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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » HPDE Track car - Neon vs Civic vs Escort GT in an $800 Initial purchase price showdown

May 7, 2010 11:22 a.m. Lugnut HalfDork

Let's say I'm trying to minimize costs to get back out on the track this year. For the price of a roll bar and its padding, definitely less than the price of a hard top, I can pick up a 2300 pound-ish, 100 horsepower-ish hard top car.

Consumables must be CHEAP. Brakes, tires, gas all have to last for as long as possible. Each of these can comfortably run a 14" or 15" RA1 and are light and slow enough that they won't cook brakes every day or two.

I'm not looking to find a series and race w2w, just a track car to beat the tar out of, drive it to and from events, and have some good, safe, cheap fun.

Pros and cons to each choice?
May 7, 2010 11:28 a.m. Klayfish New Reader

In reply to Lugnut:

Dude, you and I are in the EXACT same boat. As you saw in my other post, I've got my Miata, which I don't want to put a roll bar on. I'm looking for an HPDE only car I can whip the crap out of.

Don't rule out an NA Miata. They're more than $800, but for under $2000, you can get one.

I think it'd be hard to find a Civic for that low of a price...at least one that wouldn't need $1000 to make it track worthy. The Neon and Escort are probably relatively similar as far as costs, etc....I think the Neon was a bit sportier though.

Are you going to drive too/from, or tow it? Not to hijack your thread, but it's a similar question....I'm also looking at old used ITB/track cars. Anyone ever run a really old VW Rabbit?
May 7, 2010 11:29 a.m. splitime Reader

From my personal preferences... I'd do 88-95 civics.

TONS of aftermarket and used parts. Loads of OEM options for brake upgrades, engine upgrades etc...

But... its also the car I know/knew best and always felt started out with a more ideal suspension setup (ie: fully independent), weren't the neon/escort mac or torsion stuff?
May 7, 2010 11:37 a.m. amg_rx7 Reader

why not a Miata? or an RX7?
May 7, 2010 11:37 a.m. Bobzilla Dork

02-04 Accent hatch with the 1.6L DOHC.
May 7, 2010 11:50 a.m. Lugnut HalfDork

I have a '91 Miata. Like I said, I realized that just for the price of a roll bar to get that car legal for track use, I could buy an entire car that has a roof.

I would do an RX7, but in my area a suitable one for under $800 will be harder to come by than any of these fwd tinny boxes. Plus I want to try a fwd track car. I'd do a GTI, but again, in my neck of the woods an $800 one suitable for track use is hard to come by.

I'm on board with the Accent. I'll add it to the list.

Splitime, I miss my EF. If you remember I had that little red one that I traded for a ZC CRX, which I hated.

I'll be driving this car to and from events. No towing.
May 7, 2010 11:54 a.m. Lugnut HalfDork

I may have posted too soon about the Hyundai. '02-'04 Accents still look to be multiple thousands of dollars.
May 7, 2010 12:04 p.m. grimmelshanks Reader

egt. theyre torquey and awesome. i cant say much about them mechanically because most of my experience has been working on hondas, but a friend has one and its bada$$.
May 7, 2010 12:10 p.m. Bobzilla Dork

Yeah... downside to gaining popularity is the resale has skyrocketed.... 2 years ago a 4 year old accent with 100k miles was worth a grand....

what about the 96-99 accent hatch? light enough.
May 7, 2010 12:27 p.m. Raze HalfDork

Neon, i've been scouring CL since the other post started as it brought back all kinds of fun memories of that tiny tossable car, and well, there are plenty of sub $2000 fully built ready to track race cars and plenty of sub $1000 ones in decent form that could easily be converted, though for the money the $1500-1800 already gutted, caged, race seated, harnessed, window netted, suspensioned, braked, wheels and tired and running is going to be a hard deal to beat anywhere starting from an $800 beater...
May 7, 2010 12:41 p.m. 93celicaGT2 SuperDork

Civic is going to be hard to find one worth anything semi-ready to go for that purchase price.

Neon or EGT is a wash.

I'd pick EGT simply because i know them better, but that's about the only reason. Aftermarket is acceptable, mine is dead nuts reliable, and it's fun as hell to drive. Parts are extremely cheap.

The same could probably be said of Neons, too.

My experience with the EGT is that i got a bad deal for mine when i got it for $700, but i'm pretty ecstatic with the results of the fixes/modifications that are on it right now, and it's still well under $2000. Mine had a toast transmission when i bought it. Don't do that.

Also (and again, only because i've got experience with them) don't rule out 86-93 Celicas. They can be had in that price range and there isn't really anything the Neon or the EGT do better, besides weigh a little less. I prefer the more planted feel of the Celica at a VERY slight hit to nimbleness over the other two.
May 7, 2010 1:07 p.m. Klayfish New Reader

Raze wrote:

Neon, i've been scouring CL since the other post started as it brought back all kinds of fun memories of that tiny tossable car, and well, there are plenty of sub $2000 fully built ready to track race cars and plenty of sub $1000 ones in decent form that could easily be converted, though for the money the $1500-1800 already gutted, caged, race seated, harnessed, window netted, suspensioned, braked, wheels and tired and running is going to be a hard deal to beat anywhere starting from an $800 beater...

You've found race ready ones for under $2000?? Care to share??
May 7, 2010 1:22 p.m. Raze HalfDork

In reply to Klayfish:

you might have to drive to pick them up, but.....

http://battlecreek.craigslist.org/cto/1699307669.html

http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/cto/1699203049.html

http://watertown.craigslist.org/rvs/1717085256.html

http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/cto/1692835519.html

http://up.craigslist.org/cto/1692016168.html
May 7, 2010 1:58 p.m. oldeskewltoy Reader

What about a rwd Corolla??? Avoid an AE86(too much $)

The earlier car can be had for a few hundred dollars, and you get rwd
May 7, 2010 2:05 p.m. Klayfish New Reader

Raze wrote:

In reply to Klayfish:

you might have to drive to pick them up, but.....

http://battlecreek.craigslist.org/cto/1699307669.html

http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/cto/1699203049.html

http://watertown.craigslist.org/rvs/1717085256.html

http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/cto/1692835519.html

http://up.craigslist.org/cto/1692016168.html

Dang!! Don't see that many of them around here... I'm near Philly. Some of those look pretty cool for a beater.

By the way, anyone have any experience with an old VW Rabbit? I've seen a few ex-SCCA ones for cheap.
May 7, 2010 2:16 p.m. Woody SuperDork

The Civic buy-in will be higher, but that should be offset by the abundance of used performance parts available.
May 7, 2010 3:06 p.m. irish44j HalfDork

what about a 1st or 2nd generation Integra? You can find those all day for around $1000 in running shape....
May 7, 2010 3:34 p.m. STS_ZX2 New Reader

ZX2. Same Chassis as the EGT. 2.0 Zetec...more torque than EGT and Neon-ACR ish HP (Think S/R tune)...only slightly heavier than EGT--21XX easy.
May 7, 2010 3:37 p.m. erohslc Reader

With the EGT, wouldn't you have some motor commonality with your Miata? How much do you plan to do for mods? If the goal is low cost seat time, would you rather be wrenching, or driving?
May 7, 2010 3:37 p.m. STS_ZX2 New Reader

double post
May 7, 2010 3:52 p.m. Lugnut HalfDork

I would definitely rather be driving, but I don't mind tinkering.

My mods are going to be limited to consumables (tires, pads, fluids, you know), safety equipment, and just enough stuff to make it turn how much I tell it to turn. So maybe struts that don't leak and a rear sway bar. That'll be about it.
May 7, 2010 4:12 p.m. STS_ZX2 New Reader

If you get an EGT or ZX2, the ZX2 S/R struts are nice and not expensive at all...much better than 'regular' ones (they are Tokicos made for the Eibach springs that came on the S/R). The EGT has a 'big' 21mm RSB, as do the pre 97 Wagons. Regular 91-96 cars have a 19mm and the ZX2 and later Escorts have a 13mm. ZX2s have a bigger FSB than the EGT...
May 8, 2010 10:09 a.m. 92dxman Reader

I'll take the EGT/Zx2 concept a little farther and even say 97+ plain jane Escort sedans and wagons. You can find them pretty common and usually in good shape for little coin. Plus all of the goodies that have been mentioned bolt right on. I'll also recommend 90-94 Protege LX's. If you do plan to go with an EGT or Protege LX, do yourself a favor and swap out the damn passive belts for regular ones. It isn't too hard and you'll thank me later. I'll even recommend twin cam Saturns of all flavors (coupe, sedan or wagon)

Klayfish--> i'm near Philly and here is some stuff I found:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1727974547.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1715284913.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1697876843.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1727712818.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1719120435.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1692897528.html
May 8, 2010 11:20 a.m. DaveEstey New Reader

I bought my 91 CRX for $800 ready to run but a little rusty. Had the suspension already done (400lb springs, AGX, extended top hats, big rear sway).

Hard to find those deals though.
May 9, 2010 10:52 p.m. internetautomart SuperDork

> $800 netted me a 91 240sx coupe last week. it runs, drives, stops , turns and actually looks decent. also came with a real radio, no real ricer mods (just an optima red top and 10mm wires). JY run netted some cheap upgrades for it

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