Advisory for a "New"bie direction

[DG]

Given that your in Montclair, take the short drive over to PMR in Rancho Cucamonga and introduce yourself to Phil and Tony Mandella. Let them know your looking to buy a car. They have a wide customer base and talk to a lot of local racers. They may be able to hook you up with someone wanting to sell. Plus they are extremely knowledgeable about stock and super stock, will be very good resource down the road if you have problems.

[sox]

Take the advice given. Buy one already done. I have a Malibu wagon stocker that I’ve been trying to find a motor for going on 6-7 months. If I had known that I would have bought a turnkey car.

[Eric Merryfield]

Here's my two cents: From one with too many fine rides. If you read the whole thing you can appreciate my pain.

Totally agree with the buy a well built one. Its 2022 and build costs have effectively doubled since 2010. And thats not taking into consideration parts shortages!

Make sure you like the car, you can't play with it much so it better bring a smile when you open the garage or trailer door. If you don't like its color, thats not exactly a $ less change!

If possible, buy a car with additional value. Understand that stock and superstock is actually one of the coolest car shows on earth with as a bonus amazing engineering, math and strategy. Develop a realistic plan of attack for what class/classes and what budget you have to work with.

Things I try to do/find:

#1 a real muscle car from when it was born which you can verify with the vin, OR #1A a born as a race car body in white.

A born as a race car only model, will not have a title, but its about a 95% bet you will find a nice clean body as its never been out in the snow etc.

Race car with history is always a bonus.

#2 Title, detailed history of the car, original parts if possible, etc. Who built it, when, and where.......a nice looking car can still be illegal and dangerous as hell, the JB Welded roll cage. So get it looked at by a professional chassis guy.


#3 all the race car specifics how fresh how fast, how good of a fit it is for you. You will 95% of the time be going to inspect a car in person, bring your magnet, take boatloads of photos, etc.

#4 If you find a possible car talk to the owner, put together a list of questions before hand.

#5 Get the recipe on how its being run now........95% of the time you can't run it faster than the car thats been scienced out.......

#6 More advanced is the aquiring of a very flexible car ie one that can run small and big block stock, superstock, FGT, and bracket/index racing.

BOLD ADVICE HERE: Listen to your engine and chassis guys advice, along with fellow racers the "I wouldn't run it" has saved my *** a few times.......failing to listen to my chasiss guys advice has cost me cubic $'s

Good luck and have fun! Low dough car doesn't have to be uncompetitive. Don't get into this if you don't have the confidence to pull up to the lanes in anything, in 2005 I bought a

1970 big blockchallenger purchased in VA as a ex-stocker with all its original # matching parts etc. But determined it would require some extra $ to do stock with at that point. Investment car, my first and only e-body. Got and followed the how to race it, so it run on video before I purchased it(right before)

2007 bought a stocker dakota in MI, which was going .90-1 under the index, it was also a pilot vehicle...which made it worth the $ to me, it was bought site unseen, but I did see the time slips, and talked with the owner a lot and got and followed the recipe. Its now the Bounding Beagle, a freak of physics

2009-10 drag pak challenger build, not going to lie, having a car built is not a cheap process but done properly is a very nice experience. Note I wasn't new to this by then and knew not to try any of it myself. Extremely nice car, nice to get what you paid for!

2012 Bought the Gremlin, as a stocker, lil bad *** ride for my kids and wife....you can't put a price of the fun factor, this one was built prior owner with advice from the stocker Budda Billy Nees.......I saw it in the lanes racing in stock, it won a divisional etc. Kids got to learn, and its since won a few rounds, a great little car.

2017 or 2018 body in white dart sport car with race history, etc. in OH It patiently waited for a slot in the chasiss shop and now is a very nice FGT car that will be getting tweaked in the spring. Its build cost was roughly twice the 2010 costs. Well worth the money though, nice car....

Leaving me at 2017 time was a 72 340 4 speed challenger bracket car, that could have been a fine SS/GT car, but cost of conversion would have been more than the cost of the body in white car.

2018/9 a # matching 78 lil red truck with a 440 bracket motor leaves me as it would be too much $ to convert to a 1980 model and GT truck

Was down to 5 cars till a

2020 1966 nova SS L-79 car stocker became available in NY, with title and history proving it SS part, history back to late 60's as a race car. couldn't resist. Got the recipe on how to run it from the prior racer owner in Canada. Doing a seach based on the old registration found the 2nd owner what had the # matching motor in his garage...which demanded a trip to FL to snag that! Its so nice it hurts.

Have fun. Good luck, try to follow some of the advice you get on this site.

Eric
stock and superstock 1883

[Billy Nees]

Eric, I can't take "responsibility?" for much of the Gremlin. That credit should go to Tom Goldman!

[Justin Graham]

I'd like to thank everyone who's posted a comment here. I am very grateful for the input from respected names I've seen many times and will certainly heed any advice given.

I've been sent a few leads that will hopefully, at least one will come to fruition. It's a really good feeling knowing I've reached to some great people.

Thank you all again for your words of wisdom(s). MERRY CHRISTMAS

[Justin Graham]

Originally Posted by DG

Given that your in Montclair, take the short drive over to PMR in Rancho Cucamonga and introduce yourself to Phil and Tony Mandella. Let them know your looking to buy a car. They have a wide customer base and talk to a lot of local racers. They may be able to hook you up with someone wanting to sell. Plus they are extremely knowledgeable about stock and super stock, will be very good resource down the road if you have problems.

I'm definitely familiar with the Mandella's. Their shop used to be minutes from my house before they moved. I've actually gotten to know Junior fairly well, talked to him at Fontana and Pomona. Senior shared his opinion on a direction that I should take and that's stayed with me since.