Cheapest, Most Fun Track Day Car ?

[B-Man]

Got to thinking the other day - I wonder if you would do a purpose built , road registered , track day car for like under $8,000 total - ready to race.

Must be quick enough to have fun in - must handle well and brake well. Also must be fairly economical on consumables and repairs (if required)

So I put my thinking cap on and came up with this.

Suzuki swift GTI - you can get them for about $4,000 - $5,000

Rip out everything you don't need - make it as light as possible.

Upgrade shocks and springs - get allignment, camber and castor done especially for track work - say $1500

Chuck away standard rims and tyres - Run lightweight wheels and semi slicks - $1500

Upgrade (with bigger) front discs and callipers $1000.

I reckon that might be a goer. Cheap , fun track car.

Any other opinions for a good, cheap, fun track car ?

Cheers,

[predator]

pulsar for $2k.. CA18det sho'ed in for another $3k or so..

couple of $k on suspension. Would go pretty well (pushing 200kw) and weigh around 1000kg

I think in the 1.3L you'd be lacking in torque on the GTI, and they are quite overpriced for an old car.

Any old commo you could probably buy for $1-2k and spend another $5k on racing mods, and might be ok.

[Roy]

MK 1 Escort. You can buy a log booked, 2L caged car for the money you are looking to spend. At abour 800kgs and aboiut 160hp from a well sorted 2L Pinto they are respectable performers. You can always throw a CA18DET in there, but they just throw more weight in the things

[Abo Bob]

What about hondas? I saw a couple at a track day once. One would have broken this budget but dunno about the other one.

Danny who was on here sold his r32 gtr and bought one.

[Mandingo]

R31, silvia or series 1,2,3,4,5 RX7

Edited August 13, 2006 by Flipmo

[evil_weevil]

id have to say rwd.....

escort sounds fun!

[benm]

Aussie Legends car.... now if only they were $8k and not $40k second hand.

I'd love a track bitch but it would have to be rwd, 200rwkw, small and damn reliable.

[thorpe84]

cortina with 250 crossflow 4.1L $1-2 grand they weigh about 1.1 tonne

turbo $3 grand

and some decent tyres. great car to drive and do some doeys in

[VB-]

does it have to be road registered? cant u have an econobox for daily duties? this owuld open up your options enourmously for a track car. althoough you then need to budget for towing etc.

non registered track cars:

HQ/VN/VP/EA race cars arent all taht dear i dont think

race only RX7/skyline/WRX

F3000/open wheeler thingos

and then there always bikes if u just wanna go fast real cheap, but there is the downside of being like 30 times more likely of being killed on the roads....

[AndyMac]

cortina with 250 crossflow 4.1L $1-2 grand they weigh about 1.1 tonne

turbo $3 grand

and some decent tyres. great car to drive and do some doeys in

With $8k

Mini Clubman+Mods

S1/2/3 RX7 (I doubt youd get a track worthy FC for below $8k)

Ford Escort+Mods

Gemini+Mods

Mazda 808 with a rotary conversion (RX3 setup)

Toyota Corrolla, the square early 80's one. Conversion and mods

Doubt you'd get a track worthy CA18DET S13....

Commodore might be a good thing.

[Mandingo]

Can you do any work yourself?

That would free up alot of $$$

[Silver-Arrowz]

Mk1 MR2.

[88silhouette]

r31

r31

r31

r31

[B-Man]

R31 - ha ha ha -

I wouldn't want to trailer a car - too much hassle then there is what do I trailer it with ?

Escort might be good - RWD if def a better option.

Would want to keep the car nice and light - so no Hq, Commodore etc

I've seen some of those Honda's you are talking about Bob - They are quick circuit cars.

The Swifts did OK at Bathurst - for their category. Make them light enough and the 1.3 wouldn't matter , I'd guess.

Just did a search on Carsales.com - no Escorts there. You'd prolly need to be in the know to get a race prepped one hey.

Saw a first gen GTI for $2000 (had a 2nd gen motor in it) - Spend $2000 on the car then $4000 in mods - got to be a good circuit car for $6K......

Keep pthe suggestions coming ! It's interesting !

Mini - ?? Hmm - think a swift would kick it.

[Spook's_Skyline]

mini with a swift motor in it

[Munna1]

old RX7 would be good I recon just as long as its rwd more fun in my opinion

[Abo Bob]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...=128590&hl=

[Beer Baron]

buy a superkart. they do times quicker than V8 supercars. They are very cheap to run, nice and small so you can easily tow it. and they haul arse.

[Abo Bob]

How much? Would I fit in one? Is it easy to die in one?

[djr81]

You could always look for an old Formula Gemini...

http://www.my105.com.au/classified.asp?id=5882