My search for a cheap track car.

  • Thread starter Thread starter gibson
  • 163 comments
  • 6,337 views
Azuremen
E30 is a solid recommendation. On the Fiero though... they are rubbish unless you get the last year they sold them. Poor suspension and all.

RWD Celica's can be had for cheap, have a bullet proof torquey motor, and, well, are fun.
Click to expand...

That's no good if they are in the same shape as yours. :p


I think you are going to need to draw the line on whether you want a rally car or a track car, because few are going to be able to do both well. And for rally anything but AWD is going to be a handful.

More importantly, do you have experience with both/either?
 
didn't E30 share suspension with E36 compact, and thus with Z3? that alone says a lot about how good it is..
 
RWD is fine for rally racing at amateur levels. All AWD does is let you can more speed to screw up with on that next turn. And I think less predictable throttle on driving dynamics.
 
Leonidae
didn't E30 share suspension with E36 compact, and thus with Z3? that alone says a lot about how good it is..
Click to expand...
That depends on how good you think the Z3 is.

Azureman
All AWD does is let you can more speed to screw up with on that next turn.
Click to expand...
It also allows you more chance to keep from crashing if you do go past the limits. Which is quite easy when you are off road. I personally think a well done FWD car would be fine, though.

Azureman
On the Fiero though... they are rubbish unless you get the last year they sold them. Poor suspension and all.
Click to expand...
Not that it matters now that we know what he intends to do with the car, but it isn't that hard to change the suspension in a Fiero.

Rotary Junkie
We never got CA-powered S13s. Or SRs.

KA24E and KA24DE. That's it.
Click to expand...
Which would really be far better for what he wanted to do, honestly. That is, if 240s weren't so prohibitively expensive. Maybe if he went back farther to an S12, if he could possibly find one.
 
Azuremen
RWD is fine for rally racing at amateur levels. All AWD does is let you can more speed to screw up with on that next turn. And I think less predictable throttle on driving dynamics.
Click to expand...

More predictable... if it's on the dirt. Even the least powerful Impreza (naturally aspirated) can hold a four-wheel drift for quite a long time if you can get it sideways.

For rallying, for predictability and control, you're looking for an AWD car or a FWD car... FWD cars act almost exactly like AWD cars on the dirt... except they have less driving traction (i.e.: they're slower),... in other words, you do a Scandinavian flick into the corner... get the car luridly slideways, and punch the throttle to straighten out onto the next...errh.. straight.

That's what makes this question a toughie... a good rally car does not a good track car make, and vice-versa... you'll want to keep the car at stock height (or a bit taller, if it's a low-slung sportscar) for rally, to give it enough wheel travel without bottoming out, which can cause all sorts of out-of-control problems after a particularly nasty jump (even amateur events have hills and bumps) and can cause underbody or shock mount damage.

I'd go for getting an old beater, like a Nissan B13 SE-R or an old Celica (even just FWD) and then get a small rear-driver or a Miata for trackdays.
 
Leonidae
Mk1/Mk2 escorts
Click to expand...

Unless you're referring to the USDM Escorts, which I don't think you are, then I'd be surprised if there are more than a handful of these in the States. They may well be excellent rally cars but that's no use if there aren't any for sale.

Leonidae
didn't E30 share suspension with E36 compact, and thus with Z3? that alone says a lot about how good it is..
Click to expand...

To be strictly accurate the E36 Compact and the Z3 used similar suspension components to the E30. That's more an indication of BMW saving costs than them putting faith in the E30's setup.

That said, the E30 does make a reasonable rally car. In the UK there's a BMW cup rally series for the E30. But it's academic anyway as they're not in gibson's budget.

niky
That's what makes this question a toughie... a good rally car does not a good track car make, and vice-versa... you'll want to keep the car at stock height (or a bit taller, if it's a low-slung sportscar) for rally, to give it enough wheel travel without bottoming out, which can cause all sorts of out-of-control problems after a particularly nasty jump (even amateur events have hills and bumps) and can cause underbody or shock mount damage.
Click to expand...

That's what I've been saying. There would be too many compromises trying to get one car for track and stage.
 
My biggest hurtle is the fact that there are few rallys around me to enter, if this was like the UK, with more rallys and better cheap cars, I wouldn't have the track requirement. That and the fact that there is a track about an hour away that is cheap to enter, and it would be stupid not to have it.
 
You'd be better off then leaving the rally idea aside and just building a car for the track. Then later on if you really really can't get the rallying idea out of your head, buy something cheap for that, even if it's FWD.
 
Ok, I see your point. I have been thinking on the Fiero idea all day, and teh most trivial thing has me almost sold on it...THE EXHAUST NOTE! It sounds grunty and almost Italian.
 
gibson
THE EXHAUST NOTE! It sounds grunty and almost Italian.
Click to expand...
:odd:
That has got to be the oddest reasoning I've ever heard for buying a Fiero. And I know someone who nearly bought an '85 simply because of the sound system.
 
I saw that you guys were mentioning BMWs and I was wondering what you thought of one of these.
U26506F1BIQSHEUM.JPG

BMW 318ti compact. Not too sure on the pricing of one or the availability of one near you.
 
I'm guessing next to nil. I've only ever seen one. Ever. And, being a BMW, likely too pricey. I mean, if a Volvo 240 was too much...
 
E30 Compact. I quite like them, though press reaction was only average. If he was in the UK, he'd be laughing, as you can pick up a 318ti with 140bhp for about £1500 easily. Though by the looks of things, they're neither common nor cheap over there. And even if they were common and cheap, an E30 would probably be better as it's lighter and longer.
 
I am a bit jealous that you redcoats (pardon the term) get used cars that are that much better than the ones we get...
 
Exhaust note is as good a reason as any to buy anything... you can buy a whole lot of "capable" metal nowadays that sound about as exciting as a vacuum cleaner set on "stun".
 
well, say I do get a 2.8 V6 5 speed Fiero, what other than harness(es), seat(s), and misc gauges should I get. I know I should upgrade the intake and exhaust, but what tires, brake pads and rotors, and that sort of thing should I run. I'm thinkin' some Advans for track duty, and when I tow dolly it, put some doughnut spares on it. Or is that a bad idea to tow it w/ doughnut spares on it?
 
If you're just starting out, focus on making the car reliable and safe... the harness, seats, suspension, brake pads (get some racing pads like EBC Greenstuff or Hawk and upgrade to DOT4 fluid... eventually, you'll want braided lines, too... all of this is not just to make your car stop faster... it's to make sure your brakes still work after three or four laps).

Get decent tires, but don't go for R-Comps, yet... do everything else first. Going on racing rubber means you'll actually have to sort out the suspension completely, as a car that feels well buttoned-down on stock tires can feel like a bucking bronco on R-Comps... and it'll be just as dangerous, with unpredictable handling limits. Learn on some regular Hi-Po tires, and upgrade as you upgrade the car. Advan Neovas are great, but I've been hearing good things about Falken RT615s. You can use either of these tires on the way to and from the track, also... just take it easy, so they won't wear out. Neovas have good heat-resistance (in fact, the hotter they get, the faster they go), so they're a good tire for multiple laps.

I've been hearing good things about the new Federals, too... don't know if you can get them, but over here, Federal's R-Comps cost only as much as Neovas.

Note: with Neovas, you'll have to at least have new shocks and springs... ideally aftermarket. In fact, if the car is for track use only, invest in coil-overs with height and valving adjustment (which would help with rallies). My car went to a few track-outings on stock tires and did pretty well... but when I switched to Neovas, the rear end got a bit squirrely, because I had more grip than suspension composure, and the rear was rolling around on the tires... still had corner-grip... but that extra time waiting for the car to settle before going for the next turn or getting on the power will make you slower... had to upgrade due to that.

Other track-reliability upgrades would be to replace all the coolant hoses, as well as the radiator cap... check if the water pump still works or if it needs work... a set of gauges for oil pressure, oil temperature and water temperature are a good addition and will help you avoid a costly breakdown on track.
 
Then why are you even looking at it? Fine, fine, we get it, no FWD. You don't have to bring it up in every post. :dopey:
 
gibson
Check C/L today, found a 92 civic with a bad head gasket, but is FF, so that rules it out.
Click to expand...

If you're automatically dismissing an EG Civic just because it's front wheel drive, you are automatically dismissing one of the best cheap autocross/track rats available.
 
True... I mean, c'mon...

n630392757_1061424_3500.jpg


This guy whupped behind on a bunch of Subies and Evos (got beaten only by a Pulsar GTi-R) at a local rally-cross. If the reason you don't like FWD is because they can't go "sideways"... well... that's not quite true. And it's not just on dirt... FWDs do great on track, on autocross or just about anywhere, when prepped right. (or even more when prepped wrong... I'm so used to seeing FWD Corollas spin around me that I take it for granted that that's all they ever do... :lol: ). It's a slightly different set of skill-sets, mind you, from driving a RWD car, but it's good for learning the ropes. it also helps that many old FWDs are very light. Weight matters much more than power in this budget you're looking at, as lighter cars will require less maintenance, less tire-changes and will mean less wear and tear on the suspension as you go to multiple track events.

Basically, if you're looking for a track-car... it's not RWD or FWD that should matter... buy the best handling car you can find for your budget, and build on that. I mean, an F150 pickup is RWD, but no way in hell would I drive that on the racetrack. :lol:
 

Latest Posts

Back