Challenge Budget and rules questions

In reply to 2GRX7:

You can recoup up to the purchase price of any and all items in the build, not to exceed $1008.50 total.

It makes no difference which car contributed "substantially " more parts.

... so, if you got a screaming deal on the $300 car and it includes tons of parts available for resale, too bad. The max you can recoup of parts from that car is $300, regardless of how much you sell.

But, you can continue to recoup things from the other car, until the max total is reached.

I've only done two Challenges now but best advice I can give is watch your budget like you're the cheapest SOB in the world. Just this weekend I realized I left $200 in materials sitting in my side yard that I could have sold off for last year. I bought something like $20 in metal when I could have just picked up free metal on the side of the road. I also find that my friends don't give me as much E36 M3 about being a cheap SOB if I just say it's for the Challenge car.

Stampie wrote: I've only done two Challenges now but best advice I can give is watch your budget like you're the cheapest SOB in the world. Just this weekend I realized I left $200 in materials sitting in my side yard that I could have sold off for last year. I bought something like $20 in metal when I could have just picked up free metal on the side of the road. I also find that my friends don't give me as much E36 M3 about being a cheap SOB if I just say it's for the Challenge car.

+100 to picking stuff up. we were at dinner in columbus a couple weekends ago by ohio state. walking down the street to a restaurant, i saw the top of a dryer in the trash. i made note of it, and on the way back to the car i grabbed it. i don't care if i got weird looks from hipsters carrying the top of a dryer back to the car, that's over 4 square feet of free sheetmetal.

In reply to SVreX:

Yes, didn't think I could get more than what I purchased the $300 car for, just trying to understand total I could recoup. Thanks for the clarification.

Wouldn't a windshield count as a safety item though?

In reply to Antihero:

There is no exemption for "safety" items. There are exemptions for certain items that might be considered safety.

I've replaced the windshield in both of my Challenge cars. Both got added to the budget.

Stampie wrote: In reply to Antihero: There is no exemption for "safety" items. There are exemptions for certain items that might be considered safety. I've replaced the windshield in both of my Challenge cars. Both got added to the budget.

Exactly why I just bought Makrolon sheet to make a windshield for my hope to be challenge car.

I do wonder if anyone has used legal reasons to replace a windshield, for example, if you can't register in your state due to it being a safety defficiency, can the price of replacement be considered fees to make road legal, seems like a grey area, especially now that some safety related items are exempt. Slippery slope and all that.

In reply to Raze:

You could just follow a long behind a dump truck loaded with gravel until a rock finally hits it. Just make sure your comprehensive coverage has a low deductible for windshield replacement.

Raze wrote:

Stampie wrote: In reply to Antihero: There is no exemption for "safety" items. There are exemptions for certain items that might be considered safety. I've replaced the windshield in both of my Challenge cars. Both got added to the budget.

Exactly why I just bought Makrolon sheet to make a windshield for my hope to be challenge car. I do wonder if anyone has used legal reasons to replace a windshield, for example, if you can't register in your state due to it being a safety defficiency, can the price of replacement be considered fees to make road legal, seems like a grey area, especially now that some safety related items are exempt. Slippery slope and all that.

I bought a vehicle with a good windshield and it was hurricane'd while being stored. It was agreed by many competitors that that would be a no budget hit replacement because it would just be returning it to as purchased conditions due to a hate crime committed by Mother Nature

However, buying a car with a broken windshield is grounds to get a better deal, so that should count toward budget. If you want to play in a grey area there are 50 other shades to work in than a broken windshield. ie: buying a car with rusted brake lines that doesn't stop, so it's cheap, and running new lines/hoses/calipers/rotors as safety exempt stock type replacements. I wouldn't just because i hate rusty line replacement, but that is technically fair game the way the rules are written

Raze wrote:

Stampie wrote: In reply to Antihero: There is no exemption for "safety" items. There are exemptions for certain items that might be considered safety. I've replaced the windshield in both of my Challenge cars. Both got added to the budget.

Exactly why I just bought Makrolon sheet to make a windshield for my hope to be challenge car. I do wonder if anyone has used legal reasons to replace a windshield, for example, if you can't register in your state due to it being a safety defficiency, can the price of replacement be considered fees to make road legal, seems like a grey area, especially now that some safety related items are exempt. Slippery slope and all that.

You have described my exact situation. Currently the Q45 has Makrolon sheet but I'm working towards getting a rebuilt title for her. If they make me put in a glass windshield I'll either include the cost of it or I'll swap back to the Makrolon windshield for the Challenge.

In reply to Raze:

I do want to thank you. You got me on CL and I found a front and rear glass for $75. I should gain $125 in my Challenge budget for next year.

I put a Lexan windshield in the MINI Cooper S for the Challenge, then removed it and replaced it with a real glass one after the Challenge. Lexan was in the budget.

I'm considering making 2017 my first Challenge event. If I buy a 2-car package but only intend on using one of the cars as the challenge car, but don't intend on selling the other, can I split the cost of the the car's, or include the entire package cost in the budget?

In reply to darkbuddha:

You've got me confused.

I am not aware of a 2-car package. I am not aware of anything about selling a car. Registration fees are not in the budget.

In reply to SVreX:

My apologies for any confusion. I just meant that if I happen upon a Craigslist deal that includes 2 car's, but I only intend on using one of them for the challenge. I don't want to sell the other one, but it's not going to be used in building the challenge car either. Do I include the entire purchase price of the 2 cars, or can I divide that cost for the purposes of my challenge budget?

In reply to darkbuddha:

OK, that makes more sense.

I suggest getting 2 separate receipts from the seller.

SVreX wrote: In reply to darkbuddha: OK, that makes more sense. I suggest getting 2 separate receipts from the seller.

This. Or a single itemized receipt.

so if i buy a lot of 200 returned parts from a warehouse for $800, is each part worth $4 each

Well, that's not going to be an option since I already bought the two cars. Bummer too, because I know the seller would've itemized it for me. So I guess the full $350 goes against the budget then...

patgizz wrote: so if i buy a lot of 200 returned parts from a warehouse for $800, is each part worth $4 each

Tommy shot this down, so whoever has been doing similar is running afoul of the intent of the rules. However his email compared my idea to Smokey Yunick so thats kinda honorable.

I will know tomorrow if i win the bid on the giant lot. 8 pallets 280 items 2,800 pounds of car parts.

Are trades still allowed in the budget? I haven't read the latest revision of the rules but have recruited an accountant for my team.

Of trades are still allowed they can help with the example of a $300 car with extra parts

darkbuddha wrote: Well, that's not going to be an option since I already bought the two cars. Bummer too, because I know the seller would've itemized it for me. So I guess the full $350 goes against the budget then...

The following is the opinion of minivan_racer and not an official ruling by anyone.

If the CL ad says "2 cars" as the title and the price is $800 and you buy both and use car A for a challenge car and sell car B for $500, then I would include a print out of the ad and a receipt to the buyer of car B as evidence of $300 invested for the purchase of car A.

tripp wrote: Are trades still allowed in the budget? I haven't read the latest revision of the rules but have recruited an accountant for my team. Of trades are still allowed they can help with the example of a $300 car with extra parts

I don't know what the exact wording is but it was along the lines of "trades allowed until you hit the recoup limit"

I bought a car for 900, did nothing to it except take pictures and post them here, then traded it to another challenger for my challenge car basis and $550. So on my accounting i have begun with the $900 purchase, and the $550 is recoup.

I also will be trading for some body panels later in the month. Last year's budget had an intake swap between myself and a friend who had what i wanted and i had what he wanted

Darkbuddha, Two XR4TIs?

We are bringing a 2.3 turbo this year.