Where is the pride? Is it just a checkbook?

[Paul Merolla]

Originally Posted by harry 6674

wade i'm with you on this. No way could i have a race car or street rod built by some one else. To me it's just as much if not more fun to build them as drive them. I think some people think it hard to do by how high shop rates are but it's really not. I think theres more home built cars out there than people think. Way more bang for your buck.

x 2!

[denbreeden]

Herb Jr has the right idea. Do what you can do and stop worrying about the other guys. I have a new DP and no, I can't afford to have everyone in the country work on it and paint it, etc. I would rather do it myself anyway. I built my current car even painted it the first time. I've always built my own motors but have a shop do the machine work. After 10 years I had some extra money so I paid a body shop to replace the quarter fenders and do a nice paint job. My Dp has been to a chassis shop for the cage and rearend because I want it done right and I don't have all the fab tools needed. I will assemble the motor, wire the car, install a trans, gauges, etc myself. I'm also painting the cage, trunk and underside of my car to save money and again because I like doing it myself. Don't put everyone with a DP or Mustang in the big checkbook catagory, I race because I like the sport and I have the ability to do it. I wanted a new DP and to get one and put it together I sold 3 cars I owned, one of them a Super Bee I've had since 1985. I'm not a checkbook racer but I love cars and drag racing so I sometimes give up something to move on to another. Everyone has a different needs and ideas but we are all racers, not enemies.

Dennis

[X-TECH MAN]

I doubt anyone would bitch and complain about how much money is being spent or who built what or if you bought it or not IF NHRA would just put the HP factors where they belong on all of the combos racing today. The new combos are the worst offenders but there are a lot of older combos that need factoring also. It will never catch up due to the the joke called the AHFS and the games the racers themselves play to avoid the factoring.

[spike1]

Wade, to answer your question..yes I feel like a winner and I am proud of our accomplishments. I sleep good at night (for an old geezer). Chris and David put a lot of work, sweat and tears in this TEAM effort. David put a lot of money into this project as would anyone building a newer competitive race car. I have build both motors, changed suspension , converters , engine management systems and much more with Davids help. Are David,Chris and I proud of what we have done as a TEAM ? YES ( I said Chris because I know he is looking down saying "Hell yes I'm proud and I knew we could do it")

[Jeff Teuton]

I guess our group is somewhere in this group. Depends on the year. 1958, 1968, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. What if you got pride and a checkbook? I'm sure proud of yall. It was getting a little slow out here.

[Andys dad]

I am not sure what a "check book racer" is?

I am blessed to be able to spend what I need to to keep up with the guys who have the skills and tools to do it themselves.

I can flop a trans and R+R a motor and even change a 12 bolt. Hell, I use to build my own motors too.

But today I would be foolish to try to compete with top notch engine builders - I do not have the tools, garage space or knowlesdge to build one of todays motors.

I could never build a PRO_TRANS

I use my check book to buy what I can't build and am dam proud of it

I do not go on here and put down those who can do it themselves

I think they have a right to be proud of their accomplishments but so do I. I work my tail off so I can spend what it takes to keep up.

I will say it again - some guys choose to have a $300k motor homes and trailers and a $50k car

I choose to have a $1500 trailer and a $100K car


:-) peace

[denbreeden]

And that's your choice. Nothing wrong with that, everyone's different! Sorry to hear about the delay on your car, I know it's frustrating.

[herbjr]

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

Herb, it's funny that you say that, Sox and Martin were my favorites when I was a kid. They were great pioneers, they learned how to do it, I don't think they just bought it! And Mr. Barone races, drives himself and does very well. I'm sure he paid his dues working on his stuff. I just think that we all would enjoy a win (more), driving a car that we built and/or had alot of hard work in. Having said that, however much you spend and however much you do, it will be my pleasure to sit beside you and compete. We are all competitors, just at different levels and different view points. Sorry if you were offended

Wade Mahaffey

I wasnt offended at all, but if you look at the big picture there are alot of owners that dont drive. I for one own 2 jr dragsters and have quit racing myself so my kids can, so I'm sort of a car owner now and when my kids won IHRA iron men it was a better feeling than any race I have won.

[Ed Wright]

I don't care what they spend, or who does it. As long as those bogus hp ratings get fixed.

[Jeff Teuton]

I kinda like the hp ratings the way they are. I think I had one heads up in eliminations this year. But then yall know how that memory stuff is.