schwank

While I was sitting there on the garage floor working on the brakes yesterday, I got to wondering how many people built and work on their own cars. There are obviously several shades of grey here, but I narrowed it down to a few options.

So, your race vehicle... did you build it, or was it built by a shop? And if you do the maintenance on it yourself, how far do you go before turning it over to a pro?

I'll start with a self built and maintained vote. I did have the roll cage built, but other than that, she's all my own blood, sweat, and cash.

Edit: Nice, a typo in the poll. Doh.

Chris M.

I am doing everything myself except for alignments, tire installation/balance, electrical, and anything else that requires diagnostic equipment such as a gas analyzer. Next on the list are fiberglass bumpers and a front mount oil cooler.

J Silverman

I try to do everything myself. The only time I have farmed work out to the local shop is when its electrical work, or when its something that I dont have time to do. I also tend to farm out the safety related stuff like the roll bar, harness install etc.

APKhaos

All done here, with the exception of alignment. Corner balances I do at a fellow Rennlister's very nicely set-up home shop.
Two things worth noting on this subject:

- You need the luxury of time to do this. There are times when we all procrastinate a little, and that can mean a real crunch when an event inconveniently happens before the car is actually ready.
Somebody once said, "You are never ready to race. It just becomes time to race, and you go with what you've got."

- You need to be comfortable with fabrication and invention. Race cars are full of non-standard stuff, and you often need to invent new ways to do things with the tools you have on hand.

The good thing is that you run your car safe in the knowledge that you checked everything, did everything, and avoided cutting any corners. You did do all that, right?

dbryant61

I voted "self-built and maintained", but I will call in an expert when needed. I hired a wrench to show me how to set cam timing during an engine rebuild, and took all of the separated and cleaned transmission parts to a shop so the mechanic could coach me through the re-assembly and adjustment. Alignment and corner-balance are at a shop also. Also, this is a D.E. car on its way to becoming a race car.

sechsgang

commercial grarage and maintained here...it lets me focus 100 percent on the driving and makes sure that the car is in optimal running condition at ALL times. Rather than changing my wheels or brakes during a break (be it a race or DE), Im looking at traqmate data and seeing how I can get faster. That said, the use of said commercial garage is such a huge luxury and can get very pricey, VERY fast.


The garage I use is Dougherty Automotive in West Chester, PA. Bill Dougherty, the owner of Dougherty's is Colin Dougherty's (of CDOC) father FWIW.

Circuit Motorsports

Factory built and maintained by me with some very useful advice from a local prep shop that lets me work on my car at their shop. I also help them out with trackside on some weekends and get more experience there too.

The shop I work with is Lindstrand Motorsports and I am going to miss them greatly when I move to the southeast.

Apex Rex

Self built and maintained here. I couldn't afford to do this if I didn't! I've done everything on the car aside from alignments and mounting/balancing tires, only because I don't have the proper equipment to do those in the garage.

M758

I built mine from the ground up.

The only work farmed out in 8 years has been

1) Weld in Cage
2) Machine work on the head and crank
3) One aligment and corner balacne (rest done myself)
4) Tire guy mounts the rubber

Everything else from paint & body work, engine work, suspension etc. All me.

MomentumGuy

A shop more or less built my car, but recently I let the "three Ts" determine whether or not I get them to do any work - Time, Tools, and Talent. If I have all three of these reasonably available, then I'll try the job myself.

analogmike

First and last choices, one of each.

84-944

I built the car 200 bucks at a time.

Today I farm out the alignment/corner balancing and trans work.

Racerrob

I will do very basic stuff like brake pads. With my "skills" I feel much better when I am on track knowing that I do not work on my car

Marc Shaw

Fixed.

Marc

Larry Herman

Funny, that's exactly what I do maintain on my car, plus valve adjustments, trans changes, full brake and suspension work. My car was professionally built, but I do most of the major maintenance myself. Next on the list is a bearing puller/press.