Maybe I should consolidate the fleet

I have a lot of cars, but I don't have a nice car. I think I could unload about $10k worth of stuff I really don't need without losing too much sleep.

Ten grand puts me into low end C5 money, or 04 GTO money. The kids wouldn't do well riding in the hatch of the Vette. I'd have the money to buy a Goat, but I wouldn't have much left for improving it and I'd be stuck driving a car any schmoe could go buy.

I'm thinking engine swap into a decent modernish car. I have 302 Ford stuff coming out of my ears, but I think I'd be better served selling them to fund an LSx and putting it in something cool.

Qualifications are; LSx swappable, a backseat kids can fit in, potential to be fast as hell on a road course, A/C, and respectable enough that I can pick up the kids from private school. Let's say a $10k budget from someone who is really good at scrounging up a deal, and doing all of the work myself. Also, has to be faster on track than a gutted, well prepped, 5.0, FB RX7 LeMons car.

Ideas are E36, 944, 95ish 240sx, FC RX7 (if I can find a back seat). Help.

You are just some budget short of CTS-V being the perfect answer.
Can you sell off a little more?

Here is a quickly found sample:
$14k
There must be more if you put a little more time into looking.

I could, but The Caddy is a bit large for a part time track car. Also, I didn't build it myself.

LSRX-8

If you want to build it yourself, get a Catera and drop in the LSx making a 4 door Holden/GTO, etc.

E36...Less strange costly random breakage stuff than 944. You should consider doing the 5.0 swap on the E36 also and having a solid track car.

JohnRW1621 wrote: You are just some budget short of CTS-V being the perfect answer. Can you sell off a little more? Here is a quickly found sample: $14k There must be more if you put a little more time into looking.

What a E36 M3ty ad...

Can the RX8 be done on budget?

I was researching 5.0 E36s today...

Maybe I should rephrase the question. What is the best track car for an LS swap with a back seat.

4th gen F-Body? Pretty cheap overall but already already has everything you need. just do the suspension and go to town.

btp76 wrote: I could, but The Caddy is a bit large for a part time track car.

Gonna disagree with this part. I autocrossed mine for a season and drag raced it multiple times. I know there are guys out there doing track days in them. It's not a Miata, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.

Kid friendly makes me say E36.

The Caddy isn't much bigger than the Goat.

If you are looking for around 300-350hp at the crank, your big collection of 302 Ford engine parts shouldn't be automatically be brushed over. I would look at getting a pre-96 E36 or an E34. Kids won't fit in the back of a RX-8 or a 240sx for very long. I personally wouldn't give two E36 M3s what people thought about my car, especially since the majority of the public don't care about cars, but that's just my opinion.

I'd swap into a E36 and I've got an LSx swap into a 944. The motor fits SO much better in the E36, you can leave the factory brakes alone, lots of room in that engine bay. You can also use the T56 trans, which you can't do in the 944.

Kids also aren't going to be too thrilled in the back of a 944...

+1 for LSXRX-8 or E36.

Am I the only one that thinks that an engine swapped track car that is also a respectable looking daily driver might be a little too much consolidation?

The Kids are 9 and 11, so no more car seats, and one of them should be driving in 5 years. They don't ride in my cars often. Mom's Mazda5 is the main kid mover. My daily driver is an F350 crew cab (engine swapped with a Cummins). It get's great diesel mileage, it's just BIG. I also have a 02 Marquis I picked up cheap, but I'd likely get rid of it to fund the other project. All this is to say that I don't have to have a comfortable long distance commuter. My commute is 7 minutes if I get caught at the lights.

The 302 seems to fit the E36 well, I don't like the way it sits in the FC (although I'm building two 302 FB LeMons cars). It doesn't seem to fit the 944. 240s are out at this point. The dorifto kids have driven the prices too far up.

I wonder, though, if I'm going to all the trouble shouldn't I go all the way to LSx.

@ Docwyte; That is information I'm really looking for. I figured one of the pluses for the 944 was not having to shell out an extra grand or so for the 6 speed.

Let's narrow this down:

E36 - Maybe stick with 302, Can be had with 4 doors, I run hot and cold on the looks, Cheap.

944 - LSX only, don't have to buy trans, Miniscule back seat, Cheap, but are parts too high?

FC RX7 - LSX only (from my perspective), have to find a back seat, Cheap, Parts are cheap.

240sx - Dorifto tax.

RX8 - Ugly, Don't know if I can get an OBD2 car inspected.

Here in Dallas we have a rolling 25 year emissions exemption. At this point I'd likely have to get an E36, or 240 "inspected". The RX8 may be insurmountable. The others, so long as I stay 90 model or older, inspect with lights and a horn.

Caprice wagon? You can find one for cheap and do all of the fun suspension stuff initially. When it's time the LSx part should be trivially simple.
Yes, the car is a boat, but what it lacks in agility it makes up for in cool. Nobody takes pictures of another Miata or Mustang dodging cones, but EVERYONE watches, talks about, and photographs two and a half tons of awesome when it's done well.