What Car: Sub $5k HPDE/Fun Car

You can buy my v6 mr2 for $6700...

Cold A/c, Toyota reliability, great steering and pedals.  Accusump...

Dangit Pimpn, did you sell the vette already as well or you just becoming a GRM crack dealer.

Vette is gone, bought an m3.

240SX...

Sounds crazy but the b13 Nissan Sentra SE-R is a heck of a track car. 

FWD Light Weight Factory LSD (honda lsd is $$) SR20  4wheel disk brakes and independent suspension. Decent aftermarket support. 

Mine will make 185hp after a $150 ecu upgrade and weights 2300lbs a/c etc. 

Your Next Track Car

In reply to Tac1 :

I don’t heal and toe so much as rock my foot.  Left edge of my foot on the brake and right edge on the throttle 

I have small feet and it works for me.  However I’ve seen heal on the brake toe on the throttle and toe on the brake heal on the throttle 

Or if you have a proper gearbox, ( dog ring) left foot on the brake right foot on the throttle. You don’t use the clutch except to get rolling.  All shifting is done with the throttle. 

I heel and toe in my Outback and pretty much every thing I drive. Even some of,our old pick ups.

As for the car just get a Miata. Naturally I can only speak for my area but 4K will be good examples all day long here in Vegas.

We've got about $3,500 in my son's 91 Miata. The A/C works and my racing friends have taken pity on him and donated some parts. Spec Miata suspension and a roll bar. The Spec Miata suspension actually rides decent if you keep the ride height at 5.25" (measured at the pinch weld) or higher. He found some nice wheels on Craigslist for $250. 

A freind had a Sentra SE-R and they are fun for sure but they don't have the Miata's steering and gearbox. Of course with the Sentra you can take more than two people somewhere or pick up larger packages.

An Integra is a good choice as well.

BMWs are also great but the running costs will be higher; mostly because they weigh more than something like a Miata.

Miata's are truly the answer for inexpensive track and/or fun cars if you fit.  Reliable, cheap on consumables, HUGE knowledge base, honest driver's car (I had no idea how good until I tried one based on forum members raving). I gave mine up after 5.5 years due to lack of commuting/DD qualities.

Honestly in the sub $5k range your best bet is buying based on condition from one of the usual suspects, Miata, Double wishbone Honda, e30/e36, etc. I would lean Miata/Honda because they should be smaller, lighter, and cheaper to run. I was in the same position and bought a 3rd gen gsr, it would've been a Miata but I *almost* fit in them without the weld in floor drop pan. The RSXs have oddly designed rear suspension that you can work around but it isn't easy so I passed on those. The Integra you linked could be good, I'd take a very long look at it though for rust and not easily reversed mods. You see some scary stuff on them occasionally like people cutting holes in the shock tower to lower the car more. 

Also it's much cheaper to get something that's already running on track. It'll be better sorted and save a ton on buying random stuff to get out there, for example on my gsr I'm $1k in on stupid stuff and still need new shocks, suspension bushings, and motor mounts. 

A few from the DC area CL

NA Miata Track Car with a cage

E30 Hpde car

In reply to Tac1 :

Still have the 944 in your profile?  Why not use that? 

Trackmouse said:

I would look for a vette/cramit/stang. The thirst for power is expensive and difficult. Why not just buy something already quick and make it handle well. 

Consumables?

Heavier, more powerful cars are going to chew through gas/brakes/tires much more quickly. And those tires will be much more expensive as well.

I don't understand the point of a Honda/FWD track car when you can buy a Miata for the same price...

Especially since the guy said the budget is just for the car. 

In reply to Sonolin :

that's because the supply of $1000-1500 miata's are drying up pretty quickly. Also many people aren't comfortable in a Miata. 

Looks promising...

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/d/1994-mazda-miata-edition/6407235927.html

In reply to Bobcougarzillameister :

True. But there's still good examples to be found under 5k at least.

May I throw my suggestion into the ring? How about an r53 Mini Cooper S. Many people will hate on these but if you ignore most of the native forums for the car and just fix things yourself they are very fun and reliable track toys. As always avoid ones with rust and you should be fine.

Ireallydriveabimmer said:

May I throw my suggestion into the ring? How about an r53 Mini Cooper S. Many people will hate on these but if you ignore most of the native forums for the car and just fix things yourself they are very fun and reliable track toys. As always avoid ones with rust and you should be fine.

I was just going to suggest the R53 Minis when I saw this post beat me to it. I can easily heel-and-toe mine and do in daily driving. There's a significant aftermarket pile of parts available. Used 4x100 wheels are everywhere. My other cars are both Miatas, so I can readily recommend them as a track toy choice ,too.

I keep getting chased off the mini's by reliability woes. If he likes FWD its definitely a strong handling option, watching the mini's win in the Continental Tire Series has been great. It's hard to compare anything to miata reliability however they are just so simple.

Extending your search into central VA

https://lynchburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1990-miata-hpde-track-car-18/6432707251.html

In the vein of Integra why not Celica GTS? Light and reported better platform than Integra or RSX. 

Does OP have a Miata yet? 

goingnowherefast said:

Does OP have a Miata yet? 

Doesn't seem like it from the lack of posting pictures in the "I really need a Miata" thread...