Change of Direction; So Now What?

Some of you may have noticed I put my Formula 500 up for sale and at the same time I'm working on a deal for a Foxbody Mustang.

This all got started when I decided to just instruct at an event earlier this month; I didn't feel like loading up the Datsun and chugging an hour and twenty minutes each way in the van. 

My wife suggested I buy a cheap Miata for HPDE, Time Trials and Autocross but those really don't exist; at least not decent ones. I already have one momentum car so hence the Foxbody.

I am now five to seven years out from retirement; I say seven years because my wife suggested I do a year or two more so I could by my dream race car. Defining the dream car is now been made difficult.

Typically it would be something like a Formula Super Vee. My wife is such a sweetheart but she really doesn't like me in vintage open wheel cars, she's under the impression they aren't the safest things.........maybe because I tell her old open wheel cars aren't the safest things and one needs to drive accordingly.

So the question is now what?

The easy answer would be a 70s or 80s 911 but I find them to be obscenely overpriced for what they are. I could never bring myself to spend the current market value even though I love driving them.

The current plan is vintage races for the Datsun and local SCCA time trials in the Sport Class with the Mustang.

I  like little death traps (mostly because 15K-25K buys something cool) so I'd love to hear some ideas on what you guys find cool when it comes to production cars. 

I hear there is a sweet Cadillac CTS-V for sale for $30k, includes some spares...

my friend races a BMW, I think it's a 128? Full race prep, caged and all that. It's fast as can be and other than brakes and tires and fluids I don't think he has done much to it in 4 years. 

I've seen the panoz Esperante race cars for reasonable prices, plus I'm pretty sure they use Mustang drivetrains so maintenance shouldn't be awful. Not sure what class they would run in

I love racing my BMW (E46 M3 built for NASA ST4) but it's not a 15-25K car.

Tom1200 said:

I  like little death traps (mostly because 15K-25K buys something cool) so I'd love to hear some ideas on what you guys find cool when it comes to production cars. 

I haven't paid much attention to what has changed in SCCA GT or Production classes but something in the area of GT2 3 or 4 or E-Production.

In reply to gixxeropa :

The Esperante cars peaked my interest as will.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

I love racing my BMW (E46 M3 built for NASA ST4) but it's not a 15-25K car.

 

This is part of my open wheel addiction; 15K-30K will buy a car that will do between 1:25 and 1:30 lap times at Laguna Seca.

In reply to L5wolvesf :

Larry,

A budget GT3 car always seemed like a good way to go; you could run a moderately tuned motor that would do several seasons.

There was a tube frame RX7 and one of my last vintage races; the driver was kinda slow but the car looked fun. 

Don't half ass it. Do a complete 180. Motorcycles. Theres a CB160 series.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to L5wolvesf :

There was a tube frame RX7 and one of my last vintage races; the driver was kinda slow but the car looked fun. 

To me RX7s are a high maintenance race car. Isn't parts availability gonna be an issue?

My E-Prod thought was you would have an open top but no open wheels. I always picture MBs there but I imagine its a Miata thing now.

Tom1200 said:

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

I love racing my BMW (E46 M3 built for NASA ST4) but it's not a 15-25K car.

 

This is part of my open wheel addiction; 15K-30K will buy a car that will do between 1:25 and 1:30 lap times at Laguna Seca.

Yeah, best I've done there with my M3 is a low 1:36.  With the new grip from the repave there's at least a 34 in it (if not a 33!), though.

But you asked about production cars. :)

Appleseed said:

Don't half ass it. Do a complete 180. Motorcycles. Theres a CB160 series.

I raced a 125 GP bike from 1987 to 1990.........

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

I am thinking a tube frame car will be the way to go. Something around 2000lbs and 300 hp

In reply to L5wolvesf :

My thought was grab a RX7 roller and fit a small block V8.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to L5wolvesf :

My thought was grab a RX7 roller and fit a small block V8.

Old school SBF / SBC or something newer?

L5wolvesf said:

Tom1200 said:

In reply to L5wolvesf :

My thought was grab a RX7 roller and fit a small block V8.

Old school SBF / SBC or something newer?

It would have to be old school SBF because my fabricator is a Ford guy............he gives me a great rate as long as he likes the project.