Is there any such thing as a $500 rallycross car anymore?

I have the rallycross bug and have been looking for cheap cars that I wouldn't mind beating up on the dirt. If I can keep it cheap I might even bring it to the Challenge. Use it as a Gambler 500 car. There is no such thing as a beat up $500 Miata anymore. Every NA Miata you see under $4,000 they want to part out. Six cylinder Mustangs? No ratty ones around for under $1,000. Did the all go to the wrecking yard? $500 Subarus?? Not a chance. I am debating whether to use the Lumina or get something that would actually be competitive. I have also thought of possibly trading the motorcycle for something then selling the Lumina. But it looks they want stupid money for most used cars now. 

Is the day of the $500 car now over.  I don't really want to pay $3,000 or $4,000 for something I am just going to take out on a dirt track and tear up. I don't want to use my autocross miata for that either. 

Find a ratty manual 1st Gen Focus that has a popped engine or needs a bit of body work. They're common around here. 

You can still find fwd econoboxes at that price. Manuals are usually less desirable and thus even cheaper. If you just want to go have fun, buy whatever you come across that's cheap. 
 

old Audi Quattro. No reverse... but who needs that for racing

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1672713732910957/

In reply to WillG80 :

Kind of what I am looking for but I really don't want to go all the way to Colorado with my trailer right now. That kind of blows up the budget. I am looking in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, or maybe East Texas or South Oklahoma. It's almost like they jack up the price on anything in Dallas right now because it's a boom town and poor people have to get to work. 

Sounds like the problem is you want a *good* rallycross car for $500. That pretty much doesn't exist, now or really ever. But any $500 car that has most of its parts attached and can run for ten minutes at a time can be a rallycross car.

This is the kind of stuff I keep finding...

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2839838569597490/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined

$7,500 and it has over 200,000 miles on it. I am afraid of any kind of Subaru with that kind of mileage just from reading stuff on here. 

dps214 said:

Sounds like the problem is you want a *good* rallycross car for $500. That pretty much doesn't exist, now or really ever. But any $500 car that has most of its parts attached and can run for ten minutes at a time can be a rallycross car.

Which brings me back to the Lumina that is already in my driveway. 

Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) said:

Find a ratty manual 1st Gen Focus that has a popped engine or needs a bit of body work. They're common around here. 

 

These things sell for $1,500 around here with an automatic. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/239049044351273/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=marketplace_search

My little study shows 25-30% increase in low end car prices but I feel more like it is 66%

Know someone...

A FAF just got a free E30.

I got a free RX-7 that I FMV'd at $500.  Many thousands later, it is almost ready...

dps214 said:

Sounds like the problem is you want a *good* rallycross car for $500. That pretty much doesn't exist, now or really ever. But any $500 car that has most of its parts attached and can run for ten minutes at a time can be a rallycross car.

This.

There are plenty of marginally-running crappy cars for sale for $500

Any car can rallycross.

Therefore, there are plenty of $500 rallycross cars.

Most cars that are "good" at rallycross are also "good" cars in general. And people don't usually sell "good" cars for $500. 

Go find a beat-up Cavalier or something, take it out, and beat it until it dies.  Andy Thomas used to kick some butt in FWD with a mid-90s Hyundai Accent locally. I bet you can find one of those for $500....

also even nationally for stock front the car doesnt matter, didnt a buick reatta get 3rd place at nationals 2ish years ago?

Maybe I just need to use the Lumina then. It least I know it has been maintained. Most $500 cars I can find are a real rabbit hole. But then putting money into a ratty RX 7 or Miata would actually be worth it. I almost never see RX 7s anymore. There was an RX 8 for $1,000 on my block a few years ago that I should have jumped on.

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

dps214 said:

Sounds like the problem is you want a *good* rallycross car for $500. That pretty much doesn't exist, now or really ever. But any $500 car that has most of its parts attached and can run for ten minutes at a time can be a rallycross car.

This.

There are plenty of marginally-running crappy cars for sale for $500

Any car can rallycross.

Therefore, there are plenty of $500 rallycross cars.

Most cars that are "good" at rallycross are also "good" cars in general. And people don't usually sell "good" cars for $500. 

Go find a beat-up Cavalier or something, take it out, and beat it until it dies.  Andy Thomas used to kick some butt in FWD with a mid-90s Hyundai Accent locally. I bet you can find one of those for $500....

Our first rallycross car was a beater 944. "Roadworthy" is not a term I would use to describe it, but we were moderately competitive in it with a handful of wins/trophies between OVR and Detroit (back when they had well attended and competitive RWD classes). It basically needed something fixed or replaced after every event and fully bit the dust after a season of use when the clutch finally totally let go and we found out that the torque tube was also trashed. You can do it on the cheap and even be moderately successful, but it generally ends up being a huge headache and the long term cost of ownership is probably higher than a car that can actually stand the abuse and still be functional when you're done with it.

Is the Lumina too big for rallycross?

If you don't want to spend much and just want to try it out, consider renting first. That will give you a taste before you invest in anything. You won't be as competitive, but your consumables will be the cost of gas.

My car broke down the day before an event and I wasn't going to miss it, so off to a rental agency I went. 24 hour rentals are usually around $25 from the local airport. Park your car there for the day and grab it afterwards. I lost an under tray but that's not something anybody would notice. My CC company also provides rental car insurance.

We used a 93 beretta with a 4 cylinder and 5 speed. No title and junk engine, was $100. We had an engine for it, rockauto had parts for seriously close to free. After new shocks and struts (less than$100) and some seat time we we didn't do too bad, and it was super fun.

Please put box flares and wide Bassett wheels and white letter tires on the Lumina

Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) said:

Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) said:

Find a ratty manual 1st Gen Focus that has a popped engine or needs a bit of body work. They're common around here. 

 

These things sell for $1,500 around here with an automatic. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/239049044351273/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=marketplace_search

Ok, the one you listed is still a working car. I bet if the engine popped or they hit a deer, and needed to replace the headlights and pull out a radiator support, it'd be $500. 

As others have said, it seems you're looking for a running, driving car for $500. The only way you're going to find one of those these days (especially as stimulus and tax refunds hit) is if somebody has a crisis and needs to get rid of it RIGHT NOW, and then you're going to have to take whatever E36 M3box is offered at the time. 

2002-2006 Elantras are a hot ticket that no one really knows about. Fashion a skid plate since the oil pan and exhaust sit quite exposed. I used a broken road sign(left turn only!). Ran some garbage winter tires on steel wheels and it did quite well.

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

no, people rallycross crown vics all the time.

MrChaos said:

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

no, people rallycross crown vics all the time.

Wasn't there a guy on here who bought a '60s Chrysler Imperial specifically to autocross? Whatever happened with that?

MrChaos said:

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

no, people rallycross crown vics all the time.

Yep. The Lumina is the same size and it has front wheel drive. Then I don't have to worry about buying in the stupid expensive car market right now.

The used car market is, of course, pretty tight right now. That said, you might consider scanning your local wrecking yards for bashed up but still drivable vehicles. The yards around my area almost always have at least a few low priced drivers.

I did a quick search for $1000 vehicles and turned up a decent looking 2008 VW Golf, a couple of new Beetles, a Nissan Versa, and a few more auto transmission cars that I wouldn't bother with. Here in Michigan anything less than $1K will be so rusty I wouldn't bother. I did get a free Miata a year ago and passed it on. My own Miata was a $1000 purchase in 2017 , but Miata pricing has gotten stupid recently. For anyone in Michigan here's the VW Golf....Marketplace - 2008 Volkswagen Golf · Hatchback 2D | Facebook