that’s cheating the poll. I’m assuming you can’t have both. For two reasons; 1. most people can’t afford both tons of seat time and an amazing car. 2. Once you dump all your money into an amazing car your going to fuck it up learning to be a great driver (just by the pure odds of it: pushing a car and its drivers to the limits will cause the car to look like the stereotypical drift car with body panels falling off everywhere)
I’ll go for the amazing car; you can always improve your driving skills…amazing cars may not come that quickly.
I like sweet cars, & I like built over bought. Even now, although I can afford a really nice “bought” - a great “built” will win for me, hands down. 
Well now you see, I actually am an amazing driver. With no car. It sucks.
Hey, just cause that’s the case for me doesn’t make it the case for everyone 
If anything, I’d say the more resources you have the more likely you are to either buy pre-built or pay a speed shop to crank it out and get you back on the road. No point in having your toy broken for 11 months a year if you can afford to have it running.
That said, I’d go with the amazing car. Better to have too much car and grow into it than to be underpowered and bored. Plus, wringing more time out of the same car as you learn it with experience is fun. Spending more money on your car because it’s not up to your skill level is not.
The poll is kinda ambiguous.
I’d rather have seat time because it is more fun. For $2500 I’m not going to buy a fun car or anything close to amazing, but I can do a few races a year, get into some really great battles, and have a blast. I might improve slightly, but it is more about the experience, owning a possession is meaningless.
Would you rather own a new 458 (non inferno) or have Schumaker’s skills? I’d take the 458 because what would I do with a skill only and no outlet to use it, no guarantee to market it?
Would you rather own a new 458 for road use only or a Formula Enterprise + full race budget for 10 years? I’d take the FE, because racing will ALWAYS be more fun than playing around.
So my answer to the poll is neither, I would rather drive the wheels off anything I can get my hands onto.
but the poll doesn’t mention the cost of racing. The poll only talks about skill vs. vehicle.
If you choose the amazing car, you can still have your seat time and still be a mediocre driver who has fun. It’s like having your cake and eating it too.
You miss many things in your assumption. By resources I mean tools/shop not just money.
People who have these resources and knowledge typically do because they enjoy working on cars. Hence why people with them will likely want a “long self build” as you would like to call it.
Id be willing to bet most people that have some stock type expensive ass car simply do not have the knowledge or resources to build something great. You will never get the same gratification just paying a shop to do it so just having all the $$$ to dump hardly changes the picture. Anyhow you can continue to hate one them as you do mine because you think it takes up my time. It does not even close to consume my time. So i don’t even know where you get that from.
I never see myself having the money for a truly amazing car. So I’d prefer to be able to drive/race whatever I own at 100%.
I would rather be a great driver with a crappy car and build a better car while being able to use the junk one.This way you get the seat time and in the end the better car.And you would gain alot of info on how to setup the the other car that your building.
I’d rather be a great driver, and race for a living in cars I don’t own. All the fun without the expense.
Your main point was “because they enjoy working on cars.” A lot of people, me included, don’t enjoy working on cars. I enjoy driving cars. Working on cars is just that, work to me. I could acquire the resources to self build and learn how to do everything, but I’d rather spend the money getting a pro to do it while I do something that’s more fun for me. You’re in a different situation since you like doing it and have more free time right now since you’re not working full time. And I get more gratification out of buying because I have low patience and if I self built and ran into the kind of little problems you have I’d be so fucking pissed at the thing that I’d end up selling it broken at a loss before I ever got to enjoy it. Also a lot of builders care about originality and I don’t. If I get a car that’s absolutely perfect for me, and I pass 7 more of them on my way to work, I’m cool with that because they probably just have the same taste I do.
As for it taking up your time, I got that from all of the “Hey man, what you doin tonight?” “Wrenching on the car” or “My car broke” nights. Ballpark, how many hours do you think you have into it right now? I don’t hold it against you, but I could never do it. You enjoy it and make a night out of it. I would just be pissed.
I enjoy driving the car. Not pushing it to the limits everytime.
I’ll take a smooth cruise on a open road on a nice day in a nice car 100% of the time.
I work on cars to make them what I want to drive.
I don’t expect you to understand.
All those night like a Friday or Saturday i am in the garage i am with a few friends having a blast. It is what we enjoy to do. Im not in there because of something major or anything that needs done then. I am in there with good friends having a great time.
I have much more desire to be the guy who can take your car and be faster with it rather than just having a car that is supposed to be faster.
car.hands down.
i would rather have a nice car. it makes driving that much more enjoyable
i cant vote… the two are not mutually exlcusive. They should go hand in hand.
This.
My little brother has brought his friends over with cool cars, to let me drive them and i love doing that, and impressing them with what there car can do. I wish i was better at that.
Say hello to Mr. Moneybags
The fact is that on my budget I can get a competitive cart or E30 and get some real serious seat time… or I can continue dumping my money in my car. Mutually exclusive, one or the other, but not both.
I can only assume that for most people these options are mutually exclusive as well.