Generally speaking, I'd definitely be careful of the roll cages on cars racing dirt ovals. I've seen some really wild roll cage setups (like some made out of muffler tubing and poorly welded) in stock-type classes on dirt.
Other than that, it depends. Suspension components can range from the stock setup to whatever you can imagine, depending on the local rules set. The most common changes for a dirt-track car would be to tweak the suspension to go left.
The cars you have selected are ones in fairly rough shape. Unless you want a big project, keep looking. You might find some more current ones in much better shape for maybe not much more money.
That "rally nova" is simply the owner stating that it was a special "Rally" car from the factory (I infer it was a package...trim/option/appearance/performance...I don't know). That Nova is just a starting point for a full restoration project. (it does not appear to have had any rally race prep done to it)
In fact, none of those cars are set up for "rally" style racing (off road or back-road, turn both directions). You're looking at old dirt circle track race cars.
All those options look like a way to turn a lot of money into a little money when eventually you, too, send it to the big racetrack in the sky. Nothing worth over scrap value in those ads.
Get an IMCA modified and teach it to turn left and right.
My best friend in high school had a 1972 "Rally Nova". It was a trim package. Bucket seats ard a semi cool strip down the side. Had 307 and automatic transmission.
If you can find an old late model they have very good cages and are a great start. Or sportsman or whatever they are called local to you.
If you need help looking them over let me know. I did a lot of work with late models in the day. Also, More than happy to wrench on a challenge car.
Biggest thing is to make sure they aren't bent. The rest is basically G body GMs that are weight jacked to turn only left.
Patrick
MegaDork
1/10/23 11:24 a.m.
None of those piles are. The best ones have intact frames and cages and a lot of big $ parts for cheap. The last one I bought had wilwood wide 5 stuff all around and a winters quick change, a sweet steering rack, a kirkey, and was $600. Prior to that I picked up a 70 camaro with a tube chassis and a cage for $600 also. That seems to be the sweet spot for old stuff to work from around here
Thanks! I needed to hear that.
93gsxturbo said:
All those options look like a way to turn a lot of money into a little money when eventually you, too, send it to the big racetrack in the sky. Nothing worth over scrap value in those ads.
That's what I needed to hear. Damn, but I suppose that's whats up.
Patrick said:
None of those piles are. The best ones have intact frames and cages and a lot of big $ parts for cheap. The last one I bought had wilwood wide 5 stuff all around and a winters quick change, a sweet steering rack, a kirkey, and was $600. Prior to that I picked up a 70 camaro with a tube chassis and a cage for $600 also. That seems to be the sweet spot for old stuff to work from around here
Is that IMCA some people have mentioned? I've scrolled through Racingjunk before but I don't recognize some of the abbreviations and I'm not sure where to learn them.
Nebraska and Iowa are mostly IMCA. You can look at Stock cars or Late Models. Avoid Hobby Stock as those are basically just stock cars beaten up with a cage.
Late Models are the best to re-purpose. They will typically take the shocks and engines which is totally fine because they aren't that useful for what you want. You'll have a tough time making challenge money but you can typically get a runner for $6-7K.
You'll need a torque converter, Final Drive, and shocks at the least for any car you get.
I'm not a racer, but I have read every issue of Circle Track magazine. The Modified class is the budget class based on that GM G body full frame without front fenders and the Late Model is the premier class with a pure tube frame. Both are light and would be fast with a junkyard LS.
In reply to VolvoHeretic :
You are totally correct. That's why Late Models are better to convert.
To be honest, Modifieds aren't that great to re-purpose and the value for money outside of the oval track world isn't that great. Modifieds and Late Models once they get 10+ years old are usually close enough in price. You can convert any full frame chassis into a "modified" frame for cheaper if you can weld. They are also pretty heavy for what they are.
Stock cars are ok but usually beat to crap by the time they get cheap. I know 1 chassis that ran 10+ years, 3 times a week so by the time it was retired it was pretty spent.
In reply to bmw88rider :
Thanks for the education. 
Of the three pictured the only I'd consider is the 1975 Nova. The cage looks like a kit so as long as it's properly assembled and welded should be good, and more importantly it looks like it was never finished/raced. A used dirt car is almost always a nearly used up dirt car. We had modifieds crack suspension mounts as soon as eight months old.
The modifieds pictured in some of the other posts shouldn't be too hard to convert to turn both ways, being production based you can only build so much offset into them.
The modifieds may be "production-based," but they've strayed quite a ways from that.
An extreme example is this upper A-frame: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/IMCA-Modified-Adj-Upper-Control-Arms-Offset-w-Cross-Shaft-10-1-4-In,29430.html
Even hobby stocks have aftermarket upper A-frames built specifically for the left and right sides: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/IMCA-Hobby-Stock-Upper-A-Arm-Kit,405853.html
The same goes for just about everything on the front suspension.
The good news with a dirt car, especially with a modified, is that you got a car built for racing. The bad news is you have to take out what it's meant to do - turn left - and that goes down to the chassis (most modifieds these days just use "stock front stubs," and even that's aftermarket).
Another consideration: The older modifieds, like pre-2018, give or take a few years, were built to be really light and actually flex. The theory back then was that the flex gave teams some wiggle room to dial in a setup on an ever-changing track. However, they eventually found out it that having a stiffer chassis provided a more predictable car (go figure, right?). Anyway, those older cars often "flexed out." Basically, they become numb. Keep that in mind, too, although I don't know how much that would affect you in your application.
