track car

[HEADSHOT]

whats a good track car that still makes a good daily? i was thinking something other then a honda. what have you all seen at the track?

[Jason.AZ1]

nissan? or honda?

[Vtecracer]

are you still in oregon? i am moving there and bringing said track car

[HEADSHOT]

are you still in oregon? i am moving there and bringing said track car

yup im on the coast. i just saw ur post about the oregon speedway. and got a woody. but yeah looking to stay away from hondas for a track car. kinda wanted a car that was a daily more so but i could throw some suspension on and have a decent run around the track. so i was thinking nissan but really anything any mazdas, chevy's ford's. whatever

[Jason.AZ1]

yup im on the coast. i just saw ur post about the oregon speedway. and got a woody. but yeah looking to stay away from hondas for a track car. kinda wanted a car that was a daily more so but i could throw some suspension on and have a decent run around the track. so i was thinking nissan but really anything any mazdas, chevy's ford's. whatever

I loved my mazda I never track it but just DD it handled very good

[KevinBoosted]

ive yet to have been on the road course track but getting ready to start soon. i made the move from fwd to awd in 06 and havnt looked back yet even though i still want an eg for track fun only. im gonna say something awd even though bodyroll isnt that fun although im sure youll see that on most fwd cars too. and youll deff enjoy yourself daily driving (if it ever snowed around here) lol and awd launches mean grip and go :)

[HEADSHOT]

not to sound like a dick, but im looking for more "informed" responses. what handles well on the street may be completley different on the track. thus the reason i still dont own a rsx

[KevinBoosted]

^ do explain? perhaps a better description of what your looking for would result in more "informed" responses. (ie: budget, goals)

[jakellama123]

wrx
240sx
s2000

[comptonasskerry]

u just need to get a car and get out there and drive. fuck all this shit about making a track car and puttin all this shit in it. just get a car and drive. if u can drive then all the rest will come with it. but just get out there and see if its even something u want to spend money on. because it is very very expensive. and once ur in u wont leave

[Tage]

A few non-Honda cars that could do both DD and track duty. Some better than others in each respective area.

Evo
STi
RX8
C5 Z06 (used they're actually not THAT expensive)

No clue what your budget is so it's tough to give suggestions w/o knowing that.

I have a friend with a Porsche GT3 and he says it's a great car for autox, DD and track days but I'm not sure if you have $100K+ to spend. :)

[iApex]

EVO VIII or X
STI
Miatas aren't bad (I dont personally like them).

I would go with a EVO or STI though.

0.02

[mixedCRX]

Miata's rip it up out there big time, mini cooper S did really well, I assume a crx would do it extremely well with a b series and suspension work. How deep are your pockets is the question haha

[Dead Bird]

obviously, for good dd, and great track responce, AWD is going to be your best bet. yes, launches are amazing, but the mix of torque both pulling the car forward, the pushing it make an unbeatable combination, handling and getting your power to the ground.
pull out an older subie or audi.
cheap, easy to build, easy to make fast enough to push the limits of its handling capabilities.
I say find yourself a nice 2dr impreza. perfect specimen.

[Tage]

We also need to know what you mean when you say "track car". Drag, autox or track?

Miatas do amazing at the autox and they are fun to drive around town but they do not have enough power to be a fun track car IMO.

[ILIKETODRIVE]

unlimited budget = GT3
mid-high budget = EVO/STi/RX8/Lotus/Mini Cooper/Corvette
low budget racer= Miata/Focus/Neon/944 (all have a Spec class)

[KevinBoosted]

obviously, for good dd, and great track responce, AWD is going to be your best bet. yes, launches are amazing, but the mix of torque both pulling the car forward, the pushing it make an unbeatable combination, handling and getting your power to the ground.
pull out an older subie or audi.
cheap, easy to build, easy to make fast enough to push the limits of its handling capabilities.
I say find yourself a nice 2dr impreza. perfect specimen.

im gonna have to say a 2.5rs impreza yes, but not a wrx. i would stay away from a wrx unless you plan on replacing the tranny and not making over 300awhp

[SlowCivicHmm]

We also need to know what you mean when you say "track car". Drag, autox or track?

Miatas do amazing at the autox and they are fun to drive around town but they do not have enough power to be a fun track car IMO.


hey power don't mean nothing!! lol....SOHC!! woot woot...lol



i'm with kerry, just get out there and see first....its expensive and time consuming.....

[Sr20p10]

Get a Infiniti g20 or Nissan Primera overseas. There cheap, and were contenders in the British Touring Car Championships in the 90's. They have the front multi-link suspension, but definately need to go on a diet. There comfortable cars good for a dd, and fun enough to have on the track.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h265/thiskidnamed32/primera/my6.jpg

[HEADSHOT]

heres kinda what ive been thinking

[berny2435]

It really all depends on budget in my mind. How much are you willing to spend? Are you completely against FWD?

Just a reccomendation, BMW E36 323 325, 328 or M3 haven't been said. If you have over 10Gs to spend, get a M3. If you're not crazy about power, NA doesn't eat your money as much as Boost but it's harder make the power needed to keep up with your buddies!

E36 M3s are impressive cars around the track. A little high maintenance but nothing worse than a STI or EVO.. .

[The President]

unlimited budget = GT3
mid-high budget = EVO/STi/RX8/Lotus/Mini Cooper/Corvette
low budget racer= Miata/Focus/Neon/944 (all have a Spec class)

If you need a cheap ass car then don't fear the neon. Just make sure you get the "sport model" DOHC 2.0 with a fairly short geared transmission. There is quite a bit of aftermarket for it and parts are CHEAP.

[KevinBoosted]

^ yea but daily driving? i cant really say anything as i never owned a neon, but i did have a fwd n/a eclipse with a 420a (neon motor) and im telling you once you get in an awd i dont think youd be disappointed

[The President]

^ yea but daily driving? i cant really say anything as i never owned a neon, but i did have a fwd n/a eclipse with a 420a (neon motor) and im telling you once you get in an awd i dont think youd be disappointed


Shit buy the four door lol.
One of my buddie sin HighSchool bought a 4 doors "sport" neon. I laughed at him when he bought it but he put some work into it and that little thing would spank all kinds of shit. this is just off the top of my head but here are what the mods were...

iceman intake
vibrant exhaust
header
automatic t/b
PCM "upgrade"

I think that was it... anyways, i vividly remember him handing a 5.0 mustang his ass one night. The mustang driver just couldn't get enough and kept getting spanked hahaha.

*memories* that was a fun night.

[ILIKETODRIVE]

Shit buy the four door lol.
One of my buddie sin HighSchool bought a 4 doors "sport" neon. I laughed at him when he bought it but he put some work into it and that little thing would spank all kinds of shit. this is just off the top of my head but here are what the mods were...

iceman intake
vibrant exhaust
header
automatic t/b
PCM "upgrade"

I think that was it... anyways, i vividly remember him handing a 5.0 mustang his ass one night. The mustang driver just couldn't get enough and kept getting spanked hahaha.

*memories* that was a fun night.

So it was probably a high-14/low-15 car. Not too shabby but not 'fast' either. With an LSD trans and suspension, it would be a fun track car.

[The President]

So it was probably a high-14/low-15 car. Not too shabby but not 'fast' either. With an LSD trans and suspension, it would be a fun track car.

thats exactly what it was, I'm pretty sure the car went a best of 14.8 at low-mid 90's.

Lets keep in mind that "fast" in high school is different than "fast" now. But yeah, I mean for the little amount of money he put into the performance parts the car ran great. Not many hondas can get to that time with just bolt ons.

[ILIKETODRIVE]

Not many hondas can get to that time with just bolt ons.

I have 1 "bolt-on" (Comptech Icebox) that is non-OEM and 3 (ITR intake arm/ITR 4-1 header/ITR exhaust) that are OEM. I have my custom trans, Nitto 555R's, some weight reduction and I go consistant 14.9's at about 92 ('94 Integra, 2200lbs no gas/no driver, 2450 full tank/driver). Most swapped Honda's have the wrong trans and a bad driver.

[The President]

I have 1 "bolt-on" (Comptech Icebox) that is non-OEM and 3 (ITR intake arm/ITR 4-1 header/ITR exhaust) that are OEM. I have my custom trans, Nitto 555R's, some weight reduction and I go consistant 14.9's at about 92 ('94 Integra, 2200lbs no gas/no driver, 2450 full tank/driver). Most swapped Honda's have the wrong trans and a bad driver.



GSR's have the potential. ITR's obviously have potential and so do LS's as long as they have a b16/ITR trans.

My old DA went 15.4's in the 1/4 with just an intake, b17 ys1 trans, an LSD, and super light wheels.

Essentially the 2.0 DOHC Neons have short geared trans so they run pretty good right out of the box (for what it is)
I didn't say all, I just said not many.

[berny2435]

New Turbo Mazda3 and Cobalt SS's are lookin good and they are pretty damn fast for a FWD.. . You can get Brembos and an LSD in the Cobalt SS I believe. A lil pricey for both which is one of the reasons why I stayed away from the Mazda.

[theAngryMarmot]

miata. RWD, Light, controllable, easy to drive, easy to work on, huge aftermarket, great gas mileage, ridiculously reliable, somewhat comfortable ( i drive mine over 80 miles a day!), and its a roadster.

Depending on the options, they can be "giant killers"
factory LSD in alot of models
optional bilstein shocks
big brakes (for such a light car)

mine has 4.30 rear gears with a torsen LSD - stock.

not to mention a miata won the "modified RWD class" in the redline time attack events, and that most amatuer level SCCA classes are dominated by miatas...

the stock bottom end can handle 12-15psi boost with no issues, and you only need about 280rwd on the stock tires to get into the 12s in the quarter (and thats with mad tirespin)

its the perfect car to learn in, then upgrade, then be competitive in.

but i am slighlty biased.
everyone who has riden with me when i am at the track or on a fun road immediately wants one.

[ILIKETODRIVE]

PS - I have a JDM B18B

I've spanked lots of B16-powered and B16-swapped cars. :thumbup:

[BoostCreep]

miata. RWD, Light, controllable, easy to drive, easy to work on, huge aftermarket, great gas mileage, ridiculously reliable, somewhat comfortable ( i drive mine over 80 miles a day!), and its a roadster.

Depending on the options, they can be "giant killers"
factory LSD in alot of models
optional bilstein shocks
big brakes (for such a light car)

mine has 4.30 rear gears with a torsen LSD - stock.

not to mention a miata won the "modified RWD class" in the redline time attack events, and that most amatuer level SCCA classes are dominated by miatas...

the stock bottom end can handle 12-15psi boost with no issues, and you only need about 280rwd on the stock tires to get into the 12s in the quarter (and thats with mad tirespin)

its the perfect car to learn in, then upgrade, then be competitive in.

but i am slighlty biased.
everyone who has riden with me when i am at the track or on a fun road immediately wants one.



I second this.

I just sold my turbo charged 90 Miata. Crazy easy to work on, and you cannot beat Mazdaspeed's grassroots sponship program.
On 6 psi I would have traction problems on corner exits using 13x8 wheels shod with hoosier A6's and a tight VLSD. Parts are plentiful and the aftermarket is just full of go fast bits. Moreover, my car was completely comfortable and very streetable on regluar 15" wheels and street tires. The stickers did draw attention, but I didnt care.

If you can look past the stereotype and remember you're an enthusiast, you'll really enjoy a Miata.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/redae86/DSC_9763.jpg

[johnb20]

We also need to know what you mean when you say "track car". Drag, autox or track?

Miatas do amazing at the autox and they are fun to drive around town but they do not have enough power to be a fun track car IMO.

and their big in the gay committee.

[yosshaa]

and their big in the gay committee.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/iamjww/GayMiata.jpg

[KevinBoosted]

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/iamjww/GayMiata.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/3462ctc.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2e54in6.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/x3voza.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/33tqwps.jpg

[dantana]

man this is awesome, i almost snorted beer when i saw this one
http://i44.tinypic.com/2e54in6.jpg

[ZCwagon]

daily driver and racer.

88 CRC
87 Civic
95 Miata
06 STI
05 S2000

Best daily/racer S2000

[84b18]

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i77/frkishlyevillosr/IMG_0030.jpg

dont get me rong my crx is EXTREMELY fast, but the miata is much easier to work on so it will probably work better for you

[theAngryMarmot]

the miata stereotypes are hilarious, because the people who perpetuate them have never owned one ;)
as far as power goes, they have all you need if you are starting out, and the you upgrade on the way. I have seen way to many people build/buy high hp cars and demolish them on the track, or be scared to death of them, to the point of being slow. I have a friend who has a z06 race car (600rwhp, full suspension, aero, etc) and he gets passed in the corners by spec miatas (145rwhp) because he is too scared of it push it hard.

hands down the BEST track car to start with is something like the miata. Its tougher than nails, has just enough power to slide around, and has one of the best aftermarket bases for everything from show car, to full on race car, you could ask for. If you need proof of this, let me know. I will take you for a ride, and you will want one ;)

[CARNEXUS]

Dude don't waste time!!! If you have the money and want turbo, nothing like a Porsche 944 turbo AKA 951. (50/50 even weigh on front and rear, handles like a dream)

if you want to go NA, best bang for your buck: E36 M3 all the way. no longer expensive on the maintenance, and you can take it to the track beat the shit out of it and drive it home with no problem. (52 front / 48 back also handles excellent) a much better choice for a DD/ TRACK. IMO

Don’t waste time with any thing ells.

[berny2435]

+1 on the E36 track car. If I had 15-20Gs laying around, I'd have a pristine specimen in the garage getting stripped right now! You can sell the interiors for enough to get a nice roll cage installed!

[92SiSpoon]

i would say s2000. i had one and it was a complete blast to drive.

[theAngryMarmot]

"nothing like a Porsche 944 turbo"

944s are great, but a pain in the ass to work on. You should see what it takes to change the water pump (ive done it, and never again!) They may be viewed as a lesser porsche by the too much wieght in the ass 911 crowd, but they can be seriously quick with the right mods

"E36 M3 all the way. no longer expensive on the maintenance"

M3s are badass, but parts are expensive, and the engines are slightly fragile when abused. ( i know from experience)

For the price of a NICE M3, i would rather buy a used C5 Zo6, they are monsters, easy to work on, and very very fast (a few saturdays ago I was at PIR in one) and have a huge aftermarket of cheap parts. It amazes me how GM can make the oddball transverse composite leaf spring suspension work so well.

for a beginner's track car tho, you still cant beat an S2000, Miata, maybe even an MR2 (even though they can be a bit tricky at the limit)

[topramn]

Over 40 posts and only like 5 from people who actually drive on track.


from a track enthusiast who doesnt drive on track, i say any car can be a track car. if you just want to have fun on track here and there. buy something cheap and get out there. it will never be the perfect track car unless you are unbeatable in any class which in most cases wont happen cause there is always someone with more seat time, faster car, takes a turn better than you on a couple laps, or something like that. dont buy a specific car because more than likely, you will decide that you want something else. get some seat time, make some friends, earn trust and maybe drive someone elses car to get a feel for what it is. just be ready to buy something that you dont own if you crash it.

[berny2435]

wake up on the wrong side of the bed this am? just b/c you don't see us or talk to us at the local tracks doesn't mean some of us don't have experience on the track or AutoX.

Assumptions are a bitch, they can make an ass out of anyone.. .


new subject for the heck of it.
sub $30K to spend on a PLATFORM, any car you can get your hands on used or new sub 30G AND newer than 2004. What would you buy and why?

[ILIKETODRIVE]

I would wait until Brady made his choice, then buy that. :rflmao:

[topramn]

wake up on the wrong side of the bed this am? just b/c you don't see us or talk to us at the local tracks doesn't mean some of us don't have experience on the track or AutoX.

Assumptions are a bitch, they can make an ass out of anyone.. .


new subject for the heck of it.
sub $30K to spend on a PLATFORM, any car you can get your hands on used or new sub 30G AND newer than 2004. What would you buy and why?

not saying you dont have experience. although i dont know you, i do know you are familiar with the track and no several others on here that are familiar with it. but still, there isnt many posts on here from people who actually drive on track. the comments from those that do, including yourself until you made assumptions about me, have been good.

[BlueTeg]

Gawd this thread sucks. Someone please end this abortion of a thread. How long can you debate or intelligently discuss this topic?....especially with people who have never been on the track or have limited experience on the track.

For this board: the best track car is one that actually gets driven on track, not one that sits in your garage, while you sit on AZHT :type: and mentally masturbate about what would be a good car to drive on track.

If I see another recommendation from some who has never driven on track or did one day, I may vomit all over my monitor.

[topramn]

Gawd this thread sucks. Someone please end this abortion of a thread. How long can you debate or intelligently discuss this topic?....especially with people who have never been on the track or have limited experience on the track.

For this board: the best track car is one that actually gets driven on track, not one that sits in your garage, while you sit on AZHT :type: and mentally masturbate about what would be a good car to drive on track.

If I see another recommendation from some who has never driven on track or did one day, I may vomit all over my monitor.


hence the reason why i said get something cheap and get out there.

[EG6-DC2]

I don't track....but I would think a Yugo would make the best track car! Light, cheap, and a ringer! :doobie:

[SlowCivicHmm]

someone's been watching Top Gear ^^^^ lol

Best Car to TRACK!!! Cheap and reliable!

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s291/HoseBeee_photo/Gumby/th_P2210156.jpg (http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s291/HoseBeee_photo/Gumby/?action=view&current=P2210156.jpg)