Trying to find a reasonable track car

[Groundpilot]

I was not impressed with c5 vetts untill i ran into a very well driven c5 zo6 the other day at pocono in advanced group. I usually have no problem passing vettes including c6 zo6, but again, it depends who is driving the car. Vettes have neutral handling with lots of power and are tricky to drive really fast, but once you master it there will be very few cars that can keep up with them. That c5 zo6 at pocono was fast and we were overtaking each other all day long, he was faster on straights i was faster in the corners. By the way, s2000 is very tricky to drive fast too, cause they tend to oversteer easily if you are not carefull. Have seen a few of them in the wall.

[jeremydgreat]

Okay, no for reals... what about a Nissan 350z!? It's not hard to find one, they're cheap, there's a lot of aftermarket options, it has like 300hp, it's rear wheel drive, and it looks pretty awesome to boot!

[VividRacingSale]

If the budget is 10-15k, I'd suggest looking closer to the 10k so you'll have some cash for mods. The Miata could be had for under 10k, if you got an older one. The S and Z are good choices, but it's pushing your budget. At least from what I've seen. You could snatch up a salvaged title S or Z, though. Or an Evo VIII w/ salvage title. E36 M3 is also an option at that price point, and you'd have some left over for mods.

Look up the local NASA chapter for your area, and check their forums for cars. When a racer wants to move up to a better chassis, you can find good deals on a car that's already been race prepped. It's been my experience with the NASA AZ chapter that they're honest, good hearted people, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car from one of them.

[BrokenVert]

Since youre stripping out the interior and doing maintenance check out police auctions.

Remember that Top Gear with the drug dealers EVO?

[timhatimay]

Originally Posted by M3 09 AND135I 11

I was not impressed with c5 vetts untill i ran into a very well driven c5 zo6 the other day at pocono in advanced group. I usually have no problem passing vettes including c6 zo6, but again, it depends who is driving the car. Vettes have neutral handling with lots of power and are tricky to drive really fast, but once you master it there will be very few cars that can keep up with them. That c5 zo6 at pocono was fast and we were overtaking each other all day long, he was faster on straights i was faster in the corners. By the way, s2000 is very tricky to drive fast too, cause they tend to oversteer easily if you are not carefull. Have seen a few of them in the wall.

Yea, I'm sure they can be fast with a great driver, and I've seen a few C5's that were very fast (especially with mods). I've heard some horror stories about s2k's being a handful also, and I think certain models even had some snap-type oversteer issues. Didn't they change sway bars in later models or something to try and correct that??? I seem to remember this.

Originally Posted by jeremydgreat

Okay, no for reals... what about a Nissan 350z!?

Thats a good option that I didn't really consider. I expected them to be too expensive I guess. Now that you mention it, I'll have to take a look. An older track model would be nice!

VividRacingSale: Thanks for the info. I think I'm inclined to agree and save money on the car itself so it can be upgraded to be (more) track ready. Most cars need at least some brake work and tires to be competent on the track.

BrokenVert: Thanks for the heads up about the brakes, I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Not sure if fully stripping the interior is in the plans. Would be nice to save some weight, but also depends on the desired class.

Despite lack of popularity here, I'm still very interested in the E36, and surprised it hasn't gotten more votes. Any reasons? Are they not really as track ready as I think? If anyone has owned an e36 (especially an M3) would love to here about maintenance on the car and any issues (subframes, vanos, etc.). They can be had for under 10k, which leaves some money for brake upgrades and a set of light-wheels with r-comps or rs3/direzza. Even some modest suspension work too. S2k is also at the top of the list for me along with the miata. I think the miata would require some more work after researching a bit so probably close to around the same price as an s2k after mods (new LSD, new suspension, bolt-ons, etc.). Lots of great suggestions here, and I'm busy trying to digest and research, so thanks to everyone for the help!

Tim

[IGoFast1589]

350Z or S2K gets my vote. Also, maybe you wont consider, but how about a Mustang GT? Like the ones with the newer body style, not the rounder Mustangs. Big, reliable V8 and simple and affordable to modify. Yes, it has a solid rear axle, but that doesn't matter as much for a track car because the surface is smooth and it can be just as fast if not faster than independent rear suspension cars. The solid rear won't shimmy over road imperfections if there aren't any. They have dedicated race series' for Mustangs only as well so clearly it works for that purpose. Plus, think about the absurd brake stands you could do with one. Haha

[Malthusian]

i've owned more than a few of the cars on your list...

e36 M3 -- possibly the best street/track compromise car EVER made. period.
(my recent e46 330ci wasn't bad either, not as raw, but close in performance to the M3.... and within your budget)

Miata -- awesome. you can drive 10/10ths all the time and no one knows how much fun you are having. cheap to buy and maintain, lots of support

MR2 Turbo -- lots of fun, hard to find one now beat to death, not as much support as the BMW's or Miatas

and here's something you may not have considered:

any Porsche 944 series (944Turbo, 968). great reliability, tunability (the Turbo), but a bit dated now. If you can find a nice 968 though... fantstic

or, how about a Boxster? great dynamics (best handling car ever???), early ones are in your price range, and are pretty reliable.

Good luck

[Booey1979]

Originally Posted by timhatimay

Trying to help my dad find a track and weekend car for autox and track. Something that can be bought and track ready for under 10-15k. I'm very interested in hearing from those with experience on these cars what's needed to make them ready for the track, and how much maintenance costs to keep them going. Feel free to make any suggestions, BMW is preferred, but not necessary. Something made in 1990+, rwd, fun!

1. E36 M3 - seems to excel at track and auto-x. I'm guessing it doesn't need much other than maybe wheel/tires, brake pads/fluid, and swapped top hats to be competitive. How is the maintenance on the s50/s52 and the e36 M's?

2. z3 M - Probably similar to maintain and keep going as the e36. Looks lighter and smaller?

3. z3 - not sure which motor choice is the best in this car, but I have seen some that are very capable (usually 6 cylinders). Probably have some additional money left over from the car price to put into suspension work.

4. Honda s2000 - Seem to be an awesome track and auto-x car. I don't think it would need much to be track ready, and probably very low maintenance costs (its a Honda!). Probably this would be my second suggestion after the e36, but the s2k's can be hard to find under 15k at first glance.

5. Miata - they tear up auto-x but probably not as fast on the road course, although I'm sure still very balanced and fun to drive. Can be had relatively cheap, and have tons of parts.

6. Toyota Mr2 Turbo - snap oversteer...but very cool!

7. What else is there???

Thanks in advance to anyone's advice or suggestions.

Thanks!

Tim

Ummm im selling my 04 350z for 10k. Has 110000 miles no problems. Body is in great condition. perfect track car imho.

[BrokenVert]

So was a dew idiom ever reached?

[GaryS]

I'm guessing dew idiom is iPhone-ese for decision??

[scorcherjf]

Curious here as well. Was considering an E36 M3 or an RX7 with an engine swap (lol) because I'm kind of giving up trying to make the 135i decent on the track... just too many things wrong with it =(