Most people want to buy rather than build. SCCA seems to kinda attract that group of people. It's faster than years of trail and mostly error at any rate. I'd look at safety rules. There may be issues with getting a dirt track type car to pass the rules for the cage and interior drivers tub and foot box.
If you can manage some changes it seems like your plan could go well.

 

I have a few customers doing this https://www.v8roadracingseries.com/

A number of years ago you could buy old ASA late models with LSX engines for cheep, they were not really a good option for any other racing. You have to have a perimeter frame car. Some old Cup cars run in this deal.

 

The problem I see is that weight placement, and camber gain on a circle track car is designed to go left. Control arm length and mounts are positioned to put the roll center to the left of chassis center. This makes them turn left well, and not turn right very well.

This can be changed, but to do it well requires a chassis geometry program, and the patience to enter the points accurately. Now if you started with a road race chassis, everything would be mounted in the correct place.

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The factory stock or also sometimes called bomber class the OEM pick up points are supposed to be untouched. Although I’ve think I seem to remember but not completely sure just off the top of my head that it’s possible to cut them off and move them. Seems like I’ve seen or heard of that before. That does sound like something a racer might do.

 

There are so many things on even the lowest level of circle track car that are biased to turn left, I think it would be much easier to make a road racer from an OE stock car than it would be to undo all the things done to a circle track car to make it turn left only.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback! I'm still thinking this over...

 

I applaud you for wanting to step out and do something differently, it's what has made auto racing so interesting for so many years. Agreeing with jaw22w, I would begin with a bone stock production car such as a Mustang, then either copy and fabricate...... or purchase the myriad of go-faster parts that have been designed by professionals. This could be a fun-fun-fun project......:thumbup:....... I would pay very close attention to their rules concerning construction of a cage. Not paying close attention to the rules is where most racers and I (as a technical inspector) butted heads.

 

There are a number of late model circle track cars available and if you are a serious cash buyer the sellers would be glad to talk to you and provide an inspection of the car.

I think it would be a capital idea to do that and we here in the PNW have a number of events you could participate in. things like track days at the ridge motorsports track as well as solo events.

I don't think you would be competitive as a national car as those are the big bucks guys that buy a new car and prepare it for racing.

Great fun and the SCCA guys are helpful.

Sam

Here is one already donehttps: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/858507064522608/

Another option https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2415703348692020/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/420791771804512/
How about a Legend


All kinds of used stuff out there ust need to go shopping..

 

Have you thought of trying a '24 Hours of Lemons' event?

They sound like great fun, especially in the building and keeping it going department.

 

Sal, go on over to Lockhart and have some BBQ for me. I grew up in Austin and miss me some good vittles being here in N.C. For now I make my own...
If you need any services near A-town let me know. I know tons of people back there. There are some world class car builders out there.

 

I'll take you up on your offer!

I haven't found a good engine builder around here. Got any advice?

My last build I went with South Austin Machine shop to do a set of heads... they used to be on South Lamar but now they are down off 71. Their shop was really dirty. I had a set of heads resurfaced and when I got them home I checked them with my straight edge and feeler gauges and they weren't flat. I asked whether they checked them and they said that they just put them on the machine and assume the machine is flat. Not exactly confidence building...

 

Find someone who has a machine with a vertical grinding wheel skimming over a horizontal bed.

 

the giant belt sander resurfacing machines can wear so much that they won't make a flat finish, they are good enough for many applications but not the head gasket. Would be odd for a millor a bed grinder to produce a not flat surface cut.

 

Somewhere I have a photo of my nephew's machine...

It's in big demand because, unlike the machines with a horizontal cutter on a wheel his grinder can do heads with ceramic inserts too. A lot of diesels have these.

He can use the same machine to do flywheels too. The big problem is that there's 12,000 miles of ocean between Austin and his shop on the Gold Coast.

 

Brooks Elliott Cylinder Heads
2311 Thornton Rd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 442-5454

Dennis will take care of you. Don't BS him though.

 

Well I've gone and done it... a deal came up for a used NASCAR road race car that was only 20 miles from my house! It was a a roller so now the fun can begin with planning the engine build. My 10 year old son is very excited!

Thanks for everyone's advice!!

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...pwrGKJKzPdFfRGYG9TGmkCt5NW__LSGjNp?key=YTJ2cXR1T3JXVm52a1FVLXlMUW14Sy1VZjR3VFd3

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...s1iyuZmavebyiEWjrpbPHkNAPcH7l8y52b?key=eHRsbmkwVHZPYlhvd2ktTS1BVUtsS0JwdFlWMmhR

 

Well I've gone and done it... a deal came up for a used NASCAR road race car that was only 20 miles from my house! It was a a roller so now the fun can begin with planning the engine build. My 10 year old son is very excited! Thanks for everyone's advice!!

I'm very excited for you, looks like the perfect beginning.....:thumbup:

 

Yeah baby, I'm jealous

 

Very cool!

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