MR2 Championship

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post. After coming to Silverstone to see everyone race i am more keen than ever to get involved in the MR2 Championship next year. I've been considering the benefits of a self build versus buying a prepared car, and i've had a stab at setting a budget for a self build.

I wondered if anyone thinks that the budget i have set is too high or too low? Have i missed anything out, or have i over-egged or under-egged a few things (my roll cage estimate springs to mind here). I have assumed i will do all the labour based work (bar the roll cage).

Here's the items that build up the budget to build a car and then to race for the full season

Car Build Estimate
Car £1500
Trailer £800
Battery cut off £5
Ignition cut off £5
Quick release front bonnet £15 – d tweeks
Quick release rear bonnet £15 – d tweeks
Front tow eye £15.40 + vat – d tweeks
Rear tow eye £15.40 + vat – d tweeks
Fire extinguisher (2 pipes) £50 - estimate
Roll cage purchase plus installation £1000 - estimate
Steering Wheel £130 - demon tweeks
Seat £200 - estimate
Harness (bought already) £0
2 sets of tyres £700
2 sets of wheels £300
Air induction kit £100 - estimate
Magnecore leads £110 - ebay
4 spark plugs £35 - ebay
Sump gasket £75 - ebay
4 new Toyota suspension struts (KAYABA) £226 + vat – fensport
4 new springs (TEIN) £175 for 4 – ebay
4 TRD top mounts £210 + vat - fensport
Polybushes all round £100 = estimate
Braided hoses £60 (4 lines) - ebay
Brake pads (yellow EBC) £105 - ebay
Dot 5.1 £20 - estimate
Exhaust (Mongoose (2nd hand) £200 - estimate
New radiator £85 - ebay
Coolant £15 - estimate

Total Cost For Build £6360


Running costs for the season
Race Fees £2500
3rd set race tyres £350
2 sets brake pads £220
3 sets brake disks £450
Fuel (full season - 120 litres per race) £1100
Oil for season £90
Oil / Fuel Filters (3 changes) £50
Coolnt and brake fluid changes £75
2 suspension set-up sessions (prof. outfit) £300
Risk Contingency pot (for the unknown) £400

Total season running costs £5535


Any help would be greatly appreciated, especially if you know how i can do any of it cheaper.

Cheers
Paul

Which sump gasket were you looking at getting???

£75 seem's way off the mark, we used something like this:

http://www.akautospares.co.uk/products.php?product=Wynns-Black-Gasket-Maker-200ml

Much cheaper! Same with the Magnecor leads:

http://www.carnoisseurdirect.com/epages/es109596.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es109596_es12033330919/Products/"45415%20SS"&ViewAction=ViewProductViaPortal&Locale=en_GB

These spark plugs would be just over a tenner for 4:

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m5b0s2386p11698

Hope that helps!

Tom

- Ignition cut off and battery cut off are the same thing, and will cost you ~£25 off the top of my head.

- You haven't included a cost for seat mounting hardware

- You haven't included a cost for a steering wheel adapter boss (I assume)

- You haven't included a cost for aluminium door cards (although you could leave these stock)

- Your fire extinguisher estimate is too low. Minimum requirement would be a lifeline club fire marshal at £120+vat

- TRD top mounts are no longer available.

- You haven't included a cost for a rain light

- Does your exhaust cost also include the de-cat pipe?

- You haven't included a cost for roll cage padding

I'll post up anything else I think of, but please feel free to contact me if you need any help or advice (or parts!).

Best regards,

Patrick Mortell
Rogue Motorsport Ltd
01676 530222

Or if you are interested in buying a fully prepared (by Rogue) top spec, top running car then PM me as I plan to put mine up for sale shortly as I'll be moving up to the Super GT class next year.

I would perhaps not worry too much about braided hoses, steering wheel and plug leads if you wanna save some cash to start with . Maybe get someone to change the oil in the shocks for some thicker from millers oils(or do yourself, dead easy), perhaps 800 a little low for a trailer robust enough for a mk2, they're quite heavy and wide, more like 1000-1200? If you have time to shop for a bargain you can get a rev 3 for less than 1500, but be prepared to travel. Your trailer isn't part of your car build cost as you will have to have one anyway, build one or buy one.

Having built one last year i'd say with the budget you have you should buy one. There will be some second hand ones out there soon that are well sorted or you could buy a "new" race prepared one from Rogue.

Give Andy at AW Tracksport a call and he can give you his advice, having built the 2009 championship-winning car for Mark Jessop.

Personally I would agree with Rob - for your budget you can buy a car with proven results at the end of the season (there will be a few coming up for sale) and still have some money left to fine-tune it to your own requirements.

Good luck with whatever option you choose!