[Basil]

I did 2 years, on and off in ARP with a 1987 Reynard 873, with a VW engine, and am trying to raise the budget and find the time to get out this season in a Dallara F396 Mugen. I have the car, a basic spares package, but am short on time and money.... It's as dear as you want to make it, the Reynard was the cheapest to run, most reliable race car I have ever had, I maintain that the cars are built to do a lot of testing, and fairly long and arduous races. Maintained sensibly they are very reliable, and the build quality is amazing. It should be, they cost about 50K for a rolling chassis, new! I also feel they are safer than an aluminium tubbed car, or a spaceframe. Spares range from very sensible, to an arm and a leg, depending what you need, whether new or used is satisfactory, and where it is sourced from. Dallara are superb at shipping stuff from Italy, and specialists sell used spares over here, as well as stocking commonly needed bits. I do all my own maintenance though, including engine and most gearbox stuff, so that helps check costs.

I am no ARP expert, but have had hands on experience, so if anyone wants to know anything, ask away. I did it very much on the cheap, with my wife as my sole pit crew on most occasions, and could neither afford the time nor fees for much testing. I did enjoy it immensely though, and as has been said in this forum, what else for the money does similar lap times and looks like a proper race car?