Getting Started In Street Stocks

Now that you have a car, what's next? First, look it over and see if there are any saleable items you won't be using. It's possible that the interior parts may have some residual value. The point is that before you start tearing apart the car, you might be able to get a few dollars from the sale of the parts you won't be using-not a real probability, but you never know. It never fails that just as soon as you break out the front and rear windshield, you have some guy walk up and tell you he would've paid you $100 for the glass. Live and learn.

First and foremost, our Street Stock will have a stout rollcage that will give the driver a safe environment offering a good level of protection. We'll also install a fuel cell for more protection, and our budget will include a top-quality aluminum, purpose-built racing seat mounted to the 'cage, along with a good set of five-point racing seatbelts. Remember, the idea that a race car is inexpensive to build while also being as safe as possible is not a contradiction in terms. Safety must be built in from the start. After all, you'll be the one sitting in the car.

What we will not include in our budget is extensive engine modifications, as most Street Stock rules do not allow significant engine mods. Most associations require a stock iron intake manifold. We will budget a reasonable amount of money to ensure the engine runs as well as it can without spending large sums of money. What we need from our engine is reliability. In this application, reliability is more important than brute power.

Conversations with Carl Blohm of Stock Car Products supported the engine reliability needs.

"Reliability in a Street Stock is what wins races," Blohm says. "These cars do not have a large amount of grip, so big power is more of a hindrance, especially on dirt where traction is sometimes a difficult commodity to get."

Essentially, we need the engine to start and run reasonably well. This includes a well-thought-out cooling and fuel system. The ignition system will be OEM and should be just fine. These cars do not see high rpm, so investing in an aftermarket ignition will not be required, nor do most associations allow the use of special ignition systems.

Few Street Stock classes allow any more than the stock exhaust manifolds and enough of an exhaust system to get the exhaust out of the engine compartment and away from the driver. The wiring system will get simplified. We do not need lights or any power routed to nonessential accessories.

Most new racers may or may not have access to the fabrication equipment required to build a rollcage. If you do, then great, although it's more than likely you won't have a tube bender-but you may have a welder or a buddy with a welder. If you fall short here, not to worry. There are several places that cater to racers in need of rollcages. It's surprising how reasonably you can purchase a 'cage kit with all the tubes prebent and ready to weld together. You may have to notch some of the tubes and make adjustments to fit your application, but the cost isn't that great. With a bit of research and some phone calls, I was able to find a prebent cage in the $255-$450 range, including delivery. That's a real deal when you consider how much a good tube bender costs.

Many of the 'cages I located came in various levels. The first level was one with heavy reinforcement on the driver side of the car; for as little as $30 more you could get an optional kit to put additional reinforcement on the passenger side as well; for another $40 you could get a seat-rail kit so the seat could be mounted as an integral part of the 'cage and not the floor board of the car.

An economy aluminum seat designed for racing was priced from a low of $149 to a high of $175, depending on the features of the seat. A seat cover was an additional $75-$85. It's not even a real consideration to use the OEM seat. Seatbelts were priced from $80 to $120 a set. From a safety perspective, a racing seat mounted to the 'cage provides a much greater level of safety for the driver in the event of a hard hit or a crash that may include a flip or a even a slow rollover.

An 8-gallon fuel cell with the foam bladder and a premade can ready to paint can be purchased for less than $250. Some Street Stock associations allow you to use the stock tank. We need to remember that this is a major safety feature, and the cost of the fuel cell is way less than the trip to the hospital burn center and rehab. It's your nickel.

Why 8 gallons and not a larger tank? The majority of Street Stock races are on short tracks and average about 20-30 laps for the main event, so the chances that you'll need more fuel aren't that great. Many of the racers and vendors we consulted recommended the 8-gallon cell as being more than adequate for 99 percent of the racers' needs.