Bang for your buck in a track car

[AMoore]

Josh's new acquisition had me thinking.  What would be the best bang for your buck street legal DE car, considering cost to buy, and cost to run.  Cheap, plentiful, quality parts a must.

[JeffConklin]

I had a good talk with Steve Landstra at this past event  and after being absolutely blown away by his Z06.  In our highly biased conversation the answer was  - 2 year old Corvette Z06.  Track Ready out of the box, plenty available used with low miles. Can't speak to running costs.  Hell this weekend I was wondering wether it was a Porsche Club Event or Corvette Club.  I think we had 4-5 ( maybe more) Vettes out there this weekend.

Jeff

[AMoore]

Agreed but you are still talking about 50 - 60K for a newer Z-06.  I was thinking mabye a Subaru WRX STI, Mitsubishi Evo, Civic SI, etc.  Heck, even a C5 generation Z06 can be had for 25 - 30K.

[steveh]

I have a couple of different suggestions for high "bang" and very low "buck", based on running with a variety of different clubs.  Apologies to Porschephiles, but you all know that "bang" and "buck" are both fairly high in anything made after 1990.

Best "bang" as a DE/Street car: 1991 - 1998 Mazda Miata, 4-pt roll bar, factory hardtop, decent race seats and harnesses, Spec Miata suspension kit.  Total cost to buy or build: about $5,000 - $7,500.  More "track" than "street", but still streetable.  An absolute blast to drive (momentum cars make you a better driver, IMHO) and parts are cheap and plentiful (and wear out more slowly because of the light weight of the car).  I've had mine for two years now, and running costs have been very reasonable -- including a full engine swap that was only about $1,500 (try that in a P-car).  Add a full cage and go racing in Spec Miata for not a lot more $$.

Next best -- Spec E30 BMW.  Again, 4-pt roll bar in lieu of full cage (serious question whether a fully-caged car is legal, or wise, for the street).  Car of choice for BMWCCA guys looking to maximize track time on minimum budgets, and a very-well attended race class.  Looks like average costs of entry are about the same or slightly higher than the Miata (depending on donor car) and parts are plentiful and relatively cheap.  Roomy, high-quality interior makes daily driver duty less of a chore than the Miata.

I'll also throw in a plug for the E36 325.  I have a '92 that I just converted for track use (roll bar, seat, harnesses, some suspension mods).  Paid almost nothing for it originally.  The car has almost 240,000 miles on it, and still runs beautifully.  I use it as a DD (dogs can still fit in the back seat, and there's a roomy trunk) and I love the way the car drives on the street.  It successfully navigated Thunderbolt, Summit Main and Shenandoah this season with no troubles, and I look forward to driving it until it explodes (I'll get my money back parting it out). 

For more "bang" and more $$ -- BMW E36 M3:  prices for good used ones are dropping fast.  Parts are more expensive, but the cars seem to be bullet-proof.  Great street car that needs minimal mods for the track.

N/A 944's seem to be a good choice too.  Relatively low cost to get one, and the Spec 944 guys tell me the cars are relatively inexpensive to race.  Also a very attractive "classic" street car.  I don't recommend the 951's (fantastic car, but expensive to maintain).  Huge race classes at NASA events.

Finally, 80's-era 911's seem to very popular.  Higher price of entry but air-cooled engines are pretty reliable.  Absolutely stunning street car (love the look) and wicked on track (another momentum car, but much faster).

I agree that the Corvettes are fantastic street/track cars, but late models still seem to be fairly expensive to get into. Running costs should be low, as GM parts are cheap.

Just my $.02....

[vego]

I know of a well prepared E36 M3 for sale 

[AMoore]

The low hp cars do not appeal to me except on small tracks like Shenandoah.  I love the rush of going fast in the straights and getting the point by. 

How about this.  Subaru WRX wagon - you can haul your track tires and tools in the back, and you can put a high pressure turbocharger on to really move. 

[George3]

AMoore wrote:

Agreed but you are still talking about 50 - 60K for a newer Z-06. I was thinking mabye a Subaru WRX STI, Mitsubishi Evo, Civic SI, etc. Heck, even a C5 generation Z06 can be had for 25 - 30K.

I have run the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru WRX as track cars. All you need to do is get wheels, R-comp tires, anti-sways, springs or coilovers if you choose and a mild tune. This alone will put you ahead of many of the stock-ish 993's. You can also opt for the roll bar, some efficiency bolt-on's, etc. By Porsche standards, they are relatively low cost to maintain and can put a big smile on your face.

[delanckc]

I'm at a decision point to find out if I will commit to my 91 944 S2 and make it 'more trackish' or to go in another direction.  I'm looking for bang for the buck thrill. 

I reevaluate at the end of each season.  I'm in White and stuck there until additional safety mods are in place (HANS, cage).  If I make those changes in my S2, I'll be committing to running the car longer term.  This will likely include racing as well.

I've done/doing research on older 911's, spec boxsters, M3 (E36), Vettes and Miatas.  My S2 has been rock solid in the three years I've been doing DE's.  Only major issues have been replacement of the original clutch and PS rack.

Kevin

[steveh]

AMoore wrote:

The low hp cars do not appeal to me except on small tracks like Shenandoah. I love the rush of going fast in the straights and getting the point by.

How about this. Subaru WRX wagon - you can haul your track tires and tools in the back, and you can put a high pressure turbocharger on to really move.

Flyin Miata will sell you a turbo kit that can produce up to 250 whp out of a 1.8L engine. That's some rush.

I like the WRX's and Evo's, but worry that a breakdown in the AWD system could spell major $$$. I think "low buck" should equal "simple."

Another possibility -- Factory5 cars. Mustang V8 power, decent handling, classic "Cobra" looks, all for around $20 - $25K, depending on donor.

[ninjabones]

AMoore wrote:

Josh's new acquisition had me thinking. What would be the best bang for your buck street legal DE car, considering cost to buy, and cost to run. Cheap, plentiful, quality parts a must.

Miata has my vote too, but if that ain't fast enough for you then, I think the e36 M3 is a great option. The e36 M3 is essentially comparable to a 993 with regard to performance; in fact, you will see e36 M3s and 993s battling it out very evenly in NASA GTS3 races all season. However, the M3 is much much cheaper to purchase and simpler to maintain). You'd probably looking at about $10,000 - 15,000 for a reasonably prepared car vs $30K+ for a similarly equipped 993. Both cars are plenty fast for DE upper run groups and can be configured to remain street legal. Check out bimmerforums classified section.