Thinking of buying a track car...

[alik01]

Sounds like you're in for a very exciting adventure.

Evo's are great cars and your right - you set the benchmark and you chase to improve it. As you approach the cars limits - it's way more fun!

The cheaper the car is the more fun you have - I think. I'm still getting used to mine and still scared of the thing.

I personally would go for a fully prepped MX5, there's plenty in your price range. They are so well sorted and such good fun. Hands down the best handling little cars. I am personally thinking of getting one and competing in the 2.0L class. That or a sorted 2002!

Please don't compromise on safety when you go racing, get a good harness and HANS-device. Buying the proper gear here should be a priority over any mods.

Good luck!

[Tit]

I know I'm being predictable here, but the R53 mini cooper S is also a useful track tool. I know everyone is obsessed with RWD but an R53 with lightly tuned suspension will out turn most of those cars. Like the mx5 it will be easy on tires and brakes. Good option for targas as well.

[JB4-335]

I hate Mitsubishi's but would go for an Evo 7 Stu. I just don't understand how the same company ever mad the old 1980 Magna's.

[aus135i]

Megane RS250!

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

Originally Posted by alik01

Evo's are great cars and your right - you set the benchmark and you chase to improve it. As you approach the cars limits - it's way more fun!

The cheaper the car is the more fun you have - I think. I'm still getting used to mine and still scared of the thing.

I personally would go for a fully prepped MX5, there's plenty in your price range. They are so well sorted and such good fun. Hands down the best handling little cars. I am personally thinking of getting one and competing in the 2.0L class. That or a sorted 2002!

Please don't compromise on safety when you go racing, get a good harness and HANS-device. Buying the proper gear here should be a priority over any mods.

Good luck!

The only thing with the Evo is that the limits are so high that it'll be pretty scary approaching them... Dont know if this safety buffer is a good thing for a beginner or if it'll cover up my flaws as a driver. Will see in time I guess.

Although I've never driven an MX5, I've only heard & read the praise, it just doesn't tickle my fancy... like evo just seems more exciting than an mx5

Originally Posted by Tit

I know I'm being predictable here, but the R53 mini cooper S is also a useful track tool. I know everyone is obsessed with RWD but an R53 with lightly tuned suspension will out turn most of those cars. Like the mx5 it will be easy on tires and brakes. Good option for targas as well.

Good point about the R53, although not sure how they would be on parts and servicing... R53s are probably coming into my price range too and that supercharger whine down the main straight sounds pretty nice . Would also make a relatively comfortable commuter as I imagine I'd be driving the car 1 or 2 times a week whether to work (6kms/10mins away) or for a weekend cruise.

Originally Posted by JB4135

I hate Mitsubishi's but would go for an Evo 7 Stu. I just don't understand how the same company ever mad the old 1980 Magna's.

Haha... yeh well I'm checking out a pretty well sorted Evo 7 this weekend. Only downside to this particular example is the owner has LEDs on the front, will have to get rid of them asap lol.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by bmroxm5

The only thing with the Evo is that the limits are so high that it'll be pretty scary approaching them... Dont know if this safety buffer is a good thing for a beginner or if it'll cover up my flaws as a driver. Will see in time I guess.

Although I've never driven an MX5, I've only heard & read the praise, it just doesn't tickle my fancy... like evo just seems more exciting than an mx5
.

Whatever tickles your fancy, my friend. Ultimately it's your car and your limits. Regardless of what you pick you'll have a lot of fun - it's the most fun with your pants on really. You'll learn a hell of a lot more about driving and face a really sad truth - no matter how good you think you are, you're not that good, at least when you start!

For me personally, light weight and balance (i.e. handling) always counts more than anything else. Which is a why I would lean for an MX5. You can always supercharge the engine later for more horsies.

One of the guys who races up here, has an Elise with a Supercharged Honda K20 engine. It weighs about 650Kg and has about 350HP. As you can imagine, it leaves the GT3 & 1M for dead. I keep telling myself I'm having more fun with the 'steering feel'!

A forum member, FJP135, actually has a turbo Silvia (S13 I believe) and he does pretty damn well too.

[woosh]

Interesting post alik! Another forum members father has a full carbon fibre body elise with a k20 turbo. holy crap that thing is fast!

[alik01]

Originally Posted by woosh

Interesting post alik! Another forum members father has a full carbon fibre body elise with a k20 turbo. holy crap that thing is fast!

That just sounds scary! Do you know what it weighs?

[woosh]

Originally Posted by alik01

That just sounds scary! Do you know what it weighs?

Don't know off to top of my head so will find out for you.

[Guran]

It's very tempting to go with a car that is fast and think you'll be able to extract that pace. But how will you feel when you show up at the track and get trounced by guys with less than 100kW, in cars that cost them half as much to buy and run? I see it all the time - not good for their ego! Why not aim to start in a slow car with good handling, and learn to drive it fast? I regularly see guys in modified road registered NA, NB & NC MX-5s and B16 Civics doing 1:10s at Wakefield Park. Normally aspirated! Driving those cars is a real thrill because they are so quick in the corners and under brakes.

What's it cost? I drive my 1992 MX-5 in the MX-5 Club of NSW trackdays and the NSW Supersprint Championship at Eastern Creek and Wakefield Park. It is a standard 1.6L car ($7k three years ago) with only a rollbar ($800), race seat (borrowed) and harness ($400) -- everything else is stock. I use R-specs (~$300 each) at the Supersprints and street tyres (~$110 each) at the club trackdays - size is 185/60R14 and they last me a full year. In 2011, I did 15 trackdays and spent about $8000 in total: entry fees $3158, tyres $1796, consumables $1633 (fuel mainly), operating costs $763 (rego, CTP, third party insurance), parts $429 (mostly for brake pads and rotors). Nearly all the servicing I do myself to keep costs down (and it's fun). 2010 cost me $10k since I had to do a major service (timing belt, waterpump, radiator), plus I had two trips to Phillip Island.

An Evo will be much harder on brakes & tyres than an MX-5, and they're more expensive in your size too. If you're looking at "once a month", I suggest you'll need to budget at least $15k per year for an Evo. Smaller, lighter and slower cars will be much less, but I'm doing it as cheap as possible, so my $8k figure is a fair indication of the minimum. How does that sit with your expectation? Much will depend on what tracks you intend to drive at, and which events you want to do, as those costs can vary widely.

[Alpha Trion]

cant believe the lack of Honda love here.. Check this out..

EG Civic $2000 easy to strip and will make a great track or drag car.

Conversions are waaaaay to easy and parts off the shelf for them. Then go spend 18k on it and you have a weapon. Chuck in a B18c from a DC2R and that will have you in a competitive class. Dont go Evo or turbo car because then you will be in a tough class competing against other boosted cars.. and then you will have to spend $$ to keep up.

I built the 2nd fastest Honda Civic in the world.. Yeah no shit! (5 years ago on street tyres) and i still have plenty of friends in the Honda world that are good mates ready to help out!

GET A HONDA!

[woosh]

Elee, are you good friends with the guys at BYP? The Honda's coming out of there are real quality. An old acquaintance bought one of their ITR's and built a turbo setup using a Spoon motor... that thing was scary fast. I'll find a video of him doing a quick run... brb, posting on phone.


Edit:

[adrian@vishnu]

Hondas can be certainly made very quick... no argument. And they can be very exciting to drive for sure. This thread is not about me personally, but I personally can understand that someone may prefer AWD or RWD for a different driving style to what a FWD can provide.

I personally like the MX-5 route for starters. I have a AWD track car.... but one with enough power and good diffs to be very exciting to my preferred driving style.

-- Adrian

[510135]

I was into hondas when I first got my licence, I had a Civic EG hatch (1991-1995) with a Jap Spec b16a (back then it was a rocket), now days the motor to have is the
K20a (lifted from the Dc5r 2002?-2010 integras) they are great little track cars that rev hard all day and parts are cheap (huge following in the USA).
Its also great being the underdog, the faces of the bigboys (skylines,rx7s) when they see a na civic pass them is priceless.
my 2 cents

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

The Evo I saw on the weekend was pretty well sorted. Very fast too...

I think Guran and the other MX5 followers might be right, I'll definitely look into an MX5 before committing to anything. I did go for a ride in a friends MX5 on the weekend too, it had a roll cage and pulled pretty strongly although it had an aftermarket SP turbo setup.

[woosh]

I think this thread will sway you a little further...

http://forum.jdmstyletuning.com/show...Picture-Thread

[510135]

[MrBlonde]

Life is short, do what makes you happy and learn along the way. Life is making your own mistakes and learning from them your own way. Nobody knows what's best for you any better than you do.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by bmroxm5

The Evo I saw on the weekend was pretty well sorted. Very fast too...

I think Guran and the other MX5 followers might be right, I'll definitely look into an MX5 before committing to anything. I did go for a ride in a friends MX5 on the weekend too, it had a roll cage and pulled pretty strongly although it had an aftermarket SP turbo setup.

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

So a quick browse of carsales reveals a shitload of MX5s for sale and they all look identical...

I'd prob go in the 10-12k bracket (lots of money leftover for mods ) and get a clean NB... any suggestions on what to look out for?

[Wizzzz]

http://carscoop.blogspot.com.au/2012...out-first.html

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

^^ lol