24 Hours of Lemons racing!

[Surferjer]

I thought we could use a thread for this highly competitive form of (budget) racing. The race schedule for 2009 comes out tomorrow. We are hoping to attend as many as four races! We had a two car team last year that is expanding to three or four cars in 2009. Last year we ran a 1987 Corolla FX16 and an 1982 Audi Quattro. Results were mixed, and in the last race we both wound up not running at the end. The Corolla has been reconstructed and will see the track in 2009. The Audi, hmmm. Time will tell.

Here is the Corolla:

For 2009, I also bought two other cars as potential Lemons victims next year. First, a Citation we actually autocrossed last weekend ($300):
The passenger seat broke out of the floorboard on this run, so the passenger is practically laying down! we will strengthen the driver's side fllor before installing a race seat. This car is an X-11, the hopped up Citation with a cowl induction V6/4 speed. It should be an excellent candidate.

The other car I purchased was a Miata, but it appears to be too nice to run in a Lemons race and they would probably assign too many BS points too us regardless of what I've actually spent. The car was $900, I'm adding a clutch but sold the hardtop for $1,050. So technically it qualifies easily, but they still probably won't believe it.

Our team is also working on an MR2. More on that later.

What are your teams doing? Shoe your pics and tell your stories!

[rnr]

We'll be running our 4th Lemons race in December. I've posted other ET threads on our races/prep and you can also read about it on my blog at 24 Hours of Lemons (by The Racing Geek)

[EliseAtLeast]

At the rate our cars depreciates, we can use our Lotus for next year's race!

[RichS]

Originally Posted by Surferjer

The other car I purchased was a Miata, but it appears to be too nice to run in a Lemons race and they would probably assign too many BS points too us regardless of what I've actually spent. The car was $900, I'm adding a clutch but sold the hardtop for $1,050. So technically it qualifies easily, but they still probably won't believe it.

It's hard to justify a $500 value for ANY Miata as the spec racing series provides so many buyers that just about any Miata in any condition will fetch more than $500.

During our Lemons race the Miata was pulled out and crushed.

A big reason: Everybody felt like it was a cheater car because it HAD to be worth more than $500. Another reason: They were bump drafting.

Soooo..... Miata + aggressive driving = crushed Miata

For this reason alone, I'd not do a Miata.

[Surferjer]

Trust me, we read all the same stuff on the crushed Miata. I (seriously) have a negative cost of ($8) in the car right now, because I got ther clutch for $142 and the local vo-tech school is installing it for free (not quite free, I have to bring by the Elise for a show and tell). But again, no one will believe the Miata was really free. After I clean it up, it should fetch $2,000 easy, so I will probably just sell it to fund other projects. Or toodle around in it a bit, who knows.

[Surferjer]

Funny thing about the Citation: I have people in line to buy the door panels, front grill, steering wheel (a swap), dash, front turn signal cover/bracket, and perhaps the wheels, original Citation-stamped alloys. I go to the junkyard for a set of Fiero wheels this weekend so I could move the original alloys. I might get the car paid for by selling all of that stuff, which would be awesome. We build our own cages, so that's affordable.

I love Lemons racing!!!

[Surferjer]

Originally Posted by rnr

We'll be running our 4th Lemons race in December. I've posted other ET threads on our races/prep and you can also read about it on my blog at 24 Hours of Lemons (by The Racing Geek)

Love your blog! It sounds a lot like our last race, where we were off for repairs seven times, but only got it back out six times (catastrophic axle/spindle/brake issue with five minutes to go.

[Surferjer]

Feb 28-March 1: MSR Houston, Angleton TX
Apr 4-5: Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw SC
June 6-7: No Problem Raceway, Belle Rose LA
July 11-12: Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford Springs CT
Sept 12-13: Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw SC
Oct 24-25: MSR Houston, Angleton TX
Nov 21-22: Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows CA

We are running the three bolded races. If anyone is interest in being on a team, contact me. We have seats available, the cars are fully prepped, it can be an "arrive and drive" deal. I would certainly consider a ride swap, too!

[rnr]

Originally Posted by Surferjer

Love your blog! It sounds a lot like our last race, where we were off for repairs seven times, but only got it back out six times (catastrophic axle/spindle/brake issue with five minutes to go.

Thanks. In many ways its the heroic (and stupid) repairs that make races more memorable than one where you just run to the finish

Sent you PM about driving at the East Coast races.

[Bane]

We spent countless hours prepping our 86 MR2 for the "Arsefreezeapalooza" at Buttonwillow in December but got denied due to too many applicants. That sucked.

So now we have a ghetto racer that noone on my team wants to work on anymore because it's kind of pointless. I'm debating trying to make it street legal (the cage is troublesome though...) so I can at least drive it to the local autocross events.

P.S. There are tons of $500 cars in Tucson that have absolutely zero rust on them. Our $400 MR2 has a chassis that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor once we cleaned all the dust/grime off of it. The paint and interior are guaranteed to be destroyed by the sun but all the stuff that matters will still be in good shape. The Air Force chose Tucson as it's airplane boneyard for a reason If more people back east are interested maybe we can load up an open trailer full of cars to send out there lol.

[Surferjer]

Now that sucks! We see big demand for the S Carolina race, but anyone could get into the Connecticut race. We only had 26 registrants last year! If we lived by you we'd probably buy the car from you.

We plan to apply on the first day we can for these races to help our chances. We lent them a welder last event, too, with hopes that would help our chances in the future.

[Bane]

Apparently there were 226 teams registered for that race. Absolutely insane.

I'm gonna keep the car and try to make it road legal.





People in AZ better not steal that plate

[rnr]

Originally Posted by Bane

We spent countless hours prepping our 86 MR2 for the "Arsefreezeapalooza" at Buttonwillow in December but got denied due to too many applicants. That sucked.

So now we have a ghetto racer that noone on my team wants to work on anymore because it's kind of pointless. I'm debating trying to make it street legal (the cage is troublesome though...) so I can at least drive it to the local autocross events.

The arsefreezeapalooza is in Thunderhill rather than Buttonwillow and getting is pretty tough. We were initially wait-listed despite having run 3 previous Lemons events. Just work on a more "interesting" application next time.

[xtn]

Originally Posted by Surferjer

Trust me, we read all the same stuff on the crushed Miata. I (seriously) have a negative cost of ($8) in the car right now, because I got ther clutch for $142 and the local vo-tech school is installing it for free (not quite free, I have to bring by the Elise for a show and tell). But again, no one will believe the Miata was really free. After I clean it up, it should fetch $2,000 easy, so I will probably just sell it to fund other projects. Or toodle around in it a bit, who knows.

Just a niggly detail, but unless you do the work yourself, you're supposed to include a reasonable cost of labor even if somebody else donates it.

xtn (two-time LeMons vet)

[Surferjer]

I hear ya. I usually do the work myself, but a neighbor kid offered up the vo-tech thing when I told him about the Miata. It doesn't matter; if we race the Miata, I can easily add in $400 of labor and STILL be under budget. Odds are the car will never see a Lemons race anyway.

The Citation and Corolla are team-built. I replaced a shock/rotor/pads on one corner of the Citation yesterday and plan to do another next weekend. Two weeks ago I installed the junkyard axle in the Corolla. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

[evilfij]

I bought a bavaria for cheap (although adding a $300 blower motor to make the heat work put me over lemons budget even with the resold items--heck I sold off the spare parts for enough to get her under $500) but it is too nice to race. You guys need a mechanic? I sent you a PM with my email.

Ron

[evilfij]

1. The interior in the Citation is gone now!
2. The Bavaria is way too nice for lemons racing.

Ron

[Cegan09]

cool, i'll be watching this one. I really want to enter Lemons, but don't think i'll have the time/money/space until the 2010 season. Maybe i'll go the the CT one as a spectator this year.

[evilfij]

Surferjer should have some pics of the teardown.

It took about 3 hours for the two of us to nearly (still need to pull the heater core) completely gut her.

Ron

[Tpup]

Funny, I hit you in south Carolina

we also did the Detroitish race. I loved racing and not caring if you kill the car because it's only worth $500 (about.

Roy