|
|
Ultimate Racing - Buyer BewareBuying a Used Race Car Can Be Overwhelming, Unless You Know What to Look For From the January, 2013 issue of Circle Track By Pete Epple Photography by Pete Epple
|
|
Buying a race car can be complicated.... Buying a race car can be complicated. Knowledge is key. When you know what to look for (both good and bad) you may spend more time on the hunt, but you’ll end up with a better piece. Buying a race car is not an easy purchase. Sure, you find a car, give a complete stranger a lot of money, and you end up with a car. Beyond the actual transaction, unless you spend a lot of time inspecting each candidate, you could end up with a big can of worms. Race cars, especially circle track cars, live in a brutally harsh environment. These cars take a beating every week, and in the lower ranks, they don’t always get fixed properly when things break (how many of us learned to weld trying to fix our race cars?) Buying a new-to-you race car can be a whirlwind of emotions. The excitements of picking up a new car (especially if you’re moving to a new class), coupled with the daydreams of everything you’re going to change to make it your own, and who you’re going to thank when you win your first feature can act as blinders, causing you to miss major red flags or issues that may cost you lots of time and money to fix before you ever get on track. Tunnel vision may not be an issue for the seasoned vet who’s been racing for 30 years, but for the newer or younger racers with much less experience, here are few things to keep in mind before handing over your hard-earned money. The Circle Track staff recently picked up a used Pro Cup car. Our Ford Fusion is a solid piece! It’s a Hess chassis with a Tiger quick-change rearend, AP Racing brakes, full fuel system, ignition, fire system, airbox, brake ducts, dry-sump tank, two driveshafts, full containment seat, a set of springs, two exhaust systems, multiple sets of headers, and a bunch of wheels and tires. 01. Race cars are full of complicated systems, and trying to find the perfect specimen can be a daunting task. The engine bay is a great place to start. Much of the chassis, suspension, brakes, electrical, plumbing, and steering can all be checked out without looking anywhere else. These cars take a beating every week, and in the lower ranks, they don’t always get fixed properly when things break (how many of us learned to weld trying to fix our race cars?)Depending on your location, the shape of the equipment, and how motivated the seller is, a similar setup can be bought for anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. But there is a lot to keep in mind. Your driver most likely won’t fit in the seat, so now you need a seat. The rearend will most likely need to be rebuilt; the brakes will need to be inspected, and parts may need to be replaced; depending on your engine combination, the headers may be useless; and at some point the additional parts may not add any additional value. Research is key. If you’re looking to buy a car built by a reputable chassis builder, they will have records of the chassis and any service they have done. In our case, we gave the guys at Hess Racing Products a call, gave them the chassis number, and found out some useful info. They informed us that our chassis was built on September 16, 2003. We were concerned about having an older chassis, but the HRP crew assured us that it was OK, as there wasn’t much difference in the geometry from what we had, compared to a new chassis. They also gave us a number of locations to check for work that may have been done, that we weren’t informed about. It was obvious our chassis had recently received a rear clip, but they were able to tell us that the car was recently checked on the chassis jig and the car is straight.
02. When it comes to the chassis, look for obvious signs like bent framerails or replaced front or rear clips. Tell tale signs are new paint or different shade of paint, or a design that doesn’t resemble the original builders design. Gusseting or patches like the diamond shown here can also be signs that a clip has been replaced. A clipped car isn’t a deal breaker. Many times, if the clip is done right, especially on an older chassis, the new clip may have improved geometry, which will make it a better car. Always check with the chassis builder for any info on the chassis. 03. Next, the suspension pick up points should be checked. Being that these are direct connections from the suspension to the chassis, they can take a beating. Check for crack or bends. Our Hess Pro Cup car has a slight bend in the lower A-arm mount, but the crew at Hess Racing Products informed us that it’s a normal occurrence, and the geometry isn’t affected in any way.  04. Using a straightedge...  04. Using a straightedge is a great way to determine if suspension components are bent. Check the A-arms and trailing arms, as well as the mounts.  05. Check all of the welds...  05. Check all of the welds for cracks. Also, check the greasable joints for dirt and debris.  06. The steering system is...  06. The steering system is also easy to check. Check for leaks, old fluid, and any damage to the steering box. 07. Using the straightedge, check the drag link setup for bends. Small bends can affect steering performance. Turn the steering from lock to lock and be sure the steering is smooth without binding. When inspecting the steering components, make sure to check for play or slop in all of the rod ends, ball joints, idler arms, steering box, or rack. Anywhere there is play could signal that particular component is on its way out.  08. A thorough onceover...  08. A thorough onceover can also uncover issues. Our Pro Cup car’s dry sump tank had a wire ripped out of the sending unit for the oil temp gauge. While not a major problem, small issues can add up, becoming a lot of work and money to fix.  09. The fuel system is another...  09. The fuel system is another good area to inspect. In our case, we have the fuel cell and dry brake to inspect. While this isn’t a complicated system, ensure all of the components are in good operating condition.  10. While inspecting the...  10. While inspecting the inlet to the dry brake, we found a crack that’s about 3 inches long. Even though this doesn’t affect how the dry brake works, over time the crack can grow, especially if pit stop fueling is a normal occurrence.
|
|
|
|
Why You Should Wear a Head-and-Neck Restraint
“By all accounts it was the most spectacular wreck of the Mid American Stock Car Series’ 2012 season. It happened shortly before the halfway point of the 75 lap event during the Short Track National...
more
|
|
|
NASCAR GEN-6 for 2013
There was quite a bit of fanfare when NASCAR introduced their new Sprint Cup Series cars earlier this year. They called them their GEN-6 cars and said the new car "puts the 'stock' back in stock car...
more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2012 AMSOIL Great American CT Tour
Our next two stops on our Tour, after our long week previously spent traversing all of the state of Wisconsin, takes us first out of Wisconsin to Iowa and Hawkeye Downs Speedway for a Friday night...
more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|