How much of your current ride, did you build?

[Wade Mahaffey]

In the old days, many folks built there own cars. Or maybe a few buddies worked on a project together. But most were limited, to what they could do themselves. I always hear about how much it cost to build/race a Super/stock, and now Stocker. Is it because so much of the build is farmed out to professonals ie chassis/cage, engine/transmission, suspension, paint, plumbing, electrical etc? The stockers don't have to worry about the major chassis stuff ie 4-link, new frame rails, strut front suspensions (knockin on the COMP door type of car),but still do a great deal of suspension work/secrets. I know it's almost impossible to do a complete car by yourself, but how much did YOU do on the build of your project? And given the chance, would you rather build yourself and use the saved labor cost to buy top of the line parts, trailer, tow vehicle etc? Or would you rather pay someone to build, and buy the parts that the remaining budget would allow? If you had the ability to build your own car (most of it anyway), would you build, buy new, or buy used, and why?

Wade Mahaffey

[Jeremy]

I built most of the car over many years and over many years I have found I enjoy working on the car as much or more than I enjoy going to the races and I have learned so much more that way. The help I have received I appreciate very much and I try to help them in return. There is no way I could have paid to have all things done and had near as much success as my budgit has always been low.
Jerry Davis 4168

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

In the old days, many folks built there own cars. Or maybe a few buddies worked on a project together. But most were limited, to what they could do themselves.

Still that way at least the people I know

We had Mike P at MPR do the cage and suspension. The initial reason was simple time, he could get us in-out in a month....It would have taken me 4-5 to do the cage and chassis because well Id never done a DP Chally , Mike had.

Paul at Turbo Action did our transmission .

We did the rest, paint, powedercoating, glass, interior, (part of the wiring) all the plumbing, all the assembely, on and on. Everything except cage and transmission.

Transmissions, Im never screwing with period

Chassis work ? Well after seeing Mikes work, his low costing and fast turnaround ? Ill be hard pressed to dig out the benders and tig again.

In a way I am dissapointed I cant call the cage mine, because I originally planned to do it, but the delvery of the car was so much delayed I had no choice, in the end itturned out by far for the best.

Next one I will do myself but I will buy the "kit" from Mike....no reason to reinvent perfection.

Anyone can pay someone to do it all by other people , FEW do it all themselves, they get "looked down on" by SOME who just throw money at vendors, which is stupid as hell, Id rather have a cosmetically shaky car done all myself than a "trailer queen" I just paid people to do. People say "Oh who did X" Sometimes, not all, you hear hesitation in their voice "Uhhh I did" ....."Oh" a snooty reply from someone who is incapable of doing it themselves.

Why did we do it all ourselves ? Because it was hard. And it was and always will be what we enjoy, BUILDING it.

[SCOTT SST2871]

I did everything on my car myself other than,tom callis built the rear end housing and 36" cm ladder bars...the body shop at the pontiac dealership(oops buick/gmc)that i work at sprayed the paint i even borrowed a book and built one of my 2 transmissions.i agree that working on it is as much fun as driving it,almost!!
Scott fifield

[Casey Miles]

Racing the car for at least 39 years, the roll bar was installed locally because it had to be welded in (back in the day, bolted in was OK) and some machine work done on engine parts, other then that, all my own work. I personally enjoy working on the car and get satisfaction when the car performs at least to the index that is subscribed. Not setting records anylonger, just getting to the track is alot of work now.

Casey Miles
248H

[FED 387]

2 things I learned over the years can be summed up by these 2 sayings that I heard many years ago

"any asshole with a checkbook can buy a racecar it's what he does with it that counts"
AND
"you don't know anything about your race car until you know everything about your race car"
I keep remembering that over & over again---Helps me ---I enjoy putzing around fabricating and coming up with better ways of doing things- On my dragster I built everything except the frame/chassis and the cylinder head otherwise my partner, my wife and I did it all --Comp387

[71mavlouisville]

I am in the process of a build. I had a certain vision of what I wanted and would not be able to accomplish that by myself. I found a builder with that same type of vision. The labor is not the time consuming part, the engineering is. If you have a "one off" project that is going to take a lot of time no matter if you do it yourself or if you can get someone else interested enough to help you. I plan on doing the following, fuel lines, brake lines, fire bottle lines, wiring electrical system, wiring data recorder, painting roll cage, painting interior body panels, and placing carpet. I really think that if you are putting a 4 link in you should use a professional with the proper equipment. There is nothing worse then showing up at the track with a car that won't track straight, imo.

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

I couldnt agree more....even the things I didnt do have been through (except trans)

Bikes are very very much the same except more dangerous, and Im not puttin my *** on anything I havent had my hand in everything.

With the exception of 1 accident every one was a mechanical failure. Of those 1/2 were known issues I decided to run anyway, none were anyones fault but mine, I like the fact I can never have any one to blame but me Makes life easy...I dont have to carry around animosity

Originally Posted by FED 387

"you don't know anything about your race car until you know everything about your race car"

[chris3racing]

I build everything on our car. Been doing it for a long time no reason to change now. The roll cage was installed by someone else only because he had time and equipment. He did a good job. Since I have been in the structural engineering busness for 40 years, I know the frame is welded and braced properly. Every piece of the car I look at either every week or every two weeks. Not only do I drive the car but my son drives it. Don't believe he would be doing that unless I have looked at everything.

[Mark Yacavone]

Let's see , The engine , carb, converter, trans ,rear end , sub frame connectors,suspension and alignment, wiring, body work , and paint.

Of course , the machine work was done by Rick Watters Ent / Tibor Kadar,
but I had to buy my own torque plate for a 2300, which they now have in their possession.


Same deal on the Omega before this one, including the headers, too.

I like being in control of the situation, as you can tell , but the main reason is , this is the only way I could afford to play in this arena.