Used Race Cars - Buying On Speed Market

Of course, the best option (if the car has been built by a professional chassis builder) is to take it back to the builder and have him check it out. Most chassis builders use different jigs when building and repairing cars. They can easily place the chassis on a jig to see if the original suspension points are still where they should be, which is the point of checking for wreck damage in the first place. Most chassis builders also keep records of every time a car has been in their shop. This will help you know when the car was built, if it has undergone any major repairs, and even if the chassis has been updated. Also, most cars from a professional shop have a serial number stamped or engraved on it somewhere, usually on the bar that runs horizontally just behind the driver's shoulders on the rollcage. Using this number, the chassis builder can tell you exactly what should be on the car. "Knowing who built the car so you can go back to them can be really helpful," Rayburn adds. "Then you and the builder can make sure it has the parts on it that came on it. We've seen people buy old chassis and just put stuff on it, and try to sell it calling it a Rayburn car. If it's just a bunch of old junk parts scraped together to make a car, that's not what you want."

When shopping for a used race car, you often have the opportunity to review the car's history on the racetrack to determine how well it was built. You may have even raced against it. But don't fall into the trap of believing that just because a car does or does not have a winning history, that history will continue for you.

It may be tempting to seek a car that has won track championships and dozens of races, but remember that a team that is smart enough to win championships and races is probably also smart enough to know how much they can get out of a car. Why would they want to sell you a winning car unless they know its winning days are over? This may not be the only reason, but its certainly one to consider.

Likewise, just because a car has never been anything but a rolling speed bump doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered. Actually, a situation like this may be ideal for you. If a car has been built by a reputable chassis builder who has other cars that win regularly, the reason this car isn't winning is likely the driver. If he or she is out there making laps but not mixing it up and never wrecking, the car may be practically as good as new.

How a race team treats its equipment can also tell you a lot about its condition. If a car has been well maintained regularly since it was first built, it will have a longer useful life span. If you have had the luxury of watching the team, try to remember how often the car finished races. Also note something as simple as if the car is clean. If a team cannot make the effort to keep its race car clean and professional looking, then they aren't likely to sweat the details, either.

We've given you a lot of tips about things to look for when hunting for a good used race car to make your own. Of course, nothing we've written has been a deal-breaker that implies you shouldn't buy a particular car. That's because there are just too many variables. You should definitely stay away from any car that you feel is unsafe, but if you are capable of making the necessary repairs and improvements, then a car with some flaws can be exactly what you are looking for. You also need to weigh price versus how much work is required to get the car race ready. Other variables such as bottom-line price and even how many spare parts the owner is willing to throw into the deal should affect your decision. End to end, you need to depend on some of the same instincts and decisiveness you use regularly on the racetrack. So get out there, find the car that's best for your needs and your budget, and go racing!

This story has been all about the chassis, but what happens when the engine is part of the deal? Fortunately, many of the same things you do when evaluating a chassis apply to the engine. If the engine is in the car, you likely won't get to inspect much more than what's underneath the valve covers, but take a moment to check that area. Are the rockers from a quality manufacturer? Are they all in good shape with none loose? If the team changes the oilregularly, the top side of the head should be relatively clean and free of sludge or varnish.

Find out who the engine builder is and contact him or her. The builder shouldbe able to provide the rebuild/refresh schedule and exactly what parts are inside of it. Finally, you can perform a leakdown test. A leakdown test tells you how well the rings seal the combustion chamber. Charlie Long of Charlie's Automotive provided this valuable advice about leakdown testers:

"The first thing you want to do when performing a leakdown test is warm the engine up. If the engine has been sitting just a week or two in a humid environment, you can get a light coat of rust on the exhaust seats, and they will show terrible leakdown. So warm it up until you get around 150 to 160 degrees of water temperature.

"The other thing you want to be aware of is the two different types of leakdown testers. Neither one is better than the other, but they will give you different numbers. There is the single-gauge and dual-gauge tester. I don't know why, but they always give you different numbers. On a dual-gauge leakdown tester, typically, a good engine will be in the 2 to 3 percent range when new. If you get over 8 to 10 percent leakdown on a used engine, I would be wary. If you use a single-gauge meter on the same new engine, where you got 3 percent before you will get 8 to 10 percent. So if somebody tells you that you need less than 3 percent leakdown on an engine and you are using a single-gauge tester, you are never going to find it. When using a single-gauge tester on a used engine, I would want to see less than around 18 percent leakdown."