T&T Racing

I have participated in two scratch build Chevy Monza's, built in the 1970's to race in the International Motor Sports Association. The second build was a tube frame. To view the race cars, go to Warren Agor Racing Facebook link.

Lee Dykstra also built the Dekon Monza and he donated the build and fabrication drawings to the International Motorsports Racing Research Center, Watkins Glen, NY.
Contact the Center.

Another option as previously posted is purchase a DSR.

Purchase the best chassis design and suspension design books including contacting a SAE chapter on the closet university to discuss the nuances of design and safety.

Failure on track can be unhealthy experience

LuigiVampa

I visited Factory 5 in Massachusetts a bunch of years ago. Always wanted to build something like their Type 65 Couple and throw a big engine into it. I was at LRP many years ago at a NASA event and there were two guys with Factory 5 cars and they were having a blast.

The problem is time. I have more ambition than I have time. If I won powerball tomorrow I still would not have enough time to do everything I want to in life.

Good luck - you should do it if you feel strongly about it.

hf1

Building a competitive race car from scratch alone then racing it? Do people keep a full time job and have a life outside the garage while doing projects like the OP described? Either my days are way too short or I have two thumb-less left hands in comparison. Respect!

T&T Racing

It takes a village of volunteers working M-F 3 hrs per night, Sat and Sun 8 hrs per day for 6 months. If you are a one person show, 2-3 years. The tube frame took 6 months and the first wheel turned was in a parking lot one day before the Lime Rock Race

924RACR

For a moment there I was thinking you were saying Level 5... and I drooled, a little bit. Then I remembered Scott Tucker is a Beeaitch.

Mussl Kar

I have a seriously well equipped shop. Milling, multi axis mill turning, laser cutting, any type of welding with any metal, CNC metal forming, and space. I am so glad you are too far away from me to get involved.

Mussl Kar

When I get seriously into developing something I use the Toyota method. Ready, Fire, Aim. Parts bins full of vendor parts that were never opened, ideas and metal parts to go with them in the scrap bin. But stuff happens fast and it is best left for winter months.

924RACR

Why would you need a life outside the garage?

I'm confused...

conceptDawg

To the OP and the idea that a school near you might be building a car: that is correct. There is a school near you that runs the 6-hour enduro with NASA at UMC. It's not a scratch-built car but it would be a great outlet for you to check out. I can't remember if it's SLCC or if it's Utah State, but I seem to remember that it's one of them. They are some cool guys and gals (they had the pit stall next to ours in 2017). You can probably check the timing sheets for the last couple of Enduros if you want to find out more.

Tim Webb

If it has not been mentioned check out Apexspeed.com. Lots of very knowledgeable folks, including chassis builders, participate in the forum.

Project Binky is an amazing video collection.

ace37

We just had a baby come a bit early (and healthy, woohoo!) so I'm behind on this thread. Thanks for all of the input!

Yeah, I was figuring $50-100k and a 5+ year project timeline. I'm guessing my work would be middle of the road. I'm not patient enough to make it perfect but wouldn't be satisfied with "meh, good enough." Fab and machine work don't scare me, I know how that stuff works at least, and I'd probably do the whole thing in CAD so while that's not saving any money it might prevent mistakes and rework. But really I want to use as much off the shelf as I can to keep costs more sensible, and a donor car with a new chassis seems like a very reasonable way to get there. Although I know I wouldn't be able to sell it for anything, I don't know if I'd be able to drive it hard after putting all the time in. That's part of why I think it would be more TT, DE, and light racing. For close racing it needs to be similar cars anyway...

I wish I had an active SCCA group nearby, I think it's at least 6+ hours one way. Formula B would be the most interesting although I don't want to spend the budget to run near the front. I just think the cars are really neat and if I found someone to run closely with that might be enough. But no local SCCA activity really pushes me towards running with NASA to get more track time, and locally they don't allow open wheel cars but prototypes are a possibility.
I've heard some neat SAE stories, and my alma mater is about two hours away, might be fun. Right now I have young children and can't make the time - pity if it was closer I'd be looking into getting involved there. My background is very strong in FEA and systems engineering and is decent in CFD, CAD, and design engineering. I'm sure FSAE could use me if I could find the time, and I'm sure I'd enjoy it!

I've spent a fair bit of time on apexspeed, and thanks for pointing me to the dsrforum! I thought it died after the yuku site disappeared. I've learned a lot from both sites and have enjoyed it.

ace37

Oh that would work very well, but if I bought an NP-01 or DP-02 I'd just want to enjoy it the way it is! This urge is more of a creative thing, almost like a weird inclination to make art if that makes any sense. Getting a great project to start from seems like a vastly different thing emotionally.

Yeah, I think building a sports racer after starting with a no downforce formula car as the bones would be the way to go. I don't expect it would be competitive at the front without some unfair advantage as I just won't have the combination of time, talent, and/or prodigious sums of money like I would need to build a car that would compete with Wolf/Stohr/Elan on a level playing field. I have no illusions there. TT is of interest, but the big fear - no matter how this goes - is how much energy is worthwhile if the car is essentially an exhibition toy for open track, TT, and the like. I'll be halfway tempted to just look at the local SU times and benchmark that for performance. But again it's really not fighting fair so I'm not sure racing it can ever be super fulfilling unless I can convince a few guys to build the same car and create a local spec class... c'est la vie I guess!

With the radical, yes that would work very well but it would really reduce the creative bit that makes this emotionally appealing to me in the first place. If I'm copying a known good design I'd rather just accept the good design as is and go from there.

On the lifestyle 962, that absolutely makes sense to me and is something I see as a real risk / threat with this type of project. It's also why I went with a spec car this first time around. Too easy to never have it "finished." I at least do recognize that so it would be either a clear cut goal driven project with an end date that I would push out just a few times or an openly accepted never ending pursuit. And I don't think the latter can be justified when I have a family to be there for!

ace37

This absolutely makes sense to me and frankly may be the route I take in the end. There is plenty of thinking and tinkering to do with a car like that. If I can race it with a competitive group I would be sold. If I can't though - which is what it looks like as of today - I'm interested in the creative outlet of building my own since it wouldn't be a car I can race in a group with anyway.

Of course in a few years travel may be more realistic, but then A&D will have appeal.
That was an early thought, but I'm 6'1 and 180lbs and I kept hearing how the chassis tend to crack over time and need to be welded back up, any truth there? I also think a chassis design would be quite easy for me with my background and the rest I could bolt on, perhaps starting by copying suspension pickup points to use a known and proven suspension design.
Fran's toy shop is pretty impressive. Actually their Superlite Aero is about what I originally had in mind to design and build, and their (RCR) Brabham F5000 replica always draws my eye. I'd have so much fun running around in a ridiculous suicide machine like that... If I go the street/track route I'm interested in their Robertson Racing FGT. Don't love the SLC bodywork and would want lighter weight for a pure race car but they have that LMP and a lot of options.... I visit their site about once a quarter.
Yeah, I keep hearing and thinking this exactly. I'd have a lot more fun if we'd have made that move to San Diego a few years back. Utah just doesn't have any SCCA activity outside of autocross. I'd love to do a P1/P2 after an FB/F1000. If I have to do it myself I'll use a stupid powerful motor just for grins and to look at it in the garage but the pragmatic side of me knows a hayabusa engine will probably always get a car going faster than I will develop the skill for in my club racing lifetime. I also love the light weight of that option, but if I'm going to ever go out with sedans (run the car locally with NASA for instance) I'd want a bit more structure around me.

ace37

I pulled that up - looks like a lot of fun!

I've been reading up on the books, the engineering background definitely helps. I feel a bit strange reading college texts for pleasure but I know things like car suspension will stay black magic forever if I don't put for the effort to read and learn how to properly do it!

I'm in a strange spot - my career mattered when I was single, and now my career must take a back seat if my wife and family are to thrive. Frankly I don't think I was going to change the world with my career so I was probably going on a path to give too much of my life to it. My career has become a job, and I started taking Fridays off just becuase. My sister thinks I'm Peter from Office Space. And honestly with what I do at work, some days I think that too!

Yeah, I can't do a career, a project like this, and be a good father all at once. Takes more talent than I have. I've put the career at a lower priority level. Marrying a doctor isn't a bad way to go.

LOL yeah, me too! I'd be trying to get you inspired and start a spec class, something like the Australian F5000 cars would be a riot!

ace37