Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Just wondering what most of you think it would cost to build a competitive stocker from scratch if you had the body already. Has anyone done this in the last year? I'm not talking about Billy's dime style rocket either. Old school or new school. Barry

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

You can begin at around $15K minimum if you have the car already in hand.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Barry,
I'm right in the middle of exactly doing this. Had a '70 Nova body and made stops at the body shop for quarter panels and then the chassis shop for cage/fuel cell/weight box/battery mount. At present, it is back at the paint shop but this nasty weather is holding me up. Hopefully I went the smart route in buying a good used Woodrow Josey engine. Almost afraid to add it all up but it is what it is. This is NOT a cheap sport.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

I've done some "ciphering"...I figure 20k for a .5 under stocker and 35k for a .9 under ride. All older iron.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

If you have to farm out the work vs doing much of it yourself the cost increases dramatically. Nothing I won't tackle on a car except machine work and headliners. :p

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Barry,buddy, that just cut to the bone!

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Jim Carter is dead on the money for an older car(carb). An efi car will cost you $40,000.00 plus any real fancy paint or wheels. Add another 3-5 for a LS1 motor. $15,000.00 will barely fix a "complete, running" race car.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Billy that was not my intent. I just know you do it for a lot less than anyone I know. And do it better too I might ad. ( How's that for a suck up) Barry

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Barry,buddy, wipe your nose, there's a brown spot on it.
I think that we're realistically living in a day and age where a 20K Stocker is "bargain basement" stuff.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Even if you have the body already it's going to cost plenty to get it ready. After reducing the weight, cleaning out sealer, stretching the wheel well, rolling the lips, I'll soon be ready for primer and paint. Having the body already helps but I'm figuring about $40K+ (including body) to get it on the track. To run competitive times? I don't think it will be possible in the upper classes were the new cars are.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

I'm thinking approx 40k for a small block
1 second under, a little less if you can do
Everything yourself.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

I've just completed my first year in a fully outsourced, somewhat state of the art, nostalgia based, Mopar stocker. The bill? Somewhat just the other side of $60K. Granted, that was done by the finest chassis and fab shop in the country at PMR Race Cars along with probably the best Mopar engine builder and all the best stuff Pro Trans has to offer. Remember, it was a Mopar so we couldn't buy parts at Walmart. The result? You be the judge......

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Bought my Firebird on a rottiserie with a moly cage by markow for 7500 included rear housing,rack & pinion kit, motor mount kit.QA-1 struts with aeromotive brakes,hedman headers and a bare block from Tillberg. By the time I got it to the track I had 46,000 in it with a plain white paint job.Have probably spent 25.000 more since.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Mr. GrapeApe have you run the car yet? Just wanted to know what the results were. What combo did you build? Was it 60k after you had the body? Who do you consider to be the best Mopar guy? Barry

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Mark just checked out your run at Vegas. Nice job 11:11 in F good run for Vegas.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

68 Camaro, previous old, non-updated,ex- record holder G/SA $18,000
sold power combo, added new higher end 330 hp crate motor with an ATI glide and three speed.
gutted the car and added EVERYTHING new and light weight
RIM finshed gear set
low friction bearings
new chromoly cage
new plain jane black base clear
seats, gauges etc - all light wieght
suspension all around
Throw $50k + at it, and i believe i have one of the cleanest, wheel standing camaros around.
best pass - F/CM - was a string of 10.42's this fall.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

And we wonder why the younger crowd is not getting involved with the class

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

That ain't a car........It's a work of art!

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

I think it would depend on your machine shop,how much you could do yourself,and how fast or how nice you might want your car to look and what brand you chose ! I think if I were to put all these Expensive lesson to work and could find a few used parts I think I might be able to go -.075 for about 15-20K :eek:

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

If you build a common car. You will have to spend as much as the next guy if you want the compete with them. You might be a little smarter than most of the competition but to think you can be a lot better. is probably impossible.
If you build an oddball car (class) you can get away a lot cheaper. I picked a car in Superstock that had a slack index (7 tenths ago) and little participation. And don't have a ton of money invested.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Art you are right about that. I run G/SA there's one of them at the back of 1 out of 10 trailers in D1. And most of them are 1 sec under players.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

My Stocker was finished in Oct. 2009.

Everything i bought was Brand New.
I still have the original paint from 1987.
I had everyone else do the work to it.

I'd say parts & labor to run 4-6 under cost me in the neighborhood of $26,000.

That's when i had the carb motor.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Ron, You are spot on @ 40k.
That is very close to what I have in my M/S Mustang.

Don Anderson
M/S #5342:D

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

In 2005 I bought a very well built car (PK Racecars built) LT-1 Firebird as a roller with a lot of parts to go with it.

I built an engine with pretty much the best parts you could buy from Woodro Josey and had the trans and converter done.....added and fixed some things that needed to be redone.

I had at least $25,000+ in it (probably way more as I never want to know how much I spent) and it ran under the index and as quick as 10.50 but needed a pro to tune the fuel map....I learned quickly I needed to spend a lot more money to get it quicker. The FI classes were dropped and I could not see myself pouring piles of money in it to try and run with BB Camaro's and also the late model cars that were showing up and running way faster. I sold it....it was sold again and the present owner has undoubtedly spent a very big pile of money to make it faster.....but it still can't outrun some of the fast BB Camaros around here by a good 2 tenths. ....LOL....

I love doorcars....and I love fast wheelstanding Stockers but it is just too expensive to me anymore....

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

If you like pickups,then the `86 Chevy/GMC 350 4bbl is the way to go. About 15K will get you 1 second under from scratch.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

like mentioned its how much you can do your self, how resourceful you are gathering key used parts and know when to by new stuff ,I purchased the 70 amx complete and it was a street cruiser, the owner wanted the drive train for another project ,the body was real decent with just some mild floor repair and trunk repair ,a buff and a wax on the 80's lacquer paint and that's where the body was left, complete drive train (jerico, softlock, quick time, Dana 60,new gears,new axles, wildwood calipers, rotors, complete front end bushings ,new wheel tires, slicks, spares,,seat covers ,carpet,fuel system , gauges, ignition system ,cal trac's)the resourceful parts ,, headers, chrome moly cage ,brackets and doodads, ,, the engine was left over from the rebel machine that I just freshened up, all said and done with out labor cost about $32,000.00 got me down the track ,, if I wanted to make it perfect body wise mite have to spend another $4000 with paint and chrome and it was a blast to drive ,,but if your looking for instant gratification this is not the hobby for you, building it was very satisfying gmonde

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Bought our stocker for $18000 turn key and was .75 under with a motor that had 100 runs on it. Best bet is to buy a running car at the race track, watch it run and put the green down. It would cost twice as much to build one from scratch. It only gets expensive if you want to be in the top 16 at Indy.

rod

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Don't hate me because I'm an autocrosser, I bracket race too. (hate me for that!) (2009 Pontiac Solstice NA)

40K to be competitive in a stocker? Wow. And I thought 2 sets of Hoosier A6 tires per season at @1200 a set and koni sports at $1000 was expensive to run C "stock" with the SCCA. That's not competitive nationally, but more than enough in my local SCCA/club region. It's also my commuter car that gets 28 MPG. I also don't tow to either the autocross or the drag strips.

For Billy Nees, (and others) thanks for sharing your knowledge in other strings. I really enjoyed reading the "under the index for under a grand" and the dime rocket series. I don't resent the guys that use a checkbook, but I sure admire the ones that do it themselves.

all the best and happy holidays,
Jeff

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Hey Lee at least you and the GRAPEAPE are honest enough to admit what it takes, I was going to say 75,000K to get started but who'd believe me? JUST DROP THE 1000,000 and get the new stuff, you'll be better off!!!

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Frank I was starting to think that way. But would you be better off just dropping the big money for a new one? Lets see if we can get one of those guys to post here. I have a feeling they end up spending a lot more money on the new cars trying to make them one of the faster ones.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

You got that right.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Barry, they are better off from the get go! The HP factor is like OBAMBO care, no one understands it, and the OLD bastards that need it are not entitled!!! Than you have NOBODIES imply what difference does it make. If your not a player and it doesn't affect you, maybe you should just stay porch/side licking your ballz.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

So Frank tell us how you really feel !!! I have to ask if you had the ging would you buy one? Barry

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

After reading all these posts on cost of building a car from scratch, it's amazing how some of the cars in the classified section that run fairly well and for under 15 grand, that folks are not snapping these cars up. There are some real bargains out there !

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Part of the fun is finding a combo that hasn't been worked to death over the years. I built mine doing everything myself but the engine machine work for just under 5K, including the $100 I paid for the car. As originally built, it ran 1.1 under (1.4 under the old indexes 6 years ago). I've spent about 2.5K on it since, got it down a little more under the index.
Now I feel sorry for it and now that I know it works, I'll spend a little on making it look better.
As I've said before on this site, it may not be as exciting as my 8 second S/P car was but it is more fun and it will go rounds if the driver is up to par.

Jim Mantle
U/V/SA 6632

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Barry I'm not as bitter as I was back in 08, guess I'm getting old and the end is near. Everything I drive is BLUE OVAL except for MAMA'S car and the racecar. FORD got my vote for the new stuff, just show some respect.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

We elected not to build a new car mainly due to the fact that people will kill these cars with hp. Then you will have to change motor combinations every year and then you still might not be in the top 10 fastest of new cars. We do pretty much all of the work ourselves, other than building trans and some motors. I like the new cars, but I just can't see competing with extremely large pocket books. It is very gratifying to build a car from scratch, but if you can't do the majority of the work yourself, I would highly recommend buying a car thats proven.

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

I would have to agree with others here...best bet is to buy a sorted out vehicle. Plenty of them out there at bargain prices relatively speaking...you can't build one remotely similar for the money. Let someone else take the hit. Only things I can think of atm that are a worst investment are horses and boats haha! ;)

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Maybe it is time to bring back the real jr stock back to save our sport

Re: Today's cost to build a stocker ?
 

Yeah, but nobody really believes you or else there would be a lot more of that type of participation. How many $40K-plus race cars out there can claim a comparable win record?? You are a true stocker hero, Jim. All the people lamenting over the high-dollar cost of competing are creating their own misery.