[PGas32]

I know the old adage is that's it's always cheaper to buy than to build...but I built mine for just a hair under $30k, and it's race ready. I don't think I could buy a comparable car for much less than that, unless it's a fire-sale type deal. The donor was lowish miles (81k) and in good shape. I gutted the car myself, but the cage fabrication, seat mounting, suspension work, exhaust, and a few miscellaneous items were done by a shop.

If you ultimately want to compete and can use basic hand tools, I don't think it's a bad idea at all to buy a car that could be built into a Spec racer over time. It might also be easier to spread your spending out over time rather than writing a $30-45k check for a race car, but that's obviously a personal thing.