THSCC Forums

Cheap, track. That funny.

Do more stuff at VIR, stay at home. I did that for years. Extra $20 in gas, save $100 in hotel and food easily. For all other events, always always split a hotel room with someone.

Drive ~9/10ths on track. It's still fun. Everything will last longer (pads, rotors, tires). That last 10th, it seems like the wear rate on those items doubles!

Get a cheaper car. Early 90s Miatas can be had for not much. Replace typical wear items, add roll bar and fun, fun, fun! Miatas are damn near indestructible.

I'm with Matt on the Miata thing. Before I totaled mine anyway (who knows, it may get resurrected yet), my Miata was BY FAR the cheapest car to run that I have ever raced. It had two seasons of racing on it when I bought it, and I put on another 1/2 season in races and DE's. NOTHING EVER BROKE, and consumables like tires and brakes lasted twice as long as anything else that I have ever driven.

It was silly, I remember being bored sitting around the SCCA paddock between races, as I didn't need to do anything to my car except clean the windshield and add gas. Look at the finishers of the SCCA 12-hour enduro's, and you'll see a huge percentage of Miata's, while everyone else broke...

Mark

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Mark O'Dell
THSCC member since '96
www.grandamadventure.com

i never said "cheap", i said "cheaper"

i'm just trying to make sure i'm being smart and taking advantage of what i can.

I like my car a lot, but a miata does sound like a really smart option. i'm trying to get PJ on that boat

Why not split use of a car and share expenses? It won't save you on recurring costs such as tires and brakes, but it will save you one things like wheels and rollbars. There are more events than one of you can attend (I assume since you are talking about cheaper) so you might not ever have to share the car. One could be driver, and the other crew, then switch next time. While you guys might be just starting out, such a setup would really be useful once you are more comfortable and can give good feedback on what the car is doing.

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Rich
http://www.v8mongrel.com/

Just imagine the jokes if Dan and PJ shared a Miata.....


Not that there is anything wrong with that....

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

See thats what I mean! To those outside the racing world miatas arent that tough

although....http://www.specmiataracing.net/Images/forsale/turbomiata/miata.htm

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traded the ultimate driving machine for a hatchback.....

You could each get cheaper track/autocross/Daily driver cars, and then split the cost of a beater, for when one of the cars are down and you need to get to work.

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In need of car.

Turbos are just another system to break!

So if you don't want a Miata (and honestly because of the need for a rollbar the startup costs can be higher than other cars) look elsewhere. You can get a 240SX cheap and those are solid, fun and not overly expensive to own.

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Rich
http://www.v8mongrel.com/

re. 240sx: They're just a tad more practical if you're using them for a daily driver as well.

Hard as hell to find a good example of one. (I've got one that is always up for negotiation)

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In need of car.

Let me pick this car apart....

A- Rollbar is NOT one that will get you into a THSCC event. It doesnt have a diagonal bar, that bar is just for looks...
B- Front Mount IC is blocking the radiator = overheating on track is not IF but WHEN NB's are known for overheating WITHOUT a FI
C- Turbos add another level of complexity and takes a very reliable car down to "Its fast when it runs" status.
D- Price is toooooo cheap IMHO, I smell a rat.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

hrm 240sx, interesting, i briefly looked on auto trader for one but didnt find much. Dont you have 2 jason?

Let me elaborate on my situation. First off Dan is fine with his car, he doesnt want a cheaper one. As for me...I had been driving the acclaim so long when I got out of school I wanted something nice and didn't care about payments. But now I see the light and wouldnt mind extra money and especially saving more. I guess what I am looking for is something fun and fast and good handling for 10K or less that I could drive daily for a few years then buy a normal DD. At that point it would become a track/AX car only. Even better would be to find a car around 5K then no car payment! but that might not be so reliable.

Miatas are growing on me...I like the NBs better, but oh man would i miss the torque!

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traded the ultimate driving machine for a hatchback.....

So let me get this straight: you want a fun, fast, reliable car that is good as a daily driver and on track, yet will set you back less than ten large? Are you sure that is all?

Seriously, there are a bunch of cars that will fit the bill, but you must remember that fast depends a lot on the driver. While perhaps not at its best on the straights, a Miata is fast around the corners if you as the driver can make it happen.

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Rich
http://www.v8mongrel.com/

I'll let you drive mine at the TNT, then lets see if you miss torque.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Yeah, I've got two of them. One is completely stock, except for polyurethane swaybar bushings.

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In need of car.

Wise words. While I appreciated the suggestion of sharing a track car, I didn't think that was going to work. I'd do at least 1 full school in the R32 to get a real feel for track, and then make your mind up on your direction.

Having been in a similar situation after my first event, I did exactly what you're considering. I co-drove Rich's Focus for a few track events, sold my Eclipse GSX, and in a roundabout way, ended up with the white Miata currently owned by Ryan. That car served me well for 2.5 years as a learning tool and was dead solid reliable to boot.

Miata Compromises (especially with a 1.6l)
Torque - huh, what's that? Having driven an R32 a couple of times myself, it will be something for you to get used to, but learning how to utilize momentum will make you a better driver on track and in autox.
Space - You need a tire trailer and you'll learn how to pack creatively.
Exclusivity - Will you be the only Miata on track or at auto-x? Nope. When I finally drove one, I had the epiphany "Oh, that's why everyone has one."
Comfort - it's not the most refined and comfortable car in the world.

Everything else said about them is true - dirt cheap to operate, amazing aftermarket, stupid fun to drive, and reliable.

I also love the 240SX. Jason's black DD 240 is a pristine example of the S14. It's darn torquey for a 4cyl, and a little more comfortable for daily driving. As Jason mentioned, finding a decent one for a good price is tough.

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Tom Freeman
'98 M3/4/5 | '93 Spec3 325i | '12 TSX sport wagon | '03 Tahoe
Team Silver Bullets '91 240SX