SOOOOOOO??????? What would you build??

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by 71RS/SS396

Miatas are fast on the auto-x..... on a road course not so much. You will get owned by anything with power. I drove one at Road Atlanta and the straights were painful. I was at VIR yesterday for a trackday and the resident driving instructor was in my run group in his Miata..... I lapped him in a 20 minute session.
They are great handling cars with excellent stock brakes but need more power to be fast on a road course.... now one with an aluminum 5.3 or LS1 would be a hoot.

Tim,

Missed you at SEMA and Scottsdale BTW...

The word "BUDGET" comes with a price..... Being lapped by more expensive cars might be one of those costs. LOL

[Rick D]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Tim,

Missed you at SEMA and Scottsdale BTW...

The word "BUDGET" comes with a price..... Being lapped by more expensive cars might be one of those costs. LOL

Ding Ding Ding!!! that's what I'm looking at, I just want to have fun with something that I don't have $25-45-65-100K invested in as a race car.

That's the whole point of a budget race car!! Sure there is up keep cost and racing cost I get that for sure, but with something like a Miata or ??? I can get in trailer or drive it to the track, parking lot and have fun for the day/weekend.

I'm not looking to go out and try to "win" anything sure if I can get into a class that is evenly matched then that would be fun for sure.

I just want to have some fun once or twice a month and if I brake it no biggie if it sits for a month or two who cares!!

I really like the idea of the Miata because of the price of admission but I'm sure it feels really slow compared to a Camaro or Mustand running the same track. We'll see what I end up doing but I think I have a good idea of what I looking for right now

Now I need to see what's close by as far as what I can race what in, I don't what to get something only to find I have to go two states away to race it

[71RS/SS396]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Tim,

Missed you at SEMA and Scottsdale BTW...

The word "BUDGET" comes with a price..... Being lapped by more expensive cars might be one of those costs. LOL

Seeing everyone is the only thing I regret about not heading west this year but I just needed a break from everything and wasn't up to traveling this year.

[GregWeld]

Rick --- Sutton is the best "part" I ever bought. Dead serious. I've spent an awful lot of money on cars over the years -- but this guy delivers real results real fast.

Smartest move you'll ever make on this or any other car.

[Sales@Dutchboys]

Build that Second Gen Rick! Upgrades..more upgrades....upgrades!

I love the quote that Popp told me one time.. "Seat time trumps all car mods..."
(it was something like that of some sort.)

Obviously there are some things that you would need to have on the car to make it work. But upgrade as you go based on what money and time allows.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Originally Posted by DutchBoys

Build that Second Gen Rick! Upgrades..more upgrades....upgrades!

I love the quote that Popp told me one time.. "Seat time trumps all car mods..."
(it was something like that of some sort.)

Obviously there are some things that you would need to have on the car to make it work. But upgrade as you go based on what money and time allows.

There you go!! with a little help from friends you can get it going.

Build your own link suspension, its only welding and bolting stuff on... in the right places that is.

Put the real money in engine and coil overs.

Once your car is somewhat running and in one piece then start thinking if you can use a track car or not.

[WSSix]

You're starting with a shell of a second gen. You don't need an interior. You can always add it later. You don't need paint or especially good paint that you're fearful of harming. Your front suspension design is pretty good from the factory and is made better with minor changes or more involved changes like coil overs. Which I didn't find difficult to install honestly. The rear suspension can stay with leaf springs to keep costs down, but since you're a shell, now is the time to build the rear suspension. Brakes are plentiful and easy though not cheap to do right. Rims can be $600 BMW rims which are a very high quality design. You can even build the 10 bolt for cheap. I'm probably preaching to the choir but my point is, just go for it.


BTW, my thoughts and desires always wonder to other projects. I always come back to the TA for the simple reason that any time or money I would spend elsewhere I could spend on the TA to get it done.

Good luck, Rick

[Neil B]

I raced the NASA CMC series for years with a Fox body Mustang. It's the most fun I've had in the hobby. You can't go wrong with a 3rd Gen Camaro or a Fox Mustang for road course fun. The Mustangs need springs, shocks, bushings, camber plates, and brakes but they run hard with those changes. Don't worry about the motor, 200-300 horsepower is PLENTY until you really know what you're doing (trust me). If you have a little more to spend, then go C5 Corvette. As others have said, the track days can be relatively affordable. But once you go wheel to wheel competitive road racing, the cost of the car is the least of your worries. I see where USCA is going and I just don't understand why you would risk a big budget PT car when you can run an inexpensive late model under the same rules. Given equal driver skills, you just can't outrun modern engineering with a classic.