The rules....?

[owelly]

There have been a few questions asked regarding the rules and budget. I'm not sure where the 'don't count safety gear' came from but these are the rules I'll by playing by:
All competing cars must have an MoT certificate current on the day of the event. That can mean either 12 months or 2 day’s MoT remaining. Competing cars do not require tax or insurance. Competing cars must be in a roadworthy state ie. Treaded tyres, silenced exhausts, and full complement of lights. Basically the car must be in a condition that you could drive it to the event in. Competing cars will be adequately silenced. Open trumpets are a no-no. Competing cars will not be scrutinised however they will be subject to a brief visual check by the track monkeys to ensure that they comply with the rules and are safe enough to compete in. We won’t be too strict but please don’t bring something that has no floors or sills and seats held in by cable ties. The staff at Santa Pod ARE the law. Competing cars are to be bought and built for under £999. That means what you paid for the car and the cost of the modifications you’ve done should be £999 or under. Please don’t confuse this with the ‘end value’ of the car ie. If you bought a 200SX for £500, repaired it where necessary, MoT’d it and tuned the engine for £450 the car is certainly eligible for the Challenge even if you could then sell the car on for £1200. We all manage to acquire parts/services for ‘mates rates’ at one time or another, however please keep within the spirit of the competition when acquiring parts/services and please cost your build in accordance with what parts/services would cost the average Joe. We realise there is not a hard and fast line in this matter but what we want to prevent is someone who, for example, works for Prodrive turning up in a car that has been built from ex-works parts their boss has ‘lent’ to them or let them have for £999. All cars and light vans are acceptable with whatever engine (car, bike or truck!) you like but no motorbikes, motorbike-derived trikes or quad bikes. Three-wheeled cars (eg. Reliant Robins) are acceptable if you’re brave enough. We will not ask for receipts from everybody as we realise that would be unrealistic as many parts/cars will be bought for cash, however prior to the event we will require a full costs break-down to be sent to us via e-mail. Any doubtful items should be verified but some form! If you cheat the only person you’re cheating is yourself and no one will be impressed with you. Up to £250 of unnecessary parts from your car may be sold in order to bring your costs within budget, however we WILL require receipts for parts sold. This and the previous rule are to prevent entrants buying £2k cars to start with and folks claiming
they sold their 1988 Cavalier’s interior trim for £600! Please count the cost of the MoT if you need to get one. Don’t count the cost of oil/filter, odd screws or any workshop consumables in your costings – it will all get very boring if everyone has to work out the value of one cable tie. All drivers/passengers must wear a crash helmet. If you have one please bring it with you. All drivers must have a current, full UK driving license.
If your budget is getting out of control, there is always 'the Barnsley Budget Calculator' which can be hired for a nominal fee which must be included in the budget...

[Renrut]

I think the don't count safety gear thing came originally from someone asking about a plumbed in fire extinguisher system. Its sort of ballooned since then...

[Rob Bell]

A plumbed in fire extinguisher and a roll cage won't make the car any faster - perhaps slower due to the weight. Therefore I can see that "don't count the safety gear" makes some sense, but perhaps a clear stipulation as to what constitutes as a safety exempt mod might be an idea? i.e. not brakes, which should be in the budget.

Or, count all safety gear in the 999 budget for simplicity's sake.

Contemplating entering for next year, so would be useful to know

Good luck everyone with this year's entry!

[jnoiles]

The don't count the safety kit is a sort of slippery slope. If you specified what constituted safety gear it might be easier. The Lemons events in the US didn't count safety gear and that led to guys tig welding 24 point T45 cages into X1/9's which is sort of outside the spirit of things.

If the safety gear is outside the amounts, is there a list of what's considered valid? Not that I'm in danger of winning in 999cc of throbbing fiat fury bolted to a Panda. Just curious

[tommi]

I dont think a cage should be free under the rules, it adds strength to the shell and ultimatly adds peformance.

If everyone got a free saftey devices cage then go fot it but people with low amounts of physical cash will be at a disadvantage.

this i think counts for also

bucket seats
peformance seat belts/harnesses

i think extinguishers should be allowed, battery cut offs, warning switches, towing eyes, and all pure saftey non peformance bits should be allowed FOC

[TeamTotalWankel]

Looks like we'll all have varying opinions on this.

Put it this way -
If a cage didn't count in the budget and people had one sat there ready to go in the car, how many of you would fit it for this kind of event? I know I wouldn't. Seems a pointless discussion in my opinion.

[tommi]

i would, my car is mega light but flex's like an essex bird with no bones

[TeamTotalWankel]

i would, my car is mega light but flex's like an essex bird with no bones

Not a Barnsley bird then!! They're wobbly at the best of times but definately not light!!

[owelly]

So, I've had confirmation from Kev. The official line is:
"Rules? There are rules?" The parting shot was: "things that make the vehicle safer but don't improve the performance, is budget free".
So, cage, seats, seat belts/harnesses would be free.
Brakes, spaceframe, poly windows, etc, should be included.

[TeamTotalWankel]

Good work, makes sense to me
Consider your sausage safe!!

[tommi]

but a cage does increase driving peformance by inceasing rigidity.

(i say this as im searching like mad for a mini roll cage i can cut and shut into my car in 2 weeks )

[TeamTotalWankel]

but a cage does increase driving peformance by inceasing rigidity.

Yes, cos the Volvo 850s were renowned for been a floppy old bus
Remember, this is a 30sec handling course where you'll be lucky to get out of 2nd gear. The Craner Curves it is not!!
Anyway, rules are rules

[Rob Bell]

Cool - got a cage to go into my Project car - so it'll still be eligible

[sportpanda]

Where the h**l did this new rule come from?

A race seat increases performance as your held in better (same with a harness) plus the lighter wieght.

A cage make you feel safer helping performance, tightens up the car and can help you loose weight. I've a couple of Fiat Pandas here, we can get a standard car down to 600kg, with a bolt-in 6 point we can get it down to 500kg (thats including the 80kg of the cage) and still have a more taught shell.

The whole ethos of this competition was to work to a budget!!!

[Jaffa]

Where the h**l did this new rule come from?

A race seat increases performance as your held in better (same with a harness) plus the lighter wieght.

A cage make you feel safer helping performance, tightens up the car and can help you loose weight. I've a couple of Fiat Pandas here, we can get a standard car down to 600kg, with a bolt-in 6 point we can get it down to 500kg (thats including the 80kg of the cage) and still have a more taught shell.

The whole ethos of this competition was to work to a budget!!!

Have to agree if I'm being honest.

The idea of a sub £999 car is surely that it costs less than £1000.

My car cost under £800 with a home made half cage, harnesses, bucket seats.

But then again you can all run what you like for me. I'll not be winning, I will be trying not to come last (actually hoping to be at least 3rd from last, as last year second, year before last).

And if all else fails, bring a fully prep'd WRX with nitrous and slicks. The with the help of TTWMC, jobs a good un.