So the Marulan track runs a "Cheap Car Challenge".
Basically, the rules are:
$1000 purchase price;
Under 2-litre NA;
Half cage;
Semi slicks;
No engine or exhaust mods;
No coil-overs;
Standard brake hardware.
The thing is that it's an actual race class - proper door-handle-to-door-handle racing, although with a strict no contact rule. First one for the year is 21/2/16.
As those of us on the VEGA FB page will know, I was massively over-thinking the choice of car... I did manage to find all of the best choices for under the budget (Integra, GTI Satria, SSS Pulsar, 4AGE Corolla), but then decided to go the other way: I did a gumtree search for manual cars in Canberra, and listed them from cheapest to dearest.
First hit was a 1994 Laser Ghia located less than five minutes for work, and it was free. I rang and left a message, fully expecting it to be taken.
The owner got back to me a couple of hours later, saying that it was still available, but hadn't been started for 18 months.
I went around with 10 litres of fresh fuel, and a charged battery. It literally started straight up. Drove it back to work. This was last Friday, 29/1/16.
Lunchtimes over the last week involved giving it a vacuum, polishing the paint, degreasing the underside, and a few other minor tidy-ups.
Yesterday, I took it for a RWC inspection. The car doesn't need to be road worthy for the racing, but rego makes it much easier to live with, so I figured it was worth a try - if it failed on anything significant, then I wouldn't bother.
It got knocked back on one rear tyre being low on tread (it was fine!?), and a leaky rear muffler. I swapped the tyre for the brand new spare, and Shane The Dickhead welded up the muffler for me. Took it back and got the clean bill of health.
The bonus is that I actually got to drive it properly - it goes much better than I expected. Not a "fast" car, but considerably better than I was expecting. It's also happy to rev out to the redline - but much to my shame, I didn't find where the limited is...
Cost so far:
$13 for fuel;
$45 for unregistered vehicle permit;
$65 for rego inspection.
$123 total.
Last night, I paid $300 for a set of ROH Astron wheels in 15x6.5 with very good road tyres. The road tyres will go onto my Galant road car, the wheels will get a set of old 195/55 Hankook semi-slicks (which co-incidentally, came on the Galant's wheels).
I can change tyres at work, but the machine is ancient, and is rough on both wheels and tyres - so I paid $50 to get the four tyres stripped and refitted to the Astrons. The paid professionals put them all on the wrong way, so I had to take them back, but they sorted it out without a hassle.
Total cost: $323. (hey, the Laser is a 323 underneath!)
Next week is cutting the springs, fitting the harness and getting the rollcage hoop bent up. I also plan on giving it a service (fluids, spark plugs, general check over). I will work on getting some negative camber on the wheels, probably by elongating the upright-to-strut mounting holes.
Then we'll take it to Marulan for a test day/licence test.
Entry for the event went in today.
