New Guy Costs.

In reply to 03Panther :

Check with tom, but last year i saw many out of date harnesses.  Don't get me started on the racket that is SFI expiration dates.  Scca solo rules don't care about sfi dating on harnesses i think

FYI: Be sure to check the certification date if you buy a helmet.  GRM specifies an SA or SM (motorcycle) rating of 10 years or less.  SA may be required if your car is modded or is running fast at the drag strip.  If you happen to buy a SA2010 helmet it won't be allowed in following years.  The SA2020 helmets aren't available until next month(?) so either wait for an SA2020 or buy an SA2015 helmet now.  I imagine the SA2015s will be discounted more once the 2020s are available.

You've said a couple of times that you hung out with a lot of racers but never raced.  This means you understand how this can be fun! 

This then aligns with the advice I give to anyone thinking about The Challenge; that advise is one word...GO. 

The easiest and probably best was to go your first year is as crew. This year, due to Covid, spectators are not allowed, but you can sign on as crew.   This covid rule comes off as kind of funny to me because The Challenge is a hard place to be a "spectator.". Meaning, unlike most events, this is an event that always draws people into helping or being a part. 

03Panther said:

Do pick-um-up trucks have there own class? Anything like a truck I could bring would  handle the cones like a, well truck. Or worse.

I would like to see a motorhome class. Especially if you had to stay in what you run. 

There are lots of cheap motorhomes still out there. 

In reply to Snowdoggie :

Spec methlab

Seriously. Is there anything in the rules that keeps you from running a motorhome? You could at least save money on lodging. 

In reply to Snowdoggie :

Height/width rule makes most (but maybe not all) unmodified RVs difficult. 

Reading the way guys play with the budget I could get it to the 2k, but not without Richard the cranium. 

In reply to 03Panther :

So the initial vehicle purchase price needs to be two grand or less. You can recoup up to $1,000 to put back into the vehicle, but you can't buy a $3,000 vehicle recoup a thousand to get it to two grand.

How does an inherited car work?

John Welsh (Moderate Supporter) said:

In reply to Snowdoggie :

Height/width rule makes most (but maybe not all) unmodified RVs difficult. 

What about length? 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1223498088002840

In reply to Mr_Asa :

FMV 

In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :

Thanks

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to 03Panther :

So the initial vehicle purchase price needs to be two grand or less. You can recoup up to $1,000 to put back into the vehicle, but you can't buy a $3,000 vehicle recoup a thousand to get it to two grand.

For the record, I was makin’ a funny. I personally don’t think a MH class is going to happen. Hence, funny. 

Although I did just now realize you thought I meant I was gonna buy that FL 50 to race... I actually own that. No longer looks that nice, after 4 years as a dd and pulling  our “house” to the jobs.  And bring off the road for another 4. I paid $30K for it when it did look that nice!

In reply to 03Panther :

I definitely knew it was for funny, if anything close to that was even under $10k, we'd all have a lot nicer tow rigs, I did want to clarify the budget rule so that a non legal vehicle wasn't purchased though.

In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :

It can actually be had for less than 10 now that we will not be using it again. I’d sell for 7500, and anyone doing there own work to finish the modified interior, and repair tha aluminum bed, could have it on the road dependable by the time they get to ten!

quite negotiable in next couple a days... need $900 to go get a race car, before I miss out (no, I won’t take $900!!! Except as a down payment!!!)

It is ok for me to hijack my on thread? I’m A. D. D. ! Oh, did I mention...

Ok. Original question was "aside from the car within budget, and fee, what does a brand new driver need to spend on gear - I've got the trip, lodging food etc. figured out"

Answer, IF I am reading the rules right is:

  1) Helmet.

    1a) since I would be slow, the motorcycle helmet not full face (traditionally called 3/4) with a 2011 date might be acceptable.

I now have budget question.        (should I start a new thread, or continue this one?)

I will not make this year, and I have too many options of cars for next year... some not even mine yet!

I have a car a friend gave me, before either of us heard of this race. We agreed that if I sel it I owe her money for the car. But free for me to part out for my other projects, or for my use.

If I decide to race that, I will be starting at a budget of $0. Is that correct?

I've tried to sell it, but don't even get any nibbles at 1200, so we are not talking a ringer here or anything. I doubt it would even make on run without a lot of elbow grease, but not a lot of money. engine prolly only needs spark plugs, but the MT and / or rear prolly need to come out and be pulled apart. Better ratio gear while in there, and a few bearings in the trans, but I would thing not a huge expense. Only thing it needed to start was a fuel pump. Budget at about 80 bucks. And a LOT of cleaning. I assume cleaning supplies don't count? Tires are toast, but good ones are exempt, correct? Buy one set in budget, one set exempt? Is it reasonable to use the most expensive set as the exempt? The brakes worked, but fresh brakes would be a good plan. I can see past the cracks in windshield, but I suppose that would need to be added to budget.

as I understand it, all my own labor is free?

In reply to 03Panther :

Being given parts, or a car, seems to fall under fair market value.  Either you have to find a couple examples in the same condition for sale and document those, or the group has to agree on the price.  So, while you may have spent $0 on it, your budget could be hit by well over $2020 (if the car wasn't as bad as you say it is.)

I think.  Its the same basic question I asked above.

That's why I mentioned this deal was done before any thought of a race, and I can document that as well! tecnicly, since I never pulled the LT1 and T56 out for my astro van, it is still her car! She paid around $26,500 for it if I remember right when it rolled of the show room floor. My "purchase "price was pulling it out of the woods, to take to the scrap yard. I can document that as well. And I think my labor is exempt.

At most, the budget is only scrap price, cause that's the most I've been offered while for sale!

Just thinking on my drive home from work... if free means FMV for budget, If I had gotten the free grm Europa, that be a budget start at FMV   And since S’rx turned down 3500 from a collector, that makes its FMV 3500 or more. So... it’s not eligible to go to the challenge race anyway. No collector would pay 3500 for my friends car. She would have had to PAY someone to haul it out of the woods. All I have in the purchase is about 18 hrs of elbow grease. And then a $80 fuel pump and another 50 hrs cleaning. Oh and an oil change. Does the initial fluid and filter count, since every ( smart ) new owner does that first thing? One can of fix-a-flat. Did I mention LOTS of elbow grease?

Free to anyone is free.  Free from dad or uncle ted or your best friend who would sell it to someone but gives it to you is fmv.  

In reply to 03Panther :

In this case I would suggest you ask for a FMV of whatever hours it took to get it out x your state's minium wage rate.  If that's way low then I'd look up what the local junkyard would have paid for it.  Include pictures of the car as it sat.  You need 5 of us to agree with your requested FMV.  Once you establish FMV then add the $80 fuel pump, fix a flat (if you're using that tire) and cost of the oil filter.  The oil would be free to budget as a fluid.

But to be honest it sounds like you just want to show up and enjoy the event.  Would a FMV of $500 kill your dream?  Probably not.  If you're planning on building this car into a top 10 car then sure go for the lowest FMV you can get us to agree to.

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

Free to anyone is free.  Free from dad or uncle ted or your best friend who would sell it to someone but gives it to you is fmv.  

I'm sure I'm being dense, and it's me , not you, but I did not understand this. In the. Car I asked about, it was not for sale. The junk yards would have charged her to come haul it off. But there cannot be a negative budget. 

The other car I thought about and !mentioned can not be raced due to being given to a friend instead of being sold for 3500, if I'm understanding what people are explaining to me. Which one are you referring to? The one I asked about ( I think stampie answers it now) or the lotus I almost had?

In reply to 03Panther :

The lotus is free, as it's posted on the board for anybody to come and take. The reference to fair market value I made was to an inherited vehicle that's why I responded to Mr. Asa in my post is they inquired about it. If Stampy or John or Pete or myself list something as a price on the board that's the budget hit for it regardless of who purchases it. If somebody sells you something and there and you have a previous acquaintance with them and you get a sweetheart of a deal due to that acquaintance it is then fair market value as it was not advertised for the general public at that price, first come, first serve.