So your looking for race cars for sale and want to buy your dream Track Car? Great! Let’s have a look at a basic checklist to make sure your dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare.
It might seem like a logical first step, but define for yourselfwhat your objective is with the car. Casual track day or competition driving? Does it need to be road legal to drive to the track? Which tracks will you be driving on? Do you have a preference for a specific brand? What setup will you be using, wet or dry? How many seats do you need in the car?
Basic questions, but we suggest to make a list of your buying criteria before going “shopping”.
A professional racing driver or mechanic can help you avoid a bad purchase. Their experience will give you the opportunity to make a good mechanical and professional decision.
When looking at race cars for sale, a lot of people focus on the purchase price and not the overall running cost. Sometimes it is better to spend a little more when buying the car to avoid higher running costs afterwards. New brakes, new tyres,… They all cost a little more in the beginning, but avoid high costs afterwards.
Also look at the second hand spare parts market. Do spare parts come cheap and easy to find when you encounter damage?
Last but not least, take a look at the engine and make a list of the modifications that have been made. The more your engine is modified, the higher the maintenance cost. Lots of Track Day enthousiasts chose a standard factory engine without modifications to start with.
When inspecting a track car, you should always look at the typical wear parts. These parts show potential short term costs you need to take into account and also give an indication on how the engineering of the car has been done. For example, parts to inspect are brakes, tyres, suspension, fuel & water pump and transmission.
Look into the transmission question as well. Automatic transmissions are ideal for rookie Track Day drivers but also very costly when they brake. On the other hand, manual transmissions are less expensive but require a higher skill when driving.
Click here to explore Affordable Track Cars currently for sale
When building a proper race track car, you need to take into account different characteristics. Moreover, this depends on your budget, preferences and objectives.
For instance, at Wheels after Work we apply the DMS principle when building a Race Track Car: finding a good balance between Design, Maintenance costs and Safety.
Click here to explore Affordable Track Cars for some additional inspiration
