on 7/9/01 12:13 PM, John J. Stimson-III at john@idsfa.net wrote:
>> First of all, if anyone is running a Stock car that costs more than
>> $20k and is concerned about costs sell your car and switch classes.
>
> I drive a stock car which cost more than $20,000, because that's what
> I want as my daily driver. The goal of stock class autocrossing
> should be to race your own everyday car with as little *additional*
> cost as possible -- not to convince you to sell your car and get a
> beater so you can afford to prep it to the limit of the rules.
>
> I fully appreciate Katie's comments about driving being more important
> than shocks or wheels, but on the other hand, I don't want to spend an
> additional $2000 on shocks and $1600 on wheels just to be sure that
> that guy or gal that's beating me and HAS spent the money really is
> beating me because he/she is a better driver.
>
>> Seriously though, I don't think most of us got into this sport because
>> it was cheaper than our other options. I too was suprised initially to
>> find out that you could do so much to a car in the "stock" class, but
>> then it became fun to tinker with the car a little and see the results
>> without having to do too much to stay competitive.
>>
>
>> I think we also need to look at the sport from a blank slate
>> standpoint--If you have no car, what does it cost to get into the
>> sport--rather than the amount of money you need to put into your $50k
>> car to make it competitive.
>
> Why? This is NOT how most people get into the sport. They don't say,
> "I think I'd like to get into autocrossing -- I'll go buy myself
> another car".
>
>> Again, if you think it's absurd that you have to pay 1-2k to put
>> "competitive" shocks on your $50k car, maybe you shouldn't be racing a
>> $50k car. That's only 2%-4% of your car's value. It cost me almost $500
>> to put shocks on my $5,000 MR2 (replace with Miata where applicable),
>> that's 10%.
>
> I don't think that anyone is complaining about $1K shocks on a $50K
> car, but rather $5K shocks on a $30K car, or $2K shocks on a $20K (or
> $8K) car. Your $500 shocks are reasonable, because they're pretty
> close to what you'd have to pay to get any shocks on the car...
>
>> Also, think of all the money we'd (all autocrossers nationwide) have to
>> spend to switch everything back to OEM. And who's gonna buy my Koni's
>> then?
>
> That would only happen once, and if you were wise and kept your
> original equipment then it would be almost free. Conversely, think of
> all the money all autocrossers nationwide have to spend to upgrade
> components every time they get a new car.
TO say nothing of all the $$$$ the street prepared/mod folks would SAVE
buying slightly used equipment!
MJ
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