Originally Posted by hitcharide1

Well, there it is, in a nutshell.

Our hobby isn't for everyone, and unfortunately, cost is a big part of what keeps people out. I was reading somewhere that people have less disposable income than they did 10 years ago....true. And when you factor in travel, race fees, etc., the cost can only go up.

My whole purpose of getting into Edam 4wd (someone wake up Lon) was to help others find an semi-affordable ride. Our purpose in building the Sherman tank of pans is similar. And I buy tires in the off season from Doug, as well as fuel, and shop for cheap plugs and so forth.

Point being, this hobby has never been "cheap." Your level of participation and desire to play in the same sandbox comes with a price tag, same as any other hobby. Some guys sky dive, some do scuba, and believe it or not, I've seen mountain bikes that sell for 7000 bucks and up (oh...joy....7k to work like hell ruining your knees and lungs on scarcely covered trails where if you have an accident you'll have to hope for an indian guide to help you walk out....) but we're doing what we can to help.

I'm confident if you ask any participant in this forum, they'll be glad to share time and stuff in order to get you running and keep you running. But whether a person gets into this thing of ours does depend to some extent on the depth of their pockets, can't be helped entirely, and that is why all of us in here at one time or another have advised people to shop carefully to ensure that their intent on having fun doesn't run into their ability to pay their bills.

I got into 4wd on an initial budget of about 600 bucks, including car, body, servos, etc. We built a pan on a budget of about 200 bucks, but that was making a lot of our own parts and using what we had on hand from other things. 1000 bucks sounds about right for a complete build and some extras, and hopefully...eventually...the used car market will help some other newbie get a foothold into what we do, but 1k doesn't sound excessive alongside some guys who've spent 500 for an engine, or who spend 150 bucks in gas money round trip just to make a club race (and I think I made at least six club races this year, just to give you some perspective.) Best of luck to you and yours in the upcoming race season, and here's hoping you have FUN.