Track day car

[Karma Supra]

Definiely something RWD. What is your budget?

People knock MX-5s for being bit camp, but they handle brilliantly, MR2s are great fun too, but technical to drive – too much for some.

It depends what you want it for, going as fast as possible, having as much fun as possible (not the same thing!) or competing in some form of event.

My M3 is quick, but I probably have more fun in the MR2 at half the speed, you really need to wits about you and if you stuff it or ding it it’s cheap to fix/replace.

[popuptoaster]

MX5 is about the best rwd for the money for track days, you can buy ok ones from 500 quid upwards now, a good one should be pretty much trouble free, they are not bad on juice and they dont eat tyres like the hot hatches do.

[Mork]

People knock MX-5s for being bit camp, but they handle brilliantly,

They can handle brilliantly.
If you're getting something to track do not underestimate the difference a 4 wheel alignment check makes to the car.
Camber, Toe and Castor can be adjusted on quite a few sporty rwd cars, and most places will be able to set the car to manufacturers setting, or a more aggressive track setting.
It makes a hell of a difference on an older car that's spent 10 years bouncing off kerbs and potholes.

[Apache]

Ah... MR2... I miss my Mk1, but it did try to kill me once coming off a roundabout in the rain. In an instant I was facing the oncoming traffic and hoping I had the inertia to keep rolling backwards onto the hard shoulder and empty my underwear.

Great car, when you learn their particular handling traits!

[Chris W]

Does depend on your budget

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C225129

Or

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C211182

The latter one would need some mods to make it into a track car and it would be a bit of a shame as they're pretty rare (I'd have it myself if I had the space).

[popuptoaster]

If you have oodles of spare pound notes cant beat a mk1 escort running a YB, me mates one hit 180mph at bruntingthorpe with only 380bhp.

[Karma Supra]

They can handle brilliantly.

I was assuming a well serviced decent speciman, not some knackered old shed with worn bushes and out of spec Geo! That goes without saying!

I fully Polybushed the M3, replaced the ball joints uprated the springs and had a KDS alignment done. It was by no means shabby as it was under 30k miles, but the improvement was still huge. This was just before a Nurburgring trip and it was worth every penny, especially when I overtook a 996 GT3-RS and an Audi R8 on lap 2 day 1!

For me now if it is anything sporty a proper alignment is part of the initial servicing.

I also poly bushed the other half's MR2, new ball joints all round, new shocks, uprated disks & pads, braided lines, topmounts, rollbar linkages and got a proper alignment and the result was fantastic. A shame that less than a year later three of the 4 new shocks have blown and the alignment is out thanks to Oxfordshire country lanes.... which is why I got a surf (again lol)

Another car not mentioned is the Porsche 944. Cheap and absolutely fantastic to drive. I have often been tempted to make a track car out of one, although I'm not a huge fan of the engine in it, Always thought a Rotory powered one would be fun.....

[Predictable Bob]

Does depend on your budget

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C225129

Or

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C211182

The latter one would need some mods to make it into a track car and it would be a bit of a shame as they're pretty rare (I'd have it myself if I had the space).

I hate you !!!

I've spent the last hour looking at classic British sports cars I can neither justify or afford ...


Stag or TR6 ?

(Don't want an MG cos my bro has just bought a B with a 3.9 V8 in it)

[popuptoaster]

Stag is more of a cruiser than a racer.

[Predictable Bob]

Agreed - but I don't want a racer cos I'm too old and fat ...

[Hesh]

I like your ideas Hesh!

How about a Datsun with a 200SX lump?

depends on the datsun. for very little outlay with the 180sx or 200sx you could havea striped out race rocket.

the 4 pot is lighter than the six cylinder from a skyline and produces roughly the same bhp ...though you can go much bigger ..up to huge power figure withthe skyline (rb) lump.

other option would be something with a v8. but it depends what ya after ..inline revy speed and swapping cogs or big lazy torque....

[Hesh]

I was assuming a well serviced decent speciman, not some knackered old shed with worn bushes and out of spec Geo! That goes without saying!

I fully Polybushed the M3, replaced the ball joints uprated the springs and had a KDS alignment done. It was by no means shabby as it was under 30k miles, but the improvement was still huge. This was just before a Nurburgring trip and it was worth every penny, especially when I overtook a 996 GT3-RS and an Audi R8 on lap 2 day 1!

For me now if it is anything sporty a proper alignment is part of the initial servicing.

I also poly bushed the other half's MR2, new ball joints all round, new shocks, uprated disks & pads, braided lines, topmounts, rollbar linkages and got a proper alignment and the result was fantastic. A shame that less than a year later three of the 4 new shocks have blown and the alignment is out thanks to Oxfordshire country lanes.... which is why I got a surf (again lol)

Another car not mentioned is the Porsche 944. Cheap and absolutely fantastic to drive. I have often been tempted to make a track car out of one, although I'm not a huge fan of the engine in it, Always thought a Rotory powered one would be fun.....

be wary.. no cylinder liners inthe v8 porche

[Karma Supra]

The 944 isn't a V8

My old one was the 2.5L I-4. Like I said not a great engine, but you could have huge fun at low speeds anyway. Untill the ECU died and decided to go way over board on the fueling, to the point that the engine hydrolocked

[Dara]

id suggest an sir honda civic either eg6(92 -95) or ek4(96 -02) shape
relativily cheap enough to buy comes wit a b16a 1.6 dohc vtec engine that produces 170bhp an revs to 8500rpm an they are an absolute bullet proof engine!!
an the handlin is brilliant!

or theres the ek9 civic(96 - 02) the ek9 is the type r its basically a road legal track car comes wit a b16b 1.6 dohc vtec engine make 185bhp revs to 9000rpm an the power to weight ratio is 110hp per ton so its ###### fast its lighter than the sir civic has recaro bucket seats standard the suspension is 15mm lower an its stiffer an has bigger anti roll bars than the sir civic

or theres the Dc2 honda integra type r (96 - 02) comes wit a b18c 1.8 dohc vtec engine makes 200bhp revs to 9000rpm comes wit recaros as standard its 15mm lower than standard an stiffer suspension an won an award in 1997 for best handlin front wheel drive car in the world!!

all three cars are brilliant out of the box cars engine are bullet proof on all of them handlin is brilliant they're fast i used to own a eg sir myself an it was capable of 0 - 60 mph is the high 5 sec area wit a few bolt on parts
lightened flywheel full stainless exhaust system etc etc
if you were to get one of them as a track car i garauntee it'll put a smile on your face you'd be very suprised wat they'd catch up too and pass out on the track!!.

you'd never know i was a honda geek would ya haha