Early Boxsters for Track Cars?

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:48 am

Anyone have any input/experience regarding early Porsche Boxsters being used as "track cars" but still street driven? Durability, prices of "consumables", etc. It would seem that even a "bare bones" early Porsche Boxster would be a lot faster and/or better balanced than Miatas, many BMW's, Mustangs, etc. and be easier on tires/brakes than C4 or C5 Corvettes. Prices for some of the Boxsters seem to be around $20K (still "a lot" but not as bad as previously).

Thanks!

Dick (always dreaming)

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:06 am

I'm pretty sure this is one of those cars that you can't install adequate rollover protection in without either losing use of the top or seriously screwing up the inside of the car. PCA allows them out with the stock roll hoops - I'm pretty sure basically everyone else does not.

Besides, isn't that the Porsche for which there's literally no access to the engine except from underneath? That sounds particularly hateful.

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:24 am

I always heard they were a PITA to work on. However, after talking to Mitch Moore though he says his is pretty easy to work on. I suppose I should let him chime in and explain.

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:39 am

I just don't see them being a whole lot faster than a Miata (that extra 500 lbs is significant). The Miata is well balanced, and dirt cheap, and it wouldn't be difficult to build a reliable Miata motor that resulted in a power to weight ratio just as good as a Boxter. In the end, the Miata still comes in cheaper too.

Scott

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:15 pm

I drove a Boxster once ( my student ) for 2 laps of the full course at VIR.
Enough to see that it's a pretty fun car to drive on a racetrack. Having the choice between a Miata and a Boxster I will go with the Boxster.

Patrice
Porsche, there is no substitute.

John Hines · **Posted:** Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:54 am

Buy one of those water soaked, Florida, flood cars and gut it....seems like you pretty much need to gut a track car anyway. sure keep enough stuff to be streetable.
Hell...there are Ferraris, Porsches, Miatas, etc...all over the web with water damage. If I had 30k to spend I would gut one of those Ferrari 308s and put some American muscle under the rear hatch. Fast and sekseh.
If you really want a fast fun track car on the cheap....$7-10k will get you a highly modified 240-260-280Z....very hard to beat....you can drop in a VG30 motor or an American V-8 and beat the pants off any boxter..huge power to weight and a dime a dozen...parts @ every Autozone, Pepboys.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:26 am

Thanks guys for all the input. FYI John, I literally learned how to drive fast in 240 and 260Z's. Bondurant at Sears Point in a slightly modified 240Z caused me to literally buy a new 260Z the following Wednesday. Did a lot of autocross and high speed driving in that Z.

Andy Greene · **Posted:** Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:10 pm

All I know about them is that a co-worker of mine was paying $500 for oil changes every 15,000 miles; which seems wrong in more ways than one.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:27 am

One small point...

Many people point to something like the Miata as being the perfect track car. At 6'5" and 250lbs, I just can't physically fit comfortably into the driver's seat in a Miata. It is thing such as that I can't operate the clutch/brakes due to my leg/knee hitting the wheel, etc. Heel and Toe? Out of the question! I don't think I would feel safe trying to operate the car at 6/10ths let alone 10/10ths.

I also wonder if I would be able to wear a helmet and be lower than any roll bar as well. Even if the seat is modified.

BUT I do fit in a Boxster. It is just a bit larger. But most likely due to cost issue, I expect I would pick another mid-engine Porsche for my track car. That would be a 914 (which has even more room).

George Bright · **Posted:** Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:52 pm

At 5' 8" I fit in small cars fairly well. Sometimes it is good to be short.

I would love to see Richard get into Bob Kendrick's MG Midget.

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Wed Oct 27, 2004 10:21 pm

Dick:

If you consider a Boxter , one of the very few groups that allow convertibles run at High Speed track events are some PCA chapters, but not at all tracks.

VIR will only allow Boxters on track with the Brey-Krause roll bar extention
or a proper SCCA spec bar . Unfortunatly, not many (if any) Boxter
owners are willing to put diagonaly braced roll bars in them so we don't
see any at our events.

MV

THSCC Forums

Early Boxsters for Track Cars?

Who is online