How strict is the Challenge?

so, i know this absolutely has to have been covered on the site multiple times, but i just wanted to ask again, because who knows, maybe opinions and rules have changed. here is my story:

so i bought my 1992 vw jetta for $1000, then i proceeded to put about $3000 worth of parts into fixing it proper. i have all of the receipts but i do not think any of this is important because i was driven completely mad by this VW (much like anyone that has owned one at some point in time) and i legitimately sold this car to my friend for the same price i originally paid (now, throwing myself under the train if any state folks read this, the notary thought we were nuts for paying taxes on that much for a beat old VW, and we transferred it for $100).

my friend owned this car for a few months, but decided he did not need a mk2 in his life since he was building the most insane lowrider mk3 you can imagine (not important, but interesting, he designed his own shock mounts that pneumatically adjusted +/- a couple of inches so he can raise the car enough to drive over speed bumps, and modified and built his own struts from koni parts that allow the car to lay on the pan with 17" wheels.. it's fully tubbed and also has a front subframe mounted backwards in the rear to have full irs {that way when it is completely low, the wheels stay centered in the arch and not push back like all rear beam vws}) so he sold the car back to me for the same price i sold it to him, but at the same notary, it was $100.

so, as the car sits i have a legitimate $1000 invested, we were not trying to pull the great grassroots motorsports $2012 challenge swindle, we both just legitimately hated this car at one point or another and decided to dump it at a loss.

this is where my concern is though.. will my story be believed? the car looks like $100, but i'd probably put some elbow grease into making it look good. i have the original pink slip ($1000) and my second purchase pink ($100). i also have all other receipts since my second purchase. and for what it is worth, the car is all basically stock and i have details of every modification.

Was it available to anybody for that price or just to you?

it never made it to craigslist because he gave me first dibs, but if i passed, then it would have been listed for that price to everyone, and the same applies for when i sold it to him, if he passed, it was going straight to craigslist for $1k

thanks

I think as long as you are clinically insane you ought to be alright.

My neighbor sold me this for $1800., I may or may not sell it back to him after the Challenge.

Unfortunately, you can't do it.

Rule #23 includes:

23- Past Challenge cars and their parts cannot be sold and repurchased in an effort to depreciate their value for budget purposes.

I realize you didn't do it intentionally for the purpose of depreciating the value, but the truth is that you put $4000 into it, then sold and repurchased it and the value is now less.

I am aware of other situations where GRM has frowned on this, intentional or not. Plus, you've got a very big discrepancy. $1000 purchase + $3000 in parts = $100 car?? You're not doing it right.

I'll let Per chime in with the official perspective, but I don't think it is gonna fly.

Challenge Rules

I had heard rumors that the last bunch that got creative with their challenge accounting are at the bottom of the East River wearing cement shoes.

1988RedT2 wrote: I had heard rumors that the last bunch that got creative with their challenge accounting are at the bottom of the East River wearing cement shoes.

That's not true.

You could run it has an exhibition car and come and still have fun.

914Driver wins

/thread

Sounds like a $1k turd to me. We're not racing for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes guys. If it gets somebody new to the challenge, I say bring it.

To the OP: Stock motor? Pics might help your case.

My $.02

SVreX wrote: Unfortunately, you can't do it. Rule #23 includes: 23- Past Challenge cars and their parts cannot be sold and repurchased in an effort to depreciate their value for budget purposes. I realize you didn't do it intentionally for the purpose of depreciating the value, but the truth is that you put $4000 into it, then sold and repurchased it and the value is now less. I am aware of other situations where GRM has frowned on this, intentional or not. Plus, you've got a very big discrepancy. $1000 purchase + $3000 in parts = $100 car?? You're not doing it right. I'll let Per chime in with the official perspective, but I don't think it is gonna fly. Challenge Rules

1. It's not a past challenge car.

2. I think he's claiming $1k, not $100.

I say post pictures and let us help you determine the FMV.

93EXCivic wrote: I say post pictures and let us help you determine the FMV.

+1

poopshovel wrote: 1. It's not a past challenge car. 2. I think he's claiming $1k, not $100.

What Poop said. That sounds legit to me. This is supposed to be fun, not an exercise in accounting.

Admitting $3k in parts is OK? I understand this is an editorial exercise, but rules level the field and promote creativity.

If the story is legit, and hes not trying to pull a fast one, then yeah, I think its worth a grand. Unless this all happened over the course of a day or two...

Joey

914Driver wrote: Admitting $3k in parts is OK? I understand this is an editorial exercise, but rules level the field and promote creativity.

Agreed, but attendance at the past few Challenges has been down, not up. It would be great to see some new folks jump in.

Yea, he bought it for $1000 and anyone was able to do so.

I think I see a smile on Smoky's face...

A) It'll probably break.

B) It'll probably catch on fire

C) Either way, you could probably see the check engine light from space.

I haven't read the most recent version of the rules but, IIRC, stock replacement brake parts and regular maintenance parts for cars used as DDs are exempt from the budget. I'll bet a decent percentage of the $3k spent falls into those categories.

Per Schroeder wrote: A) It'll probably break. B) It'll probably catch on fire C) Either way, you could probably see the check engine light from space.

Can you put yourself in the "Say What?" section?

DrBoost wrote:

Per Schroeder wrote: A) It'll probably break. B) It'll probably catch on fire C) Either way, you could probably see the check engine light from space.

Can you put yourself in the "Say What?" section?

+eleventy!

914Driver wrote: Admitting $3k in parts is OK? I understand this is an editorial exercise, but rules level the field and promote creativity.

It's a modern VW. Do you honestly think it's not going to break? Worst case, I guarantee at least one headlight or tail light is out. You could always call BS on that.

There are lots of POS cars out there with $3k worth of parts on them. Does that mean the car is worth $3k? Almost never. Ever sold a race car? Ever tried to get out what you've got into it? We need new faces at the Challenge. Heck, we need your old ugly mug there too!

Pics and a general parts breakdown, OP, por favor?