A 2nd gen MR2 is probably up your alley. They can be found for reasonable and are still somewhat competitive. I also second the notion for a Zx2. Very fun car to drive for not much money.
A 2nd gen MR2 is probably up your alley. They can be found for reasonable and are still somewhat competitive. I also second the notion for a Zx2. Very fun car to drive for not much money.
AngryCorvair wrote:GI_Drewsifer wrote: Porsche 944 8V! You can get those for less than 4500 easy. Toyota MR-2.944 8V? E36 M3, a month ago you could've gotten a 944 V8 for two grand. subtle difference between the two.
If I had known about in sooner I probably would have bought it! sadly i didn't see it was for sale until it sold :(
third vote for the 2nd gen MR2. look around the classifieds on sccaforums...there are a few MR2s for sale right now. they are a blast to autoX, and make fine daily drivers as well. and they are definitely competitive in ES.
you can even fit four race wheels/tires in them, along with any tools, coolers, etc you would want to bring to an autoX.
mw wrote: Miata with rainbow paint job and a rotary swap
winnAr!
TJ wrote:Found this on a lotus forum.
Found this waiting for me at work the day after I showed up in my Miata for the first time. 
You should also look into FWD sr20 powered Nissans like the Sentra SE-R, NX2000 and 200sx SE-R. I used to autox an NX2000 and it was a great car!
Will wrote: LT1 F-body.
^^ this +1. These things rocked FS for years. Still competitive with a good driver.
White_and_Nerdy wrote: Found this waiting for me at work the day after I showed up in my Miata for the first time.
My friend was sitting at work, and his buddy was reading the classifieds. Said, "Miata race car? Who the berkeley would pay 14 grand for a Miata?" My friend just hung his head and laughed.
To the OP, I just found my friend a running first-gen Miata for less than $400. He's already bought new wheels, new bumper, new softtop, tires, and springs. I don't think he's crossed $1K in the project yet, and we're going to have a E36 M3load of fun at the autocross this coming weekend.
I've owned multiple Miatas, and like them. They are easily the best choice here, followed very closely by the 1st and 2nd gen MR2s.
As far as the Miata being gay crap goes, I have a friend that constantly says "the hardest part about buying a Miata is having to to tell your family you're gay". That is until I got him to drive it, no more teasing at all, and he wants to borrow it. Too funny!
You can "manly" up a Miata pretty well. A hardtop, roll bar, better wheels and touch of lowering goes a long way. Suddenly you are stopped at every gas station wanting to know what it is!
Few things man up a miata like 9" wide wheels and the right suspension setup. I want one....
Don't rule out a dedicated race car like an F125 shifter kart, Formula Ford, Vee or 500. I tow my F500 behind the daily driver (1995 Honda Accord V6) without problem. The open wheel trailer plus car weigh around 1000 pounds.
With minor modifications the F500 car can also run at time trials and other road course events. They are relatively easy to work on and there are plenty of helpful folks online (perhaps locally) to get you started. In the event something breaks at an event, you're already setup for towing it home.
This worked out very well for me:
1st gen RX7: $1,000.00
Exhaust: $800.00
Carb: $400.00
Suspension: $1,000.00
Tires: $200.00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpEYAKo0fU
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