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SNiPER_Magnum posted:It being a 4cyl, way down on power, we'll get run over in higher run groups. Cars are just getting FAST. Oh it gets bad when you get into open passing groups. I had massive horsepower envy at Laguna on Monday, what with all the M3s, GT3s, Vettes and Vipers in my group. Even with ~300hp there were only five out of the 25 cars or so in the group with less power. I need to put a turbo on my Cayman 
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Jan 25, 2013 08:36
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Seriously, my 600cc supersport bike had never felt anything close to slow until I took it to a track day and got walked by liter bikes down the straights
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Jan 28, 2013 00:19
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Are there cups/pockets with water on the trunk lid of the GTR? http://www.evo.co.uk/videos/planetevovideos/288019/calsonic_r32_nissan_skyline_gtr_video_review.html
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Feb 6, 2013 09:44
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kimbo305 posted:Are there cups/pockets with water on the trunk lid of the GTR? Fuel filler and vent? edit: I think they're covered in clear plastic sheet, not liquid.
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Feb 6, 2013 18:41
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Good buy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eteHH-0cx04 If I got luggage, an Ez-Up and toolbox, I don't wanna lug an 80 pound floor jack around (or a $300 40 pound racing jack) in my trunk on long distance trips to a track.
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Feb 9, 2013 19:43
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those $80 harbor freight racing jacks are actually not complete garbage and are perfect for track days.
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Feb 10, 2013 01:08
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kill me now posted:those $80 harbor freight racing jacks are actually not complete garbage and are perfect for track days. Which ones are those? A buddy is going to the states next weekend and I want him to do a harbor freight trip for a few cheap things I could use.
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Feb 10, 2013 01:34
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So is there anything else that comes close to a Miata as a cheap, light, reliable, and easy to drive track day car? I'm looking for something that's not a convertible because I hate convertibles and their leaks and their need for roll bars and broomstick tests, and all that and well, I never really fit right. AE86s seem pretty over-priced on the used market. AW11s are intriguing but are apparently prone to rust and spinning out (right?). 944s are apparently unreliable and a hassle to work on (?) Maybe an S13? For that matter, are there any good lesser-known, but competent cars left? I'm probably going to end up with another miata 
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Feb 10, 2013 04:10
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Crustashio posted:Which ones are those? A buddy is going to the states next weekend and I want him to do a harbor freight trip for a few cheap things I could use. The Canadian Tire low-profile racing jack is on sale right now for $100 (reg. $200).
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Feb 10, 2013 04:13
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Hog Obituary posted:So is there anything else that comes close to a Miata as a cheap, light, reliable, and easy to drive track day car? I'm looking for something that's not a convertible because I hate convertibles and their leaks and their need for roll bars and broomstick tests, and all that and well, I never really fit right. E30! They're not really lesser-known though, as they've infested all the track day events I've gone to in the last year or two. Was just at Infineon today and spoke to a dude who runs a shop specializing in Spec E30s (BTM Motorsports in Campbell). Turns out you can get a decent one these days for ~$12k. After dicing around with E30s all day today (some of the TT guys run in HPDE 4 as well), I have a newfound respect for how amazing they are. You can have complete neutrality if that's your thing, or lurid tail-out shenanigans, and they change direction just like that. It's got me thinking about finding extra garage space 
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Feb 10, 2013 04:20
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Admirable Gusto posted:E30! They're not really lesser-known though, as they've infested all the track day events I've gone to in the last year or two. Yup, crossed my mind. I didn't think they were particularly reliable either -- and they do seem overpriced on the used market. While the prospect of buying a spec car is interesting, I'd want something street legal since I don't have a trailer. :P It's possible that the answer to my question is "you'll need to scour the used market for months to find that unicorn Miata/E30"
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Feb 10, 2013 04:30
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Buy a used race car; save a bunch of money.
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Feb 10, 2013 04:38
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Phone posted:Buy a used race car; save a bunch of money. Look on the for sale forums of NASA and the like. Get something already built and that has been inspected. That would be the simplest way.
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Feb 10, 2013 04:44
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Does it have to be RWD?
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Feb 10, 2013 04:48
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I've seen SpecE30 racers with interiors and plates. Street legal ones do exist. Look for SpecE30 cars to drop in price as racers dump them for something else. That series is dying but the cars are still competent for HPDE/TT. And E30 knowledge base and support are huge. E36s are good candidates too. Spec3 (E36 chassis) is emerging as a series. I'd be running an E30 or E36 325 if I didn't have a stupid obsession with V8s and horsepower. AW11s are a bad idea. There were a bunch of them in a track day that I did once, pretty sure each one spun at least once and some more than that. You can turn anything in to a track day car. What are your goals and ambitions? If the answer is "just have fun", the door is wide open, especially so if you'll consider FWD.
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Feb 10, 2013 05:14
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Hmm, I think you guys are taking this more seriously than I am. I understand the wisdom of buying a used racecar for actual racing or even time trials. But I'm talking about a car I can drive to the track for a track day. It doesn't actually need a cage and a fuel cell. It'd be nice to have a radio and A/C as well.
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Feb 10, 2013 07:52
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What's your initial budget?
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Feb 10, 2013 08:23
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kimbo305 posted:What's your initial budget? I think my overall (not initial) budget is like under 10k - basically low enough that I can track it comfortably without buying track insurance. What I've found is that I'm less inclined to do trackdays when they end up costing $500 all together instead of $200. But anyway, I don't want to derail this thread into a "what car should I buy" so much as I just wanted to discuss what options are out there besides the usual Miata/E30/S13/etc
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Feb 10, 2013 08:58
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Buy an older corvette or camaro. At least you'll have a little bit of power behind you and parts are fairly cheap.
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Feb 10, 2013 15:22
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I'll toss in another vote for E30, I tracked one for three years 3-5 events a year and it's now being used as a chump car. Bought the car for $1500, tossed about that much at the suspension, gutted it and had a blast. Still street legal and was my daily driver during the summer. You can likely pick one up that someone has put some money into (suspension, brakes, engine, etc) for <$5k on E30 forums like E30tech or r3vlimited. poo poo my brother just bought one with SpecE30 suspension, new gas tank, new brakes and some other stuff freshened up for $1700.
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Feb 10, 2013 15:58
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Check out my cheap E30 track car thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3505083 If you need RWD, it's the perfect car for your criteria.
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Feb 10, 2013 21:27
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Thanks guys. I'll do some digging.aventari posted:Check out my cheap E30 track car thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3505083 e: you know E46s are pretty cheap nowadays... even a 330 ZHP is like $8k-9k. E36 M3s are also getting down there -- I just worry that the weight is going to make all the consumables/parts more expensive. Hog Obituary fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Feb 10, 2013 |
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Feb 10, 2013 21:55
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Hog Obituary posted:I just worry that the weight is going to make all the consumables/parts more expensive And yet I giggle like a little girl when I put the pedal down after turn 11 at Sonoma, and the Spec Miata that's behind me turns into a speck in my mirrors  We say that power is irrelevant and that it doesn't take any skill to floor the gas, but power's nice to have e: I'm actually really nice and let people by a lot. Even Spec Miatas 
got off on a technicality fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Feb 10, 2013 |
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Feb 10, 2013 23:25
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Hog Obituary posted:Thanks guys. I'll do some digging. Trust me, you don't want an E46. I did it for one summer with a ZHP as an autoX car and sold it to get my e36 m3. Main issues: -Expensive tires (unless you buy 17" track wheels) -Can't use the LSD from the M3 without a whole rear subframe swap. Aftermarket LSDs are quite expensive as well. -Subframe mounting prone to cracking and BMW NA no longer covers this. It doesn't happen to every car but is a possibility. -Quite heavy and you can feel it. I had a no sunroof, 4 door ZHP without folding seats. The stiffest e46 & lightest ZHP you can buy and my e36 just felt way more direct and tossable. A 9k ZHP is going to be beat. For 5k you can get a VERY good e30 (325is or possibly an M5x swap) or e36 (325is or 328is), then spend the rest on track parts and reliability upgrades. Keep in mind unless you buy something that is track prepped, you will be sinking in money to get it up to snuff.
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Feb 10, 2013 23:47
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Cool, thanks for talking me off the ledge :P I'll go spend some time on e30 forums.
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Feb 11, 2013 00:25
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If you're not worried about classing you can always engine swap the e30, then you'll have plenty of power! An e36 M3 engine swapped in is loads of fun, and very reliable.
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Feb 11, 2013 00:36
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e30 318s seem super cheap to run as well. I was talking to a guy at a track day. It wasnt super fast but it was light and good on the track. His motor had over 250k miles on it with years of wheel to wheel events and had yet to be rebuilt. He had very very few issues with it. Other than it being a slightly slow option it seemed very attractive to me from the maintenance point of view.
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Feb 11, 2013 06:53
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Hog Obituary posted:e: you know E46s are pretty cheap nowadays... even a 330 ZHP is like $8k-9k. E36 M3s are also getting down there -- I just worry that the weight is going to make all the consumables/parts more expensive. A bit more on this. E46 while fun is a fat pig on the track and really not a good choice. E36 M3 is a great price if you have a bit more $$$ to toss around. Very good on the track stock, better with sticky rubber and better brake pads. My Dad's been running on as a track toy for the past 5-6 years with no trouble.
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Feb 11, 2013 11:12
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So I know this is everything I said I didn't want -- (i.e. a convertible and beyond what I said I wanted to spend), but talk me out of this one: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/3608944307.html 2002 S2k without a softtop, and a bolted on hardtop. 90k miles. Some iffy mods. It looks to be in the hands of someone who cares, but it's somewhat questionable. The draw to me is that he's reduced his market a lot by not having a soft top, so I may be able to get a good price on it. I would probably eventually dump $2k-$3k on suspension, do the banjo bolt and the valve retainers since those are known issues on AP1s, and probably have to spend $600 on a roll bar. ... so barring my self-imposed price limit (it won't be a stretch for me by any means... i'm just stingy), tell me why this is an awful idea. I know s2ks are known for the twitchy rear end, but I figure that can be improved with suspension tuning and aero if really necessary (i'm not actually very fast).
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Feb 15, 2013 07:49
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I don't see anything glaringly bad about the parts on there. Plus I know a little about tracking an S2k.
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Feb 15, 2013 07:52
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quote:Car needs to be smogged in March. I'd rather not have to take care of that myself, but I will if I have to. If you take it without having me smog it, I'd be willing to talk about the price more.
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Feb 15, 2013 08:10
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nm posted:Is kind of a red flag, as selling a car without smog is illegal in this state. I kind of wonder if it will fail. I talked to him about it -- the hi-flow cat is welded to the aftermarket exhaust. He has a stock cat, but no stock muffler to bolt up to it. Last I talked to him he said he was considering just getting the stock exhaust himself to take care of it (obviously to help sell it easier at a better price).
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Feb 15, 2013 08:17
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Check around on convertible rules, a lot of clubs are super strict and require a roll bar AND five point harnesses for driver and passenger even if you're running a hard top. Also don't bother with suspension until you can actually drive the car, the stock spring/shock combo is better than or equal to anything below the $3000 range for suspensions. Most of the rear end being twitchy can be fixed with a larger front bar or softer rear.
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Feb 15, 2013 20:05
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nm posted:Is kind of a red flag, as selling a car without smog is illegal in this state. I kind of wonder if it will fail. Yes, since cars in California (in smog counties) are required to have a local passing smog test when sold, and it is only valid for 90 days since the test. This person either doesn't know that (its not complicated so somewhat doubtful for an enthusiast car type), or they are just playing it off as a minor detail. You can do whatever the gently caress you want* after a stock catalytic converter or a CARB approved replacement. They say CE #### or something on the cat if its California legal, otherwise a '49 state' or off-road cat would be at least a visual inspection issue, and possibly an issue for actual tailpipe emissions. *while meeting noise requirements, but smog stations may or may not care, it isn't their jurisdiction.
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Feb 15, 2013 22:08
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DJ Commie posted:Yes, since cars in California (in smog counties) are required to have a local passing smog test when sold, and it is only valid for 90 days since the test. This person either doesn't know that (its not complicated so somewhat doubtful for an enthusiast car type), or they are just playing it off as a minor detail. Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with what's involved on smog -- I did buy, own, and sell a turbo miata :P Really, you just need the passing smog test when you go to the DMV to transfer the registration (which is supposed to be 5 days after you purchase or whatever). However, if it really were gonna take a while to get it smogged, you could register it as non-op until you did. Regardless seller says he's planning to sort it out before sale. Muffinpox posted:Check around on convertible rules, a lot of clubs are super strict and require a roll bar AND five point harnesses for driver and passenger even if you're running a hard top. Neither SCCA nor NASA in NorCal require 5-points for non-timed track events as far as I know. Supposedly NASA will let you by with the stock roll hoops, but the rollbar will be happening for me.
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Feb 15, 2013 23:00
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Hog Obituary posted:So I know this is everything I said I didn't want -- (i.e. a convertible and beyond what I said I wanted to spend), but talk me out of this one: I dont see any iffy mods myself. I wouldn't do it though just because convertibles are a pain in the rear end
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Feb 16, 2013 03:08
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Yeah, to be honest I'm too fickle to even commit to something. I've lost interest already. I should just blow $13k in vegas instead.
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Feb 16, 2013 07:56
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Hog Obituary posted:Yeah, to be honest I'm too fickle to even commit to something. I've lost interest already. Are you interested in wheel-to-wheel racing and wrenching? You could check out ChumpCar. About a year ago I was in the same spot as you, looking for a cheap, fun car to wrench on and take to track days. I eventually gave up because everything in my price range was salvage titled or otherwise falling apart. ChumpCar's price limit is $500, not including safety equipment, so you basically want your car to be falling apart! Having 4-6 people really helps keep costs down, too. Each event is a 7-24 hour endurance race, and it's popular nation-wide. Perfect! I'm going to be volunteering to work corner stations this summer, and trying to get a team together this fall/winter to participate next year. Anyway, something to think about.
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Feb 16, 2013 15:36
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Think there are a couple people who post in this thread that have run Chump Car, me included. It is a lot of fun and a great way to get on the track if you have a few like minded friends. Another option is arrive and drive with a Chump team, I did the Road America October race this way with Northloop Motorsports. Now I'm planning on doing a couple events with NLM this year as well as working with 4 other guys building a car and doing a couple races with them.
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Feb 16, 2013 16:25
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ColdPie posted:Are you interested in wheel-to-wheel racing and wrenching? You could check out ChumpCar. About a year ago I was in the same spot as you, looking for a cheap, fun car to wrench on and take to track days. I eventually gave up because everything in my price range was salvage titled or otherwise falling apart. ChumpCar's price limit is $500, not including safety equipment, so you basically want your car to be falling apart! Having 4-6 people really helps keep costs down, too. Each event is a 7-24 hour endurance race, and it's popular nation-wide. Perfect! Chumpcar uses the fair market value of the car, not what you paid for it. They have a pre-approved list of cars. For anything that isn't on the list you just have to find 10 Craigslist ads for similar cars with an average price of $500 or less. They do allow you to replace anything with OEM equivalent new stuff. Brakes you can spend up to 2X the OEM price, but I've never heard of anyone getting busted for expensive brakes. I guess they might ding you if you show up with 6 pot Brembos. Scroll down to the bottom of the rules: http://chumpcar.com/downloads/chumpcar-rules.pdf Anything on that list can be entered as long as it has no performance upgrades, regardless of the actual condition or cost. I race an e36, I think we got 2 penalty laps last summer for some poly subframe bushings. Our total cost at our first (And so far only) race ended up at around $750/driver not including the build. We used my old daily driver and did the cage ourselves, I think we have around 2k into the car not including the initial purchase years ago. It helps that our team is 2 mechanics, an engineer, and a computer programmer. before:  During:  Racing:  crap:  We've repaired the crash damage and will be at Road America in April. Join us!
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