Why We’re Selling Interior Parts from Our Racecar

One of the most common questions we get is:

“If your car cost more than $500, how can you race it in the 24 Hours of Lemons?”

The short answer: interior parts.

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The $500 Rule

The defining feature of Lemons racing is the $500 car limit. The car itself (not including safety equipment like roll cages, seats, harnesses, fire systems, etc.) has to be valued at $500 or less.

But here’s the thing — it’s nearly impossible to find a mechanically running car for that little money. That’s where the interior comes in.

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The Common Strategy

When teams buy a car, it usually comes with the full interior: seats, carpets, trim panels, stereo, airbags, maybe even a few aftermarket upgrades. None of that is needed for racing. In fact, Lemons requires you to strip most of it out for safety reasons anyway.

So, what do teams do?

1. Buy the car at a reasonable price.

2. Remove the interior parts they can’t use.

3. Sell those parts online (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, forums, etc.).

4. Subtract that money from the purchase price.

The net cost after selling interior bits is what counts toward the $500 budget.

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Our Approach

We picked up a 1999 Dodge Neon with a turbo swap. It’s not exactly “race-ready,” but it has a lot of extra interior and cosmetic parts we don’t need:

• Factory seats and belts

• Carpet and trim panels

• Stereo components

• Spare plastics and hardware

By selling these parts, we can lower the effective purchase price of the car and get closer to that magic $500 number.

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Why It Matters

• Compliance: Keeps us within Lemons rules.

• Safety: Stripping the interior reduces fire hazards and weight.

• Budget: Every dollar recouped goes back into safety gear, brakes, and making the car last 14 hours on track.

 

 

So head on over to our store and purchase your stake in the interior of our race car.