Okay, Miata sold, now what?

Last night a very nice young man paid a down payment on the Miata, and he'll be back to pay it off and pick the car up in a few weeks (or I keep the down). Anyways, now it's time to start shopping for the replacement!

Requirements:

• Spare car/fun car/dedicated autocross car
• Comfortable enough to drive ~200 miles to events with my wife (so PS, CC, and A/C would be nice)
• Can fit in my garage (FB RX7 and Miata both fit, Javelin and 5 do not)
• Can be regionally competitive in one of the SCCA ST classes
• Around $3500 or so

What I have also realized is that last year we made it to exactly 4 SCCA autocrosses, and all 10 PCA autocrosses. That has me leaning heavily towards a Porsche and just dropping our SCCA membership altogether. Then I can focus on a rules package that is very easy. Obviously I am in the low end of P-cars, so I am thinking 85.5-87 944 for the nicer interior, lower weight, and better suspension.

On the chance that a P-car won't happen (she really likes Boxster's, which we choose not to afford right now), what else would be out there? I was thinking a 94-95 Mustang Cobra could make a killer STX sleeper build (bonus points - she loves Mustangs). Maybe an FC RX-7?

I do know that I want a hardtop or sunroof car. Convertibles are useless up here 75% of the year.

I like the FC RX7 idea.

EARLY 90'S c4?

Hmmm... Mk1 Mr2? I know the Mk2 Mr2s are excluded...

SE-R

Epic road trip from MD with a uber cool white Fiesta.

FC would be great, I truly miss my FB. Never should have sold that on. I'd probably jump on a GSL-SE in a heartbeat, or a Lime Green SA.

Holy cow, those early C4's are just about in my price range, and for decent ones!

MK1 MR2 might be a contender, but I don't think I could stand the internet backlash from Celica for buying a Toyduh.

Javelin.

Javelin wrote: FC would be great, I truly miss my FB. Never should have sold that on. I'd probably jump on a GSL-SE in a heartbeat, or a Lime Green SA. Holy cow, those early C4's are *just* about in my price range, and for decent ones! MK1 MR2 might be a contender, but I don't think I could stand the internet backlash from Celica for buying a Toyduh.

Oh yeah, you'd NEVER live that one down.

No but seriously... i hate all toyotas made past the 90s with only two exceptions, so an AW11 would get a pass on the badgering from me.

88-89 AllTrac?
88-89 Celica GTS? (FWD, i know... but if the ST shakeup goes through, it should be a contender)

Honestly... i still like the FC RX7 idea the best.

The C4 would kill you on consumables - fat, sticky tires are $$$. Hard to argue with the dollar/performance ratio though. How competitive is your local PCA autocross scene? Where I am it's casual at best - no classing beyond Porsche, Corvette (the 3 active guys in the local 'vette club run with us), Race and Other. Local BMWCCA is about the same. That suits me just fine but others want the highly structured setup of the local SCCA. If your local PCA autox suits you look at their results and see how late 944s fare to see if you'll be able to get what you want out of it.
I will say you've described sounds like an E30 - how's the BMWCCA around you?

FC RX7's are cheap and easy to work on. They are pretty reliable if you take care of them.

They are SSLLLLOOOOWWWW! If you go for a TurboII, they are pretty quick, but more maintenance and higher buy in price.

If you get one with AC, and power steering, it will be even slower.

Check to make sure you can sit in it with a helmet comfortably. They can be a tight fit.

Good Luck!

Build the Javelin.

How about a Miata?

Build the Javelin...but this season get suspension for your mini-van and beat half the local field.

I THINK YOU ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION WHEN YOU SAID "SHE LOVES MUSTANGS"......

Screw the FC get an SA!!! Lime green with fender mirrors,and plaid seats would be epic!!!

I should comment that the Javelin is getting built no matter what, and it won't follow any stupid autox rules

SE-R and Celica's are probably out because I don't enjoy FWD (in fact, I've never even autocrossed one).

Local PCA is more competitive than the SCCA, which is why we race with them more. They have full fields of all the PCA categories, plus a season-long points championship for Non-Porsches in "Race Tire" and "Street Tire" categories.

I don't think we even have a local BMWCCA. Never really gave Beemers much thought either though.

C4's shouldn't be too bad on consumables, beyond tires. I gotta run that one by the wife and she what she thinks, she usually likes Vettes...

I had an FC many years ago (and was one of exactly 2 cars I ever regretted selling, which is why I bought the FB), however it had a pretty gnarly street port, manual steering, and so on... I'd rather have another SA/FB anyways, more character

Miata's can kiss my butt for a few months. When I do another, it will either be a 1.8/Torsen car with a turbo or an NB with a turbo.

The van is not allowed to autocross until it's hit 150K and is replaced on DD duties... Then it's going MS3 swap and woodgrain!

I am thinking about Mustang's pretty hard... The 94-95 GT (or better yet, Cobra) are dirt cheap and have all the makings of a good car (V8, RWD, stick, LSD). In STX I could fix all the chassis/handling issues (subframe connectors, strut bars, 3-link, panhard bar, coil-overs, tubular front and rear LCA's, bushings, seats) plus get more power with a tune, CAI, pulleys, and headers + exhaust...

RWD Celica? 3rd gen GTS is a nice car...

But srs. Still like the FC idea better than Mustang.

944 for PCA use

914?

So what you're saying is, you could race this;

And instead you're going to keep it in your garage and terrorize what now? With a Mustang?

With the criteria you described, I'd say the Mustang would be hard to beat. Either the '94-'95 or even a late Fox body. They're dirt cheap, performance parts are just as cheap and are everywhere. Engine and tranny are pretty bullet proof. Definitely comfy enough for long distance cruising. Handling in stock form was so-so, but there are endless mods to make it handle pretty well. For not much dough, they can be made to go like stink and handle pretty darn well. That's one of the reasons you see plenty of them doing HPDE.

I don't have the cubic dollars needed to make my Javelin that bad-ass that quickly. I'm preparing it for 2012. I need something to race this year, and something the wife can drive. I doubt she'll ever get within 10 feet of the Javelin. She hasn't so far!

+1 Save money for Javelin.

Jeep, CJ-whatever, especially where you live...

Edit: LOWERED jeep during the summer, and lifted in the winter

Yeah, I'd either save the money and just race something else already in your driveway (like there's a shortage of cars at your house?) but if that doesn't feel right, an early SN95 Mustang seems like a nice way to go. I have to admit that I spent some time looking at parts and upgrades for these myself. I'd obviously go for the 5.0 as well, as I'm sure you're doing as well, and then start looking for suspension bits and all that jazz. They seem like nice enough cars with a pretty cheap interior.