Help a Kid Out...

[Mister Monaco]

1 hour ago, 1912Staver said:

Years ago as a student I was one of a group of four that pooled our resources in order to do something similar. A much simpler car than a BMW, a Bug Eye Sprite. But locally a very competitive class.  The owner of the car was a mechanical engineering student, his younger brother a mechanical engineering tech. student, I was a marine engineering student and the fourth had no technical interest but was a very good driver who was being coached by his future father in law who himself was a very experienced, very accomplished competition driver.

  It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work developing the car. Adapting a production car is more work than many realise. Every change takes time and money, and is always a trial and error process. Usually lots of errors if you do things in a properly analytic manner.  Definitely lots of learning, but much frustration as well. Due mainly to  the vision of the mechanical engineer by the second year things really clicked in the results department as well. 

 I am older now. And retired so play money is tight. I have slowly come to the realization that an older factory built car is both better and cheaper than anything I can build myself. The mid 70's up till the late 1980's is the sweet spot for simple , affordable , safe, and capable factory cars.

 A shot of the Lola without its bodywork. It took 3 years of searching to find one that fit my very limited budget. But eventually my patience was rewarded. { Part of the low price is that the engine is out and needs a freshen up.} 

Cheaper and faster than a well prepared BMW. And so much easier to maintain and set up.  Also; if I ever win the lotto, a Cosworth bolts right in. Same block as the very simple production Ford that is the normal powerplant

 

Greg in Canada

That's incredible, dude. 

[CarNucopia]

As a guy in his 29th year of Miata ownership, I've got to agree with the Miata supports above. They are fantastic cars in just about every measure, except horsepower. Another car that is interesting, that is a bit oddball is the Honda Beat. Its a JDM car that is a mid-engine roadster. Parts are obviously harder to come by then a Miata, and they are RHD, but they're also a lot of fun.

 

I think doing a track build will further your career aspirations more then a restoration. Finding a team running the 24 Hours of Lemons

 is another cheap way to get involved.

 

With regards to getting a job in racing, it's something that is definitely possible. I was fortunate enough to work in the sport for 7 years in a marketing capacity. And I started with no family connection in the sport. The best thing you can do is get involved now. Find placed you can volunteer, particularly a local race team. With a marketing degree, I worked for free on the media staff at a track on race weekends. Also, tell everyone you know what you are trying to accomplish. There is probably someone in your sphere of influence that has a connection and can make an introduction. Who you know is important. For me, it turned out someone I knew was friends with the CFO of a racing teaming. This man was nice enough to give me a tour of the garage at Indy. I stayed in touch with him and a work opportunity arose that he helped me with.

 

The last thing I'll say is that while the UK is the hub of F1, we have similar hubs in the US. Indianapolis is home to a number of race teams and Dallara, the builder of the current chassis. Charlotte, NC is the hub of NASCAR. While it's not sportscars or F1 being involved down there is another possible entree to a motorsports career.

 

Good luck in your quest.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Buick64C (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

I have a very weight reduced and suspension modified Miata as an autocross car. It's cheap as the engine is near stock. But still relatively heavy and underpowered.  Fine for auto-x but slow on a race track. You can make it quite a bit faster for track use but at substantial cost. There is no substitute to starting out with a car several hundred pounds lighter like the Lola.

 Once I get the sports racer sorted out I have a very rough Formula Ford that will be rebuilt and will replace the Miata. Once again a major weight reduction compared to the Miata with similar H.P.   For auto - x a Porsche 914 gearbox is a cheaper alternative to a Hewland.  The adapter is a bit of an outlay but much cheaper than a auto - x suitable, modified Hewland. I always use the simplest mouse trap possible. On a tight budget I have no other choice.

 

Greg

[Bloo]

Gaining driving skill is easier in a slower car. You have to make the most of what you have.

 

For several years I was the scrutineer for a club that hosted driving schools and track days. Some guys buy the fastest thing they can afford, and then try to acquire the skills to drive it. That usually doesn't go well. The car is difficult to control under power, and nuance is completely lost. They learn slower and often crash.

 

Top drivers almost always started out in a slow car. Juan Manuel Fangio - 1939 Chevrolet, Michael Schumacher - go karts, Niki Lauda - VW Beetle, etc.etc.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

11 minutes ago, Bloo said:

Gaining driving skill is easier in a slower car. You have to make the most of what you have.

 

For several years I was the scrutineer for a club that hosted driving schools and track days. Some guys buy the fastest thing they can afford, and then try to acquire the skills to drive it. That usually doesn't go well. The car is difficult to control under power, and nuance is completely lost. They learn slower and often crash.

 

Top drivers almost always started out in a slow car. Juan Manuel Fangio - 1939 Chevrolet, Michael Schumacher - go karts, Niki Lauda - VW Beetle, etc.etc.

 

 

 

Couldn't agree more. 45 years in the game and a 120 HP car is a perfect fit with my budget and driving ability.

 

Greg

[John348]

On 8/24/2019 at 11:04 PM, Mister Monaco said:

Hi guys, I'm Vincent, currently a freshman in high school. I absolutely LOVE automobiles, and I hope to one day work for a Formula One team. (Preferably McLaren or Mercedes). I'd like to restore a vintage sports car, but being a high schooler, I am on a quite limited budget. I have access to all the equipment and tools I need. I love vintage sports cars, and I'd like a car that I could find unrestored for less than 5K. Thanks guys!

 

Sent you a PM about a possible car on Long Island

[rocketraider]

Charlotte being about midway between Road Atlanta and Virginia International Raceway means there's more sportscar stuff going on  there than you might think. UNC-Charlotte engineering college fielded a Formula car with quite a bit of success. One of our Olds Club families' sons was involved with that and ended up working for Michelin.

 

Youngun', you missed a blowout at VIR this past weekend. IMSA racing from Thurs-Sun. Plenty of factory teams there.