What formula car is this?

[rgnhd]

I found this on my local Facebook Market place today. Previously I was trying to get into Formula Mazda's however I moved halfway across the country and that got pushed to the side.
Today this popped up and I'm curious what it would qualify for or is this just a backyard built custom one-off car?
Here are the specs he listed:
"Gsx600F bandit motor 6 speed Hydraulic brakes Hydraulic clutch Mikuni radial flat slide rs series carburetors5 point harnessAluminum wheels with Hoosier slicks Aluminum seat Aluminum wing Multi link push rod suspension on front and rearBrand New battery Carbo fiber battery box No rust no leaks or anything"

With it having a GSX600cc motor I figured it would be a Formula 600 but it looks nothing like them.
Thanks guys for any insight and feedback.

[hdsporty1988]

I found this on my local Facebook Market place today. Previously I was trying to get into Formula Mazda's however I moved halfway across the country and that got pushed to the side.
Today this popped up and I'm curious what it would qualify for or is this just a backyard built custom one-off car?
Here are the specs he listed:
"Gsx600F bandit motor 6 speed Hydraulic brakes Hydraulic clutch Mikuni radial flat slide rs series carburetors5 point harnessAluminum wheels with Hoosier slicks Aluminum seat Aluminum wing Multi link push rod suspension on front and rearBrand New battery Carbo fiber battery box No rust no leaks or anything"

With it having a GSX600cc motor I figured it would be a Formula 600 but it looks nothing like them.
Thanks guys for any insight and feedback.

Looks like a one off autocross car. The AM would stand for A Modified in autocross.

[stonebridge20]

Something that you'll have a ton of fun in right up to the second you die in it. The good news is that the rescue crew will be able to cut your corpse out of the wreckage with relative ease.

[rgnhd]

Something that you'll have a ton of fun in right up to the second you die in it. The good news is that the rescue crew will be able to cut your corpse out of the wreckage with relative ease.

As long as you die having fun right!?
What would you recommend as a fair price for one of these things?

Could this also be modified down the road to be built for an official formula class?

[John Nesbitt]

As long as you die having fun right!?
What would you recommend as a fair price for one of these things?

Could this also be modified down the road to be built for an official formula class?

Answers:

1. Depends on your preferences. ;-)
2. Very little.
3. Road racing class? No.

[Doug FST 5]

It looks like a blast to run through the cones in a parking lot. There are far cheaper ways to get a safe car together for road racing no matter what they are asking for this one.

Doug FST 5

[LarryWinkelman]

It looks like a Formula SAE car. You could autocross it, it has A Modified (AM) markings, although there is also an FSAE class if the car still complies (principle issue will be inlet restrictor - almost everything else would be free).
The roll structures of FSAE cars are not suitable for road racing.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

IThe roll structures of FSAE cars are not suitable for road racing.

Considering I've spun off course and off tarmac at over 120 on an autocross course, if its not suitable for road racing I wouldn't be autocrossing it either.

[rgnhd]

Thanks for all the replys guys! If you could put a dollar amount what would you seriously put? Thinking about getting this just to get seat time. The Autocross lots here aren't extremely big and I don't see me ever getting over 100 in this thing.

[MotorCade]

Thanks for all the replys guys! If you could put a dollar amount what would you seriously put? Thinking about getting this just to get seat time. The Autocross lots here aren't extremely big and I don't see me ever getting over 100 in this thing.

Price is whatever the market will bear. I'd offer something in the neighborhood of what you'd pay for a dune buggy. $2k - or less. And then I'd try to see if I could raise the ride height and put gravel tires on it and have a lot of fun on dirt roads. But I'm stupid....

[John Nesbitt]

Thanks for all the replys guys! If you could put a dollar amount what would you seriously put? Thinking about getting this just to get seat time. The Autocross lots here aren't extremely big and I don't see me ever getting over 100 in this thing.

All kidding aside, you might do better to decide on your target (road racing, solo, lapping days, etc.) and then buy a well-sorted car for that activity. That way, you can focus on driving instead of repairing/restoring/chasing gremlins. And whatever you do, have the car inspected by a qualified mechanic before buying. Could be the best money that you spend in racing. You can get recommendations to folks in your area by asking here.

A good rule of thumb is that the cheaper the racecar, the more expensive it turns out to be.

[Gary Godula]

This looks like it was based on an old George and Todd Bowland BBR car, which was not really safe at road race or hill climb speeds, even thought George held many hill climb course records. This is a one-off autocross car, built specifically for A Modified which is the fastest class for hand built cars that do not comply with any other formula/Modified class. Rules for A Mod are few.....900 lbs min weight, at least 70" wheelbase (I could be wrong on the exact dimension), 1" suspension travel (to rule out karts), maximum wing area, whatever internal combustion engine you want, no sucker cars, minimum formula car GCR safety rules (roll hoop construction, helmet clearance, tube dimensions, belts, things like that).

This car would most likely not be competitive on a National level....top cars (like what George and Todd Bowland were making) are using 200+ hp Arctic Cat engines and CVT drive, absolutely huge wings, and a lot of development. The frame of this car is similar to George and Todd's BBR cars. The wings and powertrain are not. Regardless, they are fast, and, set up properly, are an absolute hoot to drive.

[ChristopherBernard]

If this car runs well, is constructed well and is a couple thousand dollars I'd say it would be about the cheapest fun you could find.
Properly set up it could easily run FTDs at your average local course but as mentioned above, wouldn't stand a chance at the national level but who cares if your not running nationally?
Great way to get seat time but you're still jumping into a car that's worlds different from a street car.
You could just become addicted and start down the slippery slope of performance escalation. Next you'll have to learn everything you can about chassis and suspension and become a reasonably good fabricator.
Good luck!!

[S Lathrop]

What really is your ultimate goal in racing? Do you want to do auto cross at the top level or do you aspire to be a good road racer? Or are you looking for a relaxing pass time that involves motors and wheels?

If road racing is you goal, start in Formula Vee. As you improve, you will master skills in a FV that translate very well to faster cars and are very difficult to learn in faster cars. After that move up to FF and master that class, this will teach you the importance of mechanical grip and how to balance a car at the very limit of the tires.

FM is a very fun class but the skill set that you develop in that class does not carry over to higher level formula cars very well. But it is a great place to have fun with a road racing car.

[rgnhd]

What really is your ultimate goal in racing? Do you want to do auto cross at the top level or do you aspire to be a good road racer? Or are you looking for a relaxing pass time that involves motors and wheels?

If road racing is you goal, start in Formula Vee. As you improve, you will master skills in a FV that translate very well to faster cars and are very difficult to learn in faster cars. After that move up to FF and master that class, this will teach you the importance of mechanical grip and how to balance a car at the very limit of the tires.

FM is a very fun class but the skill set that you develop in that class does not carry over to higher level formula cars very well. But it is a great place to have fun with a road racing car.

Thanks again guys! All your feedback is seriously greatly appreciated.

Ultimately I do want to get into road racing. Before Skip Barber went belly up, I actually completed their 3 day course to be eligible for my SCCA licence. This was when I was seriously looking into FM as there were a few locals I met that were driving in FM. Unfortunately that fell through as I took a job working for Penske Racing on their IndyCar and IMSA team full time. Obviously at that point I never had the time to race myself. Which is a major reason I decided to leave. Now that I'm in another stable job and actually have the time to go to my own events, I'm looking for something to get into.

I'm still building vacation up and making sure that my funds and everything are in check again, since I had to move across the country for this new job back to OKC. I figured if this thing was cheap enough it would be a good thing to at least get seat time while I wait for the right time to hop into a more competitive series. But if it's better I may go ahead and hop into FV to get more wheel to wheel action and experience.

If anyone is interested here is a short video of my time while I was at skip barber:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpslpiirJqo&t=21s

[Gary Godula]

Some times, your car and class decision is influenced by the type of local support that you have. Here in the Detroit area, we have Keith Averill, who stock parts and knowledge about Reynards. A large reason that I race a Reynard is because of that support. Racers in Indy have Steve and Richard to lean on, and, of course, they build Citations.

What sort of formula car support do you have in your area? That local support could make your racing a lot easier.

[pacratt]

Solo - parking lot with cones - might be okay.
Autocross - on a real race track - no way.
Not enough there to protect you.
You'll spend more getting this car "up-to-snuff" than a decent, complete car.
Re-read posts #14 & #16 - they're right on target.
Glenn

[OneWayOut]

Certainly an autocross car and nothing else. Looks like the engine can be had for around $250 used, so I wouldn't pay anything over $500.

But if you are up for the engineering challenge of the aero and/or suspension and have some interest in welding, I think it would be both fun to work on and fun to drive.

[BLS]

Listen to Lathrop. You already have the Barber school under you, get the FV and on the track.

[Dan Lipperini Jr]

I knew that I recognized this car. Here is the old link.

http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/show...mbus-Ohio-3750

[Steve Demeter]

It is what is known as a money pit

[rgnhd]

Holy Crap! Now that is pretty cool to find the original post!
Thanks for all the input guys. I do have experience welding. Including TIG and MIG.
I am going to see if I can pick this thing up for around $500. If I can it'll literally only be for A-Mod just like it was originally intended for.

[Dan Lipperini Jr]

If I’m out of line here, just let me know.

- You went to Skip Barber.
- You were contemplating Formula Mazda.
- You were working for Penske in some capacity on their Indy Car and IMSA teams.

Now you think that this “FaceBook find” is a good step into the racing world?

Sorry to break it to you, but “figuring out your finances and building up vacation time” along with this homebuilt A-Mod aren’t going to get you very far. As previously mentioned, buy a real race car(FV, FST, FF, CFF, etc) and learn to drive not wrench and try to RE-engineer what someone else built.

Sorry to be blunt, but unless you want to be the “big fish in a small pond” at your local auto-x, that is a big $$$$ mistake in the long run.

[rgnhd]

If I’m out of line here, just let me know.

- You went to Skip Barber.
- You were contemplating Formula Mazda.
- You were working for Penske in some capacity on their Indy Car and IMSA teams.

Now you think that this “FaceBook find” is a good step into the racing world?

Sorry to break it to you, but “figuring out your finances and building up vacation time” along with this homebuilt A-Mod aren’t going to get you very far. As previously mentioned, buy a real race car(FV, FST, FF, CFF, etc) and learn to drive not wrench and try to RE-engineer what someone else built.

Sorry to be blunt, but unless you want to be the “big fish in a small pond” at your local auto-x, that is a big $$$$ mistake in the long run.

I apologize if I wasn't clear with my last post. And after going back and reading it I see how I didn't give any details on my plans with the car. The TIG and MIG statement is definitely what probably threw you off.
I meant that more as if I needed to do any modifications to the car or repair it I would be able to, not simply go ahead and build the car for road racing. That's my fault for making that post too fast and not realizing how my context would be translated.

This Facebook find would not be for anything other than going in and out of cones like you guys said.
I would only get it if and only if I could get it cheap enough and it would only be for our local AutoCross days - That's it. Currently where I'm at autocross is just a big parking lot with cones.

The only reason I would get it would be to have fun while I'm still getting everything together and ready for whatever car/class I choose to compete in, most likely like you guys said. Formula Vee to get started.

However he thinks it's worth more around $3000 like the original for sale post. I think most people on would agree that it's not worth that considering all that it can be used for.

After hearing everyone's opinion on this car I agree that it's not worth trying to build it for another class. That's why if I got it cheap enough I would have only used it for fun. Nothing more, Nothing Less.