now. Arg.

in this circumstance, DILYSI Dave is wrong.

Point to a rule. :)

It's been a while since I read the challenge rules, but that's not the way it was last time I built a car.