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Build or Buy?

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12K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  B85 
#1 ·
I have a 2014 STi that I can either build it into a rally car or sell it and try to find a used rally ready car. Any suggestions?
 
#2 ·
i guess the question really is what do you want to do. if you dream is to run RA events then sell it and buy an open light car.if you plan to run with a sanctioning body that allows novices with turbos then the question is really how do you value your time... if you just want to race then its quicker to buy a car. if you appreciate the build and knowing everything about your car then build..

Im also making an assumption based on only having 2 posts that you are new to rally.
 
#3 ·
Do this;

Think (and tell us) what will you do 1.4 miles into the 2nd SS when you went wide, clipped a rock and flipped the car nose over and 1 1/2 rolls?

Are you a rich trustfund guy? Car paid off? TV star?

In most of the world most people except the few sons of millionaires start in older cars that they can beat to death..Cheap--but fun---2wd cars.
And worldwide all thru history the overwhelming majority--well over 85% start in RWD, so why start in a nearly new car?
 
#4 ·
Probably a good route to go is to do the exact opposite of JVL. He doesn't know anything worth listening to.

You should buy whatever gets you out on stage quickest if your goal is to race. You should build something if you actually don't care about racing and like to wrench, as the project will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you budget for. The final piece of advice is to not buy anything from John, as you'll probably end up waiting a year or so for it with spotty communication. Or at least, so I've heard :eek:
 
#5 ·
Actually john occasionally has a good idea but he just can't express himself very well. What he is trying to say is that rally, like racing is very expensive. So don't get in over your head. Adam is correct also, buying a ready built car will get you on stage quicker. Also, check the rules for what car type you can start in. Rally America limits new comers to lower powered vehicles unless you have other relevant experience. Also, you are close to Team O'Neil so look them up.
 
#6 ·
Yes, I am new to rally. Going to Team O'Neil in a few days for their 5 day program. Then the plan after that is to get a car (buy or build still not sure; most probably buy since it saves me more money but not sure) and maybe go to one of the NASA West Coast events, maybe the Prescott one, but I also need to find a team which is a different story. Then going away for a while and coming back sometime in January. Then plan is to go racing as much as possible since I will not have anything to do; I just graduated and will not be going back until next August probably.
 
#7 ·
You got a point, but I want to start in AWD since that's what I want to race. I am leaning towards selling it since it has low mileage and can get me good return. Then buy a used car. Do you know what is the procedure of getting a car from Europe since I have done my research and found better cars for better value all over Europe.

No, I am not a TV star, and yeah my car is paid off.
 
#8 ·
Probably going to buy one ready. From where should I look for cars that are worth buying. If I sell my car, I will have money to spend on a relatively new Impreza since it is better to have a non turbo as a first car for costs and to get the hang of it. I have been looking in these forums and most of the cars and pretty beat up or old. And the others are the turbo ones.
 
#9 ·
Being in the South west there are a lot of NASA events so the restrictions RA puts on new folk won't be as much of an issue. The cost of building your STi will be the same as any other car. Figure 3-4K for a cage, 1K for seats and belts upwards, suspension 2-6k, lots of other stuff to buy and it adds up pretty fast. Your car will not be any better and will trash just as quickly as a much cheaper car. I would sell the new one and buy an older Sube and go Open Light ...serious competition among those guys. Running for any other reason than the joy of being out there and the people you will meet is foolhardy. You won't get rich and famous in our sport. You could be all in for 12K if you shop wisely..there are several OL cars for sale right now OR you could spend 12K on your STi and be in it a bunch when finished. You can always turbo the platform later if desired.
 
#10 ·
Like mentioned, start with old and cheap, at least for a race or two before diving in head on. If you trash it, aren't out much, and if you still love the sport and find it challenging enough to continue pursuing, and still want a newer car, going to be able to sell it for exactly (or more!) than what you paid for it. Old rally cars (especially subarus in the US) are like that.
 
#11 ·
I'm getting into rally as well - personally I am going with buying a 2wd car that is ready to go. I can build a car from the ground up, but I've done that with other types of racing and with the sort of abuse rally puts on a car I would rather jump into something proven and easy ish to drive.

Ever volunteer at any events? It's a good way to check everything out to know what you are getting yourself into
 
#15 ·
I don't quite understand the point of renting a car, unless you are unsure about rally. It just gets you that much farther away from owning a car and actually competing.

Considering you can get ready-to-go rally cars all day long for under $10k in the USA, and a rental is going to run at least $3k, the numbers just don't add up unless you are undecided.
 
#16 ·
You got a point there. But what if I cannot find a car? I am looking for a 2wd either NA or turbocharged (prefer turbocharged) that has a logbook and ready to rally that is not over $10-15K (the under 10k cars look beat up and can last another year or two; I want something that could last me for a long time) and comes with spare parts and hopefully comes with a trailer too.
 
#20 ·
I figured I will volunteer at a few events and hopefully meet teams and maybe I'll find a team who want to sell their car. I am not in a hurry because I decided to start racing at next year's events. That gives me more time to look for cars and hopefully meet people who are willing to crew for me. Will anyone be at Gorman, Doo ***, and the Prescott rallies? Would love to meet and help crew for you guys. Let me know please.
 
#21 ·
Will anyone be at Gorman, Doo ***, and the Prescott rallies? Would love to meet and help crew for you guys. Let me know please.
Driver and I (Ryan Dunham) will be at both Gorman and Prescott this year, we're always looking for someone to lend a hand and crew. We're in a 1990 VW Jetta MkII with a VR6 swap, PM me if you're interested. You'll likely be able to find Doug Nagy of Streetwise Motorsports to talk to about renting/buying that Corolla, he's been Co-Driving for John Coyne.
 
#22 ·
I was asking the same question nearly two years ago, whether to build up a MKII VW GTI for stage, or buy something that was already complete and had been tested. After a lot of deliberation and many differing opinions, I ended up buying rather than continuing with the build. I leaned on a lot of very knowledgeable local people in the western canadian rally scene (Eric G and Shawn B) who both suggested starting in 2wd with something that is easier to repair, should things go bad. I did pretty much exactly what they said to do and bought a tried and tested focus rally car from CRT that came with a massive spares list. Albeit, not the most powerful car around, but it has proved to be an excellent car to learn on and has been fairly competitive (I have been on the podium in my first year). Parts are cheap and I have no regrets.

The one thing that I would say, is that my knowledge of how everything is put together and being able to completely service everything in a timely fashion (during a 30-40 min service) is lacking compared to other teams, due to not taking part in the build itself. I still believe the decision to buy over build was the right one for me, as I wanted to get on stage quickly rather than take the time to build and test the car prior to competing. That being said, the longer I own the car the more I learn about how to work on it efficiently, naturally.

I went with the 2wd, based on the fact that I was brand new to the sport. I had done competitive driving in other realms, but not on dirt/gravel/snow/ice. Not having the power to pull out of a corner using strickly power, has taught me to maintain momentum rather than using brute force. This was one of the insights given to me by the aforementioned above. Since entering the Open 2wd class (in canada) I have fallen in love with it as well as the competitors (great group) and realized that in order to be competitive in the production or open 4WD classes, first of all I personally need to get a lot better as a driver and secondly, I need my budget to triple or more.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Figured I would give you my thoughts, as I was in a similar position recently and so far things have worked out.
 
#24 ·
Keep on rambling buddy! The more info I get the better for me!! Thank you for your insight.
I am looking to race in next season since I am planning on volunteering for event and crewing for teams to become more familiar with the sport before I start racing. Should I wait until later to buy a car or should I figure that part out soon?
 
#28 ·
I might add as far as sponsorship goes - the best way to go about sponsorship is to forget about proposing a company/organization to write you a check. Find a parts supplier/company that might give you a price break on equipment or parts. Talk to a vinyl/screenprinting shop about putting their name on the car in exchange for making whatever vinyl you need for sponsors/etc on the rest of the car

You can even get more creative than that. When I raced circle track, I thought of all the places where I spend money on a regular basis for life necessities that had nothing to do with cars. I propositioned three places in particular - my favorite taqueria, the small local grocery store I shop at and a local skateboard shop.

I told the taqueria owner if he gave me a burrito once a week during race season, I would slap his logo on the back panel and he although he was reluctant at first he agreed and he ended up taking his kids to come watch almost every week. The grocery store gave me an employee discount card for when I would shop there [15% off] in exchange for putting a large sticker on the B-pillar [early 2nd gen Camaro - big B pillar.] The skateshop owner gave me a sharp discount on everything [this was before I screwed up my ankles] and would even toss me free clothes and stuff all the time. He even agreed to give me stuff like free shoes if I finished on the podium.

I did the math at the end of the season, and between all the discounts and freebies I received it was close to $2000 and I established great relationships with all the businesses. I still frequent those places and they are all committed to continue supporting me when I start rallying.
 
#29 ·
Rally cars are much more fun to build obviously and it would also mean that you will be able to customize every other feature according to your preferences. However, the whole setup would definitely require a lot of time, effort and skills too. Hence, it all boils down to which option better suit your needs.
 
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