What to do - Racecar is Just Sitting

My 944Spec race car is sitting in the garage right now. It has not been driven more than what is needed to maneuver it into a parking space or onto a trailer for about 2 years now. I had hoped I'd be able to get back into spec racing after returning from Germany, but my work schedule pretty much precludes doing that. Things might change at the end of the year once I start accruing PTO, or if I decide to go to a different brewery that is less isolated and doesn't operate 24hours. In either of those cases, I'm not sure I'll have enough time in my schedule to get out to enough events to make it worth the annual costs of inspection, club membership, and licensing fees. When I do eventually move away, it will be just one more big thing that will need to be moved somehow.

So, I'm trying to decide what the best thing to do is. I could sell it. The money and space would be nice, but I don't absolutely need them. Having one less thing to haul in the event of a move would be nice.

I can just keep it and take it to the occasional track day. I may not be able to race, but I can probably get out to Thunderhill or Infineon for a Sunday event. It'll still spend months at a time just sitting, and I don't like the degradation that happens to a car that isn't being cared for. It isn't street legal, so I can't exactly take it to work once a week.

I could maybe loan it to the regional series director or someone and give them instructions to hold onto it as a spare car for visiting drivers, newbies, and emergency backup. Work out some plan for if something bad happens to it. Then someone else is keeping it up and using it, and it will still be waiting for me when I'm able to make use of it again.

If it is a current, log booked Spec944 race car in ready to race condition it should move quickly. It's an entry level series and it's spring. People are going to race school this very weekend.

I'd say sell it, the trailer and truck and get a street legal track day car you can drive to work (E36 M3). That way you can take advantage of more driving opportunities without all the overhead and theatrics of going home for the trailer.

When you do have time to go racing - get a rental for that one or two weekends a year. Justify the cost as not maintaining and insuring truck, trailer and race car all year.

You can pay me for this advice in quality home brew if you like :)

i'd keep it. If you sell it, you'll have nothing to take the track if you happen to get a free weekend and then it will be that much harder to get back into it.

Car is log-booked but hasn't been signed off since 2011. It has two small issues: seems to be mis-firing (wasn't when I put it in the garage, so I suspect plugs and wires will fix it) and the starter switch is flaky (loose connection in the circuit; sometimes it works, sometimes not; I can jump the solenoid with no problems).

I do not have a trailer. I flat tow it. Saves a lot of space. Van is nice to have as the one work-horse vehicle in the house (SWMBO drives an RX8).

I already have a Miata that is my DD, although I am currently leaning towards replacing that with an M Coupe or E36 M3. M3 I would be fine doing track days in. An M Coupe I think I'd be more worried about injuring.

You can at least autocross it every now and again I'd imagine. Sitting is not good for cars. Driving is good for them.

mazdeuce wrote: You can at least autocross it every now and again I'd imagine. Sitting is not good for cars. Driving is good for them.

Possibly. Nearest auto-x is about 3 hours away (about same distance to Infineon or T-Hill) and I do not like getting up early. I get home from work around midnight and am usually in bed around 2am.

I should also say, I've started riding motorcycles since that is a good thing I actually can do around here to scratch the speed itch with my current isolation and sucky schedule.

In reply to Beer Baron:

I said M3 because it can hold tires, tools, beer and gear and not really suffer any downside on track. It outhandles the trailing arm Coupe by a little bit and flat out spanks a Miata or Spec 944. In today's market... it isn't too much more money than a nice example of a Miata with a hardtop.

Six of one, half dozen of the other on M Coupe vs Miata... you still need a way to haul wheels and tires behind to ditch the van and flat towing ( I assume this is an impediment to getting there for someone strapped for time ). M Coupes are more fun than a Miata (IMO, people... relax ;) ) but just as utility challenged.

I consider M Coupes "nicer" than Miatas or M3s. They're certainly rarer and more difficult to access certain components of (rear suspension). I originally got the Miata to avoid damaging my M Coupe I had at the time, and am glad I did. I don't think I'd be as worried about body damage on an M3 as a coupe. Wheels and tires are also easier to find on the M3 than Coupe.

Flat towing is definitely an impediment here. It is twisty roads for 40+ miles in every direction. I can make the trip 30-45 minutes shorter in the Miata than towing. Although I'm still not going to get up at 5-6am to get to the track after working until midnight.

I do plan to upgrade my DD to something capable of a comfortable road trip for 2 people (decent stereo, A/C, trunk space for a week's worth of luggage), yet still fun enough to carve up the twisties all around here and do the occasional auto-x or track day. The current short list is M Coupe, M3, or S2000.

Edit: I should also add, I do not plan to settle here long term. This just isn't the place for me. I'm getting experience at this brewery, but plan to bail for something in a more happening area (e.g. Sacramento, San Diego, Portland, Austin) after about a year. When I do that, it should be easier to start racing again. But I don't know where I will end up, and if it isn't Northern California, moving the car will be a pain.

Ultimately, I'm hanging onto the race car in hopes that I'll be able to use it in another year or two. Not selling for fear it might cost significantly more to replace than I will gain from the sale.

OK, I reread everything and it probably makes sense to just sit on the car and see what happens. Life is too short to kill whole days just to exercise a car in a way that you don't truly enjoy, especially when you can roll out the bike for and hour, return refreshed and spend the rest of the day with loved ones. Life will change and when that change actually happens the answer will be obvious.

Beer Baron wrote: Edit: I should also add, I do not plan to settle here long term. This just isn't the place for me. I'm getting experience at this brewery, but plan to bail for something in a more happening area (e.g. Sacramento, San Diego, Portland, Austin) after about a year. When I do that, it should be easier to start racing again. But I don't know where I will end up, and if it isn't Northern California, moving the car will be a pain.

Well, you can just move the car with a U-Haul trailer.

To me it sounds like the enforced lay-up is temporary so you could sell the car now and then in 9-12 months you'll be looking for another one, have to put in all the time to get it track-ready etc etc. If you keep it, at least you'll be able to skip the weeks/months of searching for another car.

Thinking maybe replace miata with M Coupe for DD. 944 maybe wont race but can serve as a dedicated track day steed every couple months. Probably do me well to just practice lapping for a season before diving back in to w2w.

Certainly does not require a snap decision now.

Another option is to list it for a highish price that I wont have trouble finding a replacement at in case there is someone in the region who needs something desperately enough to pay a premium.

Check out mcoupebuyersguide.com for some current stock.

I DD my MCoupe and occasional use it as a quarterly track day car, while we Auto-X the E30 every chance we get. I'm planning on checking out a 1st gen Mr2 that's been parked for a while and hopefully supercharged so we can use it as a fun car.

I smile every morning I take the 12 mile drive to work. It's a great start to the day, and also a nice icing on the cake when I'm driving home.

The thing with a racecar is that it is a want, not a need...

If you get RID of the racecar, and then do something like have kids, that want gets pushed back (possibly forever).

If you don't NEED to get rid of the car, I wouldn't do it. So many people say the same thing "selling car, be back racing in a couple years" and never return as almost every other priority is either more urgent, or it's simply too hard to justify.

Sell the car. I had to make the same choice and realized that after sitting for a year or more, even a Spec Miata would fall out of step with the class and would require lots of work or a rebuild to be competitive when you are able to go racing. I sold the SM, tow vehicle and enclosed trailer along with various parts and my DD miata and purchased the Elise. After two years, I traded Elise for the 911 plus boot. I have been able to drive interesting street cars and dont have to worry about the SM rotting away in the garage. As self-employed small town lawyer, I dont see the economy improving enough in the next two years to make this a bad decision. YMMV

You might be able to rent it out by the weekend. Pros and cons to that, for sure.

Big reason the car has been sitting was my trip to Germany. I only returned to California in November.

I sold my first drag car after I let it sit untouched for 8 months... If I'm not going to use it like it should be then the right thing to do is pass it on to some one that will. It was just going to sit there and ruin without anyone enjoying it.

Keep it brother. Seriously. A little track time is better than none at all. Trust me. I know.

Frankly the thought of a completely unused 944Spec (I love the 944) makes me.... well let's just say angels in heaven shed tears when they learn of this.. I swear to god!

I jest. Keep it. It's something to look forward to. Something to think about..., amongst the noise. And, I don't know about ya'll. But I've found nothing yet as satisfying as going fast on a track. Feeds my soul. And it's just damn bloody fun!

Cheers

kking199 wrote: Frankly the thought of a completely unused 944Spec (I love the 944) makes me.... well let's just say angels in heaven shed tears when they learn of this.. I swear to god!

It is a 924S, so perhaps the lack of box flares will assuage your pain slightly.

That is one reason why I considered hedging the bet and loaning it to the regional series director or something. Even if I'm not able to use it, someone can, and the car doesn't just languish. I also free up a bit of garage space. Then when I've got the time to go to events, the car is still ready, and maybe someone else will even trailer it out for me.

Beer Baron wrote:

kking199 wrote: Frankly the thought of a completely unused 944Spec (I love the 944) makes me.... well let's just say angels in heaven shed tears when they learn of this.. I swear to god!

It is a 924S, so perhaps the lack of box flares will assuage your pain slightly.

Ahh man... wait how dare you sully the name of 944Spec with a... my god man... a 924S! You do realize that 4 > 2?

Side Note: (Beer Baron if you have chance to get some Fat Tire Amber Ale. Most delicious.) Not that I advocate the swilling of ale.

So just how little work does it take to turn a 924S into a 944Spec car?

kking199 wrote: Side Note: (Beer Baron if you have chance to get some Fat Tire Amber Ale. Most delicious.) Not that I advocate the swilling of ale. So just how little work does it take to turn a 924S into a 944Spec car?

Same amount as any other car. Strip it out, cage it, and upgeade the suspension. The 924S is the same as the 944 under the skin. Actually can be easier to prep since it is lighter and easier to get down to weight.

And I work at North Coast brewing so I drink lots of Old Rasputin, PranQster, and Red Seal.