DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/26/13 2:48 p.m.

Found an awesome deal on one. I've ditched the idea of getting my old Trans Am back realizing I'd rather build a car for club racing. Plus I'd rather not give the turd burglar the $$.

Anyways I've been searching and looking at all kinds of cars and came across an older WRX for a great deal. 150k miles and needs a bit of work. I know they are awesome autoxers but how do they fare in terms of SCCA/NASA club racing?

NGTD
NGTD Dork
5/26/13 4:06 p.m.

Watch the oiling - I have seen stories of WRX`s losing oil pressure on long corners.

racerfink
racerfink SuperDork
5/26/13 5:25 p.m.

I've seen very few Subaru's in my 22 years of club racing. That may tell you all you need to know.

BoneYard_Racing
BoneYard_Racing Reader
5/26/13 5:46 p.m.

No WRX experience but we had the most trouble free weekend of racing in history at "There Goes the Neighborhood" 95 Impreza with Forrester trans, Frankenmotor, WRX brakes and STI struts. It was fast, durable, easy to drive, and, pretty much awesome in everyway.

motomoron
motomoron Dork
5/26/13 8:35 p.m.

I've never seen one at an SCCA club race - and I don't think there's a NASA class they rule.

The best race car (if cost is an issue at all) is the one on which the current owner takes a barely-survivable beating from the sale.

Buy something finished.

peter
peter HalfDork
5/26/13 9:12 p.m.

My short experience wrenching on a 2002 bugeye convinced me that Subaru engineers had little if any compassion for Subaru mechanics.

Of course, your Trans Am may have inured you to the pain of replacing plugs that are inaccessible by anyone short of David Copperfield, but there are some really odd engineering choices in a Subaru engine bay.

For a club racer, I think I'd prefer something stupid-easy to wrench on.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/26/13 10:31 p.m.

I am hating passing up an awesome deal. Maybe turn it into a rallyxer. And no car company can beat VAG when it comes to horrible engineering for mechanics.

Guess I'll start looking for Miatas or D powered civics.

Copper280z
Copper280z New Reader
5/26/13 10:56 p.m.

If I was going to get into SCCA club racing there's no question about it, my first race car would be a Civic or a Miata.

motomoron
motomoron Dork
5/26/13 10:58 p.m.

It's a kick-ass rallycross car.

If the plan is wheel-to-wheel, start by figuring out the absolute maximum you can possibly stomach spending between December and October, then look at the SCCA and NASA schedules for your region and see who's got the schedule you like. Then start looking at the SCCA, NASA, racingjunk.com and eBay listings for used race cars.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/27/13 12:38 p.m.

I'm scouring every dumpster that a car can be listed on for something. I've come across some awesome deals. I'm at the point where it is just choosing. For the time being until I can completely build the car to a specification would be to just track it at PDXs, HPDEs, AutoX, etc. My current location gives me the benefit of either sanctioning body; but, I do not plan to stay here much longer so it would likely be SCCA (wife wants back to central Florida where you have Sebring and Daytona and GRM HQ). Unless I get stuck back in Homestead where NASA runs a lot of events (pray everyday I never have to go there for more than 2 weeks at a time).

I'd love to get another F-body and I should take this mantra with deciding on a Scooby. More power = more $. Tires, brakes, broken parts etc. I know my Civics inside and out and Miatas are rwd so looks like I've narrowed my search haha.

Found a nice Miata for $2200 last night, called and it sold like 20 minutes before hand!

Copper280z
Copper280z New Reader
5/27/13 1:20 p.m.

In reply to DirtyBird222:

You can buy turn key ITC/B civics for 3-5k, building a race car is a waste of money. I think miatas go for a little more, but I'd still seriously consider buying a built one.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/27/13 1:33 p.m.

Building is part of the fun for me I suppose. I see your point - finding those is another issue too haha.

LainfordExpress
LainfordExpress HalfDork
5/27/13 2:13 p.m.

Here's a reason to go ahead:

And here's a reason not to:

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/27/13 6:41 p.m.

ouch. I'm sure that zip tie will fix it though right? :)

whenry
whenry HalfDork
5/27/13 6:50 p.m.

There really isnt a class for WRX in the SCCA road racing classification scheme(they had bad experiences with turbos in the past) unless you want to go to a open checkbook all-comers class. Follow the advice above and find yourself a much more common and better supported car ie Mazda for your road racing $$.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/27/13 11:48 p.m.

Found a Miata for $900. Might go pick it up tomorrow.

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