Who out there has a cheap race car? When I say cheap, I mean way cheaper than the $2012 Challenge money.
How cheap and what is it? And, lets see some pics.
Where and how do you race it, and how competitive is it?
Did you choose it, or did it choose you? (cheap people will understand this question)
I guess I'll take a turn---
Here's my 1986 Nissan 300zx . It does mostly rallycross with the Florida region SCCA, but we also drag it out to the Orlando CFRC monthly autocrosses just to have some extra fun.
It is mechanically stock and non'turbo, with 236k miles. Bought it for $500. Some kid already had the interior gutted with the idea of making a "drift car". Last season, I spent an extra $400 on new parts including a radiator, shocks, brakes, etc, for a total of $900 to win the Fl region points in S/R rallycross. So far this season it is leading the rallycross points in S/R and P/R. As it stands today, after a lexan windshield, etc, it has a grand total of about $1100 in it. It's mostly reliable enough at this point to get through the season, unless something bad happens.
Just realized that you have a hardtop Z. Cool.
Around here, the paved ovals have the Charger Class
1980 -2005 fwd cars and require auto trans.
no engine bigger that 3.1L
no forced injection
no aftermarket rims but open on size as long as all rims are same size.
roll bar optional
Fire suit optional
$1,500 claim rule.
http://www.loraincountyspeedway.com/index.php/rules/charger-division
I have not done it but looks fun on a budget.
Chevy Berettas seem to be the hot item.
I think you've got a good "budget" class when the hot setup is a Chevrolet Beretta!
I'd be surprised if one could beat a Neon, though.
Roll Bar and Nomex suit OPTIONAL???
racerfink wrote: Roll Bar and Nomex suit OPTIONAL???
It's rednecks. Do you expect less?
My dad certainly wasn't redneck when he ran circle track, both dirt and asphalt.
Aeromoto wrote: I guess I'll take a turn--- Here's my 1986 Nissan 300zx . It does mostly rallycross with the Florida region SCCA, but we also drag it out to the Orlando CFRC monthly autocrosses just to have some extra fun. It is mechanically stock and non'turbo, with 236k miles. Bought it for $500. Some kid already had the interior gutted with the idea of making a "drift car". Last season, I spent an extra $400 on new parts including a radiator, shocks, brakes, etc, for a total of $900 to win the Fl region points in S/R rallycross. So far this season it is leading the rallycross points in S/R and P/R. As it stands today, after a lexan windshield, etc, it has a grand total of about $1100 in it. It's mostly reliable enough at this point to get through the season, unless something bad happens.
You might want to recheck the rules. Gutted and Lexan is only legal in Modified classes for the SCCA.
In reply to moxnix:
Not my job to check the rules, that's tech's job. They let us run it like it is in those classes, and I'm certainly not going to argue.
David S. Wallens wrote: Just realized that you have a hardtop Z. Cool.
Yep, the non t-top Zs are getting hard to find. If it had t-tops, I wouldn't have bothered.
I mean, my e30 rallycrosser itself was only about $1k, but I've probably put about $2k into it to make it a nice street driver and set up for rallycross. Of course, that includes both a set of used gravel rally tires and a new set of Star Specs for the street wheels. I probably could have done the build for $2012Challenge money if I bypassed things like a new steering wheel and bilsteins. I still consider it a cheap racer though, seeing as my autocrosser/daily driver WRX still has $10k left to be paid on it and I've had it for over 3 years, lol.
My GT6 I bought for $1. From dad. But it's not seeing a track anytime soon.
Local roundy round has a FWD class.
Cheap and fun. Good racing
Aeromoto wrote: In reply to moxnix: Not my job to check the rules, that's tech's job. They let us run it like it is in those classes, and I'm certainly not going to argue.
Actually rallyx like autox is competitor policed. Tech is only for safety issues. See section 6.3 of the rallyx rules.
I have two cars that chose me both are RallyX cars.
Price - Free. Friend got it for free from somebody that was no longer able to keep the car and then he was no longer able to keep it and passed it on for the same price. After getting it I bought a parts car RX-7 for $500 to get an LSD for my car. I paid somebody to do a skidplate this year. I have some newer rally tires than it came with and had to replace a battery, belts, and hoses. Between all that I have about $1500? in the car as it sits right now. In 2010 I ended up in second place in M2 after only making 3 events in the car. In 2011 I won M2 for the season in this car. The car is in Modified because it is missing front carpet mostly. I need to get the carpet and a few other minor things off the parts car an make it truly legal for Prepared class so I still run it in MR for now. I rent it out to friends at rallyx. Here is what a friend did to it at the last event.
I want to find another set of 4x114.3 14" wheels for the RX-7 but have not found any cheap enough yet.
Price - Free to me. After renting out the RX-7 to a friend at rallyx last year he decided he wanted to get a rallyx car himself. We went and looked at a beatup impreza that needed a clutch and who knows what else. He ended up buying it for $400 and buying the clutch parts but then lost motivation. A few months later I get a call asking if this is the home for unloved cars and of course I say yes so a few days later I have an impreza sitting in my garage still needing a clutch with the promise that I will let him co-drive once I get it running. Bought some snow tires, a few more needed parts for the clutch job and a skid plate. total I am still under about $700 into the car. This car is running in SA and my friend at his third event was about 2-4 seconds behind the top driving in a 2.5RS in stock class per run. I hope to run this one next weekend at the T&T to see how it is at rallyx since I have only driven it on the street so far I also rent this one out to friends for rallyx.
i just finished ordering the parts i need to turn my sonoma into an auto-x capable truck that will end up at $2013.
i spent $280 today and almost doubled the investment of the entire project, and i'll be good to go for under $1000.
autocrossing my geo
old pic..haven't done that in a while
My first one - $495 - 97 Subaru Outback. I had it safetied and registered for the street for under $850 total.
Drove it to rally-X and back - 3 hrs each way and beat on it. Sold it a few months ago.
Why?
To buy this:
Bought it for $750! 
. I had to put about $500 into it but now it is my DD. Skid plate and Aux. lights will go on soon.
chaparral wrote: I think you've got a good "budget" class when the hot setup is a Chevrolet Beretta! I'd be surprised if one could beat a Neon, though.
If the Neon is running a slusher, yeah.
nice score on the subie! but what did it need for 5bills that the previous owner couldnt be bothered to with?
In reply to NGTD:
ohms wrote: nice score on the subie! but what did it need for 5bills that the previous owner couldnt be bothered to with? In reply to NGTD:
Front wheel bearing
Front springs
Rear stabilizer link
Friend of mine owned it. He decided to get rid of it and made me a hell of a deal.
I've got about 3 grand total into my motorswapped Daewoo. A lot of that went into staying road legal.
My AX, hillclimb and TT car. It's over Challenge money now, but that wasn't the point when I was building it, although I did shop around for used stuff etc to keep the cost reasonable.
It's a 1974 Jensen Healey, former ITS road race car. I got it as a rolling chassis for free after the diff locked up, this tore the driveshaft in half and knocked a big hole in the floor.
So I fixed the floor, swapped Miata front uprights in to get the better brakes etc, then built a rear axle with RX2 and RX7 parts and a custom 3 link with Panhard bar, QA1 adjustable coil overs, the wheels are Bassett 13x10's (which are going away soon).
It's powered by a S5 13B rotary with a set of headers built from a Racing Beat kit and has 3" exhaust into a Dynomax muffler. 
I figure with everything I'm probably ~$3500 into it right now, swapping to 15x8's will put me at around $4500.
jrw1621 wrote: Around here, the paved ovals have the Charger Class
Heh, that green car is an MX6!
I see #35 as a Pontiac Sunbird which is likely fitted with a 3.1L (max engine) since it was once offered as an option.
53 = Neon
82 = Ford Contour
Light blue unknown
Speaking of MX6, I think a great choice could be a Ford Probe w. 3.0L V6 if you could keep it under the $1500 claim rule.
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