2BWise

A purpose built car is quite the experience. For an open wheeler an Atlantic is a pretty bad choice as has been brought up by Sunday and Joe. If you really want an open wheeler, and $50k is your budget, I'd suggest looking at a FF2000 with the Zetec engine or a new Honda powered FF1600. Lots of cars fit well within that budget and varying levels of spares. You get a reliable engine that doesn't need frequent rebuilds and enough speed to satisfy you for quite some time. A local racer just sold his Zetec FF2000 that he had been running at the practice days for fun. He would show up, gas it, and go. It needed some TLC between events, but generally speaking the costs were reasonable.

stownsen914

Where would you put the instructor in a formula car?

2BWise

Wow. That is the epitome of experience going to the track during my college years. Abused 944, 2-3 days a year, but it was some of the most fun I've ever had. At one point I got a part time job working at the mall (3 month gig) just so I could cover the expenses of a weekend event at Putnam Park. I was willing to do whatever I could to get more trackdays.

Scootin159

Sweet - I made the list

Cory M

Another option: a brand new, competitive TAG or shifter kart is about $12k, used karts cost a fraction of that. They are a lot of fun and accelearate and handle better than your GT3 and most track cars. You could pay for track support and prep through a shop so all you have to do is drive and it will still be WAY cheaper than any openwheeler...

Ron Cohn

You cannot beat the thrill and satisfaction of driving a formula car, but it is the wrong way to start. I was luckey to have started in formula cars right from the beginning and survive, as it is very difficult to learn on your own and you cannot take along an instructor. A prereguisite would be a Skippy 3-day plus the Advanced, then I would hire a personal coach to work with, like Bruce MacInnes.

It is much easier to hone your skills in a 2-seat car of any type before taking the formula car plunge.

chris walrod

Yeah, I agree with the consensus, try a lower formula first. However, if you do get into an Atlantic car, I can help you with just about all aspects of running it, setting it up and even maintaining it.

A few months back I was interviewed by Sportscar Magazine on the topic of buying used FA cars. I offered tips and advise on what to look for in composite tubbed racecars. The article also had additional input from others that I thought was valuable.

Circuit Motorsports

So when is Swift going to jump back into the FF market???

Even fresh built DB-6 chassis would probably sell right now.

Nizer

That's alotta car...

http://www.vimeo.com/1325629

Circuit Motorsports

I think that's the .016 (the latest/last Atlantic chassis) and those are going for more than 50K, closer to 85ish which considering the car is a pretty amazing bang for the buck. Helps to no longer have a series to make it that cheap. Couple years back I think they were well over 100K for a no spares well used car.

I'd guess that the OP is talking about the 014 or 08 chassis. While not as fast we're only talking about a small difference really. A good 014 seems to be going for a bit more than 50K right now and the 08's are a bit less than 50K so it's a wild *** guess really.


Price perspectives for a good solid club racer. General prices, yes some national winners are cheaper but that's more driver than the car.

FF 12-20K national winner 35-45K
FC 12-20K national winner 40-50K
FB 12-20 K (conversion car) 40-65K for purpose built
FE 35-45K all are capable of winning differences in age of consumables.
FM 15-25K all are similar differences in spares and age of consumables.
FV ??? 6-10K 25K for the top cars??
FST 8-12K and 15ish fo the top cars???
F500 10-15K and 25ish for top cars???
F600 brandy new class ~ 20ish for a car at least is my guess

Scootin159

Updated F500 pricing:

F500 $7-8k for a regional winner, $10-12k for a national winner, $15-18k for a brand-new runoffs winner
F600 Prices are all over the board, but it looks like you can convert a F500 for ~$5k, or buy new for ~$15k.

Considering a top F500/F600 is very comparable in lap times to a top FF, it's really hard to match the $$/performance ratio available in F500. Even more so when you figure you can get an outdated older model like mine for $2-4k, and still beat FV's all day long.

2BWise

I wouldn't be bragging about beating Vees

Scootin159

Can you name any other car that will beat a 2:08 lap around WGI for less than $4k all included?

chris walrod

Yes sir, that is the 016.a chassis. Certainly best bang for the buck in terms of Pro racing FA category. More power, more downforce, vast increase in torsional stiffness, more durability, less maintenance in a car we offered for $30K less than the previous car, the 014.a. The downsides include more vehicle weight and less rev's -- buuuuut, overall more performance at a higher level of safety.

C.J. Ichiban

I'm going to throw my opinion at this one having driven everything from a new atlantic down to 4 door sedans on track. I loved the atlantic, but for an open wheeler with nowhere to run but random club events (to which you'd need a ton of trackside support) it's really not practical compared to a formula mazda or a sports racer like a SRF (super cheap to run) or a radical (more normal and modern with some aero to have fun in)

do you want to race?

if yes: do 2 or 3 trackdays locally. then go to racing school right out of the gate at russell, bondurant, or skip barber... don't waste time or resources with heavy mods for your street car. do a few track days with a coach at the most, and then look into arrive and drive race car party time. Open wheel is much more intense but to me, worth every bead of sweat and penny spent. I'm very serious about my development and if you want a path, I'd say to start in the skip barber series then suggest driving the F2000 car (if you really want to get serious,) and going from there.

if no: stick with street cars, maybe get a beater boxster or m3 or 996 gt3 that you will have fun modding and sliding around. go to a driving school in a street car.


If you never really want to race, never drive an open wheeler. Sports cars are fun and pretty safe (assuming you get a good helmet, drive with a suit on, and have a half cage or whatever. Purpose built race cars are an expensive consumable good that you only need if you're going door to door.

final thought: racing is 100-500% more fun than track days