What is the cheapest to build???

[AZOffroad]

If a guy wanted to race Score & BITD, what would be the cheapest to build? I've gotten several different answers from a 5-1600 to a Jeepspeed to a 1450.

So what would be the cheapest to build? And what would it cost to build?

 

[85yota]

I built my old 1450 toyota, with 2.0 coilover 3.0 bypasses. 4.3L v6 and 9in, linked and everything for 15K including cost of the vehicle. My new truck is similar and with a v8. will sell it for $30K. 1450 trucks can cost as little as 10K if you can build stuff yourself and find deals on used parts. You can also buy complete built trucks that have raced before for $15K or so. IMO there cheap to build and cheaper to prep then a lot out there. My truck costs around $500-$750 per prep

 

[PALAPABOY]

First off the cost of the car /truck is the cheap part. Prep /spares /chase it adds up fast look for someone that has spent lots of money and needs out or team up with someone to find out what you want to race. Also look into Pete TL to rent for a Mexico race you could be $ ahead to just show up and race. Looks like you have a nice prerunner. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Ol' Curmudgeon]

And in any case, it's cheaper to buy than build. "Cheapest SCORE and BITD" racing is an oxymoron, at best.

 

[PALAPABOY]

I built my old 1450 toyota, with 2.0 coilover 3.0 bypasses. 4.3L v6 and 9in, linked and everything for 15K including cost of the vehicle. My new truck is similar and with a v8. will sell it for $30K. 1450 trucks can cost as little as 10K if you can build stuff yourself and find deals on used parts. You can also buy complete built trucks that have raced before for $15K or so. IMO there cheap to build and cheaper to prep then a lot out there. My truck costs around $500-$750 per prep

What do you do for $500 to 750 per prep for a SCORE / BITD prep ?

 

[Giant Geoff]

My 1450 truck is so dependable, must people do not believe my prep. Here is my list;
Every 5 years change the 3rd member gear
Every 3 years rebuild the transmission
Every 2 years change the shock oil
Every 2 years change the ball joints
Every 2 years change the upper hiems only
Every 2 years powder coat the arms
Every 2 years weld a crack
Every 2 trips clean the air filter
Every 4 races change the fluids
Every race, finished but 1 when the transmission went out after the 3 years from rebuild

So it is true. Built for less with less maintenance.

Its for sale $22,000.

 

[harleys dad]

First what do you consider cheap

 

[maxyedor]

Class 11, it's not a sexy class, depending on what you want to do for a motor, I think one could be built for under $5k, if you're a jedi master of the classifieds you could do it for $4k. Class 9 wouldn't be much more. But, and it's a big but, neither a class 11 or 9 is going to be a real fun desert toy when you don't want to race, for that I think your best bet is a 1450/1400 truck, or maybe a 5-1600. The problem with 5-1600 is the majority of the field are serious racers who stretch the rules to the fullest, so winning can be next to impossible on a small budget. 1450 trucks make great play/baja adventure trucks and all it takes to win most races is a reliable truck that you know well.

For a ground-up 1450 build, get a 4.0 extra-cab beamed Ranger, keep it leafsprung, Giant 64s are pretty inexpensive and are insanely easy to set-up, they will be cheaper and easier than linking it, and they work better than most link set-ups on average 1450 builds. If you're looking to buy a truck, buy the Squeaker, on paper it's really similar to many other trucks in about the same price range, but it's hard to argue with it's track record.

 

[diirk]

I'm think the Ecotec classes are the way to go. You can build one for $30k. There's a couple of C1L's for sale for a little more then that. TutTech can set you up for several of the buggy classes for around $30k too.

 

[AZOffroad]

First what do you consider cheap

I think $15k is pretty cheap for an off road toy.

I like the 1450 idea, parts are easy to come by between ebay, craigslist and salvage yards.

The baja bug JJ drove in his show last Sunday, what class would that be. It looked like it had tons of travel. Don't the 9 & 11 classes run the V dub motor? I hear that you can get pretty good poines of of them but are real expensive to build.

 

[AZOffroad]

My new truck is similar and with a v8.

I didn't know they allow V-8's in 1450 class?

 

[Ol' Curmudgeon]

JJ bug would be classified an unlimited, so class 1 or open sportsman.

 

[Wingman357]

Sportsman Buggy.


Learn to build it......Learn to drive it........Learn to fix it.

Race local stuff for a couple years, then step up to SCORE\BITD.

 

[DesertGuy1]

As mentioned before but definately worth repeating:

It is alot cheaper to buy than build (As long as you have a chunk of change to start)

"Affordable Racing" is a relative term and really does not exist, for the most part.

Unless you intend to campaign a specific series or class within that series attempting a championship (maybe unlikely since you mentioned "affordable"... read cheap), Sportsman Buggy/Truck is the best bang for the buck, IMHO. Lower entry fees, sometimes higher entries, "cherry-picking" which races you want to attend, etc... gives more options on a limited budget.

I am currently building a "race-specific" 1300 style buggy built to SCORE spec. Although definately not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, will allow my son and I to select when/what series and races we want to participate in.

The cost to build is only limited by your pocketbook and imagination... As an example, for a 1300 style entry, you can easily spend anywhere from 20,000 - 100,000 depending on what you buy and what you feel comfortable doing yourself.

Just a couple of pesos and good luck.

 

[07FJRog]

I didn't know they allow V-8's in 1450 class?

I am sure you can

 

[<Cody Agee>]

yeah idk why you would race SCORE and BITD while looking to build cheap. 5-1600 is getting more and more expensive. You could build one cheap but then you would find yourself being the victim of others doing circles around you. Depending on what your preferences are relating to truck or buggy class 11, class 9, or 1450 are all somewhat "cheap classes". If you were looking into 1450 DRIVE or MDR is the best series to race, MORE has all of the 9's, and class 11 has a little bit in each series except for CODE and RECORD but the legality of those cars is always in question

 

[jjordan]

can buy a very capable jeepspeed for around 17k.
good series with lots of others to bang doors with in the class and decent payout.

 

[Racbaja]

Class nine hands down. You can pick up a two seat car dirt cheap. Not a lot of maintnance, mag front end parts, change out ball joints and go through the trans every few races. I raced one on a Military budget and had a blast.

Ron Plunkett
Plunkett Racing 557

 

[westtexasbaja]

This is the cheapest kind of racing...

 

[westtexasbaja]

Unless you wanna step up..