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What are your thoughts on the "Built vs Bought" convo?
So me and a few other friends were having a debate based on "Built vs Bought" situation when it comes to the sport of drag racing.
Obviously I defend the "Built" side of things because I turned just about every bolt on my bucket except for the welding. I am a gearhead at heart but I also feel that everyone can not afford to just take their car to a shop and drop $10k+ on a build. Even though in most cases the built process takes a little longer depending on your career status, but I feel that it is more rewarding to know that you've turned all those bolts, knowing how everything works and win races based on the steps you have taken.
I also think its more rewarding to beat cars that essentially spent double the money. Even if you barely lose a race, does the gap really justify the amount of money that wasnt spent? In some cases yea, I guess.
The bought guys will say, "at the end of the day when it's time to line up, it doesnt matter". True, but at the same time no one wants to lose to a **** canned clapped out civic when you've spent $30-40k+ on a setup. Just like the Lambo Killer Civic, has killed numerous modded Lambo's. $20k vs $250k+ is a pretty depressing comparison lol.
But by all means I respect all cars and their builds (besides those stanced cars. I hate those things) but I will always gravitate towards guys who built there setups and know what they have.....
Bought is the new way of the world from what I see locally. No one wants to turn a wrench anymore or learn anything about their cars. They want the instant dyno rwhp number from a shop. It is good for the performance shops in the area. However, I see there is no real commitment to the hobby. Most people do it as a fad and then sell off the car after the fad is gone.
I like to build my car and put together a combo that works. I have been wrenching on my car since 96. I do respect the newer platforms and they are amazing compared to the older cars in performance, streetability, and gas mileage. I do feel there is a lot less meat on the bone for performance of the newer cars. The heads are so good and the horsepower is already high so it is 80% there so to say. For example, a late 90's lt1 car runs high 13's stock. You can do H/C/I and some supporting mods and get it into the 11's. The new Camaros comes from the factory running 11's but at an almost $50k pricetag. I think the prices of newer cars is insane and I never thought I would see a Camaro priced at just below $50k.
To each their own. If you have the money buy it, if not, build it and learn a skill.
I can see both sides, while I enjoy the pride of making my own stuff go fast, when it breaks (and it does) its expensive, and painful to fix. Friend has a Hellcat, when it breaks, dealer gets to fix it, and dealer foots the bill. That is something that I kinda wish I had on my car.
The only real issue I have with bought power is when the owner has no ******* clue what they have, only the price tag and printed advertised power (F&F Tokoyo drift intro with viper scene). And or, when they put down your car cause its not a perfect piece of work from some high end shop or new from GM etc.
I'd much rather build than buy. From what I've seen, especially with LT1 blocks it's a crap shoot and 99.999999% of the time there's no build sheet because the block comes from a 3rd party, so the ones who are selling don't have any idea about them. Even though I now fit into the category, not too long about those who bought were called check book racers.
To each their own. If you have the money buy it, if not, build it and learn a skill.
Agreed. I just get more annoyed with kids and these grown *** men using mama's and daddy's money and really not care about the sport. But I know car's is a money sport and whomever holds the most $$$ usually will be on top at the end of the day.
I can see both sides, while I enjoy the pride of making my own stuff go fast, when it breaks (and it does) its expensive, and painful to fix. Friend has a Hellcat, when it breaks, dealer gets to fix it, and dealer foots the bill. That is something that I kinda wish I had on my car.
The only real issue I have with bought power is when the owner has no ******* clue what they have, only the price tag and printed advertised power (F&F Tokoyo drift intro with viper scene). And or, when they put down your car cause its not a perfect piece of work from some high end shop or new from GM etc.
Otherwise, to each their own.
Agreed. I am speaking more of just dropping tons of money at a shop to let them fix it vs doing it yourself. I guess thats the same as getting a newer warrantied vehicle. A warranty only goes so far with modding the late model vehicles.
I'd much rather build than buy. From what I've seen, especially with LT1 blocks it's a crap shoot and 99.999999% of the time there's no build sheet because the block comes from a 3rd party, so the ones who are selling don't have any idea about them. Even though I now fit into the category, not too long about those who bought were called check book racers.
I've thought a lot about this in the past since I've done both. Personally, if I buy something that already has a lot of power from the factory, I tend to leave it unmolested for reliability, good resale later, and if it is something less expensive or older, then I like to build on it with less guilt knowing it is money I will never get back.
I think a guy who builds his own car and does well in a race against a factory hot rod should get a lot of credit, and he will generally have more credibility with the majority of racers - people like to see an underdog win.
What I've noticed from car shows and racing is that the guys who buy an already built car (from another person) usually can't talk about it as much, and the guys who buy a factory high performance car enjoy it but get bored with it sooner. And, while people admire it, they aren't too interested in talking to the owner since he was mostly a guy who wrote a check or got a loan and maybe has good taste in cars...
I think the gear heads and owners are generally a different crowd - it might be money and lifestyle that separates the guys that do everything themselves vs. the higher earning professionals who stay longer at the office and then pay people to do everything for them and try to get some forced enjoyment in bits and pieces of free time on weekends. The other thing is that people who never have time to enjoy themselves sometimes buy stuff to make themselves happy. Although I have to give credit to some of the collectors who approach car ownership as they do business - make some wise buying choices, buy and sell some collector cars, and enjoy owning cars most people can't afford, and profit from it.
One example of "trying to buy your way in" was a local car show I went to where this beautiful red/orange blown 66 pro street type Nova drove in - obviously a $60K+ build with BBC & huge blower sticking out of the hood, tubbed with huge slicks and perfect paint - We were interested in it since my friend just finished his Nova of the same year so we tried to talk to the guy when he came around to look at our cars. He was a nice older guy that had bought the Nova from whomever built it - he was clueless about it - he was asking us about the windshield wipers and was all worried cause they weren't wired in or functioning or something. I told him to use rain-x as a expedient solution, but we laughed later about it trying to imagine the guy trying to drive his blown 1000 hp Nova in the rain with 15" wide slicks and a spool. Several years and a bunch of car shows later, and we only saw the car once more. It was essentially undriveable and probably got turned into a garage queen for that reason.
My $02 and preference is to build my own. Even if I hit the lottery and could buy any car I wanted I would ask and learn everything about the build of that car
Yeah I see MANY at car cruises and even the track where they are "point & pay" guys who are fing clueless on what it took to build the car they bought. free country and if their wallet is big enough, good for them.
To each there own, when I was in high school, I was broke and was forced to turn all the wrenches on my LT1.
Now, I will do anything that can be accomplished in four hours or less, but outside of that, it's not worth my free time, and I also like knowing a professional handled it.
I would prefer to build my own but I do get tired of people blasting others for buying a built car...not everyone has the time or knowledge to build their own and shouldn't get bashed for it.
Everything is bought somewhere. Either you buy the whole car done or your buying parts for your car. I can honestly say that if I could afford it I would love to have a good shop finish my Buick for me. I haven't worked on the car for more than a couple days in the last two years because life just gets too busy. Maybe it's the mechanic talking, but after fixing garbage all day, coming home and working on your own junk loses it's fun.
I do respect a person who can do it all themselves and is knowledgeable, I respect a person who has something awesome and doesn't know a damn thing about it but admits they just bought because it was awesome, I don't respect a person who has something awesome or even shitty and brags that it's the greatest thing and knows so much about it but really is just a bullshitter.
Example: I have a buddy who has a super clean Grand Prix GTP. I've done a lot of work for him and the car is a runner and looks great. Guy is super cool and doesn't try to BS anyone. Tells everyone in his car club that friends do all his work and he just bought the car because he always wanted one.
I agree with pretty much everything already posted. What drives me crazy are the guys that buy the new camaro/mustang and then talk bad about my car only having 275hp and its slow. I know it is, and i want to say i know more about your car than you do! Sometimes i think i should just go out and by an ls3 vette, put a 100 shot on it, and beat %90 of every one that runs their mouth. But i love lt1 camaros, and plan to slowly build this one over time.
If you have the money buy it, if not, take your time and build it the way you want it, like I did. It took me over 3 years and it was worth the wait! I'm rewarded with over 600+ to the wheels on a Mustang Dyno!
I agree with pretty much everything already posted. What drives me crazy are the guys that buy the new camaro/mustang and then talk bad about my car only having 275hp and its slow. I know it is, and i want to say i know more about your car than you do! Sometimes i think i should just go out and by an ls3 vette, put a 100 shot on it, and beat %90 of every one that runs their mouth. But i love lt1 camaros, and plan to slowly build this one over time.
This^^^... And the only people who talk that kind of smack are people with there first performance vehicle.. A guy I work with came from a Toyota Camry to a 2016 Mustang GT.. Then tells a fellow co worker his C5 Z06 Vette is outdated and can't beat his new Mustang.. He knows my car runs low 11's so he doesn't talk smack to me.. But if he really knows about performance cars it doesn't really matter what year your car is once modded..
Im building my first lt1. The experience of doing this and knowledge learned of how everything works inside your motor is priceless, no millionaire can buy that.
However if i was rich i would have a garage with a 70 chevelle ls6 454, 70 camaro with an original lt1 hehe, lt4 ss camaro, and a 392 hemi scat pack to name a few. Sure would be nice to be able to buy whatever you wanted! However imo a true car person, hotrodder, will always want to spend time working on their own cars too a point. I wish i could just use pocket change to order all the parts i need for a forged 383 shortblock, kooks headers, ported heads, 9inch rear, built m6, clutch, and put it together at my leisure with assistance from an expert mechanic by my side. But....reality strikes and us middle class ppl have a few hundred bucks left over after paying bills to maybe afford a cai and a mail order tune so we can have another 20hp to cruise around with.
I'm not sure what is meant buy "built" as far as building the motor goes. I have only ever built one short block and it was done to stock specs using stock parts. I did not trust myself enough to build my current short block, so had someone else do so knowing they had 15 years more experience building ltx stuff and did it for a living.
12-29-2016, 08:32 AM
What are your thoughts on the "Built vs Bought" convo? 
when you've spent $30-40k+ on a setup. Just like the Lambo Killer Civic, has killed numerous modded Lambo's. $20k vs $250k+ is a pretty depressing comparison lol.
