El Karacho1647545492 Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Fast, Cheap, Reliable. They say you can only have 2, but I'm an idealist and I want all 3. I've got no immediate need for a car but as soon as I graduate college my dad and I are gonna try to piece together a decent track car, just something to take out to Mid-Ohio if he joins BMWCCA and get access to their track days. Most important is cheap, with all the shit I need to do to the Apache it's gotta be easy on the wallet. lets cap it at $4grand. Secondly, it's got to be reliable. I know when I buy used I'm inheriting every problem everyone else has given it, so I want a platform that is tried and true. I have had a Celica that was slow but cheap and reliable, so I'd trust Toyota/Lexus above all other manufacturers just because of longevity. Speed is relative. I want something that starts out resonably quick on track, so suspension/handling is of greatest importance to me, but I'd also like to be able to open up on straights. That back stretch of Mid-Ohio was meant to see 150+, not the 120 that I could get the RSX up to (yeah, I'm not an expert driver). I want a good starting point for power and handling, but I'd also like room to improve without having to tear the car apart and put it back together with a frankenstein engine swap. So, suggestions? If this thread gets good response it could prove useful to many other members, I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 hrm....for a good start track car I'd say look at an e30 or e36. Might require some compromise on condition to fit in the $4K budget, but they're both competent cars that with suspension mods will handle with just about anything out there. after you've gotten it handling the way you want it and save up some scratch, you can either go turbo, or you can do a LS1 swap in the e36. Unfortunately you're not going to find anything that'll go 150 on the back straight for ANYWHERE near the money you're talking about. My 636 wouldn't get there in time. going 150 in a car at mid-ohio is WAY FAST. I think you should start with a competent car that'll handle and then build from there. I'd suggest doing a miata but I think you're looking for a bit more motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudiOn19s Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 +1 E36 325is, it's a great starting point...I've thought many times about finding one and making a track rat out of it so that I can actually drive like I want to instead of leaving time on the table because I know that I have to drive my car home. There's a guy that's a regular at Nelson that's got a nice, quick reliable 325is that he's probably got $5k in all said and done...E30's are suprisingly not much cheaper and the E36 is a better platform. As for 150mph...my GSXR-1000 might have been close...the 996 and M3 only make it to 135ish...a $4k car won't do it. (in most cases)...and if it does you better hope you spent half of that 4K on brakes once you obtain that speed. Most importantly...if you're going to build something and intend on racing it at some point start out with a rule book for that particular class so that you can modify according to the rules and don't have to re-do work down the road. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted November 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 funny that you guys mention the E30 and E36, my dad's 95 M3 is the reason he wants to join BMWCCA, and I've been thinking about an e30 325 or something along those lines. They're pretty easy to come by here in the northeast and they get DIRT cheap when winter rolls around because no one wants RWD in MA when there's white stuff all over the roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhead Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 240sx. With a good suspension setup and decent driving ability, there is little need for all out power. Someone I know from a different forum had a later gen 240 with a good suspension on it and stock KA, and lapped almost everyone on fun days. If you want to stick with Toyota, you will need to go back to the 80's to find anything worth a shit. I like the MKIII Supra but it's heavy, the MKII would be better but is rather difficult to find and at this point they are suffering from rust. The RWD Celica's have the same problem, and the RWD Corolla's are hyped up enough that they aren't worth what people are trying to sell them for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbospec29 Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 240sx. With a good suspension setup and decent driving ability, there is little need for all out power. Someone I know from a different forum had a later gen 240 with a good suspension on it and stock KA, and lapped almost everyone on fun days. If you want to stick with Toyota, you will need to go back to the 80's to find anything worth a shit. I like the MKIII Supra but it's heavy, the MKII would be better but is rather difficult to find and at this point they are suffering from rust. The RWD Celica's have the same problem, and the RWD Corolla's are hyped up enough that they aren't worth what people are trying to sell them for. +2 for the 240sx... Good reliability, cheap, some power, toss a turbo on the ka using maybe used parts to keep the costs down. Run tghe ka hard as you want cause with all the guys swapping sr20s into them the ka enghines are all over and cheap to replace. Here ya go... if you have 4 k to spend this is pretty much exactly what I'm saying you should get. http://www.ohionissans.com/forum/index.php?topic=6530.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbospec29 Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 btw hes only asking 4k now... it says 6k in the ad i know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supplicium Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 e36 track car would be amazing but on a tight budget would be tough. 240 would be nice but I think an e30 would be more enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted November 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 I've always been in love with the idea of an e30, the couple E30 M3s with the 3.0 OBD-I swap I've seen are high on the list of my dreamcars and are at the top of my list of track cars i'd someday love to have. I've also been looking into older Datsuns as well as the 240sxes, are they pretty good into the high miles (150-200k) range? I'd ideally like something I can drive to and from the track in, change wheels/tires, and drive home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHaze Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 240sxes can be cheap but it's getting harder and harder to find a cheaper one that's actually in good condition. Most of the ones I see that are worthy of buying are swapped with an sr20 already and aren't too bad of shape. They usually run about $3-4k. I've owned 2 and they're super reliable and super fun. I also loveeee the M3s from the '80s, although I don't know what body that is. Another possible proven track car is a Miata. Get some suspension and you're good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verse Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 I've also been looking into older Datsuns as well as the 240sxes, are they pretty good into the high miles (150-200k) range? I'd ideally like something I can drive to and from the track in, change wheels/tires, and drive home. My '90 240SX has ~167k on it and runs like a top. Never had any sort of serious problem with it. I paid $900 for it, got a set of used coilovers for $400 and now I have a pretty decent handling car for cheap. It's not so fast, but I could throw in a CA18 or SR20 and still be under $4k. Of course though my favorite car for under $4k would have to be an AE86. If you've ever driven one you'd know why. Anyone who has never driven an AE86 shouldn't be able to badmouth such a quality and proven track car. They are hands down the funnest car to drive. I hope to pick myself up a new one this Spring/Summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPLN SUX Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 LS1+FC ... cheap, great power to weight, stock LS1 can take some abuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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