NS Dev
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 posted on 22/10/07 at 12:52 PM |
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Ok, straw poll, how much to build a reasonable locost racer and how much to race for a year?
Just wondering, know Matt will be straight onto me after this post, lol, but can some folks give me an idea of car costs and a years racing costs,
from their real world experience?
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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GazzaP
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 01:06 PM |
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Hiya
Last year to build and race cost me
Car built from new luego chassis and mostly new parts £6000 plus on average 12 race entry's at £150 - £200. Fuel for each round about £30 plus
other consumables eg brakes!!.
it's really only the first year that costs the most as you have got to get the car i decided to build a new one so that is how i know, but i am
going to rebuild my old car for next year to.
Plus you have got the travelling and towing costs to account for to.
It does sound alot but it is well worth it for such a good championship!
Gary
www.gmpmotorsport.co.uk
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D Beddows
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 01:11 PM |
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Depends a lot on what you know, who you know and what you've got to start off with 
For a newbie buying a kit and starting from scratch I'd say they could build a seriously competitive car for 7-8k - HOWEVER if we're
talking about NS Dev doing it I'm suspect you could do it for a lot less 
Cost of actualy going racing depends a lot obviously on how much you're prepared to rough it and how good you are at fibreglass repair
I'll wait now for the flood of people saying anyone can build a competitive car for under 4K 
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procomp
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 01:27 PM |
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Hi I will remain quiet for now so as to allow some unbiased views to shown .
But shurley you know it only costs £250. Have you not read the book .
cheers Matt
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Fred W B
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 01:41 PM |
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While I can't comment on the cost of the car, a rule of thumb that seems to work in every competative motor sport I've been involved in is
that whatever the vechicle costs to buy, it will cost that again to run it properly for a year
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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MikeR
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 03:55 PM |
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AND I'M NOT SELLING MY CAR!
Cheeky sod called me up Friday night to see if i'd sell, consider selling, think about selling, how about i sold my ........
 :p
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NS Dev
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 05:29 PM |
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cheers GazzaP and Mr Beddows!
I know Matt will be in touch in a bit, but those figures are about what I had expected really, I certainly didn't expect to be able to do the
car for less than £5K and do anyhting other than tootle around at the back (hell that's probably all I would do anyway lol!!!! )
The reason I was asking is mainly that in the "ideal world" there are lots of things like engines that I could do myself, and would enjoy
doing myself, but would probably be better done by paying somebody else who has done them before!!!
Unless a chassis was cheap enough to buy and then alter, i would almost certainly build it from scratch, same with wishbones etc as well, which would
then leave a few more pennies in the pot for an engine builder.
Its all certainly got me thinking, catalysed by the offer of a drive in the Caterham C400 Superlight Duratec that I was spannering on at the weekend
at the Formula Ford Festival at Brands. No way am I driving that at anything more than a trackday, but the 7's certainly looked fun!!
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andrews_45
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 06:27 PM |
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I have been building mine for 18 months now. I originally aimed to build it for £250
I have done as much work as I can, refurbing all the parts and getting stuff on the scrounge and cheap. I bought my chassis from a manufacturer, had
a roll cage done by Procomp. I am up to £4500 now  .... and thats using a cooking engine. Budget for at least another £1500 to spend on an engine
(mines going off on Sat ).
Its the things you don't think about that start to quickly add up... Hammerite, welding gas, wire, crimps, electrical connectors, cable, tyres,
hoses, clocks, lights, getting all the things working takes a lot of extra money that you didnt budget for.
The race fees for a whole season will set you back about £1800...
..........Oh and unless you have a very understanding wife it can cost a hell of a lot more!!!
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chriscook
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 06:58 PM |
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Nat,
Just use your existing car - as luck would have it I could do with an XE engine such as the one you'd take out to put the xflow in
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 06:58 PM |
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Im on target to build my jag engined car for less than £2000 and the jaguar powered by championship is £75 to enter.
Linky to website
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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mark chandler
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 07:32 PM |
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So you will be going class L then, by prior invitation. Sounds a bit risky, have you seen other locost type cars competing.
Does sound interesting, have you more details as I could shove a V8 Jag engine in my middy.
Regards Mark
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NS Dev
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 10:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by chriscook
Nat,
Just use your existing car - as luck would have it I could do with an XE engine such as the one you'd take out to put the xflow in
heh heh lol was waiting for that one!!!
That's a road car, its not for the track, and its staying that way!! Never mix the two, bad idea, been there and done that, generally involves
being without a road car for several days at a time, strangely enough just after events!!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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NS Dev
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| posted on 22/10/07 at 10:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by andrews_45
I have been building mine for 18 months now. I originally aimed to build it for £250
I have done as much work as I can, refurbing all the parts and getting stuff on the scrounge and cheap. I bought my chassis from a manufacturer, had
a roll cage done by Procomp. I am up to £4500 now .... and thats using a cooking engine. Budget for at least another £1500 to spend on an engine
(mines going off on Sat ).
Its the things you don't think about that start to quickly add up... Hammerite, welding gas, wire, crimps, electrical connectors, cable, tyres,
hoses, clocks, lights, getting all the things working takes a lot of extra money that you didnt budget for.
Totally agree.
Fortunately once you've built a few cars you end up with most of the small bits "laying about" the place, and so that bit of the job
gets cheaper each time!!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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procomp
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| posted on 23/10/07 at 07:28 AM |
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Hi Nat. I think it's about time we got your backside into one of these locost's.
So i will u2u details of the dates of where and when we are doing some trackdays soon to give people who are serious about joining the locost and
kitcar formulas a chance to come and see what the cars perform like and get a genuine feel for the cars ect.
Except i dont want to see you dissapering off up a dirt track finding the nearest muddy field and driving round in circles.
cheers Matt
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MikeR
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| posted on 23/10/07 at 09:59 PM |
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i'd stop worrying about the dirt track and start worrying about the infield and the gravel trap ....... both will be close enough to a field for
him to drive round in circles in!!!!
Although something tells me he'll only end up in either intentionally.
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procomp
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| posted on 24/10/07 at 08:03 AM |
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Hi Mike i think the silverstone trackday may just give him the push he needs to get on the circuits.
Lets just hope he dosent find any muddy fields in an r400 super light .
cheers Matt
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simes43
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| posted on 24/10/07 at 10:37 AM |
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Like all racing cars, there are few savings in building them right from the word go.
Concentrate on building the car light and simplify everything as much as possible.
Leave Battery, Seat and extinguisher till last when you know how much weight the car needs for ballast.
I am spending the winter stripping all the good ideas off the car and simplifying everything.
Some of the engine builders will complete all the machining and the rest can be done by yourself. Randall and John Lowe charge about 1K if you supply
the bits.
The actual cost is very low to run the car for the season. with rule changes etc, you only need buy one gearbox, one diff and a set of A539's
will last a season, even when buffed.
Put it another way, Shayne Deegans class one Junior costs more to run!
My best tip would be to buy the Caged roll cage in kit form. Its light, cheap and has the MSA approval thats needed.
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pumpers
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| posted on 25/10/07 at 06:20 PM |
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I built mine from scratch, everything including the chasis. Was hoping to do it for 3 grand but it worked out slightly more, around 4 grand. Then I
started changing things cos the book aint all that good if your building an out and out race car. It took me two years to build and I've been
racing two years and changed loads of things, some little some big. I no longer count the cost as I'm hooked and don't want to know!!
things like wishbones are very cheap for me cos i make my own and get the steel free. nosecones etc are far more expensive cos i don't do
fibregalss! I've found duck tape works wonders. I race in the true spirit of things ie, if you can make it yourself then do so but at times its
a real pain in the arse.
would I do it again? probably not, for the amount of time and effort it's far easier to buy a sorted chasis and kit and put it together,
although don't expect it to be perfect!! My mate has just built one from a kit and he's still had to change a lot of things. saying that
it was far easier than starting from scratch!!
When I build my next one it wil be from a kit. If your starting from scratch you need lots of time, patience, money and a very understanding
wife!!
Craig
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jamesalx
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| posted on 9/11/07 at 03:22 PM |
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Where can I get details on teh regs for Locost racing?
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andrews_45
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| posted on 9/11/07 at 07:56 PM |
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www.750mc.co.uk
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D Beddows
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| posted on 10/11/07 at 12:02 AM |
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To quote simes43......
quote:
I am spending the winter stripping all the good ideas off the car and simplifying everything.
lol, I've lost count of how many times have I tried to get people to understand what a great idea this and just got grief for it
[Edited on 10/11/07 by D Beddows]
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procomp
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| posted on 10/11/07 at 09:40 AM |
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Hi yep building a race car with KISS technology ussually makes a reliable race car.
cheers Matt
Sorry forgot why i acctually did this post
The LOCOST regulations are HERE For anyone interested.
[Edited on 12/11/07 by procomp]
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