Image via Wheels/YouTube
Built vs bought is one of the bigger debates in racing and the larger automotive hobby. Enthusiasts will argue for hours about which is better and why. But at the end of the day, when it comes to blasting down the quarter mile on a drag strip, winning and losing can be the difference in tenths of even hundredths of a second, but there’s still a clearcut winner.
See the horrific crash Ron Capps walked away from over the weekend.
That’s what makes this compilation of street cars that were built to drag race versus those which were bought track-ready, maybe with a few modifications done by the owner.
It just so happens that the built cars are older, classics if you will, which opens up another big debate: modern vs classic muscle. Just like with the other debate, one of the undertones is socio economic disparities.
After all, to buy some of these factory-ready racecars, you have to come in with a substantial amount of cash and have the kind of job where a bank will let you get the financing, if you don’t have the substantial sum just sitting in your bank account.
But another aspect of the debate is the value of knowing how and being able to wrench on your car. It used to be pretty much all vehicle owners did at least some maintenance on their own, adjusting valves, cleaning/adjusting the carb, etc.
In these modern times with HOAs that either strictly ban fixing your car in the garage or almost do just that, combined with so many Americans having the attitude that doing any manual labor is undesirable, people are understandably passionate about the topic.
Finally, there’s the supposed ease of driving these modern rides on the drag strip versus the more analog and thus arguably more difficult-to-drive classics.
Which do you think is better: racecars that are built or those that are bought? Or is that a silly question?
Image via Wheels/YouTube
