So for a few months I've been on the prowl to build a car.. or truck to race in the x275 and no prep class events near me this summer. Now when I look for a car to race, I become obsessed with weight. I like to start with the lightest platform I can and go from there. Obvious choices in this category would be fox body Mustangs, a Datsun 240z, perhaps a Nova II or AMC Rambler. However, for some reason or another I couldn't find decent examples in my price range (except for the Mustangs... but I'm a GM guy at heart). Then one night my father suggested a 1st gen S-10, which at the time, I completely shrugged off because I assumed they were heavy due to be a full frame truck. Boy, was I completely wrong. All the sudden I began intrigued and started my search which lead me to this...
A 1990 s10 with tons of goodies. Full roll cage, 11:1 355sbc, refreshly rebuilt th400 with reverse manual, 4500 stall, line lock, QA1 coilovers in all corners, triangular 4-link suspension, fuel cell, battery relocation kit, JAZ racing seat, and best of all a clean title. I found it on craigslist for $5000 Christmas morning and drove out the next day to get it. I didn't even haggle the price because I thought $5000 was a steal.
Sounds like I could hop in it and just go racing, right? Well.. not exactly. This truck does have a few items that need to be addressed. Wiring, paint, interior, brakes, and most of all replacing the 7.5 rear end. I'm fortunate enough to have a dad that has built a few race cars and a lot professional resto-rod work. So we decided this April we're bringing it to the shop to have the frame narrowed, swapping in a Ford 9" and redoing the 4 link to fit some 33x22 tires (I know I said I wanted to race x275, so we'll work through making this work with small tire as well even if it will look funny). At that time we'll fix the paint as well. I was reluctant on posting this until we started the work, but I figure I can update with small items before we get to that point.
My problem is project cars is I tend to think economically about them first and foremost. I always choose to be transparent about my costs to help others who look to build something similar. I have $15,000 budgeted to get this truck on the road and at the track late this spring. Half of that will probably be spent in beer and pizza with my father, but that's alright!
Anyways.. I think that's where I'll start for now.