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      01-24-2012, 02:13 AM   #1
Stuart@BMRAutowerkes
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Thinking of buying a track car...

Sooo I'm thinking of buying a track car...

Criteria: ~$20k and road registerable. I'd probably be driving it to and from the track (don't want to invest in a trailer) hence the road registerable bit... and it's always handy to have a second car for when my HPFP goes grr...

I'd be looking to strip the interior of most things, get bucket seats, some sort of roll cage and handling mods (not necessarily big power mods)

Option 1: M3 E36 - nice high revving engine, manual, rear wheel drive and already a very well sorted package... these can be had for sub 20k so it would leave a few K in the kitty to get some track rubber etc

Option 2: Evo 5/6 - will probably have more power than the M3, especially with a few simple mods and the 4WD would come in handy at times...

Any thoughts or suggestions from the pros?

Cheers,
Stu
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      01-24-2012, 02:19 AM   #2
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Whats the prices of lotus now days?

Or maybe a miata? something really light?
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      01-24-2012, 02:19 AM   #3
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Buy something with a lot of class participation. More fun, lots of info, usually cheap and you can sell your car if it isn't for you.

And whatever you think you're going to spend on a race car you will double it.
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      01-24-2012, 02:22 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RaihaX View Post
Whats the prices of lotus now days?

Or maybe a miata? something really light?
no decent Lotuses (or Lotii?) in my price range...

Quote:
Originally Posted by gazz View Post
Buy something with a lot of class participation. More fun, lots of info, usually cheap and you can sell your car if it isn't for you.
Whats class participation? I don't know if I'll be entering competitions or anything but would be good to future proof myself if I change my mind later on...

If an Evo or M3 I'm pretty sure I could sell that relatively easily if I didn't like it...
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      01-24-2012, 02:22 AM   #5
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Stu, you sound like me!

I had a 180sx track car built for 1.09s around Wakefield Park, although I never found the time to use it. I took it to a couple of skid pan days though. The new owner took it to the track and managed to pull a 1.10

Did the job for WAY under $20K and was a reliable daily!
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      01-24-2012, 02:25 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TWD View Post
Stu, you sound like me!

I had a 180sx track car built for 1.09s around Wakefield Park, although I never found the time to use it. I took it to a couple of skid pan days though. The new owner took it to the track and managed to pull a 1.10

Did the job for WAY under $20K and was a reliable daily!
There's a thought... honestly if I got to the track 6+ times a year I'd be doing good - hence if its road registered I could at least use it to drive to work/shops or something

What was the maintenance like on the 180? And what was done to it to pull a 1.09 - ie more power, coilovers, semi slicks?
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      01-24-2012, 02:34 AM   #7
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R32 GTR end thread.
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      01-24-2012, 02:48 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmroxm5 View Post
Sooo I'm thinking of buying a track car...

Criteria: ~$20k and road registerable. I'd probably be driving it to and from the track (don't want to invest in a trailer) hence the road registerable bit... and it's always handy to have a second car for when my HPFP goes grr...

I'd be looking to strip the interior of most things, get bucket seats, some sort of roll cage and handling mods (not necessarily big power mods)

Option 1: M3 E36 - nice high revving engine, manual, rear wheel drive and already a very well sorted package... these can be had for sub 20k so it would leave a few K in the kitty to get some track rubber etc

Option 2: Evo 5/6 - will probably have more power than the M3, especially with a few simple mods and the 4WD would come in handy at times...

Any thoughts or suggestions from the pros?

Cheers,
Stu
Hey Stu
Whats wrong with your 135 use that car, just have a set of wheels and tyres, brake pads etc.
But if you must have a track car just purchase the EVO its is a good all round car
peter @ Advan

Last edited by Kiwi Peter; 01-24-2012 at 03:17 AM..
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      01-24-2012, 03:05 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skycat View Post
Hey Stu
Whats wrong with you 135 use that car, just have a set of wheels and tyres, brake pads etc.
But if you must have a track car just purchase the EVO its is a good all round car
peter @ Advan

hey Stu..
just like what Peter said.. i think Evo's are the way to go.. parts should be regularly available and a at a cheaper cost comparing to euro cars
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      01-24-2012, 03:12 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skycat View Post
Hey Stu
Whats wrong with you 135 use that car, just have a set of wheels and tyres, brake pads etc.
But if you must have a track car just purchase the EVO its is a good all round car
peter @ Advan
I feel it would be too compromised - i.e. I'm not willing to strip my interior etc and I feel weird driving around a track in the same car I drive to work in - 135i is great on the street, nice and quick but on the track I found it a little understeery AND in the unfortunate event I have an accident I'll be out of pocket a lot of coin... compared to say the 20k track car I'll have which would also be a lot more focussed.

When it gets to crunch time I might go check out:

1. BMW M3 E36
2. Evo 5 or 6
3. S15 (as per Rajs suggestion but I reckon the S15 looks better )
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      01-24-2012, 03:40 AM   #11
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MX5 definitely needs to be in that list, Stu. I'm sure Bryan (Guran) will also attest to it's track-ability. If it's power that's on your mind, then consider the SP variant (factory turbo).
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      01-24-2012, 03:40 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmroxm5 View Post


Whats class participation? I don't know if I'll be entering competitions or anything but would be good to future proof myself if I change my mind later on...

- A racing class where there are plenty of participants -

I've been out of racing for a long time so I don't know what classes there are now.

If the car is just for fun then class racing isn't a factor.
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      01-24-2012, 03:43 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmroxm5 View Post
I feel it would be too compromised - i.e. I'm not willing to strip my interior etc and I feel weird driving around a track in the same car I drive to work in - 135i is great on the street, nice and quick but on the track I found it a little understeery AND in the unfortunate event I have an accident I'll be out of pocket a lot of coin... compared to say the 20k track car I'll have which would also be a lot more focussed.

When it gets to crunch time I might go check out:

1. BMW M3 E36
2. Evo 5 or 6
3. S15 (as per Rajs suggestion but I reckon the S15 looks better )
That is fine BUT you cant have a road car with rego and have all the mods that a real track day car should have, you will have a defect list as long as your arm with in 1 month, The way to do it is purchase an old 4x4 ie Toyota Hilux a trailer and then you can have a ball. Do it the rite way or dont do it as it will allways be half done and cost heaps. been there done that
So you want a $20,000 race car Sorry stu its to hard the EVO will cost $18000, cage $2000, seat $1200, wheels $1000, tyres $2000, shocks $1500,
brakes $1000, and all the other stuff $5000 on a good day and it goes on and on you will spend around $40,000 inc the car in the first year and $20,000 the next
and so on.
Just spend $10,000 on your 135 and have some fun
I am happy to help with whatever you want to do
We have a nice race trailer that we lend out to many customers who do track days if you need one
peter @ Advan
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      01-24-2012, 03:44 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by woosh View Post
MX5 definitely needs to be in that list, Stu. I'm sure Bryan (Guran) will also attest to it's track-ability. If it's power that's on your mind, then consider the SP variant (factory turbo).
\

Yeh MX5 comes to mind but I can't help but think I'd be left wanting for power... maybe the turbo version is worth a test drive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gazz View Post
- A racing class where there are plenty of participants -

I've been out of racing for a long time so I don't know what classes there are now.

If the car is just for fun then class racing isn't a factor.
Yeh probs just for fun

... maybe targa tasmania one day!
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      01-24-2012, 05:09 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmroxm5 View Post
There's a thought... honestly if I got to the track 6+ times a year I'd be doing good - hence if its road registered I could at least use it to drive to work/shops or something

What was the maintenance like on the 180? And what was done to it to pull a 1.09 - ie more power, coilovers, semi slicks?
Stu,

Here's my old car: http://hardtuned.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=479908

Stock SR20 with simple bolt on mods and GT2560r producing 545Nm Torque and 212rwkw.

Had the cage, suspension setup, everything! And it was reliable to be driven every day. Wasn't pretty, but it was very tough! Function > Form

Like any turbo/performance car, you service them every 5,000kms and they are fine. Also do the other fluids and it will always be smooth.

I was going to do a 4:3 diff on it to make it quicker. Had a 17x9 GTR square setup on the wheels with 255 R888s.
Wheel alignment minimised understeer, but the cage made it VERY tight around corners. For what it was, it was quicker than a lot of cars around.

Also, parts are very cheap and easy to find, if you know a few forums.
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      01-24-2012, 05:10 AM   #16
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The earliest 135s are now starting to get to cheap territory. Won't be long before they start getting gutted and raced.

Won't be much longer before you start seeing used 1Ms on the market too.
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      01-24-2012, 05:10 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TWD View Post
Stu,

Here's my old car: http://hardtuned.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=479908

Stock SR20 with simple bolt on mods and GT2560r producing 545Nm Torque and 212rwkw.

Had the cage, suspension setup, everything! And it was reliable to be driven every day. Wasn't pretty, but it was very tough! Function > Form

Like any turbo/performance car, you service them every 5,000kms and they are fine. Also do the other fluids and it will always be smooth.

I was going to do a 4:3 diff on it to make it quicker. Had a 17x9 GTR square setup on the wheels with 255 R888s.
Wheel alignment minimised understeer, but the cage made it VERY tight around corners. For what it was, it was quicker than a lot of cars around.

Also, parts are very cheap and easy to find, if you know a few forums.
Raj, too old mate, too old. Those cars have seen their days, time to move on.
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Check out the 1Addicts Drag Racing Standings and Drag Racing 101.
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      01-24-2012, 05:26 AM   #18
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Rotary power? Rx7's are a bigger, more powerful version of a mx5
If ur keen for a project, you could always try and shoehorn a RB25DET into an MX5 chassis
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      01-24-2012, 05:33 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBlonde View Post
Raj, too old mate, too old. Those cars have seen their days, time to move on.
Kenny, it fits his 20k budget though.
It fit mine and that's including labour and buying the car.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Rivenscyr View Post
Rotary power? Rx7's are a bigger, more powerful version of a mx5
If ur keen for a project, you could always try and shoehorn a RB25DET into an MX5 chassis
Rotor would be alright...

RB25 too heavy in MX5? Increase understeer too I'd think.
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      01-24-2012, 05:38 AM   #20
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use your own car
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      01-24-2012, 05:42 AM   #21
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EG,EK civic of some sort with a K20 engine..... But as mentioned I think the Miata will be a good choice - you'll learn a thing or two about car control.
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      01-24-2012, 05:42 AM   #22
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Clubman - closest thing to an open wheel race car that you can drive on the road:


Did someone say fast?
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