Anything is a Race Car if You're High Enough

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5) 06/28/2015 at 16:37 • Filed to: None

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I was just gifted this remarkably solid ‘97 Saturn SL2 by a friend of mine, under the strict instructions that it be raced in the 24 Hours of LeMons.

The car has 270k miles on it, the brakes barely work, and it smokes just a little. But it runs very well, the clutch is good, transmission feels good, and apparently these are fairly capable little cars.

Our two closest LeMons races are New Hampshire and Thompson CT...we’re too late to register for Thompson, and honestly, there’s only a month or two until NH registration, so I’m looking at next season. That’ll give us all winter to cage it and sort it out enough for track duty...I’m not looking to just slap it together, I want to build it right so we’ll get more than just one use out of it.

Any of you guys run a LeMons or Chump Car race? Advice would be greatly appreciated if you've got it.

Tohru > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 16:45

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My roommate, Dogapult, has a lemon LeMons car. I’ll have him post on here.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 16:47

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Here’s my expertise.

1: saturns are stupid light when you strip the interior.

2: check oil every so often. They like to burn it.

3: twin cams are fun. Maybe rallycross it for the time being?

4: LeMons is more expensive than you think.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 16:59

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Oh god, a manual SL2? Those are fantastic little boxes. Prepare to be surprised.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/28/2015 at 17:00

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#4 is hella true. I’m thinking we’ll do it once, because the guy who supplied the car really wants to, and then track days and auto cross will be kind of its meat and potatoes, so to speak. I think it’s like $600 per car, plus $150 per driver...it’ll be fun to do it once, but yeah, that’s a lot of money to try and do it several times a year. Plus fire suit, helmet, etc etc.

I figure I’ll just build the thing and then we’ll see what happens. It'll make a fun little track day car if nothing else.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 17:14

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Doesn’t lemons let you get ‘free’ or no penalties for brake upgrades?

Coty > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 17:29

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Run it at New Hampshire so I can come watch.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 06/28/2015 at 17:32

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Correct. Basically, anything ‘safety’ related doesn't count to the cost. So cage and all the interior stuff, wheels/tires, and brakes are all exempt from the $500. Also your exhaust beyond the down pipe, so you can open up the exhaust all you want as long as it stays under 92db.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 06/28/2015 at 17:35

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The donator said it's always been a really fun little car. I've driven a SOHC SL1 with a stick, but never a dual cam car. I think it's going to make a pretty nice race car.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 17:51

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So, I I had, say a $400 SHO and a friend who happens to have a set of Brembos that I can adapt to the car, that would be legal?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 06/28/2015 at 17:56

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Per section 4.2.1 of the LeMons rules, brakes are considered a safety component and are therefore exempt from the $500 rule.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 18:09

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That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 06/28/2015 at 18:14

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My guess though would be that if you did $1 worth of other performance upgrades, they would penalize you. I mean your SHO is going to be most of your $500 anyway, but I saw somebody selling a class A 5.0 Mustang where they said the car would pass inspection with no penalty, but they'll penalize it if they do any performance stuff.

TrickJos > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 21:18

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I love old Saturns. Theyre light and they're tough.

TrickJos > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/28/2015 at 21:19

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+1 for #2. All an old Saturn will ever ask you for is a bit more oil now and then.

SlickMcRick > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 21:54

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I DD a 95 Saturn SL2. It handles amazingly well. Front and rear independent suspension and front & rear anti-roll bars. Driving on the back roads are a blast all the time. Just keep checking on the oil. It burns it consistently for some reason.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > SlickMcRick 06/28/2015 at 22:12

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That's basically the report I'm getting on the thing, that they handle great and are a lot of fun to drive. My buddy that gave me the car said that about the oil, too...there are four quarts in the trunk, haha.

Dogapult > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/28/2015 at 23:05

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I’ve been told to post here. I’ve run LeMons once. it’s much more expensive than anyone thinks, although I was crap with my spending and chose...not the best car, either. Ask me anything.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Dogapult 06/29/2015 at 06:11

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What car did you run? What was the biggest expense? I'm guessing the cage. And if you're not running an E30 BMW, will they still make you do some dumb theme? Cause I don't feel like doing that, I just want to race.

Dogapult > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/29/2015 at 12:18

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I ran a 1973 Toyota Celica. at the time, still with a 3-speed Automatic and an 18R-C. Surprisingly the cage wasn’t the biggest cost. Of course, my cage was built by a guy who claimed to know what he was doing and didn’t listen to my directions. Biggest actual expense was hard to pin down. tires were $114 apiece, car entry was $500 at the time (+$100 per driver, and you need 4, + $50 LeMons License (good for a year), all the parts to try to spruce the car up were 4-$500, (spare fuel pump, pcv valve, brakes....) Racing seat, harness....
it’s not actually as cheap as it sounds.


Yes, you have to theme your car. LeMons is as much a spectator thing as anything else. Chumpcar doesn’t require you to theme your car, but I don’t think it’s as much fun.

Paint some rings around the sides, it’s Saturn!
Just think of something silly, and get out the paint for an hour or two.