Scratch-built Versus Old School

National Dragster, Jan 28, 2005 by Smith, Evan J

During the off-season, I'm sure that many of you have spent hours contemplating what a dream race car "should" be. For me it's a Pro Stock car, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I'm sure the majority of National DRAGSTER readers would love a shot at driving a car quicker than their own, but in reality most of us would settle for some updated equipment.

When it comes to Sportsman race cars, many have been around the block once or twice, and there's lots of room for improvement. Chances are your weekend warrior started innocently enough as your street car, then it progressed to part-time racer with slicks and a few bolt-on parts before finally being relegated to track-only duty.

My own Stocker Mustang began this way. It got me through college (even though it was stolen twice) and back and forth to work after that. It served me well on the street for about eight years, and in 1996 I decided to make it a dedicated Stock racer. I didn't have the money to build my "dream Stocker" all at once, so parts were added and swapped as I could afford. The problem is that while it now wears custom paint and has plenty of modern parts, the old is shining through. The body has 110,000 miles on it, and that usage has taken its toll on the chassis, door hinges, glass, hatch, and undercarriage. In other words, it's not the show piece I wish it was.

In contrast to the build-as-you-go style of preparing a race car is the start-from-scratch method. More and more racers are opting for this route because of the long list of benefits.

A few years ago, I started from scratch with a '96 Mustang that didn't have an engine or transmission. I stripped the car and had Autofab Race Cars near Baltimore install a cage, frame connectors, manual brakes, and a stout 8.8 rear housing. Unfortunately, that's as far as the project got. (I was building the '96 for heads-up action and for Super Stock Modified.) I had no plans to sell my current Stocker, and I couldn't afford to run two cars. My '87 is economical to run, fun to drive, and reliable, so I decided to stick with it. I eventually sold the '96 to Ken Miele, who races the car in Super Stock.

Looking back, I should have kept the newer chassis and stuffed my '93 Cobra powertrain in it. I say this after having noticed substantial wear and tear on the chassis and body, like a big crack in the floor where the rear seat used to be and wear at the rearsuspension attachment points. In order to keep the old girl running, I need to do some work.

Obviously, there's nothing wrong with racing an older car. Lee Zane, Dan Fletcher, Kevin Helms, and a few others have proven it can be done with success. But those guys pay close attention to upkeep. And there is a strong argument for starting with a clean slate.

The beauty of our sport is that racers have many options. Some love the styling of the 1960s muscle cars while others like what the newer cars have to offer. For instance, cars and trucks from the late 1980s and early 1990s are inexpensive, and a base model with a spent engine can be had for a song. New cars bring with them such technology as advanced suspension and electronic fuel injection. Equally important is the fact that new cars will likely have good paint, body, and interior pieces.

Another option when going new is to locate a "body in white." This is essentially a bare chassis void of glass, trim, interior, and suspension. A donor car is often needed to complete the project, but a body in white makes a great starting point for a race car. It's certainly not cheap to build any race car from scratch, but these are the most economical ways to build what is essentially a "new car."

An added benefit to using a newer car is that it should have little or no rust. Not only will the body be in good shape, but the car will be easier to take apart. Once the car is stripped, the owner can weld in the necessary roll bars or cage and frame connectors, then add wiring, trim pieces, and a powertrain, and, finally, splash on some paint. Some may argue that new cars don't have the character of the older models, and for the most part I tend to agree, but when it comes to cost, sometimes you can't beat new.

Evan J. Smith is the tech editor for Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords and a contributor to High Performance Pontiac and Popular Hot Rodding magazines.