Any advice for a new young guy entering the sport?

[Macharity93]

Hey guys, im Mike and I was wondering if you had any advice for me(I'm 21 btw) or any other young people looking to get into the hobby...regarding a anything from best starter car, how to not break the bank, etc.

I've been into cars/motorcycles my entire life, I remember being in 2nd grade and watching my dad do burnouts in his Grand National, going 150mph on the back of his ZX12r, my granddad taking my cousin and I to the dragstrip. Not to mention growing up 10 miles from MIR there were always cool cars/bikes around. And now that I can afford it I want to get into the hobby.

My goal is to build an affordable foxbody that I can learn/do "everything" (autocross/road course/drifting/drag)with...not to mention learn to work on and eventually "restore" or turn it into a more purpose built vehicle. I realize that a car that can do all of those things won't be excellent at any of them but I'd rather have seat time than worry about anything else. So I've been looking at Fox body mustangs since they seem to have great aftermarket support and there isn't much that hasn't been done with them. Not to mention they are relatively light and V8.

I know I aspire to a lot, so Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

I don't think I said it but I'm living/working and going to school in Washington DC if anyone is local

[markstoys]

I hope this doesn't sound too grumpy, but I think that the internet has changed the way young people learn--and not for the better. It seems like all they want is he answers without the learning part.

But if your goals are really as you say, then they are good ones and deserve an answer:

1) Buy a car. Fox bodies are a dime a dozen. Specifics don't really matter. You will actually learn more from a bad car anyway.

2) Drive the s**t out of it. Do all the events you can. Find out what you can and can't do, find out what the car can and can't do.

3)When things break or you have SPECIFIC things you would like to correct (about yourself OR the car), consult forums like this one for direction.

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you run out of money or get bored.

That's all there is to it. My first autocross car was a '78 Corolla. It was never fast no matter how much I modded it--but I had so much fun driving it and wrenching on it. And I learned quite a bit along the way.

Mark

[Sieg]

Don't buy on credit, buy only what you can pay cash or write a check for.

Establish a standing priority list and modify it along the journey, don't erase as it will serve as a journal.

Enjoy the journey but it should not be your #1 financial priority in life! :thumbsup:

[Vegas69]

Invest your money and spend what's left.:D

[David Pozzi]

Look around the net and see if there is a car done the way you want, copy that guy. Ideally it's someone near you that can answer questions. Lots of us Camaro guys copy Mark Stielow in one way or another. But there are budget builds around too.
There are lots of vendors out there that have good parts these days. Look for quality and long life and a company who will help you out if there is a problem. Watch out for vendors who take your money and don't deliver.
It's best to get a fairly good car and add goodies to it as you go. If you get a car that doesn't run and have to work on it part time for years and years before you can even drive it, the project will be unrewarding and you are more likely to get bored with it. Don't buy parts until you need them unless they are used bargans. Often you buy a part and don't really need it for two or three years, then a new improved part comes out and you are stuck with the old version, or you sell it off for half price and buy the new one. I bought a Richmond trans, then wanted a T56 Magnum when they came out.

[SlowProgress]

Run away while you still have a bank account !!

Actually I have a few things.

1. Set a plan that you can afford and don't look over the fence too much at what other people are building beyond your price range. If you get over-extended then you might not finish. When my project starts to get scope creep I remind myself that when it is running I can always upgrade later. Things not in the cards for me this time around forced induction, ABS brakes, 30K paint job and custom leather interior.

2. Actually sit down and make a plan so you keep working in a certain order and always know where you are heading next. I found a couple of organized builds that were almost finished and put a list together that follows the order that seemed to work well and makes the most sense to me.

3. Do as much as you are comfortable with just for the fun of it. The more you do the better you will get. All the hard work frees up a few dollars to buy more goodies.

4. My biggest fault - DON'T OVER-THINK STUFF. Pick an idea and keep moving forward with it. Let a few mistakes happen rather than agonize over how to get started in the first place.

5. Perfect projects are cool but I just don't have the skill to build them so I will settle for nice !

Those are mine !

[BMR Sales]

Set a Budget and stick to it!

[Vega$69]

Set a Budget and stick to it!

Haha. That you put guys like you out of business.

But yes. Good advise.

[raustinss]

I'm a gm guy and for someone young and new I always say fox body the newer the better it will have the latest and greatest from the manufacturer. If your not brand specific the 5.0 is great but a LS is lighter and just as cheap to build. I personally would first add subframe connectors then work the suspension and brakes from there. No point in adding power to a flimsy chassis and suspension if you can't use it. Used parts will be your best friend. Join some websites they will probably have a classified section. Then just go have fun do what mark says...drive the crap out of it just don't get stupid. Oh if you get a fox body.....convert those stupid 4 lug wheels over. Cheap easy way is Lincoln mark 8 front rotors and 2 right side aerostar axles....i believe it's been a long time since I helped a friend do his. Good luck and keep us posted

[Rod P]

I think someone already said this but here you go

1) Buy car

2) Drive car

3) Break car

4) fix car to make better

5) listen to experienced driver/builders

6) have fun

7) help others along the way


hope that helps some and here is my web site
Autocross101 (http://www.auto-cross101.com/Autocross_Handbook.html)
I have tips on there about coming to events and some things to expect as a novice

[GregWeld]

First - you can't have one car do everything you mentioned. Drag racing is COMPLETELY the opposite of making a car turn left and right... So my #1 advice would be to figure out which part of the sport you're the most interested in and do that well...


Second - Once you figure out #1 - buy a used car (Fox body) on Racing Junk or somewhere else that's all set up for what you want to do. Used race stuff is relatively cheap compared to buying and building.


Third - You're going to need a lot more than just the "car"... don't forget about a trailer - something that can pull the trailer... tools... spares... tires... and a budget for breakage which is different than "upgrades/changes"


An example of "Third".... I have a couple race cars.... I've now rebuilt the motor in one of them 4 times in the last two years... and the upgrades to that car exceeded the cars original cost. Versus -- I just bought a track set up Miata for $5500.... and an aluminum open trailer for $5,000 --- this combo is light enough to be towed with a mini van I think (Laughing here). So for 10 grand a guy could have a dedicated track / autocross car... I'm confident you could find a Fox Body Mustang in that same price range.


Fourth - The heavier the car - the faster you'll go thru brakes and tires.... the more powerful the car - the more you'll break expensive parts. An example of this is my Lotus 2 Eleven has yet to chew up a set of Yokohama A001 Softs or a set of Brembo pads and rotors... versus my '65 Mustang which has gone thru (in the same time) a couple sets of Hoosiers... rotors.... pads... a Jerico transmission... a clutch... The Lotus weighs 1470 pounds... the Mustang weighs twice that.

[camcojb]

I don't know, seems like we're wasting our time here. His first post is asking for advice a week ago, and although he's been on the site pretty much every day since he doesn't respond to any of the posts in his thread.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

I don't know, seems like we're wasting our time here. His first post is asking for advice a week ago, and although he's been on the site pretty much every day since he doesn't respond to any of the posts in his thread.

My guess if he's smart he is busy filling out resumes to land a better paying job.

Do what the smart guys do. Don't do squat till you can afford to follow through.