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Options after track day crash

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17
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
CT
So unfortunateley I had an incident on track Friday that has left me without a driveable car. Luckily I wasn't injured but the car is not worth repairing and I didn't have track insurance. I'm looking to get some opinions on what is the best move to get a car for next year. The car is a 14 GT MT 82. The parts that are still salvagable are engine, transmission, brake system, doors, and most of the suspension. The next car will be full cage, track only. I see a few options.
1. Buy an 11-14 gt salvage car in need of engine/trans and swap my driveline into it. I can then sell any extra parts I don't need (interior pieces, seats, etc.) and try to recoup some of the money from the salvage car.
2. Part everything out and get what I can and start over with a new car.
3. Cut my losses and find a hobby I can afford
Open to any ideas
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118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
I'd say option 1 as well. FWIW I'd be looking for a fairy complete donor car with some mechanical issues or something else that has brought the price down. That would give you the maximum saleable items. Strip the donor car and get the cage done, then build it up with the parts you want to keep and then sell as much of the rest as possible.
 
17
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
CT
Thanks. Luckily I had harness and hans on which kept me from moving too much. Back/side impact into the wall around 60 mph and just left me with a stiff neck. Enough side force was generated to bend my OMP seat mounts sideways. Yes the next car will definitley be getting a full cage.

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17
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
CT
Thanks for all the replies. Definitely leaning towards finding a donor car and using my drivetrain in that.
Sorry to see that happen to a fellow Nutmegger. If you're going to build a dedicated track car, you'll probably be stripping the interior. And if you use all the electronics from your car, a flood salvage car becomes a reasonable option.
Something about flood damage cars makes me a little nervous knowing how much electronics play a role in these cars but I guess if I’m able to swap my parts it may be a valid option. The wiring is what makes me more nervous than anything. I don’t know how far I have to go. Is it as simple as swapping my fuse panels, control modules, etc. or are we talking every harness and sensor out of my car and into donor. Thinking that everywhere there’s a connector or termination point has been compromised and will probably need to be replaced. I’m going to research this some more and see what I can figure out.
 
Sorry man, glad you’re alright, really sucks about the car too though.

You can swap all your electronics if you find a flood damaged car. Not difficult, just time consuming.

The kit car idea with your drivetrain is quite interesting, but probably a good bit more expensive than another s197 chassis.
 
531
364
sfo
By a roller where the salvage yard took the driveline. That should be cheap. But has a body shop looked at your chassis from the stand point of a caged racecar? It ay not be worth making street acceptable but you might be able to make it race worthy. It only needs to be straight chassis. The fender liners don't need to be there and often other destroyed parts are not needed for a racecar. Street car paint job is expensive but a racecar paint job is 50/50 (looks good from 50ft or 50mph) so way cheaper. All these things might make a repair acceptable and less cost.
 
17
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
CT
By a roller where the salvage yard took the driveline. That should be cheap. But has a body shop looked at your chassis from the stand point of a caged racecar? It ay not be worth making street acceptable but you might be able to make it race worthy. It only needs to be straight chassis. The fender liners don't need to be there and often other destroyed parts are not needed for a racecar. Street car paint job is expensive but a racecar paint job is 50/50 (looks good from 50ft or 50mph) so way cheaper. All these things might make a repair acceptable and less cost.
Honestly I haven’t even had a body shop look at it. The front frame rails are knocked over about 6 inches and cracked, needs new front and rear bumper, front fenders, and the entire passenger side rear is caved in. Given all that I figured it would be cheaper to start with a straight car.
 
17
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
CT
I have insurance but I’m pretty sure that they specifically state in the policy that if it happens on a racing surface you’re not covered.
 
6,360
8,180
What exactly, makes this car " totaled", the front sub structure only, or is the back half tweaked as well?.
The reason I say this, is that you could pull the engine and trans out, remove the misc crap, and have it straightened by a competent repair center ( Phoenix) or someone similar. There have been race cars that have been trashed far more than this that have been straightened.
 

Dave_W

Cones - not just for ice cream
984
1,275
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Connecticut
Take a look at the Vorshlag build thread for #Trigger to compare front end damage and see how they repaired it.
 
17
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
CT
What exactly, makes this car " totaled", the front sub structure only, or is the back half tweaked as well?.
The reason I say this, is that you could pull the engine and trans out, remove the misc crap, and have it straightened by a competent repair center ( Phoenix) or someone similar. There have been race cars that have been trashed far more than this that have been straightened.
If it was just front end damage it would absolutely be worth fixing. The problem is the passenger rear took the hardest hit. It caved in the rear shock tower and rear seat area pretty bad. I’ll try to get a good picture of it later. It’s not that I don’t think it’s fixable, I’m just thinking starting with a straight car will cost less in the long run.
 
6,360
8,180
Well, let me tell you a story, back in the 70s a buddy of mine had a 69 Mustang GT, he bought a wrecked Shelby Gt350 that was disassembled by a light pole. He transferred the body parts to the Gt, since he didn't have an "original" Shelby, the door was wide open for mods, he put a 351 Cleveland in it, a 5speed, 4 wheel disc brakes, tilt /telly steering column, just tons of stuff. It was a better Shelby than even Shelby built. He still has the car 45 years later, it's getting a Detroit Speed suspension and a stroker motor with a Tremec.
So... your possibilities are now endless..
and this car right here, was built on a salvage title (which, I'm sure made GM's day when that got out)
Mmxmg07l.jpg
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
Another vote for find another tub or salvage car and swap all your good stuff into that.
Or wildcard on Option 3...part out all your stuff and get a caged Miata race car with the proceeds.
 

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