I am looking for a new toy for creating mayhem on the back roads of Western Washington and the local autocross circuits (maybe a track day or two) and I would like input on a few different options. My ideal car would be reliable enough for summer drives (not a daily driver) and fairly easy for DYI projects. If the car ever sees the inside of a shop other than my garage it will be a blow to my ego 
. My favorite public playground is in the Cascade foothills with lots of 15 and 25mph posted corners so I have no intention of power slides at 100mph or anything else potentially fatal.
I could swing maybe $10K if I promise my wife that this will end my constant griping about driving the Minivan, but $5,000-$7,500 would be much easier to swing.
My first thought was a G1 Miata (94-97) with a removable hard top (It rains a LOT here) , but I am 6’5”, wear a 56 X-long Jacket and have a 34” inseam so I am guessing that would be too tight of a squeeze. I have seen a lot of back and forth on that issue and my perception is that a Miata is great for a tall skinny guy, but less than ideal for a NFL linebacker type. I did try out a new Miata and found that my left knee constantly hit the steering wheel when I let out the clutch but the RX8 fit perfectly.
At the opposite end of the spectrum we have the Corvette. I am thinking the LT1 from the early 90’s, you know where the front opens up like an old spitfire. I do fit in those and I don’t look completely out of scale when sitting in one. On the plus side parts are just about free (well, compared to my old 911 Turbo) and the car is easy to work on. Oh, and fast. I think a Corvette could even may driving I-5 interesting…illegal…but interesting.
On the down side, they don’t seem to hold up very well and I get the impression that there is a lot of “jiggle” that goes along with driving a Corvette hard. In addition, driving a Corvette hard seems like it would be impossible given an autocross course or my local roads. What’s it like to drive a Corvette on a twisty road at 50-60? I would think that the Corvette may just kind of seem big, junkie and heavy in that environment. Still…they look cool and do not depreciate.
Then there is that 300ZX, say 91-95. I don’t really know anything about those but they seem intriguing. Now the NA version would probably be plenty quick for my needs but I am worried about their mechanical / electrical components. I have never worked on a Nissan, but I would assume they are reasonably easy to work on with a traditional RWD layout. The trouble is finding one without a hideous body kit, 6’ rear wing and 200,000 miles. I guess if there are cars out there with 200,000 miles then the Nissan motors must last a while.
Our band of Rx-7 autocrossers will be invading Packwood often this year.
