Building track car, platform suggestions
 

OK so I am going to be road racing, I already have a sponsor, now I am on a 2000 dollar budget to get a car. Here are the specs I am looking for

Light...when gutted and such, I want it at about 2200lbs dry
RWD
hardtop (or with an optional hardtop, cant race with a vert)
manual transmission
something that isnt notorious for rust

So far, I have 2 in mind

NA body miata
S13 body 240sx, but everyone has these

Basically they gave me 2000 to get a car by mid may, and by then I would like to have the car, gutted and caged, and with at least some suspension work. I start racing in early may

help me decide on a platform, and this has to be a good car. If I do good this upcoming season, I get more sponsorships next year, and will try to get in with Catalyst racing and have a better car. Thanks kids! :)

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

the n/a mr2?

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

I say go with the S13, Yes everybody has them, but everybody has them for a reason. They are great track cars.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

Im not a fan of the original body style (first gen we had in the US), and the second gen, I dont think I could get for 2 grand...

guys the car doesnt even have to run, Im gona be keeping the car at the sponsor's shop and working on it to get it ready by race day. I already have my own section of the shop designated, as well as my own tool chest full of stuff, access to a lift, engine stands, basically everything that a performance shop has I have available to me at their facility.

if its not light, it needs to have 6 cylinders to even it out as well as a stiff chassis, or enough aftermarket braces and things to make it stiff

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

RWD is my preference, id drive a FWD car also but im sure that would put me into a different class. If its FWD it will only be this

http://www.empire1.net/racing/images/pic91.jpg
first generation neon r/t or ACR...unfortunately they are hard to come by...all the neons i see are 3-speed auto. I am familiar with the swap, I did one before, but I want to keep the cost to a minimum

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

On the cheap... 240s or miatas are great. So are 5.0L Mustangs.... there's so many parts for them its not funny. e30 BMW 325i's are another popular choice (spec e30), Porsche 944s have their own make class (944 cup), there's lots of options.
You could also look into old Alfas and MGs, but they tend to get a little bit spendy because of the classing.
I hope 2K is the car alone... because you certainly wont get a car and a cage for 2K unless you buy a car with one in it... (the cage alone will be 2K+).
I'd recommend just buying an old Spec Miata that someone's already built. Make sure it's got a complete race log book with it, and go. Much easier that trying to build a car (building a Spec Miata on the cheap would easily end up being 8-10K before all is said and done).

Dont forget you also need a truck and a trailer to tow said race car, and that it needs to be entered in events, you need a comp. license and its gonna need fixing.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

No 2k doesnt include the price of the cage, I will buy one somewhere else, or the shop will make me one, and they build cages, so it will be certified for track use. Ive got months until race day, so I can take my time, and if I cant do sometihng, the guys at the shop know their stuff too. Basically my only concern is a straight, rust free body and decent paint (even then we can always tow it to the paint shop and get it done for cheap). Im not in a rush to get a car, I am more in a rush to make up my mind so I can start looking for a car because that part will take some time, and the sooner I get the car the sooner I get to work.

There is also my parents trying to get me away from it because they think that I am going to crash and die, yet they have no idea about the safety measures and equiptment used for these cars and races. As of now, my parents are refusing to go and watch, and it means a lot to me that they come so I have to deal with that too. My dad keeps saying that im gona drop out of college and this and that to race...its just a pain in the ass. Ive found several cars already but I contacted the owners and they say there is rust on them, and not minor rust around the wheelwells and such (hondas are famous in this respect), but one 240sx the spare tire compartment is completely ****ed . the spare was rusted in place so when he yanked on it the whole thing came out

edit: they have a truck and trailer...i was told no licence is needed for this, only for the higher end racing, this is more amateur class I guess...il find out for sure from the shop, but if I have to go to get my licence, they better pay for schooling and such because its ~10k IIRC

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

... and what racing series are you racing in? they all have specs and that will rules out certain cars.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

any car with 2k is going to have SOME type of rust. but as boiler said, id go with a e30 325i. There were a couple of EARLY e36 325i's with high mileage that ive seen sold for 2500-3000 so if you want to drop down a grand of your own cash in order to get a better car, there ya go.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

you might be able to find an older rx-7 for $2k. you'd definitely be able to find an ae86 for that much.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

Any wheel to wheel racing requires a competition license. Both SCCA and NASA have their own schools and tests for it.
It sounds like you are a long way off from deciding which car you should get, and should first worry about getting the basics out of the way.
Picking a car also means picking a class, and you better get some rule books and start reading about what you can do. This isnt pick a car, do whatever you want and go to the track. its complicated. You've done the first step by looking for one in decient shape, but race cars depreciate so much, if you can find a car that's built well (usually shows up in its race finish results) then thats really the way to go the first time around. You can score one for cheap, learn how to do it and all that stuff, then move up as you get more money and get better.
If you've never done HPDEs or driving schools, forget going racing for now, learn how to drive first. You dont need a race car to learn, and its easier done in a wallowing buffalo of a street car, otherwise the car is doing all the hard work and you learn nothing.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

You can't just jump around from car to car like that. The classing gets crazy. Going from an e30 to a 36 jumps from spec e30 (where everyone must run the same parts and its relatively in expensive) to GTS (which is largely a free for all).

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

just look around on modified car trader

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

I havent signed anything yet so there is no certain class picked...I just talked to him, and he said that they may want me to do some autocross races first, since they might get more business from that because all of the tuners come out to the events.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

i would look for an old mr2 or a miata

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

2g's? **** that.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

id also open options for a 318. the engine is lighter and its very easy to get great performance with them

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

i would look for a 240sx. it has near perfect weight distribution and there are thousands of parts for them. not to mention the parts dont cost a lot.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

300zx...there is one with a blown motor right now for 700 no rust needs a few dings banged out

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

an ae86...WHAT SON!

thats what u need.. awesome cars.. i loved the one i drove

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

ae86s do have a tendency to dominate everyone...

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

Get yourself a Honda shell and race on the Honda challenge. Thats what Im looking into at the moment. You can find older hondas for CHEAP.

Check it out:
http://www.hondachallenge.com/

You should seriously consider.

Either way 2k is a BS budget for a race car.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

Its just for the car itself...all of the mods will be a seperate budget, I just need a car...or a shell, i dont care it doenst even have to have an interior, that would even better, less work for me to do

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

mr2 or s13

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

you could look for a older civic hatch (older eg or ek); not only are there lots of parts for them, but they seem to place well in competition.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

i say ae86 if its not overpriced in your area. In socal there overpriced, due to there drifting popularity.

I say ae86, e30 bmw, 240sx.

ae86 is considered one of the lightest rwd cars. Plus i'm not sure if the class your racing in allows swaps, but you can always swap in a f22c or f20c motor in the ae86 later.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

like many have said before... choose a class FIRST, THEN buy a car.

anyways, a 300zx is a heavy ass car, so it would go against your 2000lbs preference.

Re: Building track car, platform suggestions
 

well heres my $.02

The top cars i would reccomend are:

the 240sx because its rwd, cheap, and possibilities are endless

AE86 because they are very light weight and are awesome when tuned the right way

an oldER mustang like a 5.0L because they are RWD, fairly light weight, VERY fast, cheap, and parts are easy to find. They basically give them away on ebay if you wait long enough. Disadvantage is if you want an import

final choice:

Older Integra like early 90s because B18 is an excellent engine. They are extrememly light weight. Handle amazing. Lots of parts. Fast. Honda. and Available. but not rwd