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bcp2011
bcp2011 Reader
8/27/19 11:09 a.m.
bmw88rider
bmw88rider GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
8/27/19 11:26 a.m.

In reply to Nugi :

Beat me to it. I was just going to say a b18 EF civic. 

https://cosprings.craigslist.org/cto/d/colorado-springs-honda-civic-hatch/6963810271.html + B18=Track fun You can have a heck of a car for under $5K 

 

jwagner
jwagner New Reader
8/27/19 11:39 a.m.

All these tintops mentioned are pretty mundane:

Mine has a K20 and runs with the big dogs on my home track (Blackhawk).  Consumables are cheap and last a long time.  Wrenching is easy as everything is accessible and parts are cheap.  And they are an absolute hoot to drive on the track.

The downside is that an Exocet is not in any way a daily triver - it's track only and needs a trailer.  (Which is why I'm putting mine up for sale this fall.  Want to get the trailer and tow van out of the driveway.)

 

 

 

 

Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/27/19 12:50 p.m.

I am surprised how excited I am at those Beetles. They look kinda cool and it seems that (right now, anyway) it is easier to find a nice Turbo S than a TT or a GTI. 

And like I said, I do really love kind of the oddball choice. Nobody expects a little Beetle out there! Modifications seem to be pretty much the same as the TT or Golf. And there are a couple right around me that seem pretty nice and well under budget. 

I’ll have to make some time to go see a couple. I’m busy most of this week prepping for Road America with PCA this weekend. And hoping to not come last in the concours on Saturday but we’ll see... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Mike924
Mike924 Reader
8/27/19 1:08 p.m.

In reply to Lugnut :

I have been going through this post, and I must say that I am curious as to why you are discounting the Boxster so quickly.  If you are already autocrossing this car, then you know the oiling issue isn't that bad.  When autocrossing you are always high up in the power band, in the first few gears.  So it is just as hard on a car as taking it to track days.  

That is just my two cents.  

Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/27/19 1:44 p.m.

In reply to Mike924 :

I don't think it is as hard as taking it to track days. I'm at redline for 20 seconds two or three times. With a functional air oil separator, that shouldn't be enough to starve the engine for oil. On the track, I'm at redline for 25 minutes at a time, for longer periods of high G forces. And there's no downshifting to worry about overrevving. 

I've already blown up an M96 on the track and it cost more than half the cost of the car to fix and that was on a 997 Carrera 4! If I have to look at an engine for the Boxster, that will cost more than the car.

If I'm doing all the preventative maintenance on this car, IMS + motorsport AOS + deep sump and extender + accusump then I'm looking at, what, about $8k+. And none of this is any guarantee. I had the non-servicable IMS (and it wasn't my IMS that blew on my old car anyway) but I had all the rest of that stuff and I still popped the motor due to oil starvation.

I would love to just drive my Boxster, though. Like I said, I really do love this car, and this is what I bought it for to begin with. I just don't really trust it not to blow up.

chaparral
chaparral GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/27/19 1:45 p.m.

If you want to go wheel-to-wheel and pull 2+g and rev out to 14000 RPM without hurting the engine there is an answer...

Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/27/19 1:47 p.m.

No karts. I'm looking for cars.

slowbird
slowbird Reader
8/27/19 1:48 p.m.

Boxster with an LS swap?

Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/27/19 1:49 p.m.
slowbird said:

Boxster with an LS swap?

Show it to me for $5,000 and I'm in! :)

jwagner
jwagner New Reader
8/27/19 4:48 p.m.
Lugnut said:

No karts. I'm looking for cars.

I suppose that rules out an Exocet..

amg_rx7
amg_rx7 SuperDork
8/27/19 6:33 p.m.
Lugnut said:

In reply to bcp2011 :

And it's not that nothing tickles my fancy! I listed a bunch of options that nobody really talked much about. I'll repeat the ones I'm super interested in here:

Mk4 or Mk5 GTI

MINI Cooper S

Sentra SE-R Spec V

Civic Si

Celica GTS

Focus SVT or ZX4 ST

350Z

Cobalt SS (turbo isn't in my budget, supercharged is)

Mazdaspeed 3

But we haven't had any discussion about any of those ones. 

Unless there's a big new surprise, let's focus on comparing and talking about the ones I have here.

Of those listed, the only car worth talking about for track use is the 350z

I find tracking a fwd is annoying 

ymmv 

Mike924
Mike924 Reader
8/28/19 7:18 a.m.

In reply to Lugnut :

Being part of the PCA has helped me out a lot with my 924 and 944.  I know, not the same as a Boxster, but it a wealth of information.  I do know that i am biased.  In the end for cheap (relatively) and fun I would go with a Corvette. Parts a plenty, knowledge a plenty and the cost to get in with a 4th or 5th gen could be in your price range.  I am in Canada so it always looks priceier to me.  LOL.

morello159
morello159 Reader
8/28/19 7:30 a.m.

What about a Honda Accord v6 with a manual? Not super common but fairly inexpensive, reliable, fast, and would be a great daily..

Error404
Error404 New Reader
8/28/19 8:04 a.m.

A MkV GTI is fun on the track but mods/parts can get pricey. I don't have any experience with a MkIV but there's a whole lot of modding threads from mild to wild out there and parts aplenty. One thing I really liked about tracking my GTI was the big hatch, most everything I need fits comfortably in the hatch. 

From secondhand experience, a MazdaSpeed3 can get you in trouble. From what I have heard, they do a really good job of putting down their power and they have a good bit to start with. They're a bit heavier and bigger than a GTI but probably drive roughly similar. 

FWD is different, and freaks some people out when you're out with them, but it's a lot of fun to swing the tail out and mash the throttle

bcp2011
bcp2011 Reader
8/28/19 10:47 p.m.

I just remembered one thing about the 13/14 twins - the coil packs go bad on them at the track sometimes.  Basically the heat of the engine bay kills them, and obviously at the most inopportune times.  It's not hard to replace them (1 hr max), or alternatively you can get vents to help with the temp control, but it is an issue.  If you go 15+ the issues is fixed (new coil pack and engine harness, unfortunately the coil packs are of diff design so will not fit in the earlier cars unless you take the new engine harness too, which is a pain in the butt to replace (and $$).  So most people like myself just bring an extra coil pack or two to track days.  

I remembered b/c I had this issue today while on track**.  Two coil packs (two diff cylinders) in about 30-35 track days.  

** I got a check engine light, found the code, went to replace the damn thing, only to find out that my extra one is from 15+ models (I got it used on Ebay, so clearly a mislabel and I didn't check after I got it), so I put everything back on and reset the code, hoping I can get another few laps, except the thing never came back for the hour that I was on track.  

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
8/29/19 8:40 a.m.

NA miata.. Just bought mine from chicago... for way less than your budget.. you should have bought it.  ( I don't fit well in them either, I'm finding out..  ugh)..   

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
8/29/19 8:42 a.m.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/d/minneapolis-2003-nissan-350z/6966573728.html  <-  $3500 350z...   (I should have bought that as well)..

 

"350z with clean and clear title. Approximately 120k miles. Comes with a ton of spares, including extra wheels, interior parts, etc. 

Was going to build as a track car, but circumstances force sale. Car has recently had all intake gaskets replaced, oil change, spark plugs, new power steering sensor, new knock sensor, new ISR single exit exhaust, new rear rotors and pads, and more that I’m forgetting. 

Brakes still need to be bled correctly, so cannot be driven as is. Also needs an alignment. 

Make me an offer. Want it gone. Could make a great car for drift, autocross or road racing. Or just clean it up a little and make it a daily."

 

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
8/29/19 8:59 a.m.
Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/29/19 9:42 a.m.
Fueled by Caffeine said:

NA miata.. Just bought mine from chicago... for way less than your budget.. you should have bought it.  ( I don't fit well in them either, I'm finding out..  ugh)..   

I just sold an NA Miata! I don't see myself getting another one. I am kinda looking at NCs, though. There's a rebuilt title one for sale in my budget. 

Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/29/19 9:43 a.m.
Fueled by Caffeine said:

Out of your budget.. but:

 

this corvette seems proper : https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/d/minneapolis-1999-corvette-frc-track-day/6950441562.html

 

in your budget, but random flyer.

https://rockford.craigslist.org/cto/d/chadwick-legends-race-car-ford-sedan/6947540364.html <- legends car

 

 

First is over twice the budget, second fails the "drive it to the track" criteria.

Lugnut
Lugnut Dork
8/29/19 9:44 a.m.

I looked at a 350Z and remembered instantly why I hate them. I absolutely can't stand the sound they make. The shifter doesn't feel nice at all, and I feel like I'm sitting waaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back. The seats suck, too. 350Z, off the list!

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
8/29/19 10:47 a.m.

wasn't javelin thinking about selling his mustang?

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
8/29/19 11:48 a.m.
Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
8/29/19 12:04 p.m.
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