Magic 8 ball says..."Miata"

flounder

I would buy both the all-Miata and the GRM answers 8-Ball, even at $20-$25...

/flounder

kevinSC1 wrote: I left off my list "handles well without modifications" and I might be convinced to try AWD

1st Gen RX-7, 2nd Gen RX-7, NA Miata, and C4 Corvette still fit. 3rd Gen and 4th Gen CamaroBird's can be made to handle fairly easily (google Sam Strano) as can SN95 Mustang's (especially IRS Cobra's). Fox chassis can handle too, but it's going to take an entire catalog of parts to do it.

I still say SA/FB RX-7. You will always have a class (IT7, Spec7, Pro7, etc), it's a hardtop (no worrying about HPDE rules, easier to cage), and if you wad it up into a wall another shell is $250 away, swap the cage and goodies and go racing again the next weekend.

93celicaGT2 wrote: What's "affordable to buy" for you?

Since I am but a humble social worker, "affordable" at this point is ~$4k to buy, and easy on consumables.

Another plus for the Miata is that it shares the 4x100 bolt pattern of the Saturn, so a set of hubcentric rings, and I've got 205/50/15 R-comps all mounted and ready to go.

Kevin, I never thought I'd see this day. But you are following in the footsteps of countless other Saturn performance enthusiasts - myself included. I'm on Miata #2 at this point.

The main thing to watch out for, at our height, is roll bar vs. helmet clearance. Some groups are more strict about this than others, but it can be more difficult to get a Miata into a track event than any car with a solid roof. (That would be one point in favor of a BMW.) You can give the driver's seat a "foamectomy," a procedure well documented on Miata.net, or swap it for a racing seat to get yourself a bit lower in the car. Getting a hardtop may help, too, as many organizations will accept a convertible with a roll bar and hardtop more easily than just a roll bar, but at $1000ish that's 1/4 of your budget right there.

I did a few track days in my last Miata, and even my mostly stock 1.6 was LOTS of fun. Try some track days before adding the power and see what I mean. Keith's right, if you're planning to boost the car, start with a 1.8. There are a lot more options out there, in both turbo and supercharger flavors, and you can either get one with a Torsen or swap one in if you get a deal on an open diff car.

I dunno, we have the exact same options for 1.6 and 1.8 cars. Why would you need any others? I was thinking of power/dollar ratios and the stronger rear end.

If you are considering a 1st gen RX-7, as P71 suggests, here is one for sale in full race trim and comfortably under your $4k budget. I found it on CL

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/1623616782.html

Up for sale is my 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE race car. This car is logbooked for SCCA E-Production class club racing. Zero hours on freshly rebuilt 13-B Streetport engine. Car has Koni coilovers, disc brakes all round, racing clutch, LSD, Victory racing wheels, Kirky seat, fuel cell, roll cage with NASCAR style driver's door, fire system etc. etc. Ready to race. Just needs some new brake pads, a few cosmetic items, and setup. Hasn't been raced since October 2006.

Video of the car after rebuild (but before tuning) can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHwZpXEbCvA&feature=player_embedded

Price is $3250 OBO. Trailer available for an extra $1000 if you need it.

Spares include: distributor cap & wires, brake rotors, front quarter panel, full exhaust, transmission, extra set of wheels, and a dozen racing tires (mostly Hoosiers).

Call Grant for details at 727-366-1246.

And looks tasty with the Supra wheels, too.

Keith wrote: I dunno, we have the exact same options for 1.6 and 1.8 cars. Why would you need any others? I was thinking of power/dollar ratios and the stronger rear end.

I rather like the idea of a supercharger vs. turbo for autocross application. No lag, instant power. There are some available for the 1.8, but I'm not seeing 1.6 options.

But enough about me - let's talk about Kevin. For track use, I'd prefer a turbo anyway. More boost, lag is less of an issue, and such. Plus the stronger rear end - Torsen, of course!

There are superchargers available for the 1.6. The M45 kit sold under a half dozen names over the years (currently sold by Moss Motors) was probably the first forced induction kit for a Miata. Gotta tell you, when I pulled one of those off my wife's 1990 and put in a Voodoo II turbo with a small turbocharger, it became a better autocross machine. That kit is well past the sell-by date in my opinion.

There might be an MP62 kit available for the 1.6, I'm not sure. I think you'd have to crank up the boost in order to get into a decent efficiency range in the blower, but never tried.

White_and_Nerdy wrote: Kevin, I never thought I'd see this day.

Believe me, I have resisted it for a long time. My goal is to start relatively stock, and slowly increase power as I increase talent.

Since I don't have $$ for a trailer or tow vehicle, the other thing would be that it needs to street legal (ish) - at least close enough that I can plate it.

Decision has been made. Now on the prowl for a '94-'95 Miata.

And I'll be parting out the Saturn soon.