What Is a 'Reliable' Car Build?

The Rada Race Lab team asks what defines reliable when it comes to 1000hp+ builds

[ashtonhamblett]

For me, reliable means it’s above 95% consistently turnkey. I can get in and it runs at the capacity I expect it to

[CutACrow]

Its better to overbuild and under preform within those parameters.

Build a car for 800 but only run 6 and youll have a long lasting street build, quad digit builds require five digit upkeep so if youre not in that tax bracket you shouldnt shoot for a 1k build to be "reliable"

[flweeptwo]

the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long

[camrongoodall]

Reliable is a broad term that triggers amateur parts appliers
Objectively reliable would be OEM life cycle or better
Subjectively reliable means it lasts a season or doesn't break randomly during an event

[NCR]

Reliable is something you can really appreciate having owned superbikes. You get all that 1000hp car speed, while being able to dog on it EVERY light, do multiple pulls a day, put it away and go work in the morning. I used to do that constantly, I'd regularly get ~120miles out of a tank or less lmao. My race car? 500 wheel, dry sumped, no FI, LS3.

[somethingonyt]

Daily driving 1000hp car sounds like hell

[Topstreet]

Number one thing to do before building a car is ask yourself what will it be used for.

[cosmiccolossus]

My truck is the definition of reliable, 7.3 powerstroke, overbuilt, undertuned, but makes a lot of horsepower.

[gsoundwave]

Reliable is the 1995 GMC Sierra SLE extended cab C1500 stepside 5.7 engine and 4l60e transmission pickup that my grandma gave me. This truck has 387, 847 miles on the odometer. Stock numbers matching engine and transmission. Mostly stock beside replacement steering and suspension but oem parts only.

[tripwire]

Reliablility means starts first time and comes home from adventures everytime to me

[TT.]

If you build your car for 2000hp and run it at 1000, you’ll probably get borderline OEM reliability.

[Blkslvr]

My commute is 50 miles a day. Reliable for me is getting my G Body to and from work, 5 days a week for months on end in the SC sun, rip down the street or freeway at anytime and also able to sit in stop and go traffic for over a hour in 95° weather like a normal car has to. It's been an adventure to say the least 😅, lots of broken down tows over the years. But in the process I'm building quite the street machine! I'm putting almost a 1000 miles a month on it now.

[zqwas]

“Reliable “ comes from being able to drive your build across the country to race it at the next event just saying

[jeffjustice]

it is effectively a race car. When race cars break, they break expensive.

[Triplei]

Well I’m currently building a 900awhp car, my goal is to make sure all the components are built for 1500hp so that I’m well under the limits so it can be driven often, will see how that goes tho but imo you never wanna be close to the limit of the car if you seeking reliability

[johnanderson]

Had a 74 Chevelle Laguna S3 with a 400 pulled it out rebuilt it balanced blueprinted 10 and 1/2 to 1/4 pistons 202 heads 600 Harley did 12s all day long for 15 years so reliable I drove it to work everyday and beat the snot out of it on the weekends

[officiallycxrsxd]

as long as it doesnt stall out on the road like my first project in highschool, its reliable. even if getting it started can be rough. thats why i build for 20% more power than what i actually run, shit tends to last. thats important when ive already spent 10 months of spending money on the car.

[cody-gaming]

Reliable is my 2005 ford Taurus. Missing exhaust, has a leaking gas tank, rocker panels are falling off 138k on the od, floors are falling apart lol but things got me to point a to point b every single time and has never left me stranded.

[Hettdizzle]

Build it for 1, 000 and keep it at 600 with the 1000 kills hot scramble button.

[shannon]

My 2017 Ford Fusion has 211, 000 Miles and runs like a top and has an easy 100, 000 + miles in it. I drive 135 miles round trip every day for work. When you get a 1, 000 HP car to do that then the word reliable can come into the conversation.