Quote:
Originally Posted by RedReplicant
...The Global MX5 Cup and the 86Cup are more expensive because they are not built on a super high production chassis, are outsourcing the builds to small race car companies, and have more goodies like a sequential transmission..
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The former Long Road Racing built the factory race cars for the Global MX5 cup. I had my Spec Miata's rollcage, dropped floorpan, and custom seat mount done there before they closed.
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/more...alls-it-a-day/ I have a bunch of photos of the cars and facility I've never posted anywhere, but my point is this:
During the over-a-month-long-process, when my customer rep would text or email me weekly updates and have phone conversations with me about the state of the work, or on my visits to the facility, I got to see the quality of their work. It was beyond literally any other work I've ever seen done, some by high-end race shops or custom vehicle manufacturers. And the base Global cup car cost $60K. Spec-rules-compliant options could drive that up to over $90K. LRR provided factory support to individuals as well - I didn't ask the cost, but it HAD to be over $20K/yr given what their support entailed. Most of the racers/teams also sent their cars back to LRR to have damage repaired, beyond any trackside fix that was implemented to keep the driver in the race, at exorbitant cost.
These "factory" spec series are not cheap. Hell, non-factory Spec series like Spec Miata, are not cheap. I bought a not-entirely-roadworthy neglected Miata and got it BARELY legal to get on the track in the series and the cost was about $18K, with all labor outside of the rollcage and floorpan done by me. It would have cost me another 15-20K to "get competitive", and unknown tens of thousands per season to keep in the running.
Factory series are not cheap. Spec series are not cheap. Time Trials is not cheap. 24Hr of Lemons is not cheap. Grassroots motorsports, is not cheap. Racing, is not cheap.
It's an expensive hobby, it's always going to be expensive, and you're never going to earn money doing it as a racer.
EDIT: Christ, forgot my closing statement.
If you contacted the facility that's making the race cars, they might do what you want - all the chassis work, no engine. It'd still probably be in the $50K+ range. LRR would have done it - sourced a chassis, built it, etc., they were just a high-end race shop that did other work, too. Given that it's a "TRD" facility, maybe not; the only way you could know is by calling them and asking. I highly doubt they'd do it on semi-production basis; the customer base for high-end custom race chassis isn't large.