Picking up my first 4 wheel track toy
 

So coming from a long history of 2 wheel road racing and track days I want to dip my toes in the water in doing some track days\HPDE etc on 4 wheels. Because of numerous get-offs on multiple bikes I have ZERO interest in competition. I just want to get my speed fix on pushing it to the limit. I don’t need a crap ton of HP I’d be happier squeezing every ounce of performance. My old racing buddy is picking up a Miata and I decided on BRZ\FR-S because I’m not a short guy and I don’t want to rip the seat out and bolt a race bucket to the floor.

All of that being said, I want as close to a turn key track car as I can. I want it street legal but it won’t be driven much if at all. So my questions are:

For a turn key low maintenance ride what car\year would you choose and why?

Is there a huge disadvantage to the 2013-2014 with the coil pack problems? How much would it be to run 2015 coilpacks\harnesses\whatever else is needed? Other than cutting a hole in my roof and not being able to drive in the rain, would hood vents alleviate the problem?

Other than a throw out bearing issue and coil pack issue, is there anything else to worry about on a 2013-2014?

As a casual track junkie will the improved suspension on the BRZ be noticeable over the FR-S?

Any other thoughts from this vast well of knowledge you guys can throw at me?

There's something that needs clarification here.

When you say "track car"- are you talking about a car that can be driven on track? Or a car modified for track purpose? Because there's a huge difference; we can help in either case, but we'll need to know your intent.
"Turn key track car" to me sounds like a full caged, gutted, ruthless fuel cell car that runs already upon purchase

Thanks for the super quick reply :)

Something I can drive to the track, at least initially until I’m sure this can scratch the itch.

When I think turn-key I’m thinking my 600RR that I put a little money into but largely speaking, changed the tires, brakes, oil, valve adjustment and called it a day... it might not work exactly like that with cars but that’s what I’m hoping for.

Look for a 2015, the coilpacks alone are worth the search in my opinion.

You'll end up likely following the same formula; wheels, tires, brakes, oil. I think just tires will be enough for you to feel if it's enjoyable or not

Yeah even buying a pair of new Supercorsas isn’t near the same price as buying mediocre rubber on all 4 corners. Thanks again for the help on this!

Before going on track, do brake fluid. Not desirable, but essential.
IMO, that's the only thing you really need to do before your first track day. Change to something like Motul RBF660 or RBF600.

FWIW i would get an older and cheaper car and spend the difference on headers, E85, and a lower ratio diff. The car will be a blast on the road and the track.

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Other folks are more experienced on this platform so I would defer to them, but, everything I've read suggests you will need an oil cooler. Other than that normal stuff to start: good pads, tires. If you're tracking more than a couple of times a year I'd think about safety more - which is a slippery slope...

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No real difference between FRS and BRZ suspension besides springs, and those are easy/cheap enough to replace (as in finding a used set of springs is an option). I would consider replacing the standard shocks on any used car with more than 30k miles if you're hitting the track.

Get a 2015 if you can.

In addition to a very thorough inspection for any used car, plan on oil cooler, brake pads, brake fluid, and of course tires.

I would also talk to @Opie and @Dave-ROR about a salvage to track car build.
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133231

We work closely with a Mach V in northern VA...they could help with a PPI if that's helpful.

- Andrew

Off-the-shelf name-brand parts-store DOT4 or DOT5.1 will be fine...
I'd worry more about getting pads more trackworthy than stockers.

A completely stock car, ideally 15+, with pads and fluid is the easiest turn key track car. Wheels/tires would be the next most logical upgrade.

You can certainly get away with a '14 or '13, just make sure you look for a '13 that has a build date of 06/13 or newer (that will eliminate concern over the valve spring recall).

I have 20k track miles on my 2013. If you are handy and dont mind doing your own work the coilpacks are just a minor annoyance. They aren't the easiest thing to replace but it can be done in 20 mins or so in the pits. Just saying. If the perfect 2013 pops up, it may be worth it to save some money. Besides. upgraded coils are around 4-500 bucks.

2015 coil packs are worth it IMO. Can be retrofitted pretty easily though if you don't mind soldering. Or a little more difficult if you just buy the conversion harness (intake manifold has to be removed to swap harnesses).

Stock suspension at the track is fine, but you'll find yourself wanting an upgrade pretty quickly if you really track the car. In our 86 fleet we've run multiple sets of @Racecomp Engineering Tarmac 2's which are great for the money, Eibach Multi-Pro R2 which are good at used prices, but would not suggest new and @CounterSpace Garage spec Tein SRCs. We've also driven on other sets, JRZ and MCS are both nice setups when tuned correctly (2 way or higher). IMO the Tarmac 2's are a good "entry level" track suspension. If you want less than that, the Fortune Auto's with swift springs are nice as well. I'm sure others will post other options but that's what our little group here in Florida suggests. (note, that entry level part isn't an insult, just the minimum I'd suggest for a more serious track car. T3's are better and of course the several $5k+ sets of dampers out there... most of our cars are actually running T2s)

I don't mind 13-14s engines though. If you buy a 13 that has an open recall you just need to decide if you want to take the risk or not. If you buy a 13 with the recall completed 1,000+ miles ago I wouldn't worry about it. 14s are fine.

Hood vents are ideal for a track car, less so on a multi-purpose car unless you like water and crap getting into the engine bay all the time.

I suggest, at a minimum, good brake fluid and pads. I prefer larger front brakes or at least cooling ducting to the OEM front brakes.

I also suggest an oil cooler. Again, good to have but not absolutely required. Oil temps WILL be over 300 degrees on track with any level of summer heat though without one.

For tires, get something sticky but don't start on R Comps - they cover up too many mistakes.

Engine wise: Get a tune at least. A header is nice also. Stock intake is fine, stock catback/etc is fine but I swap them out for weight/noise (I often shift by sound instead of looking at the tach).

@Opie and I have built several cars as mentioned in here. Feel free to ask us any questions. Also @Racecomp Engineering and @CSGMike have a wealth of knowledge on the platform, plus lots of other users that track these cars often.

Err you would think I'd know how to tag @CSG Mike correctly with all the times I annoy him with questions ha