^ This. Between BABE, GRM and Lemons I haven't worked on something just for myself in about 7 years now. I keep saying "as soon as this one is done I'll get back to my car" then we just start on the next one.
And +eleventybillion on the bolt buckets. When my grandfather passed qaway this year I took 2 5 gallon buckets filled with his nut and bolt jars out of his barn. The relatives thought I was nuts, I knew I wouldnt be paying for hardware for awhile :)
I always have boxes of crap nuts/bolts/components piled up so that is no issue. The reason I've never made it is that there is 40hrs of towing and a hotel bill between me and the Challenge and there isn't any actual racing to be done when I get there.
I think I should aim for the UTCC this year. Half the distance - I don't need to take 5k worth of stuff off my car to qualify for entry and when it breaks down spectacularly - it can do it on a real racetrack. Plus, IIRC NASA is racing the rest of the weekend so its possible I could fail in traffic the day before!
I see this as a major reason that I will not have my life consumed by challenge cars... I simply cannot stand clutter. I do not have an ounce of pack rat in me, and that is a natural disadvantage of the highest order.
In between the lot where I work on my car and my apartment sits an open dumpster. Many parts have not made it past said dumpster into storage, and my "bolt bucket" is actually a plastic baggie.
If anyone ever buys the old SAAB they will get plenty of spares and a complete kit of parts, but it will all fit inside the vehicle with a passenger...
I live in an apartment, and i think i've accumulated enough parts to assemble an entire escort, half a Celica, and make 400+whp on an MX6. My storage closet is filled with body panels.
My Dad has been pretty generous about space in the basement. I've got a spare set of wheels and tires for both of my cars, engine stand, engine hoist, a dashboard, and a few boxes of parts. Not to mention the 68' Ford parked out back. And I don't even have a challenge car.
His Yamaha two-stroke parts are slowly accumulating more space too though.
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