[sdiver68]

OK, I was thinking about track cars.

Say you had $10K to spend and wanted to have the most fun at the cheapest longterm cost possible. What would you go for and why?

So far I've come up with:

90's MR2 Turbo - Mid-engined, reliable, decent power potential, relatively lightweight (easy on tires), tons of parts availability.
90's RX-7 - Except for mid-engined, see MR2, might be hard to find for <$10k unless really beat up.

[S4to335]

Spec Miata..I just sold mine today for $10K including the trailer.

[PSI Power]

Older Honda Civic with a motor swap.
I have '92 Honda Civic HB with a Civic SI motor and it is a blast at the track. I plan on putting in a Integra Type R motor or the Acura RSX Type-S motor. Imagine a 200+ HP engine in a car that weights 2k lbs.
The only thing I don't like is no ABS but I deal with it.

NASA racing has a series called Honda Challenge. Amateur racing for Honda and Acuras only.

The miata is a good choice as well. Not as powerful as a modified Honda though.

Don't get a turbo car for the track. Turbo lag is not good for the track and you could blow the turbo.

[ward]

Originally Posted by S4to335

Spec Miata..I just sold mine today for $10K including the trailer.

+1

[E90330iS]

Miatas are sweet and ready for the track with minor mods. But Civics need a lot of upgrades to be as track-ready and most of the time you will spend way over $10k.

[ward]

and the miata is at least RWD

[spacedogg]

Hmmm....tempting...

I've always thought about buying a track day car amongst 2 or 3 of my friends so we can share and beat the crap out of it...

[l4wr3nc3]

+1000000000 on a spec miata. If you had a little more to spend then i probably would say e36 m3, but spec miata sounds like its what your looking for.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by l4wr3nc3

+1000000000 on a spec miata. If you had a little more to spend then i probably would say e36 m3, but spec miata sounds like its what your looking for.

And there are spec miatas that are still street legal..so you can drive them to the track.

[kevbh]

-1 on the spec miata, only because a lot of clubs won't let a convertible run at their track days. Otherwise it sounds perfect.

[PSI Power]

Spec miata's are nice but I think that they are a little too slow. Not enough power for me.

Honda Civics with engine swaps are running lap times close to Porsches, M3, and whatever. A lot of the parts are OEM. The engine and engine swap will cost some money.

Another minus is that it is a Front Wheel Driver car.

Spec Miatas are easier to find though.
A civic will have to be built up.

[ksfrogman]

RX7 Twin Turbo

[Digitalinkartist]

I know this sounds crazy....
But do some research on 6 spd shifter Karting. Best driving experience...Period!

Open seat, Hella Fast and true competition driving experience.

Should be able to break into the 125cc class with Kart, safety gear and trailer for between 5-7k (this will buy you a competition ready setup with room to grow)


BTW most the irl and F1 drivers started in shifter karts

[hotrod2448]

Shifter Kart FTW! Even a Rotax kart can be fun.

I would look for an old DSM if you want a car. Bulletproof turbo motor (unlike rotaries), AWD, tons of DIY go fast stuff, relatively cheap parts, will really sharpen your wrenching skills. There are also a lot of ready to go track sluts.

[sdiver68]

Spec Miata...great option...I assume the convertible exclusion of many track orgs does not include those with full roll protection.

Shifter karts...another great option , but since I retired from motorcycle road racing I'm not sure the wife would go for another open cockpit. I'm not sure shifter karts are any safer than cycles?...

[Tam@SupremePower]

With the spec miatas you have to a full cage and sometimes a hardtop to track.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by kevbh

-1 on the spec miata, only because a lot of clubs won't let a convertible run at their track days. Otherwise it sounds perfect.

Spec Miata has a full roll cage..and therefore isnt included in the convertible exclusion. You can run spec miatas at any event. You cannot run regular miatas at event unless they have a harddog roll bar, or equivalent, or better.

[SpecC]

Originally Posted by ksfrogman

RX7 Twin Turbo

you'd probably be rebuilding that after ever track event

i'm with the Miata people. Seen a lot of them at the autocross and they are pretty quick with the right setup and driver combination. One of them killed STis and Evos on a 60 second course by over 5 seconds! If they don't allow convertibles, you could always buy a hardtop for it anyway

[kevbh]

Originally Posted by S4to335

Spec Miata has a full roll cage..and therefore isnt included in the convertible exclusion. You can run spec miatas at any event. You cannot run regular miatas at event unless they have a harddog roll bar, or equivalent, or better.

I'm pretty sure the BMWCCA rules say no convertibles - period. The PCA seems a little more agreeable.

Personally, I would feel much safer in a spec Miata with a full cage than a regular car, but I'm guessing the BMWCCA isn't sure about the quality of the cage so it's easier to just say no.

+1 on any type of karting.

[the.phelp]

Save another 5,000 and get a Spec Racer Ford!

Spec Miatas are great, but I think $10k will probably just barely get you in the door with a handful of spares - I'd confirm that with S4to335.

If you can't swing a Miata, look at a Spec RX-7 (if your local SCCA has that class) - you can pick one up for much less than 10k, they're supposed to be a blast, and some are street legal (but not nearly as nice on the eyes or ears as a Miata). Other than seeing a lot of those guys doing timing, they don't seem to need much work, and they go forever on a set of tires.

If you're going the pure racecar route, look into SCCA F500's. Big karts with snowmobile power. Pretty fast.
http://www.f500.org/

I also saw a '85 Honda Civic in a NASA race video that had a giant wing right in the middle of the roof and tilted down at about 45 degrees where it will create the most drag and generate the least downforce. Don't buy that.

[FirstClass]

125cc shifter karts = weak. Gixxerkart = pwn. (and death most likely, but you gotta pay to play)

[ihsanshaik]

e36 m3 i would get...944 turbo Porsche...or a brand new kia..