Green Flag: T minus 84 days and counting!

We knew that purchasing a car 6 months before the race would give us plenty of time. But for anyone out there with more time and cash than brain cells that may be inclined to suffer the pain, anguish and ultimate humiliation that is inevitable to make their LeMons dream a reality, I offer some nuggets of wisdom from our experience.

How long does it take to prepare a car? – Starting with a car that ran reasonably well but in need some ‘structural’ repairs, we completed these repairs, fabricated and installed the roll cage, conducted an end-to-end mechanical inspection, replaced fluids, installed new seat, and performed various minor repairs/maintenance. With two guys working one evening per week (4 hours) and every other Saturday (8 hours) we were able to get our car ‘ready’ in 3 months. What remains for our project is paint, tuning and testing.

What kind of skill does it take? – We have demonstrated that one really good mechanically inclined individual can shoulder the burden for the team. We had one skilled craftsman and one ‘hack’ most of the time. But to be fair, the hack was also the ‘idea guy’. Would more talent make for a quicker build? – Absolutely! Would a team of mechanics without a ‘visionary’ be successful – No Way! (but, I may be biased).

What is the most important element during the build? – Well this is a tough question because some things are essential like a good platform (that’s car for those less technical folk), proper facilities (i.e. garage), spousal patience, and lots of fabricating raw materials lying around (most folks might call it junk – we’re talking about miscellaneous nuts, bolts, scrap metal, wire, abandoned projects, and the like). But if our experience tells us anything, GOOD tools will make a huge difference. A good bandsaw, tubing notcher, drill press, and welder were greatly appreciated time and time again. The bandsaw and notcher were already in our tool inventories and had come from Harbor Freight. The blade on the saw was a necessary upgrade and the notcher needed a minor modification to make it beefier, but both of these worked like champs. The mig welder was a 220V craftsman model. It performed much better than one of the cheaper 110V boxes. The drill press was the lifesaver! But this was no ordinary drill press. This thing is at least 40 years old and weights about 400 lbs. It had been rescued from a scrap pile about 20 years ago. A new handle and power cord gave it a new lease on life and this thing worked circles around anything you can buy at Sears today. Oh, by the way, Honey, if you’re reading this… Big Daddy would really like a Plasma Cutter for Christmas.

How much does it cost? – The following is a summary view of our budget.
CAR - $500 (What we spent for the car plus the eligible improvements)
ENTRANCE FEES (car/5drivers) - $ 1300
PERSONAL SAFETY GEAR - $2000 (w/bargain helmets from EBAY)
CAR SAFETY GEAR - $1000 (roll cage, wheels, tires, exhaust, brakes, etc.)
SPARE PARTS - $?????
OPERATING COSTS - $1000 (fuel, oil, supplies for to/at/from track)
TOTAL?- $5800+
EXPLANATION TO WIFE ON WHY A $500 RACECAR COSTS 6 GRAND – Priceless!
Of course, these are the results of our situation. Our next race (if the car survives) will be significantly cheaper. Another car may have different needs, but this gives you an idea.
What’s the worst part about preparing our car for the 24 Hours of LeMons? – We still have 84 days to wait!!!