How much does an F1 car cost to make? Estimates are in the MILLIONS.

This dude got a three year old model for about the same money as a clean original 6. Talk about depreciation!

Anyway, the dude is turning it into a trackday car. How awesome is that?

How a man bought a retired F1 car

(In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote this article. If you like it, please link it elsewhere!)

$60,000 USD for a roller? What does a F1 motor cost these days? Lol! So he's going with cycle motor V8 and needs to source tranny too.

Awfully expensive track day car! Its likely going to be way over $100k for him to restore to neutered state. A bargain for an F1 car but yikes!

100K is cheap as chips. You can't even get a GT3 Cup for that kind of money, and this thing will run CIRCLES around anything with fenders!

Same could be said about many much cheaper and complete open wheel cars that use more traditional parts. I agree it's very cool but it's going to be a ton of work to put different power plant and tranny in the car. Those hyabusa v8 s go for about $30k.

And at least with cup car you can order Porsche motorsports part number if you break something. Just try calling Honda for f1 spares lol! And how about tire costs? Whats an f1 tire go for these days?

Very interesting picutres. I'm most surprised that it uses rod ends and not flextures.

I'd say make it $200k. He is having Hewland make custom gearbox and this project Is far from straight forward. He admits he isn't a race car engineer which means he must be paying someone to do the work. He hasn't even got the motor or tranny pulled together 6 months later.

So we have gone from as cheap as a 9146 to $200 grand pretty fast.

I love reading posts from people who know F1 cars. It's like are you crazy? Why yes sir Iam. Check back in a year. Lol!

http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic...5&start=270

Here you go. This would be much more practical track day car that would put any production car to shame. You could put a mild 350 to 400 hp turbo 4 in this car and it would be scary fast. Roller for about $15k. pickup a used JDM motor for cheap. They take standard parts and use reasonable wheels and tires.

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/swift/12...269800787ss.htm

http://www.h1v8.com/h1h2pricing.html

Sure would be fun to put one of those in a 914.

Just a little 2.7 and 400 hp, that weighs nothing.

Or how about putting one of those in a light weight sport racer, sure would be a hot hill climb and autox car.

If I had the money to have something cool sitting around I'd be all over something like that. I think you'd be crazy to race it unless you had money coming out your ass but for that price many could afford to have it sitting around.

How about one of those v8 puppies in one of these?

http://www.forceracingcars.co.uk/our%20cars.htm

Man, no question that is tempting. What a hillclimb car.

Wonder how hard it would be to stuff a JDM motor in that car?

There are people putting mazda spinny things in these platforms.

http://www.awrracing.com/pages/fatl.html

Just go buy an old IRL car and drop a SBC crate motor in it.

I guarantee that would be infinitely slower than a retired Formula 1 car.

Honda held a track day in 2006 at Motegi. It was similar to Rennsport, but for Hondas.

The 2006 spec F1 car was 6 seconds per lap faster than the 2006 spec IRL car. IIRC.

No question that is true, but it's more fun to dream about something that can be done in our lifetimes, i.e., the people on this board.

The true race engineers see problems with that quasi F1 build. Those cars were designed around specific outputs weight distribution etc. A car that is hacked together is not going to perforrm like a team car. Truly an old Fomula Atlantic car with a boosted motor is going to be a much more enjoyable trackday car for 99% of the people out there. I know it makes good copy to say look at the bargin F1 that this "avg" Joe bought but its just not a bargin and its likely not going to perform up to specs it was intended to in the past. I'm sure for quarter million dollars he will have a car that comes close to the fun of a real F1 car and motor but this is more of a novelty for somone who has far too much money to play with. Still not within the reach of most track day enthusiasts even at this "bargin" price.

When he breaks things he will have extended down times fabricating new parts at great expense. As we all know racing aint cheap and racing a used F1 car is nuts. He will be spending huge dollars to run this thing on a regular basis. Its going to be more of a show and promotional car than a practical track day car. And heaven forbid an off track excursion occurs.

Like I said before bet we will check in a year from now and it will not had a full track day on its tires.

And then there is the obvious question do you have the skill to drive such a car? Most drivers do not have skill to jump in an F1 car and extract potential as easy as they could in a lower powered formula car.

http://youtu.be/gJpURLp4wYI

Obviously it isn't going to be 2007 F1 levels of performance, the guy just doesn't have the budget or factory support to make that happen. However, it will be infinitely faster than an IRL car with a small block chevy shoved in the back. Those Dallara chassis are also "designed around specific outputs weight distribution etc.".

I don't know why you are being such a negative nancy. Luckily it isn't your money and you didn't have to spend it. Let the guy be enthusiastic, and enjoy the hell out of it.

I can think of MILLIONS of examples of cars that are faster around a track than a 914 for less money, but I don't denigrate you for making that choice.

My IRLSBC will be $$$ cheaper and I'll have 1000 laps run before that F1POS hits the track.

Thanks for all the "likes" guys. This article was the most liked in the site's history. I appreciate all the support from fellow enthusiasts!