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Under $6K track star?


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I'm going to jump on the ChumpCar bandwagon (you know, along with my teammates...)

 

For $6k, you can either build your own car OR buy a running, proven chassis with a few races under its belt (check the ChumpCar or LeMons forums) AND do a few races. It's not uncommon to see a ready-to-race car change hands for $2-3k, which leaves you money left over in your budget to get the requisite racing suit, gloves, shoes, and head-and-neck restraint, plus entry fees and transport. The car may not be the fastest thing in the world, but racing wheel-to-wheel with other similarly-fast cars can't be beat.

sorry...this forum practically blows goat nuts so im not always on here.
Team Pony Express

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+1 for Chumpcar.

 

I looked at buying a miata for track days/autox, but passed on it when the costs for a cage/harness/seats was more than the car. Tracking a miata at most road course tracks requires a rollbar with a harness. That should be the minimum for tracking it. Buying one that's already upgraded can usually be done around the start of school, when everyone needs to pay tuition.

 

The S2000 generally needs a decent wing on the back to get enough downforce to slow down the snap-spin. Even then, driving them at the limit requires experience with oversteer management.

 

A decently prepped 944 is closer to 10k, depending on your region. Saw one in Alabama last fall for 10k, with enclosed trailer & spares for 15k. Had a full cage and was legal in 3 different series.

 

OP says road-course and/or autox. If you want to compete, for points/trophies, visit the local track and find out what's finishing in the top 5. Buy one of those. Probably going to cost more than 6k.

 

If you're doing HPDE & AutoX for fun, you have lots of options. Spend 6k on a decent chassis that hasnt been wrecked. Try to find lower mileage driven by an adult. Cheap miatas from high-school/college age have been abused (you may get lucky, but the odds are against). As long as the engine is in decent shape and the rest of the car passes inspection, you can run anywhere.

 

Regarding engine swaps, if you cant drive well, no amount of power is going to help you. Case in point, I ran a bone-stock high-mileage LGT wagon on all-season tires at a Porsche HPDE day. I passed many really nice & expensive Porsches.

 

Last point, $6k for a track car doesnt mean anything. Tires, brake pads, oil changes, and accelerated maintenance intervals will be far and away the most expensive part of your track experience. That's why the miata is such a good deal - everything for it is cheap.

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Last point, $6k for a track car doesnt mean anything. Tires, brake pads, oil changes, and accelerated maintenance intervals will be far and away the most expensive part of your track experience. That's why the miata is such a good deal - everything for it is cheap.

 

This. Especially this. I figure I spend about $1000 per track day with my STI when I add up most of the expenses - gas, brake pads, entry fee, hotel, extra frequent fluid changes, tire wear, etc. (And I'm not even counting things like drivetrain [engine/tranny/clutch] wear.) So I only do a few days a year. Properly light cars like the Miata and Elise are an order of magnitude cheaper.

 

If you're buying a "track star" you probably want to track it a lot. Let's say 15-20 days a year. With a heavy, powerful car like the STI you'd be looking at $15k-$20k a year just in per-event expenses! Do that for two years and it would've been cheaper to buy an Elise. Let alone a Miata which is always the cheapest answer on the track.

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OP - I have a deal for you. I have a donor car ready to convert to a track star. For 6k, you can buy in. Please open an account for me at a local bank. I'll have the car ready for track days in 2 months, sooner if you'll pay the time bonus.

 

I'll bring the car to the track on its new trailer with new tow rig (you provide). You bring the supplies and we'll split driving chores. We should dominate the Spec E30 series, as well as Auto-X, for years.

 

PM me to work out financial details.

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You are kinda back to the Miata:red face:

 

Maybe you can find an old Datsun 510, lots of fun:):) The fact of the matter is that the initial investment is minor, compared to the money needed to bring anything up to being competitive.

 

If I were you, I would find something fun to drive, and work from there.:)

"Belief does not make truth. Evidence makes truth. And belief does not make evidence."
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Alright, for all intents let's say that the car and mods have to be under 6k, all other maintenance and track prep are covered (such as roll cage, a replacement brakes, tires, etc.). You just have to cover having a car that can run well off the bat.

 

I get the speculative nature of the OP's question, but this is nutz. Unless you are running in chumpcar (where all safety equipment is exempt), cheaping out on car prep for serious trackage (>20 days/yr) or racing is lunacy.

 

However, the Spec E30 series mentioned earlier will fit your 6k budget. You can get a used 4 door on the private market for cheap. It doesnt matter the condition because its going to be stripped. The engine is solid and parts options are numerous. If prepared properly ($$$), it can compete in several race organizations as well as run in all HPDE/lapping days.

 

If you are looking for a serious racer, car prep & setup is wicked expensive. You're better off buying a car that is already sorted. Unless you have serious cash (100k is the bar for a series dominating E30...car setup only).

 

In the end, purchasing a car and making mods, is cheap. The ongoing cost of going to the track is the killer part. Old race cars should be a dime a dozen where the OP lives, get one that's already setup.

 

Then again, you can take any recently (last 5 years) purchased performance oriented car and run it in HPDE/lapping days and do very well. Tires/fluid changes/brakes will be your most costly item. If you drive 10/10ths, you'll learn at very fast rate as well.

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I agree a Spec E30 would be a great car to have, but I haven't seen any that fit his budget.

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned a E36 M3 yet. I've seen a couple up for sale recently for under 6k...high mileage of course, but these cars seem to be pretty reliable. A very nice example just sold locally for $7500 with 104k miles and a lot of documentation.

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The Spec E30 is a good class to start. You can get a car with decent mods that fit the

budget. And you can upgrade as you go. The E36 M3 is another good platform. Their

engines are robust. They hold up well to abuse, and a reason why you still see a good

amount of them on the road still.

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I'm still standing behind the V8 E30 option.
[URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard
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OP hates you all :)

 

I originally wanted to just say "cheap track car" but cheap means different amounts to different people, so I figured 6K might be a safe amount.

 

Apparently I was wrong.

 

Even running a Kart sucks bucks. Corner balance, alignment, axle hardness, dry tires, rain tires, spare parts, spare engines, Tuning, safety equipment, gears, clutches, pipes--------------------:lol:

 

The only difference between a boat and a race car/kart is that the you can cook and sleep on a boat;)

"Belief does not make truth. Evidence makes truth. And belief does not make evidence."
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The only difference between a boat and a race car/kart is that the you can cook and sleep on a boat;)

My definition of boat is "a device that was invented to keep the white man down." It sucks up a white man's discretionary income, leaving him roughly at economic parity with everyone else. :p

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how well do big guys (like 6'7" ish) fit into E30s?

 

They tend to have decent head room. My buddy is 6'4" had no complaints when

he sat in my M3, but that was without a helmet and I really didn't pay attention

to how much room was still left.

 

You can also get the Wedge Engineering brackets to drop the seats even lower

and probably offset the seat further back if needed.

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