Challenge Supreme Court (Questions Answered Here!)

Another 'budget' question occurred to me being in Canada.

Due to both dollar values fluctuating, would I chose a said date as a build date 'start' with that being the exchange rate total budget to stay under? 

Example = $2018USD is equal to $2601.26CAD as of today according to XE.com (could change by the time this is read and responded to, I would screenshot but I am at work shh :) ) 

Thank you in advance. Again mostly looking to 'play along' with a build for this year (2018) 

In reply to Tom Suddard :please let me advocate for two rule changes.  First if the car I buy has some parts I don't want say an engine or carbs ...whatever instead of selling may I give it to someone and take fair market value?

second; Rust  isn't fair!! Here in the rust belt we have to repair rust that other parts of the country don't  have to deal with.  The cost of rust repair can easily drive the budget over the limit.  Can we exempt rust repair?  Mind you that does not include paint or anything else that would affect Concours  de Elegance

 Being My Car is Plastic/ Fiberglass  and living in the south(yes they rust Here) I myself would HAVE to Be On your Side here. now Major Mods Like I pan to Undertake Should and Will be Documented . If you have owned a car for multiple years it seems legal to  claim Cost at time of purchase not FMV so I would think Basic rust repairs would not affect budget as some cars rust faster than Others and bringing a body up to presentable apperance  is only normal. take the Cool looking Spoiler on Patrick's car is documented but a stop sign/washing machine floor board is FREE. New Qtrs. and or New Floor boards may show up at cost but Hand Hammered Parts would be cost of Material. That might be close but again Tom Has the Gavel.

If you want budget exempt rust repair pick up a file cabinet on the side of the road.  I live in Cleveland, we created rust.  Our $2018 car is a flintstone mobile.  New floors in budget. 

Patrick said:

If you want budget exempt rust repair pick up a file cabinet on the side of the road.  

Or buy a car in the rust free part of the country and use the "expenses to drag your hooptie home are exempt" rule.

Robbie if you haven't followed Frenchy's post he is, I believe, using an Antique that Is real not a Throw away Modern car .For that alone I would give him A Lot of Slack.  and would look Great Beating up on Newer cars, his Cars DO NOT fit the Hooptie  junk cars Theme.

GTXVette said:

 

Robbie if you haven't followed Frenchy's post he is, I believe, using an Antique that Is real not a Throw away Modern car .For that alone I would give him A Lot of Slack.  and would look Great Beating up on Newer cars, his Cars DO NOT fit the Hooptie  junk cars Theme.

You were there.  How many entries fit the "hooptie junk cars theme?"  If the answer is more than very few then you saw a different set of cars than me.  

You can't just arbitrarily give someone a lot of slack based on the rotbox they chose to use just because it's old or cool or whatever.  The challenge isn't for everyone, and if you want rules changed just so you can fix rust under budget, you're likely in the group that it's not for.  I can pull a 69 camaro from the woods with every rotten panel and claim a dynacorn replacement shell is rust repair.  

Yea I know and your Right but really A TD would look Great In Competition. You car looked Great, The Spitfire Looked Great,and although a Lot of work went into Converting Sedans into Trucks they didn't Have the Classy look your's Has or Calvin's Z.. I don't know the Condition Of Frenchy's Car but a Pristine one Likely would Cost as Much as a Dynacorn Body. Hey I am Just trying to be Nice.

Sure, a classic would look great, I'm really not trying to credit or discredit anyone's specific build. And I love me some MG (my first sports car was/is an MG). My point is that the free shipping cost rule is specifically meant to equalize the fact that cars rust in some parts of the country and not others. 

But guess what? Rusty cars also tend to be cheaper that non rusty cars (try buying a rust free TD in North America for less than challenge budget today...) So the rule actually works both ways. You want to get a rust free car shipped up north? Go for it. You want to get a free pile of classic rust shipped down south? Get after it. Anyone living anywhere in the country has the same shot at either example.

GTXVette said:

 

Robbie if you haven't followed Frenchy's post he is, I believe, using an Antique that Is real not a Throw away Modern car .For that alone I would give him A Lot of Slack.  and would look Great Beating up on Newer cars, his Cars DO NOT fit the Hooptie  junk cars Theme.

I did NOT mean to say that the build are hoopties. 

I'm beginning to think like Paul, that almost no one even reads the dang rules. I was paraphrasing the rules off the top of my head, and just missed it. 

Rules say (and I quote): "Costs to pickup your hooptie from the seller are exempt"

I said "expenses to drag your hooptie home are exempt"

Sorry.

conev8r said:

Hopefully a couple quick and easy questions regarding budget/accounting for a returning challenge car.

1.) Appearance Modifications/Improvements:

We painted and applied vinyl decals to our car for 2017. If we decide to paint it a different color and run a different vinyl package for 2018, can we omit the 2017 paint job and vinyls from the 2018 budget?

Additionally, if we included the paint at full cost for 2017, and have and use left-over paint, can we include that in 2018 as "leftover paint from 2017 - $0.00"?

2.) Ebates?

Ebates is an online shopping tool that provides cash back to members. It is free to sign up and available to anyone. If we purchase parts/supplies online and receive cash back through Ebates for those purchases, can this cash back be added back into the budget as a discount on the purchases or through recoup?

Thanks!

If you completely remove the old paint and stickers, then yes, it could leave the budget due to the "only what is on the car during competition counts" rule. But if you do that, you wouldn't be able to use the leftover $2017 paint for $0. If you do leave the 2017 paint in your budget, you could use the leftover for $10.

Ebates would be treated just like an Advance Auto Parts rebate, no big changes there. Put it in the budget as a discount with documentation. 

In reply to Patrick :

I just happen to know where a 69 Camaro fitting your description is sitting in the woods. 

Rust effects purchase price. Rust repair is in budget, and should remain. 

You could always consider something like John Haas' '49 business coupe- he left the rust, and made it  part of the look (call it patina, or whatever)

These are the choices we need to make...

Nobody said it was easy. That's why it's called the "Challenge". 

In reply to Robbie :

Dude, do know, I haven't a Clue what all a HOOPTIE really is,I used to Think It referred to a BOX Impala/Caprice on 22's  Crusin' Da Hood.  and really it had nothing to do with wording  So Sorry for that. I am Behind the Curve on young Folk's Slang.

I would just Love to see a TD w/ V-12

SVreX said:

Nobody said it was easy. That's why it's called the "Challenge". 

This.

In reply to Robbie : gotta play the devils advocate here.  I'm well aware of how much easier it is to buy something at a deep discount locally than try to do the same thing across country.  

What sounds good, looks good in the ad might turn into complete worm food 

what sounds and looks terrible in an ad might turn into wonderfulness when in person.  

So give rust belt states readers a little slack.  ( ps  I don't have anything rusty nor would I buy anything rusty at this time of my life, as I said I was being an advocate for someone I thought worthy)

ps I think the way around the rust issue is use the rusty piece to make a splash mold.  Since the price of making the mold (as I've been told) doesn't count you do whatever to make a decent pattern but all you have to account for is the actual part.  

In reply to SVreX : let's be honest here,  it would be extremely easy to spend the $2018 on just the round trip cost of competing.  

Could someone from Washington Oregon  Alaska  or Hawaii  get their car and themselves to the challenge for the same cost as someone from Florida?  

OK then,  I have a massive advantage over someone less than third my age without the same equipment and experience. 

Yet that young person could easily be far more talented and ultimately successful than I might be.  

So this whole challenge is unfair, yet it doesn't mean I don't want to go or see others creations.  I think this is a great event.  

Lets not get too hung up on fair,  smile relax, have fun!  And don't forget to thank GRM for putting it on!! 

In reply to frenchyd :

I live in Chicago...

There are ways to get free material (metal at least, Bondo and paint would be in budget) for rust repair as have been mentioned. I am just trying to point out the easy button for starting with a rust free car.

I still disgree that rust repair should in any way be budget exempt (and it's ok for us to disagree, I think you have some excellent skills and knowledge that I am trying to learn from).

Tom Suddard said:

conev8r said:

Hopefully a couple quick and easy questions regarding budget/accounting for a returning challenge car.

1.) Appearance Modifications/Improvements:

We painted and applied vinyl decals to our car for 2017. If we decide to paint it a different color and run a different vinyl package for 2018, can we omit the 2017 paint job and vinyls from the 2018 budget?

Additionally, if we included the paint at full cost for 2017, and have and use left-over paint, can we include that in 2018 as "leftover paint from 2017 - $0.00"?

2.) Ebates?

Ebates is an online shopping tool that provides cash back to members. It is free to sign up and available to anyone. If we purchase parts/supplies online and receive cash back through Ebates for those purchases, can this cash back be added back into the budget as a discount on the purchases or through recoup?

Thanks!

If you completely remove the old paint and stickers, then yes, it could leave the budget due to the "only what is on the car during competition counts" rule. But if you do that, you wouldn't be able to use the leftover $2017 paint for $0. If you do leave the 2017 paint in your budget, you could use the leftover for $10.

Ebates would be treated just like an Advance Auto Parts rebate, no big changes there. Put it in the budget as a discount with documentation. 

Thanks, Tom! That's perfect!

In reply to GTXVette : extremely cogent point there GTXVette.  Cost at time of purchase!!! 

For example my MGTD  I bought it as spares for my restoration of my other MGTD  it was in rough shape, not running, dented, layers of paint none of which were in acceptable shape ( or color)  but I paid $100 for it.  Now I took off most useable parts either for my other MG or the two other MGs I restored and I know I sold several hundred dollars worth so I guess the parts I'll be using owe me nothing .  

However FMV would probably exceed the $2018 limit.  

Frankly it won't matter to me because I'll run in the exhibition class.  I don't want to finagle my way to a win.  It just doesn't seem proper.  

the winner this year was a 10 year old Purchase , a 240/260Z for 100.00 and FMV would do the same to them. Shoot them an e-mail they can tell you What/How to do it.  They are Helpful and willing.

In reply to Robbie : Hi Robbie, heck I've got bead rollers and access to my old English wheel  I can roll out any piece I want and have it look factory.  The few cents worth of welding wire and gas wouldn't impact my budget  but not everybody can do that.  

Besides the make a splash mold ( which doesn't count) and then make a part approach is a lot easier.  Since I still have a roll of carbon fiber that I bought 20+ years ago I can do carbon fiber stuff for less than somebody with a chopper gun can spray a Fiberglas part ( as you know Fiberglas has gotten dramatically more expensive in the last two decades) 

Hey, has GRM done anything on how simple it is to make Fiberglas/ carbon fiber parts?  Is that something I should do?  

frenchyd said:

Hey, has GRM done anything on how simple it is to make Fiberglas/ carbon fiber parts?  Is that something I should do?  

 

I would love to see what you can do on this front! I need to learn that skill. Probably a separate thread though.

You guys are misunderstanding FMV.

There is no requirement to budget anything at FMV. If you bought something 10 years ago for $100, the price is $100. Nobody cares if today's value is more. Just include a receipt. 

FMV is ONLY an alternative for when you have parts laying around with no receipt. It's a way to use something you have that you have no receipt for. 

Don't get hung up on FMV. 

In reply to SVreX :

I think most folks are concerned with the reverse issue.  E.g., I bought a BMW wagon 10 years ago for $6k, drove it in the ground, blew up engine.  Now I want to do an LS1 swap into it.  What/how do I value it?