Budget Track Car - Costs update

[edh]

Prompted by Paul's comment in another thread, I thought I'd stick a post up.

I sold my 944 turbo about a year ago & bought this as a dedicated track car.
Honda Civic Racecar

I've just worked out the costs for a year -

first the purchase costs

£1750 - Initial Purchase - included a shedload of spares...
£725 - Extra prep & initial servicing
£145 - Net cost of parts bought & sold

£2620 - Total Initial Outlay - offset against

£1750 - Current value of car
£945 - Estimated value of parts on shelf

So approx zero cost this year.

Now the running costs

£892.00 - Track Days
Oulton £109.00
Cadwell £129.00
Silverstone £139.00
Donington £209.00
Cadwell £89.00
Ring Laps £217.00

£515.0 - Fuel (I actually think this is an overestimate - the car does around 14mpg at the 'ring, around twice as much as the turbo)
Trackdays x 5 £400.00
Ring £115.00

£344.89 - Tyres 4 x A048R 185/55/14 (still road legal although probably 2mm at best, lots of trackday life left though)

£0 - Brakes (taken from stock) Usage approx. 1155 fronts x 1½, 1155 rears x 1

£100.00 - Gearbox Swap

£15.00 - Oil Change (Mobil 1 0w40 at a bargain price!)

£420 - Tax / Insurance
Insurance £210.00
Tax £105.00
Tax £105.00


£2,286.89 - Total for the year

£381.15 - Cost per day

btw - Not included in final total is my share of 'ring travel costs, (Hotel, Fuel) £350.00

I've probably been quite lucky this year - not much has broken on the car (even the gearbox was a cheap fix!). Next year I may not be so lucky...


Next year's costs
I had a little bump at cadwell- creased a wing & broke a headlight so I'm currently starting to tidy the car up a bit - replacing wings, doors, fibreglass bonnet, one outer sill, indicators, lights. The parts (mainly from stock) will cost me around £350. I'm also planning to paint it, [diver944 look away now] probably using the famous rustoleum/roller method [/diver944 look away now] so it should look a whole lot better in a couple of months. It will be back to the original white as well.

I'm also about to get an Integra DC2 gearbox re-built - it has shorter FD, LSD and will have a shorter 4th & 5th fitted. That project will be around £400 fitted once I sell the current box.

Both of these bits of work should increase the value of the car - and make it a quicker track car as well. I'll also slap on a couple of new A048's on the front - approx. £70 each

I'm very tempted by racing, but I know it won't be affordable next year - maybe 2012? There's a similar car on Northloop with a great cage, which would make a perfect re-shell....

 

[MarkK]

Two of the fastest cars i have raced against were Hondas a Integra at Donno in the night race and a Civic at Brands,both went like Stink,i bet your car is a hoot,the beauty of the CSCC tin tops is you could just do a couple of races.....go on just a couple wont hurt[]?

 

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: MarkK

just do a couple of races.....go on just a couple wont hurt[]?

You're a bad man Mark []

Under £400 per day total cost is a fantastic figure Ed and makes us heavy Turbo types wince [:-] I didn't realise yours still had as much interior as it does so it can't be too bad driving on the roads either.

Don't put too many coats of Rustoleum on, it's heavy stuff and you wouldn't want to go over 1000kg []

 

[Peter Empson]

Can definately vouch for this car being a complete hoot.

Any idea what colour you're going for (do you know what its factory colours were?)

I vote for blackboard paint myself []

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson

Any idea what colour you're going for (do you know what its factory colours were?)

I've got a couple of pics - the first one is mine, the second is its sister car

Am also a bit tempted by a really bright orange though..

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: Diver944

I didn't realise yours still had as much interior as it does so it can't be too bad driving on the roads either.

Don't put too many coats of Rustoleum on, it's heavy stuff and you wouldn't want to go over 1000kg []

You know, it's actually more comfortable on long trips than a standard DC2 integra type R - mainly because it has some effective ventilation I think. Yes it's a bit noisy, but only on VTEC really, not cruising, but we did the return trip to Germany just fine. I've had 2 other ex-racers and they were much harsher than this.

 

[Fat Albert]

I'll have to show my Wife these costings, makes my flying look cheap!!

Looks like a lot of good value fun though

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: MarkK

Two of the fastest cars i have raced against were Hondas a Integra at Donno in the night race and a Civic at Brands,both went like Stink,i bet your car is a hoot,the beauty of the CSCC tin tops is you could just do a couple of races.....go on just a couple wont hurt[]?

hmmm - I'd still need all the racewear + helmet + new harness, + ARDS, even for 1 race... Andy's idea of renting out a seat in the car makes the whole thing more palatable though. I'm planning to acquire things gradually - starting at the Autosport show in Jan & see what bargains I can pick up there. It's about time I got a new helmet & I thought maybe one with FR lining & HANS posts would be a sensible idea.

Albert / Jeremy - this is about as cheap as you can get for trackdays - As Paul says a 944 turbo would cost a lot more to run (I never dared add up the figures - and certainly wouldn't ever show them to my wife in a clearly understandable format [] )

 

[Big Dave]

D Tweeks have got some helmets [Hans posted] on offer at present....End of season.

 

[Asiangunner]

Great thread, food for thought as i hope to maybe buy a track car with my brother in a few years time. I just did a track day at Snetterton in my best mate 420bhp Evo VI and I can really feel the bug coming on...think i'd like to maybe go for a Clio 172/182 or a 944 S2 as i'm loving my 2.5 LUX i've had for the last month or so.

 

[944Turbo]

I did an evening and a half (hour) in the 944 I put petrol in it and used a bit of oil. The tyres that came off a 911 ring toy for £80 are still ok for lots more track miles. Brake pads didn't suffer too much. I was very rusty though so the car had a relatively gentle time.
Tony

 

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: 944Turbo

I did an evening and a half (hour) in the 944 I put petrol in it and used a bit of oil. The tyres that came off a 911 ring toy for £80 are still ok for lots more track miles. Brake pads didn't suffer too much. I was very rusty though so the car had a relatively gentle time.
Tony

Take that Ed, proof that 944Ts are cheaper track cars than a Honda [] [][][]

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson

ORIGINAL: 944Turbo

I did an evening and a half (hour) in the 944 I put petrol in it and used a bit of oil. The tyres that came off a 911 ring toy for £80 are still ok for lots more track miles. Brake pads didn't suffer too much. I was very rusty though so the car had a relatively gentle time.
Tony

Take that Ed, proof that 944Ts are cheaper track cars than a Honda [] [][][]

Thanks Peter I've seen the error of my ways... []

TBH I always thought the 944 was very kind to tyres - trail braking killed the understeer & stopped the outer edges of the tyres scrubbing & the rears didn't spin up too often. Forced induction creates lots of heat (and cost), which helps make the turbo an expensive track car.

I bet you couldn't buy a £2k 944 that would keep up with my Honda though []

 

[944Turbo]

Fair enough

I was tempted to add I am still on the original gearbox despite half of the 190K miles being with uprated output - I didn't want to curse it though!

 

[944 man]

Ed, if youre looking for cheap paint then I may be able to help. I know someone, twenty miles up the road in Wirksworth, who is just setting up on his own. He will paint a 944 for £250 with you only needing to supply the top coat. This is for race paint, but he knows what that means and itll be properly prepped, thick enough, well finished and without fault.

You can get more for more, of course (you see a rapidly reducing return mind): but this is ideal for a race or track car. Id suggest a base white with vinyl detail. That way itll be easier to match if you need a repair .....

Simon

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Ed, if youre looking for cheap paint then I may be able to help. I know someone, twenty miles up the road in Wirksworth, who is just setting up on his own. He will paint a 944 for £250 with you only needing to supply the top coat. This is for race paint, but he knows what that means and itll be properly prepped, thick enough, well finished and without fault.

You can get more for more, of course (you see a rapidly reducing return mind): but this is ideal for a race or track car. Id suggest a base white with vinyl detail. That way itll be easier to match if you need a repair .....

Simon

thanks Simon - will send you pm for more info (or I would if your mailbox wasn't full...) will try email now (or I would if you had an email link )

- or shall i just write it here? []

That sounds very interesting - as you say, a race car prep is fine.

I have a bit to do on the car first - some panels to bolt on, aerocatches to fit on the new bonnet, a few dents & little bit of rust to sort. Was also planning to get a mate to weld a new outer sill piece (not rusty, just very dented)

How much prep will I have to do? What about trim & lights? (Just thinking about getting it to Wirksworth)

I agree a plain white finish is the best bet - give me more options as well. White's also good at hiding any ripples left in the panels. A mate of mine had his Civic painted this year & it looked great http://www.teampugwash.co.uk/ - as similar £250 job, but from a few feet it was just the job.

Thanks in advance

Ed

 

[944 man]

I will sort out my inbox presently; and ensure that my email link is current/correct/present. Jimmy will do all of the prep and supply all of the materials apart from the top coat (three litres of Standox from their 'fleet' range = £80 - this includes Gulf colours too...). Everything that needs removing for paint should be removed before the car is handed over (my price was given on the understanding that Id strip the car), but this can be done on-site, boxed, and taken away in the second car and Jimmys an easy-going fellow.

This should be good close-up too. Its not a 'blow-over' and might be better described as 'working car paint'; as opposed to 'best car paint'.

 

[edh]

Still can't send you pm...

 

[944 man]

Sorry. Im snowed off today, so I'll try to sort it out now.

 

[944 man]

Finally done - what a slacker; eh? []