Best used track car for about 7500$ and small amounts of dd

[jflogerzi]

I am not sure how feasible this sounds but i am tired of having a 300$ plus car payment. I love the frs but as a daily driver, its wearing thin. I am wondering if having a dedicated track car and some time in the future a comfy car in the future would be a better bet. It would also have to be my dd for a year or 2. Main requirements would be light and rwd. Cheap and solid after market parts. Also around the same power to weight ratio as the frs if possible.

[DarkSunrise]

Answer is Miata.

[swarb]

miata. 240sx, bmw's like e36 m3 and maybe some american.

[thill]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Answer is Miata.

This. Reliable. Cheap parts. Cheap tires. Tons of them are tracked and there is lots of aftermarket support.

[Takumi788]

I've been looking into a first gen MR2. They have been completely forgotten and people are practically giving them away. I was hell bent on buying an AE86 then ran into these. And oh yah, the 20v 4AGE drops in. (need to modify engine harness)

[Dave-ROR]

I like AW11 MR2s but I wouldn't use one for a track car that sees DD usage as well. IMO a SW20 NA would be a better dual use MR2. Very few high end dampers exist for the MR2 (which doesn't mean you can't go the custom route but that's more costly) and other parts aren't all that plentiful. The AW11 NA cars are fun and very light though.


However, by far the correct answer to this thread is a Miata.

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

I like AW11 MR2s but I wouldn't use one for a track car that sees DD usage as well. IMO a SW20 NA would be a better dual use MR2. Very few high end dampers exist for the MR2 (which doesn't mean you can't go the custom route but that's more costly) and other parts aren't all that plentiful. The AW11 NA cars are fun and very light though.


However, by far the correct answer to this thread is a Miata.

I agree with Miata. I was just throwing other options out there. My FRS sees the track days so the AW11 would just be a fun 3 season daily for me.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Answer is Miata.

Thinking back, I probably shouldn't have been so succinct in my answer. If you're going to DD it, one major downside to a track-prepped Miata is that you'll be driving on the street with a roll bar and no helmet. It's up to you whether you want to take on that risk. Definitely something to consider since you said you'll need to DD it for 1-2 years.

As an alternative, I think the 240sx was a good suggestion. Also I think RX-8 prices have dropped into your range. If you can find one with a fresh engine, that could work as well.

[stugray]

Miata, Porsche boxster, Porsche 914 (my current choice).

[DAEMANO]

Miata is the only answer. Probably NB.

But if you REALLY don't want a Miata:

Perhaps an MRS (underrated and forgotten, but very fast),
Track built Ranger (pure project but can FLY),
350z (dubious reliability)
240 (a lot 240s are hunks junk by now though).
An old Fiero could also work.
Also look into BMW Z3s from the late 90s early 2000s.
You might be able to score a Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky for 10-12k.
RX8 and you'll be rebuilding the motor as regular maintenance, remember that.

S2K and E36 M3 are out of that $7500 price range.

[BRZZZZZZZZZZ]

Miata. I built my BRZ to take lapping and to auto x and decided I was so far into it I will just buy a Miata as well and make the BRZ my street car.

No sense risking $50k worth of car and mods.

[strat61caster]

Answer is most definitely Miata, and for me spec Miata is super attractive as Track days start to wear thin, spending half the time getting passed by V8's and Flat-6's with decent drivers and the other half passing them with slow drivers.

Also seriously thought about AW11, running NA beaters can be had for under $2k all day long (with issues though). I get the feeling that working on it can be frustrating and it's one of those projects that you could dump a ton of effort into and end up with not much but memories and some entertaining shenanigans.

Something rarely mentioned: Honda
Preludes and Integras are also dirt cheap with bulletproof powertrains and larger aftermarkets than AW11. Maybe Dave can chime in on his racecar...

I know we all have hard-ons for RWD but when looking for cheap fun you're not going to get a ton of power, FWD can still do the trick. And worth noting if you get into AutoX FWD is seriously competitive on the right course.

Edit: RX-8 is probably the best DD-able non-yacht RWD track capable car built in the last 15 years. But I think it'll be a better DD than Track car, they seem a bit soft stock so require a bit of $$$ to really maximize the grip it's capable of.

Problem is in your budget you have to get a 2004-2006, the least reliable, stepping up to >2006 seems to be outside your budget

RX-8 would be the perfect answer to "I have $10k and want a DD that I can have fun tracking occasionally with minimal work"

[juliog]

330ci

Edit: oh wait, "track car". Miata, MR-S... also I see the E36 M3 under $7500 often, but those are usually nowhere in good condition enough to be put on the track.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Thinking back, I probably shouldn't have been so succinct in my answer. If you're going to DD it, one major downside to a track-prepped Miata is that you'll be driving on the street with a roll bar and no helmet. It's up to you whether you want to take on that risk. Definitely something to consider since you said you'll need to DD it for 1-2 years.

I wouldn't be too concerned if it's just a roll bar vs a cage. I'd run a hardtop on any track Miata and the bar should be fairly high. Not ideal for sure, but not terrible.

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

Perhaps an MRS (underrated and forgotten, but very fast),
Track built Ranger (pure project but can FLY),
350z (dubious reliability)
240 (a lot 240s are hunks junk by now though).
An old Fiero could also work.
Also look into BMW Z3s from the late 90s early 2000s.
You might be able to score a Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky for 10-12k.
RX8 and you'll be rebuilding the motor as regular maintenance, remember that.

S2K and E36 M3 are out of that $7500 price range.

I thought about mentioning the MR-S also but I wasn't sure how much support there was out there for track parts (good dampers, etc). Based on 1st and 2nd gen MR2s I wasn't expecting much


350Z's are heavy pigs but decent on the track with the right mods. Any larger/heavier vehicle will have a higher consumable cost as well.