825 replies to this topic

[Jim Drago]

Poop.  Forgot about the Fat Cat bushing kit.  Looks like I can get a suspension kit that includes the fat cat parts for $1830, instead of the $1600 I had listed.  So add $230 to the total. 
 
Torsen - came with car.  Smooth shifting 5-speed too. 
Exterior paint is in great shape, if I want some decals I'll just cut some vinyl.
Transponder - already have
Radio - usually not used, but have rigged it up before with cheap handheld stuff
Data is AIM Solo that I already have.  I want to upgrade to an AIM dash, but I won't include that in the cost of the build, as that is not required equipment.

If you have the skills and the time and don't count your time in the budget, I think you can build a very competitive car yourself, 15k if your counting all items wont get you there, likely closer to the 20k.

Just do it like the rest of us do, spread it out over time and don't count everything.. even better yet don't add. I have deleted many spreadsheets in my day
Good luck, if I or anyone on the boards can help, let us know
Jim

[ScratchRob13]

So far it appears your budget build is good for about 12th place at a regional with a good driver.  

 

Don't mean to bust your balls too much, really trying to help.  We have built 4 cars in 5 years with the help of other most recently Chris Haldeman at X-Factor Racing and doing it cheap and doing it right are 2 different things.  We did the first car cheap and spent 15k.  Every car since then has been progressively more expensive as we learn what "right" is. 

Depends on the Region

 

Up where I am I can get top 10, and I'm not a good driver, and have a pretty budget built car, that I've been slowly tweaking.  Originally was built for HPDE days.  Added timing wheel, SD exhaust midway this season, and adding fuel regulator this winter.  It's nice to not have the 99 cars literally pull away even when drafting anymore!

[mhiggins10]

Just do it like the rest of us do, spread it out over time and don't count everything.. even better yet don't add. I have deleted many spreadsheets in my day

 

I'm MUCH happier with my automotive hobby since I stopped counting.  Better still, when asked how much I spend, I can truthfully reply "I don't really know."

[davew]

Just do it like the rest of us do, spread it out over time and don't count everything.. even better yet don't add. I have deleted many spreadsheets in my day
 

 

This is the best advice anyone can give you.

 

Dave

[Blake Thompson]

I had a spreadsheet for a long time.  When it hit $50,000 I deleted it and pretended that never happened.  Back when I was making $30k/year.

 

In better news I just this month paid off all my credit cards!

[av8tor]

I'm just finishing my no-show, all-go build and I am just over $20k.  (still haven't gotten the bill for my head work).  Spending a little extra to get a nice BSI cage.  The amount of work required to do it at that cost is phenomenal, if I wasn't using it to teach my son auto skills, I would gladly write a check and get the 300hrs of my life back.  But your spirit and motivation is what makes Spec Miata a fun class.

 

My PTE build was more fun because you have so much lee-way and room for creativity.  Hours away from my wife and kids spent weighing fly-wheels and brake rotors are hours that I hate to spend.  Somehow it is easier to give up that time when you are building a super cool new front fascia that may make you a couple tenths faster, (or slower).

 

good luck and I look forward to lining up next to you.

[Todd Lamb]

Missing a lot of parts to make a Majors winning car at a well attended event. I can't make a $25k budget work, even taking labor out of the equation. But if I delete the spreadsheet...hmmmm

[speedengineer]

Wow this thread really took off!  I step away for lunch and come back and there's a dozen new posts    Thanks for the input everyone, much appreciated.

 

I didn't keep close track of costs for my last two car builds, and I was probably better off for not doing so!  However, for this build, I am genuinly curious how much it can be done for.  Many of you have brought up good points regarding using parts I already have, etc.  This is valid, I need to include them in the build cost.

 

Has anyone had good luck with radiators that aren't $$$?

 

For clarity, here is how I am going to tally costs:

a]  I'll include costs for items I already own, that's fair.

b]  Consumables don't count towards build cost, they are running costs.  (tires/brakes/fluids)

c]  Keep two lists:  One where I track what I actually spend, and one where I log what it would have cost me if I went with a cheaper option.  Example - I buy an $1000 race seat, but if I was really on a budget, I could have bought  $500 race seat.  This way we'll have an accurate value for 'how cheap it could have been'.

 

 

[cam]

Entering this post incase other who do not know better use this thread as a blue print.

 

Do not go cheep on safety, there is a reason why good cages are more expensive.  And a well designed cage stiffens the platform better.  Cage builders have seen their designs pushed to failure and updated their designs.  Vector forces are not always common sense.

 

I've built almost everything myself over the years and can attest that a cheep build can get on the track but it will hold you back, enforce bad habits and in the long run, be more expensive correcting/replacing/fixing the cheep build decisions.  But it is a lot of fun if you enjoy that sort of thing.

[davew]

Have fun and keep track if you like. Just remember you are far from the typical garage builder if you can bend tubing, weld, rebuild an engine etc.

 

Dave

[Michael Novak]

Good Luck....  It will be interesting how it all works out..

[Erik Hardy]

Fellas - Jason has built a few cars over the years and has been racing for years now with a multitude of championships to support his DIY endeavors, just too humble to be abrupt. He is well aware of the safety concerns and will not be skimping on the associated safety items. I might even through is some fea pictures of cage designs to better educate other cage builders as well to improve safety awareness. 

[Danny Steyn]

I applaud your eagerness and enthusiasm. However as someone who has looked at a lot of build sheets, not just my own, I honestly believe that you are chasing an almost impossible target.

 

Small things like hoses, sensors, spark plugs, brake pads, filters, clamps, injectors all add up very quickly. And as others have pointed out, you will need the big ticket items as well. Decent radiator, 3 sets of wheels and tires to race at a Majors - 2 dries, one rain, Sure you can dismount tires every time it rains, or you flat spot a tire, but then your ongoing costs will escalate.

 

The parts on my car, a $3,000 donor, new engine, rebuilt diff and gearbox, suspension kit, new shocks, fire system, and all the rest of the goodies, plus cool box, radio, transponder, data system and a few other non essentials  added up to close to $40k with everything excluding labor, paint and graphics. Sure you can race with a cheap seat, and cage, but I would suggest safety should never be compromised in a sport where we put ourselves in harms way every time we go out 

 

I wish it was possible, and I will be genuinely surprised if it is, but I wish you an amazing journey full of discovery. Keep sharing the adventure with us, we will all be watching with interest

[FTodaro]

First off, good luck on the project except for the motor and cage I have built 4 cars and enjoy the hell out of it.

 

We can tell your not married, as you never keep a parts list/budget around where it could be found.

 

It always costs your far less money when you don't keep account of it.

[Steve Scheifler]

Obviously not your first track car build so you aren't coming in as blind as some, but I agree with others that it will climb at least a bit above your budget before it is capable of a good finish at a well attended race. Not counting consumables helps, though maybe the first round of everything should be included.

One caution about the head work, if you want to take full advantage of the rules then you really can't have just any shop work on it. Unfortunately, for reasons too convoluted to cover here, the rules are so specific and so strict that it takes considerable care and the right tools, and go/no-go gauges, to ensure a "legal" head. One tiny mistake and the head can't be salvaged for SM. In fact, there is a possibility that the stock head is already non-compliant. So like it or not, you would be wise to bite the bullet and use one of the popular shops for that.

Good luck!

[pmason]

I'm one that just throws the receipts in a drawer and don't look at it again :-) Built mine last winter, just used the original engine (+120k miles) and running at the back, just got done building a new (second) engine that I will be putting this winter.

Good luck with your build.

[38bfast]

The one thing that I have learned in racing is that calculators seem to not function properly when subject to racing budgets.

[speedengineer]

Haha yup, when I add up what I really spent on my PTE car I'm convinced that some programmer at microsoft screwed up the SUM() function such that it operates more like the PRODUCT() function. 

 

Regardless, I'm quite certain that I can build a good chassis for <$15k.  Whether or not the car will be competitve will depend on if I I can build a motor that actually makes the power.  We'll see.  Not expecting to update this thread much until my build starts in a month or two, but check back then!

[Bruce Wilson]

Will be a nice car, but highly unlikely it will be a front running car.  Engines are not plug and play fast.  You have to either have a pro build one using all their latest knowledge or R&D the hell out of one.  Falling into a good motor build on the first try is possible, but the odds are stacked firmly against you.

[Ron Alan]

Will be a nice car, but highly unlikely it will be a front running car.  Engines are not plug and play fast.  You have to either have a pro build one using all their latest knowledge or R&D the hell out of one.  Falling into a good motor build on the first try is possible, but the odds are stacked firmly against you.

Always had and still have lots of respect for you Bruce...but i couldnt disagree with this more with respect to 1.8 motors. 1.6 motors seem to be much more of a good cast head issue(flow)so this i understand your statement.

 

It is well documented that my 95 car with its original bottom end and a fresh head(oem head with all new parts except lifters)ran very well for 5 years. It did nothing but get better...and made the most power in the last year of its life and ran at the front with many different drivers! I went the same path with a 99 build...Low mile OEM bottom end and a fresh head. It made power right with other top 99 cars in the area and ran lap times at Sonoma on its first test day equal to the fastest times run that day(which included those by our best on the West Coast). 

 

My point here is to encourage those who may not have the budget to not be discourage...at least in restricted motors. You can make competitive power on a budget build! And before anyone debates me I will concede this wont win a National championship or well attended Majors but be very close with equal talent and car prep. (Though it has!!)