Sub-$1000 Challenge Cars

VWguyBruce Dork
7/1/15 5:46 p.m.

I made a comment in the $50 Saab thread regarding the potential for good competition in the Sub-$1000 Class at the Challenge this year. Tuna's Accord and the afore mentioned Saab got me to thinking. Since the Metro is going to a new home soon, Ill be without a car this year.

Internet search returned this: highly scientific research.

Interesting that Challenger's hit most of the marks in that article.

I wonder if the most easily and economically modified cars may have been missed? Dusterbird mentioned not having the budget to build a $1000 car which I totally understand. BUT, I wonder though if the car was properly purchased and there was so many free or nearly free upgrades, could a Sub-$1000 or $500, all-in, be a top notch competitor? Can't remember total cost of the Echo last year but I think it was close to the mark and totally unexpected.

Just thinking.... curious to see what you all think.

eastsidemav Dork
7/1/15 6:24 p.m.

The clown did pretty good overall with sub-$1000 cars in the past.

bgkast GRM+ Memberand UberDork
7/1/15 6:51 p.m.

There isn't much room in a $1000 budget for engine work, which would hurt the drag score. Suspension and cosmetics might be easier, but it would really take some creativity and effort to have a sub $1000 car that is a contender.

eastsidemav Dork
7/1/15 7:48 p.m.

Buying right would become even more important than it is at the full budget cap. A used nitrous kit could be had to shave a couple seconds off the drag time. Another possibility would be to luck into a someone dumping a nearly complete project (think turbo civic) at a major loss.

I have neither the skill, the time, or the determination to pull something like that off, but I am sure there are some GRMers out there who could field a pretty high ranking car in the sub-$1k category, especially since the first set of tires isn't included in the budget.

Edit: One other thing to consider for the cheaper cars may be salvage auctions, since you don't need a titled car to run in the challenge.

JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
7/1/15 7:50 p.m.

Would you be happy with an 11th place finish on a budget of $1006.99?

Is that a contender?
Could have been better if it had not developed an engine noise in the drags.

The Challenge is a combination of "bought right" and "built right". We were all about "bought right".

More of the story:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/which-challenge-car-not-what-youre-thinking/95610/page2/

NGTD UltraDork
7/1/15 8:22 p.m.

I am currently sub $1000 on my WRX Wagon project, and assuming I can sell off enough parts to recoup the $500 CAD that I spent on the parts car, I would be below $400 USD.

This would leave me quite a bit of room to stay below $1000.

I am not sure I can make the Challenge this year - it's a LOOONNNGGG Way from where I live, but I hope to some day.

JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
7/1/15 8:41 p.m.

Similar is pretty easy to find.

infiniti - $1200 http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/5091897505.html

David S. Wallens Editorial Director
7/1/15 8:48 p.m.

Whether you spend $1000 or $2000, you'll still have a fun weekend.

Bring it!

pimpm3 HalfDork
7/1/15 9:33 p.m.

Our Fiero was a grand and it sucked...

Seriously though last year was far and away the most fun I had at the event and it was like my 6th or 7th. Hopefully I can get around to fixing it to give it a better shot this year. If not I will buy something for the last minute challenge, hopefully for less then a grand and compete in two sub classes.

Vigo PowerDork
7/1/15 9:41 p.m.

I think that the top-finishing cars are already at the point with skilled labor that the 'actually budgeted budget' doesn't matter much. If a top finishing $2000 car has ~$20,000 of unbilled labor into it, i dont see a $1000 budget reduction as anything another $15000 of unbilled highly skilled labor can't fix.

Basically, if you can do high level work and are willing to do a lot of it for free, you will still be able to build a truly awesome car for $1000.

M030 Dork
7/2/15 7:26 a.m.

I've been finding great deals on sub-$1000 E36 BMWs lately. At present, I've got a 93 325iS, 94 325 and a 98 323iS. The 94 & 98 run and drive, and I'm $1400 in for all three.

rcutclif Dork
7/2/15 8:50 a.m.

my budget is currently $1057 ish, and I have a running, driving, 300hp v12 car.

I have a diff and chip to bump the total up by $300, but unsure at this point if I should go for under $1k (still have the full stock exhaust - pretty sure I could sell the cats and buy tubing to make a $57 difference), or go full out.

JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
7/2/15 9:21 a.m.

Though stated in the rules that there is an award for "half budget" or $1007.50 budget, last year there was not a specific award given out for it.

If you look at the Magazine coverage in the April 2015 issue the budget price is given:
7th place, Blue '94 Mustang had a budget of $1023.10
11th place, Infiniti Q45 $1006.49
18th place, Fiero team build $1005.50
20th place, Miata $800
23rd place, Rabbit $965.00
26th place, Echo $289.41
29th place, Spitfire $896.67

tuna55 UltimaDork
7/2/15 9:41 a.m.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Though stated in the rules that there is an award for "half budget" or $1007.50 budget, last year there was not a specific award given out for it. If you look at the Magazine coverage in the April 2015 issue the budget price is given: 7th place, Blue '94 Mustang had a budget of $1023.10 11th place, Infiniti Q45 $1006.49 18th place, Fiero team build $1005.50 20th place, Miata $800 23rd place, Rabbit $965.00 26th place, Echo $289.41 29th place, Spitfire $896.67

Sort of a bummer that there wasn't a highest finishing award for $1008 class. I did not notice that.

JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
7/2/15 9:45 a.m.

I had never asked management why there wasn't. I was presented with People's Choice and Spectacular Failure at the banquet so I was more than happy.

In retrospect, I also wonder if they glossed over the topic since the 7th place Mustang was just a couple dollars out of the running.
The Mustang did a tremendous job on that budget!

echoechoecho New Reader
7/2/15 12:54 p.m.

The echo budget of $289.41 includes the 100 dollar used spec miata hoosiers. LOL

JohnRW1621 UltimaDork
7/2/15 1:36 p.m.

In reply to echoechoecho:

Wow, so, $189.41 of real budget. If you could have sold some interior items I am sure you could have gotten to zero. How cool would that have been!
Not to say it wasn't cool already!

VWguyBruce Dork
7/2/15 1:50 p.m.

I've always known there were low budget cars out there and I guess I just haven't spent enough time seeking them out and talking to the teams. I don't even know if GRM has a class anymore, seems quiet. Maybe we all need to talk about it more. I didn't realize rcutclif's BMW was so cheap. The Q45 was a complete out of nowhere win.

Vigo, I was thinking so much about labor. I always think of the labor I can do which is at the bottom end of the competant scale. There's always seemed to be a DEFINITE difference between guys with huge teams of labor and the single builder teams. I thought you guys met the spirit of the Challenge with your Aries fleet.

I think I was wondering more if we haven't found the secret buy it, cheap/free mod it and compete car. Turbo car, good tires, NOS, elbow grease, a bit of luck. 1.8T power maybe? Abandoned projects for sure.

David, you're spot on about just getting to the Challenge. Get there. I'm trying to decide which I've had more fun at, with Challenge car OR without Challenge car.

eastsidemav Dork
7/2/15 2:31 p.m.

VWguyBruce wrote: David, you're spot on about just getting to the Challenge. Get there. I'm trying to decide which I've had more fun at, with Challenge car OR without Challenge car.

Usually I've had more fun with a car than without, although there was a year or two it probably would have been the other way around. Hoping to make it to spectate this year, but not sure yet.