FF1600 Running Costs

[Point-5]

I'm currently contemplating buying a FF1600 - Probably a RF92.

As of the moment I don't know what championship I will race in.

I've raced for a few years, but always saloons so I really don't know what costs are involved....I've heard people say engine rebuilds could be a very regular occurance. How many per year on average, without accident and approximate costs per build?

What other major costs are there, excluding entry fee's etc - as they will be there no matter what car I race.

Any info appreciated

[ajh349]

These engines are not particularly highly stressed, therefore engine wear in not a great factor. People mainly strip these engines to examine the Crankshaft for cracks, as the exposed flywheel is prone to impacting the ground when running over rumble kerbing.

It is not a complicated engine so engine overhaul is not expensive and can certainly be done by yourself if you are familiar with bottom end rebuilding.

All in all FF1600 is a cheap motor sport activity and can be as cheap as the budget you set. The only real expense comes if you are a frequent visitor to the track side barriers.

As you have already been racing in the past, you will already have the tools, trailer, clothing and helment etc. you require to partake in motor racing. Therefor you may well get by with an annual budget of £4000 for a season at your local track.

If you need a new engine, you can get one for about £2500 – £3500.

Alan H

[jminsh]

1000 miles was always a guide on rebuild time, as ajh349 says to monitor the crank more than anything else.

[Point-5]

Thanks for the replies....So an inspection and possible rebuild once per season should cover it? I wouldn't be capable of rebuilding it myself so what are the approximate costs of getting this done by a specialist company?

How about tyres? Is there a limit to the amount you can use, how much are they per set?

Are the gearboxes reliable? How many sets of ratio's might you need and what do they cost?

Sorry for all the questions - Just wanna have my homework done!

[JohnMiller]

Engine £1,000 to £1,500...
Tyres £400 a set. use as many as you want. Some people only ever go out on new ones and some people amke a set last all year, so it's up to you.
The number of ratios you'll need depend on the tracks you use but some will likely come with a car you buy and they are pretty easy to find at £25/£30 a pair second-hand.

[RMR]

average rebuild around £1k-1.8K
Tyres - as many as you can afford. £400ish for a set.
Gearbox's are fine, occasional rebuild (every few years) about £1k i believe
Ratios - new about £70 2nd hand £40ish per ratio. probably replace the odd dog ring after wear other than that 1 off cost of getting ratios for the circuit.

[ajh349]

Not sure of the cost of a rebuild as I do it myself.
Tyres cost just shy of £400 a set and you can use as many as you can afford. The LD200 gearbox is reliable and will take a bit of abuse if you are not use to changing gear without the clutch.
The number of ratios is strictly dependent upon the number of different tracks you wish to visit. However, you will find that most of the tracks used in FF1600 are similar in gearing for the novice.
Again not too sure of the cost of ratios, but you do see them advertised for about £40 - £50 each.

[JohnMiller]

Originally posted by RMR
Gearbox's are fine, occasional rebuild (every few years) about £1k i believe

Can I quote for your next 'box rebuild? I'll sub the work out and keep the spare £750!

[Point-5]

Doesn't seem as bad as I was expecting.

Realisticly, to be competitive at all do you need new tyres for ever event?

Worse case scenario: Roughly how much does a corner cost if you were to have an accident.

[JohnMiller]

No, you don't need a set of tyres per event. Also some cars 'use'more tyres than others.
For the era of car you are looking at allow £100 per wishbone, so 2 per corner plus £20 each for the trackrods/pushrods etc. Plus likely rosejoints and CVs at the rear. And a roll of tank tape at £5 for the bodywork.

[Point-5]

OK, thanks.

Seeing as you mentioned the 'era' of car...Would a RF92 be competitive or should I be looking at something else?

I read that a lot of manufacturers are releasing or have released new chassis' for the 1600's....Will these new cars make the older models obsolete?

[Ian Sowman]

Not at all. The King of Kents Trophy event at Brands was recently won in a 1989 Reynard.

[kickstart]

JohnMiller, I would guess that the figure of £1k for a rebuild would be a major one that included a new CWP - these are £500ish plus that vat alone. I say this from a recent painful experience having a 5 speed LD200 fully rebuild by JP in Silverstone.

[JohnMiller]

OK, thanks. New CWP would be wuite unusual though wouldn't it?

[StephenRae]

Costs are directly related to the mileage you do, if you test a lot (and you will have to, at least initially to get on the pace) everything wears out quicker.
I manage a full season in the NW with minimal testing for less than £5000.

[Jape]

I found this topic from year 2004. I'm wondering what are the FF running costs nowadays?

Chassis: Is there a big difference in running cost if you are for example running with Van Diemen from 00's, or Swift from 90's?
Engine: How about the running costs differences between Kent, Zetec and Duratec?

What are the typical service intervals to chassis, engine, transmission, etc in FF? And costs for these repairs?

How easy it is find to some chassis / engine spare parts, since some of the FF material starts to be quite old? Is there some chassis brands that you can't get spare parts anymore?

Can running costs be anyhow cheaper when doing some "hobby style" track days only, without trying to achieve max performance, grip, laptimes, etc?

[Ciprian]

Also interested, would anybody care to answer please ?