autox
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Re: $1500 challenge

To: autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: $1500 challenge
From: Joshua L Locklear <joshlocklear@juno.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 15:16:51 -0500
>All cars subject to a $1500 claim rule, plus a reasonable builder's
>fee. Cars may be claimed by any other participant. The GRM staff will
>oversee all transactions to make sure they are fair to both parties.
>Basically, we just want to keep everyone honest.

Yes, I agree that this rule was made to keep everyone honest, and to
prevent travesties like shop-built cars with $1500 in parts and $4000 in
labor.  But at the same time, this is the rule that made me stay away
from this whole thing.  Frankly, I must say that $1500 is WAY more than I
have in my ultra-low-buck RX-7 project right now.  In fact, I have about
500 bucks in it at this point, and it already has a spare set of rims
with some old A008R's on them.  In theory, this leaves me with enough to
do a full coil-over setup, and do exhaust work, etc, making what I
thought would be a fairly competitive car.  So Why didn't I enter?  This
rule right here.  It took me a lot of time to find an RX-7 with a viable
engine for 200 bucks.  It took me time to find someone that had some old
RX-7 wheels they wanted to sell.  And it has also taken me a lot of time
to get the car in good running order.  But the fact remains that I have
grown to love this POS over the past year, and I just couldn't bear the
thought of someone stealing my baby away for $1500, even if I don't have
that much invested in it.  Project cars just have more sentimental value
than that, and sentimental value is something you can't calculate a claim
price for.  When you keep in mind that the contest was designed for
grassroots competitors, who pour their heart and soul into a car like
this, it think it really puts this more in perspective, and shows how
much of a turn-off this rule can be.

Just a thought,
Josh Locklear, Mechanical-Engineer-In-Training
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
joshlocklear@juno.com
"Rex," 1984 RX-7 low-buck project
OVR #7 C stock (when I'm home from school)
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