In reply to Marko159 :
I totally identify with what you guys are doing
My Datsun weighs 1651lbs. I've currently got 9K in it; if I didn't Want to keep it vintage legal I could motor swap it or turbo charge the current engine. Either option would net 175 reliable horsepower.
I could also get the car down to 1488lbs if it didn't need the full cage and could use lightweight panels.
All of the above can be accomplished for 5-6K.
This is somewhat of a joke, but if there was a spec Sentra or Altima, we would have a plethora of cheap cars to get on track.
Duckzero said:This is somewhat of a joke, but if there was a spec Sentra or Altima, we would have a plethora of cheap cars to get on track.
And we would make the world a better place by getting them off the road.
Track toys are always cars that are 10-20 years old. E30s (an example from the column) have gone through that and are now collectibles. So are NA Miatas and CRXs to some extent.
But if you look for 2000-2010 cars, there are still lots of options. I did a quick FB marketplace search for under $5k in little Grand Junction and amongst all the Jeeps and trucks were a Mazda3, a 2.5 Impreza, a Tiburon, an Impala...they may not have motorsport heritage, but you don't really need that to run track days. For $6k you can get a Mazdaspeed 3.
RonnieFnD said:Duckzero said:This is somewhat of a joke, but if there was a spec Sentra or Altima, we would have a plethora of cheap cars to get on track.
And we would make the world a better place by getting them off the road.
Lol, you guys are describing b-spec! You can get any car in if you get them submitted for balancing. Fiat500, mini, mazda2, sonic, etc
Keith Tanner said:Track toys are always cars that are 10-20 years old. E30s (an example from the column) have gone through that and are now collectibles. So are NA Miatas and CRXs to some extent.
But if you look for 2000-2010 cars, there are still lots of options. I did a quick FB marketplace search for under $5k in little Grand Junction and amongst all the Jeeps and trucks were a Mazda3, a 2.5 Impreza, a Tiburon, an Impala...they may not have motorsport heritage, but you don't really need that to run track days. For $6k you can get a Mazdaspeed 3.
Bingo
In reply to Keith Tanner :
So you got me looking: for a 2000 Sentra and you can get tracks pads, sway bars and decent dampers for one.
One could add those parts and flog the poor car mercilessly.
accordionfolder said:RonnieFnD said:Duckzero said:This is somewhat of a joke, but if there was a spec Sentra or Altima, we would have a plethora of cheap cars to get on track.
And we would make the world a better place by getting them off the road.
Lol, you guys are describing b-spec! You can get any car in if you get them submitted for balancing. Fiat500, mini, mazda2, sonic, etc
I currently have a autox / track day sonic and I just picked up a 1.8 sonic I'm gonna build a b spec car with.
Edit...wtf is wrong with me.....two sonics lol
Tom1200 said:In reply to Keith Tanner :
So you got me looking: for a 2000 Sentra and you can get tracks pads, sway bars and decent dampers for one.
One could add those parts and flog the poor car mercilessly.
I remember when the sentra SER spec v was a hot autox car, I always liked those.
Keith Tanner said:Track toys are always cars that are 10-20 years old. E30s (an example from the column) have gone through that and are now collectibles. So are NA Miatas and CRXs to some extent.
But if you look for 2000-2010 cars, there are still lots of options. I did a quick FB marketplace search for under $5k in little Grand Junction and amongst all the Jeeps and trucks were a Mazda3, a 2.5 Impreza, a Tiburon, an Impala...they may not have motorsport heritage, but you don't really need that to run track days. For $6k you can get a Mazdaspeed 3.
This, looking on Craigslist/Marketplace right now, 2000-2010, manual, can find rx8, 350z, TSX, Mustang GT, Civic si, Z3/4, GTI, SVT Focus, Miata, BMW 3XX, Mazdaspeed 3/6, Boxster, Fit, Neon Srt4, WRX, and others for 6.5K or often much less asking price.
In reply to johndej :
Yeah! I usually have notifications set up in parts of the US where a RWD car wouldn't be ideal for most of the year. Seasonal discounts on these cars are real.
accordionfolder said:In reply to DjGreggieP :
Absolutely, you hit the nail on the head. HPDE can be tough and TT/Racing IS tough - you have to want to do it, set aside/prioritize the means to do so, and put yourself out there to learn about it; like most things worth doing in life.
Somewhat fortuitous ....
A tale as old as time :)
Though if JG wrote this article, it's probably like - "I bought another duck. I have 325 ducks." vs the beer and cigs.
accordionfolder said:RonnieFnD said:Duckzero said:This is somewhat of a joke, but if there was a spec Sentra or Altima, we would have a plethora of cheap cars to get on track.
And we would make the world a better place by getting them off the road.
Lol, you guys are describing b-spec! You can get any car in if you get them submitted for balancing. Fiat500, mini, mazda2, sonic, etc
And Gridlife Sundae Cup.
In reply to bobzilla :
Yeah, good point. I think the sundae cup is even easier now since it just needs to meet the power to weight and tiny rule book.
bobzilla said:In reply to DirtyBird222 :
See, I'm an OLOA fan. I like driving my racecar to and from and all over. I've gone dedicated play car in the past and I lose interest in them quickly.
For me the dedicated race car route seems to be a generally more difficult and expensive one, and it would be hard to convince me to take it for anything remotely streetable. A tow rig can easily cost more than whatever you're taking on track and then that's another vehicle that needs its own insurance, maintenance etc...it also means the track car is purely a toy and can't act as a substitute DD in a pinch, which makes it harder to justify spending money on, at least in my mind. And for doing even the slightest morsel of testing or break-in driving on your track car, there are no options between "take chances with the cops on your neighborhood roads" and "arrange for time on a closed course and start loading it onto the trailer."
In reply to GameboyRMH :
I got around the cost of insurance for the tow vehicle by buying a camper van. Insurance is $100 a year.
As I only drive it 1500 miles a year maintenance is minimul.
I've got 9K in the van.
In reply to Tom1200 :
That's what I'm trying out right now (RV/trailer to replace truck) - I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter, Tom.
"... Best car of 2024, that's right folks, it's the 1972 Datsun 1200 **again** ..."
In reply to accordionfolder :
It's really becoming fun. Mini's, 2's, fits, Festivas, proteges, cobalt, accord, Rio, accent etc....
bobzilla said:In reply to accordionfolder :
It's really becoming fun. Mini's, 2's, fits, Festivas, proteges, cobalt, accord, Rio, accent etc....
It's almost like racing cars is fun, especially when you don't have to spend a lot of money and everyone is just there to have a good time ;0)
I love Gridlife's approach to racing and rules (or lack there of)
In reply to accordionfolder :
It's funny you mention newsletter......a friend keeps teasing me about writing a book on my not so glorious exploits.
As for my Datsun I think I could replicate it for about 8K. There are some things I did that really weren't needed.
accordionfolder said:Though if JG wrote this article, it's probably like - "I bought another duck. I have 325 ducks." vs the beer and cigs.
I was just at JG’s. Not quite 325 ducks. (I did see his sweet front end loader, though.)
In addition to B Spec, there’s also a C Spec movement out there: similar idea but using slightly bigger cars that should be relatively easy to find.
David S. Wallens said:In addition to B Spec, there’s also a C Spec movement out there: similar idea but using slightly bigger cars that should be relatively easy to find.
I like that idea - I will say - I thought sundae cup didn't have spatial requirements for the car, just p/w and then the limitations on suspension adjustability, etc. I'll have to check the '24 rules though. Maybe tire width would keep some bigger cars out if you can't find the right size.
accordionfolder said:David S. Wallens said:In addition to B Spec, there’s also a C Spec movement out there: similar idea but using slightly bigger cars that should be relatively easy to find.
I like that idea - I will say - I thought sundae cup didn't have spatial requirements for the car, just p/w and then the limitations on suspension adjustability, etc. I'll have to check the '24 rules though. Maybe tire width would keep some bigger cars out if you can't find the right size.
3k lbs or more can run 215 falkens, anything under is a 205 (The Bob Rule). 1% weight penalty for DOHC and 1% for dual wishbone suspension, otherwise P2W.
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