To BUY or TO Build

[canadianrocky]

And always, it boils down to cubic inches and cubic dollars.

And the third part of that equation is cubic time. I would be much easier for me to buy and race a "Gold Card" vehicle  than it would be for me to find the time to so something from the ground up. Since I started seriously looking at this last year I have been formulating a plan to buy a car, and then build a racer out of it. What I keep on bumping into is that the lack of "build time" is going to keep me off of the salt. I own my own business, and it keeps me very busy.

I do want to build my own car (Plan B), but not at the expense of keeping off of the salt (plan A).

Plan A will be to buy a motorcycle and run P/P. I can do that for 10 grand, all in. Or look more closely at something like Willies Side Car rig. With not a lot of effort "just money", I could be on the salt next season, or certainly the one after. I dont even need a shop to do this, I could do any work needed at work in the classroom.

Plan B, is to build the car I want over the next *X* amount of time and race it when it is done. For this I need to build a shop first as I moved last year and have not "had the time" yet. Anyway you do the math, plan B is a multi year project.

I have never been to Bonneville, but I know I belong there as much as I knew I belonged on the top of of the Peaks the very first time I saw the Rocky Mountains.

And I have waited long enough to get from the top of the mountains to the salt flats.

I get my cake, and eat it too with Plan A/B.

[SPARKY]

As much fun as I have had was being the crew chief on Russ Mack's "Bonneville Elementary Skool"--a 650 P/P bike we were able to break a 12 year old record with----beware of which bike you start with ---there is a HUGE difference due to emmisions

[canadianrocky]

As much fun as I have had was being the crew chief on Russ Mack's "Bonneville Elementary Skool"--a 650 P/P bike we were able to break a 12 year old record with----beware of which bike you start with ---there is a HUGE difference due to emmisions

If I where to decide to go with Plan A, then the very next questions I would have in here, is which is the best bike to start with. Brand new or used? Which year if buying used? Which manufacturer and which model? Never mind leather, helmets, gloves, tires, etc, etc. I would not be driving it on the street, so it would be a purpose built racing unit.

[Glen]

CR, welcome to the world of LSR. This web site is loaded with tons of information. When you decide which way you want to go just research the archives most of it's there. Once you get to the salt the fever of salt itch starts. You need a yearly fix to keep it under control. I got my itch in 1953 and haven't found the cure yet. ah hell don't want to.

Jason Mc Vicar  lives up your way and is a lakes and Bonneville racer. He can be a great contact for you.
Enjoy the web site and looking forward to seeing you on the salt.

[canadianrocky]

CR, welcome to the world of LSR. This web site is loaded with tons of information. When you decide which way you want to go just research the archives most of it's there. Once you get to the salt the fever of salt itch starts. You need a yearly fix to keep it under control. I got my itch in 1953 and haven't found the cure yet. ah hell don't want to.

Jason Mc Vicar  lives up your way and is a lakes and Bonneville racer. He can be a great contact for you.
Enjoy the web site and looking forward to seeing you on the salt.

Thanks Glen.

[racergeo]

 
   Special construction vehicles are hugely time consuming to Build.  Stock body type cars can cut your time in 1/4 or less and can mean the car will be finished in your LIFETIME. The thread about the Chet Herbert car underscores this. Many radical streamliners never reach fruition before the money or energy runs out! I had some building experience before I started on the Saltosaurus and it streached my ability to the max. My advise is if you do not have a history of seeing things thru and a group of folks to support your efforts then buy a succeesful completed car. buying an unsuccessful car will mirror sparky's experience and could lead to a lot of discouragement. It can cost more to re-engineer a car then to start from scratch.
   
    BUT WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO IT!!!! (worst thing in world saying "I always wanted to do that" and never doing it)

[RichFox]

If your really only interested in building engines, maybe buy a car for your engine. If you really have car areo ideas, you need to build a car and maybe buy an engine. If you don't want to do either get the latest hot bike.

[Cajun Kid]

Is there a formula for converting $ to MPH ? 

What I mean is, lets say you started out with a Classic category body 1928 to 1981 and wanted to run a "C" motor ( I assume that is a logical starting point as a SBC foundation yields more HP  for the $) Taking into consideration a safety rules for 200MPH.
What would you have to spend to get it done?   ( I know loaded question )

Charles

(I do know that you sure don't save money going with smaller engines,  as the Cubic Inches go down the dollars per HP go up) My "E" motor is a nice  strong ruinning lil thing, but man a 372 SBC in "C" class would have been cheaper....

[SPARKY]

I agree with RACERGO: 

Many years ago I made a commitmet to myself that I was going to try to go through life with enough courage to not end it with any MAJOR "well I wonder what ifs" at the end of it----SO FAR--a few mistakes -- a lota self deserved atta boys--- and damm few regretts!!!

[sheribuchta]

I would have to say, definitely building it. The time spent building with your spouse can bring you so much closer.

Love ya babe...

 

[Super Kaz]

I would have to say, definitely building it. The time spent building with your spouse can bring you so much closer.

Love ya babe...

 

Willie,
If I had 1/10 of Your Abilities,and a Wife 1/2 as Wonderful Sheri :wink:anything could be Possible !
You 2 are Golden and Very Blessed to have 1 another ! You both are True role models in our LSR world!
Jon,and Nancy W,Jon A,and his Wife,and even John N,and Michelle are Great examples of LSR couples working together to Reach their Dreams!
No matter what you still have one another !
Keep it up your ALL GREAT Roles Models to me .
Hope to see you all soon,
Kaz.........

[Viking Biker]

Dave, I agree with what you are saying.  There is a certain passion often present in home builds that is not present when one builds a vehicle with a credit card only.

Dr Googles and Grumm441, My avitar is a Human Powered Vehicle or Speedbike.  I hope to go 65-70 mph next week in the World Human Powered Speed Championships in Battle Mountain, NV in it for a personal best. Sam Wittingham has the current IHPVA speed record at 81 mph.

To stay on topic, I purchased the speedbike as an unfinished project. While in the end it would have been less frustrating to build from scratch, it was cheaper to buy an unfinished project. In addition it helped with motivation because the the unfinished project was close to being finished and the "end was in sight." Starting from scratch so much work is involved it would be easy to become distracted and never finish.

Jason

[canadianrocky]

Is there a formula for converting $ to MPH ? 

Well, every time I have built something (house, Harley, boat),  it has gone like this:

Add all the money you have & all the credit you can get to all the money you can get from sponsors and from selling everything you own that is not bolted down.

You will still be $12 short.

[fredvance]

I bought a salvage busa with 2000 mi, it showed mild cosmetic damage, it was online so I never got to check it out in person. The plan was to fix the bodywork and run box stock. After I got all the parts and put them on, put the battery in and click, not good. The motor had a thrown rod,broken block amd head and the crank was ruined. So I got what parts I needed, massaged this and that, and had a great Speedweek. It would not have been nearly as satisfying had plan A worked out also we would not have gone nearly as fast as we did. So my project was a combo deal, buying a known good handling good running bike and then tweaking it.

Fred

[Stainless1]

Is there a formula for converting $ to MPH ? 

Charles

Cajun, it is a little like the drag/HP formula on Sum's website.  The faster you want to go, the more the dollars go up by a cube.... 
Most of us just spend what we can, it is difficult to put a price on fun, friendship and production of adrenaline...