Track Cars.. On a Budget.
 

Aside from your frs. If you had a couple thousand dollars to make a designated track car what would it be and why?

Cars I've considered;
Miata- The early ones can be had for pretty cheap now a days

s13 240sx- Suspension and good tires and you're ready to go! These can be had for pretty cheap.

e30 3series/e36 m3

Late 80s to early 90s "fox-body" mustang- I heard these become some pretty decent track cars, they're light (for a mustang) and cheap to own, cheap to mod, and cheap to maintain. IRS is definately a plus over some other mustang's live rear axle.

Toyota MR-2- lightweight and mid engined.

s2000- If you can find one for under 10k. It's kind of a stretch for a true "budget" track car. Easy to maintain though and is reliable.

90's imprezas- such as impreza 2.5rs. Decently cheap, problem with head gaskets but boxers are definately easy to work on. People mark these cars up because they're "valuable"



These are just cars I've considered, if you have any cars you'd do please share!

Miata
Is
Always
The
Answer

if it was me I'd get a 240sx do some suspension and tires and do a KA-T. I think it'd be a fun little rocket for track days and autocross.

Cheap track car. Miata.


E30 M3 made me laugh though. A rustbucket costs more than a decent old S2000. S2000s eat consumables for breakfast at the track. MR2s, I love them, but not the cheapest track car unless you go N/A or swap a V6 in. I'd rather track something else though. You can make a nice 240SX but to make them really fun they aren't nearly as cheap as the Miata.


If you don't mind FWD there are Integras and Civics also that can be done for cheap, are reliable and fun. And faster than Miatas.

Must be different where you live because a quick scower on the local craigslist and you can get them for roughly 5k.

Miata. Cheap and light. Best part is Spec Miata for w2w racing.

E30 M3 is going to be crazy expensive. Perhaps you meant E36?

An E30 M3? Or a 3 series? HUGE difference. Send me a CL ad for a decent E30 M3 for 5k and I'll buy it and immediately sell it on BAT for 15k. Or hell find me a really nice one for 10k at that rate and I'll sell it in days for 40K.

E36 is quite possible and in that price range for a rougher one.


I've tracked my E36M3 and it's fun but consumables, cooling systems, and general repairs make it significantly more expensive as a track car than a Miata again so I still go with Miata (as do you and probably everyone else in this thread).

What is your overall opinion on the brz/frs as a track car? Obviously it isn't the cheapest option, but I plan on keeping this car for over 10 years and hope to get a lot of track experience with it.

e30 m3 :lol:

Miata!

Mine never has... I get a couple of seasons out of rotors, and ~8 track days out of pads. Other than that, gasoline and oil, tires, and oh yeah, rear wheel bearings every couple of years.

I like 240s but the drift tax on them is just retarded. All of these 18 year old kids with these shitbox cars that are 7 different colors with missing pieces and a half assed motor install want like $6,000 cause it "would make a great drift car".

Truth be told, I'd be all for getting an S2000. It's a bit more expensive compared to the other options, but good lord they're such great cars to drive.

Miata's are awesome cars, but they just aren't quite what I'd be looking for; close... but not quite there.

I'd also agree on what @Dave-ROR said. Civics and Integras are also good options. Cheap and can be made quite fast. A lot of people dismiss them though simply cause they're FWD. Then they get passed up by them on the track and wonder wtf happened.

It's a fantastic track car, even out of the box. I stopped tracking mine because I didn't want to cut it up for a rollcage. In another few years I'll pickup a cheap FRS or BRZ and weld a cage in and track the hell out of it.

The only thing it needs is a bit more power IMO. About 200whp, a nice set of dampers and higher spring rates, camber correction (more neg in front and less in back depending on height) and some essex brakes up front and it'd be about my favorite car I've ever driven on track. Not so fast as to be scary as shit at 9/10ths or more, but not so slow that I get bored and read emails down the back straight at sebring...