A question?

[Don Kennedy]

What would it cost these days to build a 69 Camaro AA/SA Stocker class car? $30,000 ? A car that could run with DeArmonds ?? $100,000? Any idea

[Chevy454]

It's a wacky thing...another "important" car (at least to racers), Grumpy's '74 Vega went for $525k at the '07 B-J. That's pretty big money...HUGE money, when you consider it's a Vega! LOL!!

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by Don Kennedy

What would it cost these days to build a 69 Camaro AA/SA Stocker class car? $30,000 ? A car that could run with DeArmonds ?? $100,000? Any idea

Don...there are cars out there that can run with De Armonds car if they were not afraid of getting hit with HP.

[Dick Butler]

Don, I would bet a first class piece with no extra chrome would be $50 +.Especially if you did it using all the fine print....Probably really dependant on how much you hire done versus can do yourself as well as time to do it....

[Don Kennedy]

SSdiv6 said "Don...there are cars out there that can run with De Armonds car if they were not afraid of getting hit with HP. "

I really have not seen any yet in the last 4 or 5 years . i suspect there might be some illegal cars out there that won't run quicker because they don't want to tear down ,just a thought on The "other" cars who never show up to run .

This thread is my idea by the way dearmond does not post and I have not talked to him since he was torn down at Tucson for the AA/SA national record

[Chevy454]

Don, I would bet a first class piece with no extra chrome would be $50 +.Especially if you did it using all the fine print....Probably really dependant on how much you hire done versus can do yourself as well as time to do it....

If you start with a true Z/28 car like Bobby did, then you'd be lucky to be into a *decent* car to start your project with for half of that $50k estimate...such is life, it's usually cheaper to buy than to build.

[Don Kennedy]

What does a legal fast and quick Stocker engine cost these days? what will a clean 69 Camaro cost these days? what will a really good trans cost these days? what will the Chassis cost these days? My figures show from around $70,000 to $100,000 to have a very quick and fast car including making sure the car hooks and runs ok down the track> Yet alone a car with the very real History behind the car if anyone can duplicate what DeArmonds car has done , oh wait their is only one time anyone can be the first of like DeArmonds car has done LOL . Ok so I am bored just waiting for the next race.. There may be faster cars and will these cars be willing to pull the pan Like DeArmond did at Mission

The above post is mine and no one elses

[Gary Smith]

Originally Posted by Tim Kish

I saw that - didn't look like you thought she should buy it.

Yup. I told her she was crazy. But hey, not my money. Her name is Elaine Larsen who runs a jet car with her husband Chris. I met them shortly after my dad's death and are really good people. They were there to promote their sponsor btw. She wanted me to check the car out and give my opinion. I said no more than 23k. Although her husband couldn't stay the weekend he did check it out Wednesday and figured 25k. So she asked me to assist in bidding. I told her we needed to hold back & drive the bids in $500 increments, but her emotions took over at $25k. Oh well. It was fun & they are both happy with their new toy. (Bob Varsha's comments could put me in divorce court though!!)

[Gary Smith]

The ultimate BJ bidder is one of ridiculous amounts of money, no common sense, and enormous amounts of pride that make up for lack of manhood. Trust me, you have to be there to see it. There's no telling what drives desire to pay stupid amounts of money for some of these cars. They don't think like most of us. They possess very little mechanical knowledge and it shows when talking with them. It's all about having the hottest babe, owning the most popular cars, and boasting of all their famous car friends. It's rather amusing in some cases. With the two early Mustangs I've inhereted, I simply went to check out other fastbacks and watch how they do. Or better yet, to see how many fools still exsist in this stagnate economy.

Saturday night ought to be fun to watch. Some really nice GT500s, several Cobra Jets, and some interesting Mopars. Didn't see too many Vettes this year. Yenko seems to be the rage right now.

[mannymen]

You guys keep spending this kind of stupid money on your race cars and racing will eventually die. The younger generations don't want anything to do with this due to these high costs, but if Floyd Red Neck keeps paying 5K for a stocker head using his retirement and credit cards then die it will. Once the old timers paying this type of money are gone who will then poney up for these over priced cars? Do we really need the 400 GPH fuel pumps or Digital Ignitions on are 10-11 second stockers or 9 second SS'ers. Overkill!

Higher operating costs require higher entry fees by track owners and the racers need higher payouts (which isn't going to happen) to offset the cost of their six figure operations. Nobody wants to race their million dollar piece for $500 dollar payouts, so they don't show up. Tracks won't pay higher payouts and will therefore lose weekly entries and will eventually close. This is already happening if you have been paying attention. Heck some of the bigger tracks are only running special races.

It will come to a point where you as the racer will say I can no longer afford it. Diesel prices have already cut car counts.