Newb question.....Leaf spring car.

[racerj5]

I've been running go-karts for 30 years and want to knock the Late Model off the bucket list. I've found a really clean starter roller that I'm gonna be able to pick up for around $1500. Mid-90's Stinger. I know most everybody is on a link, swingarm or z-link setup now, but could I make this car work? Car has around 10 races total, and I know the original owner. I've never been in a big car before and I don't want to spend a ton of $$ till I get some seat time.That way, if I knock the wall down, I'm not gonna be out that much. I will be running the crate/sportsman class at Tazewell Speedway. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ALF401]

If you want to try driving for one year then moving on to the next bucket list item, them go to the leaf car. If you want to compete for years to come, get something more modern with the current technology. No much to learn to go forward with a leaf car. JMO

[racerj5]

Thanks, Alf. I want to stay in a car and really don't wanna go back to go karts. Tracks are too far away, too many classes and too many wannabe nascar drivers. Somebody's getting upside down every week and I'm too fat and old to get slung out of a kart. I've spoken with someone at Warrior as well, and they tell me that Tazewell, with the banking and high bite, is just too demanding on a leaf car and I'd be replacing the leafs every 4-5 races. Any other advice you have will be well received.

[m_stagev]

Thanks, Alf. I want to stay in a car and really don't wanna go back to go karts. Tracks are too far away, too many classes and too many wannabe nascar drivers. Somebody's getting upside down every week and I'm too fat and old to get slung out of a kart. I've spoken with someone at Warrior as well, and they tell me that Tazewell, with the banking and high bite, is just too demanding on a leaf car and I'd be replacing the leafs every 4-5 races. Any other advice you have will be well received. there will be at least one running in western pa. soon.

[dirty white boy]

buy a weilder,..an some bird cages...that way youll learn how 4 bars work instead of leafs,..leafs ant gonna run with 4 bar and your gonna get frustrated tryin to,..so buy it cheap,..turn it into a 4 bar car!

[HEAVY DUTY]

I've been running go-karts for 30 years and want to knock the Late Model off the bucket list. I've found a really clean starter roller that I'm gonna be able to pick up for around $1500. Mid-90's Stinger. I know most everybody is on a link, swingarm or z-link setup now, but could I make this car work? Car has around 10 races total, and I know the original owner. I've never been in a big car before and I don't want to spend a ton of $$ till I get some seat time.That way, if I knock the wall down, I'm not gonna be out that much. I will be running the crate/sportsman class at Tazewell Speedway. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would worry about safety. A car that is that old is not safe, even if stored inside. Tubing sweats and fills up with water. The tubes rusts from the inside out. They look fine, but are not safe. Tazewell is a fast place. You wreck hard there. I wouldnt take a chance. Keith Masters said at a seminar that they were seeing 12 to 18 thousands wall thickness change on a 2 year old chassis. I build chassis and can tell you, every chassis I repair is full of water. The older they are, the more water is in them. Dont worry so much about saving money as saving your life. In my opinion, a car that is more than 5 years old is best left alone.

[fastford]

I would worry about safety. A car that is that old is not safe, even if stored inside. Tubing sweats and fills up with water. The tubes rusts from the inside out. They look fine, but are not safe. Tazewell is a fast place. You wreck hard there. I wouldnt take a chance. Keith Masters said at a seminar that they were seeing 12 to 18 thousands wall thickness change on a 2 year old chassis. I build chassis and can tell you, every chassis I repair is full of water. The older they are, the more water is in them. Dont worry so much about saving money as saving your life. In my opinion, a car that is more than 5 years old is best left alone.

if these chassis are no good, then why are you repairing them, why not build a new safer one?

[HEAVY DUTY]

if these chassis are no good, then why are you repairing them, why not build a new safer one?

I dont like repairing them. I try to talk people out of repairing older cars. Some people get attached to them. They will spend 1500 or 2000 dollars to repair something that isnt worth 1000 to resale when it is done. They think they are saving money. It is like using a crank that costs 700 dollars to repair that is 30 under to keep from spending 1500 to put a new one in a 20,000 engine.

[racerj5]

buy a weilder,..an some bird cages...that way youll learn how 4 bars work instead of leafs,..leafs ant gonna run with 4 bar and your gonna get frustrated tryin to,..so buy it cheap,..turn it into a 4 bar car!What all is involved in doing this? I Assume you are Anthony White, so I know you've run Taz a time or 2 :)Ralph Ball is my uncle, so I have access to his shop and all his tools, including the welders, but I'm green as a gourd on chassis stuff.

[racerj5]

Guys, I have decided to pass on this particular car. It was originally being advertised as an 02 Warrior and when I looked at it, it had Doc Petty's number on it. His brother (who I race karts with) told me it was most likely a mid 90's Stinger. It actually is a 95 American Made chassis. The more I look at it, the more I see burnt spots where welding has been done, weight brackets that have been cut off, etc. I did call Warrior and they said there should be a serial # on the steering shaft bracket. There wasn't, so there are just too many unknowns. I'm just gonna stick with something newer and current technology. Thanks for all the responses.

[dirty white boy]

What all is involved in doing this? I Assume you are Anthony White, so I know you've run Taz a time or 2 :)Ralph Ball is my uncle, so I have access to his shop and all his tools, including the welders, but I'm green as a gourd on chassis stuff.

no...im not mr white,...just a po azz redneck racer from nc,..not to hard to do,..just weld on ya 4 bar mounts,..weild in some tubing for j-bar to mount to,...relocate upper coil over mounts...maybe a pull bar mount but id go with a lift arm instead...id start with some messurments from another chassis thats already a good running 4 bar...good luck!

[Dragoon55]

I've been running go-karts for 30 years and want to knock the Late Model off the bucket list. I've found a really clean starter roller that I'm gonna be able to pick up for around $1500. Mid-90's Stinger. I know most everybody is on a link, swingarm or z-link setup now, but could I make this car work? Car has around 10 races total, and I know the original owner. I've never been in a big car before and I don't want to spend a ton of $$ till I get some seat time.That way, if I knock the wall down, I'm not gonna be out that much. I will be running the crate/sportsman class at Tazewell Speedway. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've been helping a guy in Australia that runs a leaf car on dirt in the V8 Super Sedan class(740HP). I live in Georgia. He won the VSSA series championship against 4 bars and swingarms running leafs and coils. As to the leafs wearing out just get some "flex-A-Form" composite leafs and they'll run all year, no issue. As to the tubing wear, I can't speak, but I know plenty of people that run older cars longer than 5 years, but thats up to you.

[racerj5]

I've been helping a guy in Australia that runs a leaf car on dirt in the V8 Super Sedan class(740HP). I live in Georgia. He won the VSSA series championship against 4 bars and swingarms running leafs and coils. As to the leafs wearing out just get some "flex-A-Form" composite leafs and they'll run all year, no issue. As to the tubing wear, I can't speak, but I know plenty of people that run older cars longer than 5 years, but thats up to you.Thanks man. I ended up getting a grt 4 bar for a better deal than this guy was asking.

[Dragoon55]

Thanks man. I ended up getting a grt 4 bar for a better deal than this guy was asking. Cool, best of luck. Old Goats work well too.

[HOTDOG]

So how old is to old 5 or 6 years,

[Dragoon55]

So how old is to old 5 or 6 years, Wouldnt want to give a specific number, but I know lots of guys still running cars from the late 90's and winning and nobody has experienced any kind of failure due to tube sweat. Now most all of these cars are 2 x 2 SQR rail cars. Now with some of these newer, flimsy 1-3/4 "Crash & Trash" cars they may not go as long. I myself would never run anything less than 2" RND, preferably 2 x 2 SQR. JMO