Hey folks! I'm an old time fella who is looking to jump back into racing and FV seems the most cost-effective method (other than IT, but I want a real race car!). Since I graduated from quarter midgets decades ago, I've come and gone in autocross, vintage, LeMons and such, but always in regular cars (except for a stint sharing a Crossle FF in Solo 2). I'm up in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm looking for a serviceable FV (preferably with a trailer) in the $5K - $6K range. Just a few questions for the experts:
- Is this a reasonable budget?
- Can I expect a car that is "straight" and with an engine that's at least good for a few events?
- I've rebuilt VWs before, I assume working on a Vee engine is the same
- I drove a Cooper Porsche (Pooper) once, and the shifter felt just like a VW bug. Is an FV box similar?
- With a pre-1976 vintage car, how hard is it to swap motors to keep the fan & gen on the vintage side and off for SCCA? Or even a 1600 for autocross.
- How badly would a vintage chassis get whomped in a Regional SCCA event? Is it worth trying?
- How do vees really handle? Sharp, forgiving, communicative, numb, neck bending?
- How much black magic is in setup, compared to, say, a Crossle FF? Easy to learn?
Kind of a lot to ask in one go, some of the info I find is dated. I just hope I can find a car I can go and check out in person before pulling the trigger, the one's I see right now are 2-day trips.
Thanks to everyone with answers, I hope to get out there soon!
-David