so i was bored the other day and on ebay, made a joke that if Amber doesn't start parking in the garage I'm going to put a car in the garage. So I put in a random super low bid on 3rd gen Camaro IROC-Z and somehow almost won.
Got me thinking, what makes a decent cheap auto-x/track day car?
With that being it's only purpose (and getting there and home of course), what would you look for?
with cheap being the first criteria would RWD truly matter?
My first thoughts after initial price are:
1. Known dependability for drive train
2. availability & price of replacement parts
3. Tire prices (smaller wheel usually means cheaper rubber)
4. condition of vehicle - Mechanical then Cosmetic
5. Manual vs. Auto - given how cheap I was thinking (sub $4k) availability may be limited. Plus with auto it would be easier to convince Amber to give it a try.
6. FWD vs. RWD vs. AWD
While I know Miata is usually the answer, 3rd and 4th gen F-bodys can be had for cheap right now. Plus they have a back seat.
so i was bored the other day and on ebay, made a joke that if Amber doesn't start parking in the garage I'm going to put a car in the garage. So I put in a random super low bid on 3rd gen Camaro IROC-Z and somehow almost won.
Got me thinking, what makes a decent cheap auto-x/track day car?
With that being it's only purpose (and getting there and home of course), what would you look for?
with cheap being the first criteria would RWD truly matter?
My first thoughts after initial price are:
1. Known dependability for drive train
2. availability & price of replacement parts
3. Tire prices (smaller wheel usually means cheaper rubber)
4. condition of vehicle - Mechanical then Cosmetic
5. Manual vs. Auto - given how cheap I was thinking (sub $4k) availability may be limited. Plus with auto it would be easier to convince Amber to give it a try.
6. FWD vs. RWD vs. AWD
While I know Miata is usually the answer, 3rd and 4th gen F-bodys can be had for cheap right now. Plus they have a back seat.
Definitely manual unless it is paddle shift and actually stays in a gear rather than jumping back and forth. Really depends on what class you want to be in. If I had a dedicated track car though it would most likely be RWD or AWD, unless it was some crazy FWD build that had a motor that could take the abuse.
Side note: LAST DAY OF F*&^ing COLLEGE CLASSES FOR EVER!
The answer is always Miata but a FC RX-7 or a mustang would also be good choices. I would buy a mustang over a camaro because of the weight and size of the car. Toyota MR2 would be something interesting to look into as well.
That sounds awesome Bill. Good Luck!Well, it appears I will be in a Miata for some races next year. No Mo Money Racing is a block from my house and always have 6 or 7 Miata race cars of different kinds in the shop. I had them do a front wheel bearing on my wife's Mazda 6s last week and talked to the owner for a couple hours about his rental programs. I'll probably wind up doing Chump Car racing at first because two hours of straight racing per stint seems pretty fun. His chump cars are Spec Miatas with a bunch of lightening. http://nomomoneyracing.com/Chumpcar_Rentals_2.php Trying to talk my wife into letting me do the 24 hour race at Homestead Miami that ends at midnight New Year's Eve, but its not going well.
For the Chevelle, my plan now is to buy an already built 4th Gen Camaro/Trans Am and race that, then when my son is old enough we can build the Chevelle together using the drivetrain out of the 4th Gen. In the meantime, the Chevelle is going back to daily driver duty.
Nate...is that your Christmas card this year....showing off the new ride?![]()