Tube Chassis Help

-
Mpacker

Mpacker

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
256
Reaction score
231
Location
Northern Virginia
Hello,

I posted a for sale ad a while back on several different platforms for a tube chassis my father left behind when he passed. I've been offered $500 for it when it's listed for $9000. Am I crazy? I've seen them online for $15k. I've also read on this forum and many others that a good tube chassis will cost you big bucks. I've heard some pretty astronomical numbers, so I figured I wasn't being insulting by posting it for $9000 as it's more complete than others I've seen as well. However, it IS older...

I feel most "at home" on this forum and am genuinely asking for help with setting a realistic price for it. Full disclosure, I have an ad for it on this site. I'm not looking to give it away, but I'd like to be realistic and offer someone a good deal on it. It's in storage now and I can't afford to keep paying the monthly payments on it.

PM me if you'd like to go offline about it. I know in the sale ads, negotiating isn't allowed in the open. I'm honestly / sincerely not trying to haggle by posting this here. I'm looking for help setting a price from this community that has been very welcoming to me and my questions since my father passed away.

It had a '69 notchback barracuda on top of it and was IHRA certified in the mid 90's. I contacted the IHRA certification office / person and they tried to look up the sticker number but had no luck. They told me they only started keeping info. on certification numbers in the year 2000. It has a fuel cell and ladder bars, but I can't find any branding / stamping anywhere that would help me figure out who built it / where it came from. It also has steering.

Please help!!!

12.jpg


14.jpg


15.jpg


Chassis Cert 1.jpg


IMG_1429.JPG


IMG_1432.JPG


IMG_1433.JPG


IMG_1436.JPG
 
Last edited:
I had a good friend that used to build dragster frames back in the 80s (30K each). He was a certified welder and had people waiting in line. I have no idea what they would cost nowadays!!!! When somebody's life is on the line you can't cut corners, your reputation is in every single weld.
 
I suggest that you get the frame outside on stands with no background clutter so everything on it can be seen.
JMO.
 
Close-up photos of the welds may help too. Though, it may hurt also depending on the quality of the welds...
 
Last edited:
It would be to your benefit if the chassis was as close as possible to being a roller. There is a lot of time and money that goes into just getting a chassis set up for a body and drivetrain.

Not everyone has the spare coin at the moment for a special purpose vehicle.
 
Just curious if you have the title card to go with that '69 body. Guessing you don't, but would help if you did.
 
Way overpriced in my opinion...

In my dirt track world a chassis like that would bring $500.00 if you knew the chassis builder and the race history.

A new top of the line chassis is between $5-9K around here.

Not trying to be offensive....just honest.
 
Built quite a few of these tubular steel Dune Buggy / Sand Rail frames back in 2000. You get one finished and the next ones always had some minor improvement and upgrade to them.

So they were constantly evolving so much so that the guys building them now have all gone to the long travel suspension chassis setups. So our earlier designs were state of the art at the time have now fallen out of favor.

Would have to think the same with these earlier race car chassis. Things have evolved and drivetrain and suspension components have changed. Not sure someone would want to build up off of that foundation.

Not sure that chassis could even be certified to run today with all the rule changes and saftey requirements needed.

20200903_223609.jpg


Next Generation: Long Travel Suspension and Chassis pictured below.

Resized_20200531_131411.jpg
 
I think if someone is serious they are going to have real questions as to "can this be certified?" I really don't know that answer but I think it'd be a "big thing"
 
I have a friend about two miles down the road who builds tube chassis. He gets about 2500 to about 5000 for a complete chassis (depening on how much cage is there) and they can be certified when he's done. He's good. That said, he buys sheet metal and steel a LOT from the local steel company, so he gets good pricing. He makes all his stuff up himself. No kits. Of course his chassis are bare. Now ladder bars or steering....but that stuff is a small part anyway.
 
What year is the certification? Rules change every year. Cage has little value considering the work it will take to bring it up to specs.
 
Krooser said:
Way overpriced in my opinion...

In my dirt track world a chassis like that would bring $500.00 if you knew the chassis builder and the race history.

A new top of the line chassis is between $5-9K around here.

Not trying to be offensive....just honest.
Click to expand...
won a bare 2013 BWRC chassis end of last season, man tried selling it for few months for 500 bucks with no takers so he raffled it off for 20 a chance to get it gone!
 
Last edited:
I have never had a tube chassis car, so I can't give and estimate on value. But I can make a sugestion. If you have a way to transport the chassis, take it to a chassis shop or race track, and have it inspected, to see if it meets current rules/specs. If not try to get an idea what it would cost to upgrade.
One time I found a back motor dragster chassis for sale at a bargain price, but knew it didn't meet current rules. Where I was lucky, the chassis had a manufacturer sticker with serial number. I called the manufacturer and got a estimate on cost to upgrade, and it was reasonable. However as the saying goes, "you snooze, you lose". Someone else beat me to it.
 
Its mild steel so its heavy. Its old so components will be hard to find to finish it. You'll get more for parts such as ladders and loop. The rest is just used pipe. The cuts mentioned were probably body mounts. . Its Yard Art.
 
It's a decent enough looking chassis, but, for 9 grand? No disrespect, that ain't gonna happen. Anyone who is VERY serious about doing a full tube car is going to want something that is constructed completely of round, double frame railed, moly tubing. For someone wanting to get into the light race car game cheap, it would be great.
 
kursplat said:
it might not be the price, it might be no one's looking to build that car at the moment. try posting on Bring a Trailer , Pro-Touring.com and The HAMB

good luck
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting those resources! I'll check them out. It might be worth something, but you're exactly right. It's not really worth anything to someone who doesn't want it, haha.
 
George Jets said:
Just curious if you have the title card to go with that '69 body. Guessing you don't, but would help if you did.
Click to expand...
I do not. Body is long gone now. The firewall and floors were completely cut out of it so I gave it to an old army buddy that owns a shop nearby in good faith of future help / advice / etc. I do have some glass, the dash with VIN plate and some other misc. stuff, but I haven't been able to get to the storage unit to sort through and itemize it all.
 
Krooser said:
Way overpriced in my opinion...

In my dirt track world a chassis like that would bring $500.00 if you knew the chassis builder and the race history.

A new top of the line chassis is between $5-9K around here.

Not trying to be offensive....just honest.
Click to expand...
None taken! I'm just trying to gather any info I can. So far, it's looking like it'll be on the lower end. Not good for me, but it is what it is. I was hoping for more so I could use the funds towards trying to build the Dart in the background in memory of him, but at this point, I've already made the money back that it cost to haul it all down to where I live. The monthly on the storage unit is quickly eating into my net gain / loss column though...
 
Murray said:
What year is the certification? Rules change every year. Cage has little value considering the work it will take to bring it up to specs.
Click to expand...
It was certified in 1996 it looks like. I'm not sure how the rules work, but the machine shop that built the 440 he was trying to use said he was trying to build a "hobby racer" / just something that would get him down the track again.

So, I don't know if he'd be allowed to take it down the track just for kicks, knowing that he'd not be able to compete in it. I'm not sure if that's allowed, or if the certs are strictly to allow one to compete.
 
RammerJammer75 said:
Was this a home built chassis? If you look in the first and second pictures of post #2, the ends of the tubing look like they were cut off with a reciprocating saw.
Click to expand...
He was a career iron worker / metal fab guy. My guess is he hacked off whatever mounting plates there were just to get it off whatever it came from, knowing he'd have to refashion them in some way anyways. I know he didn't build the chassis though. From what I collect, he purchased it in 2012. Knowing it was certified in 1996 tells me it wasn't his because I lived with him between then and 2012 and he didn't have it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top