Old school or not...

I have someone coming to look at my track car this weekend. If I sell it I will be looking for a replacement that is a little more useable for my current life situation. (With two young kids and a new house, I don't see my self road racing in the near future, which is why the ITA car is up for sale)

The question of the day is do I go with something that is semi modern like an e36 M3, C4 Corvette, etc... or do I go old school and look for something a little older and cooler like a 240Z or a 2002 BMW.

I have had three M3's in the past and they are fun to drive, handle good, have cold A/C and have probably hit the bottom of their depreciation curve so as long as I don't ball it up I should get my money back.

On the other hand I have been eyeing 240Z's pretty hard lately. It would be cheaper to insure, neat to drive around because it is old and should hold its value pretty well since it is collectible. The problem is they never seem to be for sale near me and It is hard to find one that is not rusty.

I am looking for something to Autocross on occasion, maybe take to a track day once or twice a year and to generally enjoy driving and working on.

I have a work car that I can drive everyday, and my wife has a Sequoia that we use to tote the kids around. This car would be to replace the ITA car that sits beside my house under a tarp and has only been to a few autocrosses since I had my kids.

I am planning to spend around $5k or less if possible.

You are not going to find a worthwhile 240Z for $5k. Just saying. Unless it's a once-in-a-lifetime find, $5k will get you a scruffy driver. BTDT. You won't find one. I passed up the one I ever found for $1400 when I literally had 3 grand in my pocket, like a total moron. I still kick myself, never found another even close.

$5k will build an incredible E30, 1 or 2G RX-7, S12 200SX, MR-2, Fox body, etc etc...if it's a hobby car, might as well enjoy the build vs something that just is what it is for your budget (i.e. E36 M3, not that there's anything wrong with them)

Why not get a 260/280 and backdate body parts to make it look like you want?

the 260 is a sweet car.. and for 99 9/10ths of the people.. it's the same as a 240

There is nothing sexier than a 2002 with some kind of flared wheel wells.

To quote Rock'n'Rolla, "There is no school like the old school and I'm the berkeleying headmaster."

Yea, the early 260s seem like everything that's good about the 240, with a little more displacement and less money.

You can buy a ticket to Seattle where a quick search turned up three 240s that may get you back to wherever you are going for under $5k. They would need to be looked at but most cars up here are in decent shape body wise. There is a lot about 10 miles from me that only works on and sells Z cars.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2646021424.html http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2640033220.html http://www.zspecialties.com/ - they have a white 1970 for $3.5k. Gas back to Florida might put you over budget.

I should have specified that any s30 will do. I would be fine with a 260 or a 280z. I really could careless if it is a real 240 because eventually it will be powered by something else, have different wheels, suspension, etc... I was watching a decent looking blue one that just ended on ebay. There is also a nice one in Atlanta of all places with a 280ZX Turbo engine for 6000 OBO.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/2639424990.html

Here is a semi ratty 240Z in Tampa http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/73-datsun-240z-s30-/120792198479?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item1c1fc6ad4f

I am going to look at this M3 on Tuesday if it is still available. It has high miles but the owner has lots of records and it looks good in the few pictures he posted. He told me the suspension is original and is wore out but I would be replacing that anyway...

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/2644216396.html

get a miata

finding any s30 in decent enough shape is getting harder and harder, sheetmetal is getting more expensive, the brakes suck, on the upside the L6 engine is nearly indestructable

miata offers pretty much the same weight, width and lenght but with less power, better brakes and all the rubber bits are 40 year newer, or and all the metal is available and cheap and you couldn't ask for more aftermarket, don't get me wrong I love my datsuns but if you want dependable track car it's hard to argue with miata

I was in the same boat as you this spring. I was 110% burned out on DSMs, been doing that 10 years and tired of the same old issues.

So I sold my DSM and all my spares and had some jingle burning a hole in my pocket. Requirements for me were pretty easy. Cool, Fast enough to leave close to stock (low 13s, high 12s), welcome at car shows/cruise nights, take it to the drag strip once in a while, commute on nice days (30 miles mixed freeway and city), cruise up to Wisconsin Dells (250 miles round trip, freeway), take it weddings and other special events, easy enough to work on, decent parts availability, wont eat you alive on service parts.

I looked at a few cool cars in my budget, a few Judge GTO clones, a 72 Nova like my dad had, a 65 Impala SS, a Syclone, a Typhoon, a BMW E30 M3 and a BMW 540i, a few E55 AMGs, but nothing wet my whistle like a Corvette. The old cars were just not comfortable enough to put real freeway miles on them. Cars in my price range typically didnt have functioning A/C or power windows, and were either pretty close to stock but somewhat cobbled or really nice pro street/drag cars.

The modern stuff was cool, but cost and availability of rare parts turned me off of the BMWs and AMG Mercedes cars. The best compromise I could find was a Corvette. It was fast, cheap, good parts availability, and great online presence. I ended up with a 2002 Coupe/6 speed/Z51 suspension and I couldn't be happier. I was really close to pulling the trigger on a black Typhoon, but my daily driver is a truck and I missed having a car to cruise in. If I had a car as a daily, a Typhoon would have probably won out.

A milano would work for a cheap track car. They suck as a daily driver unless you get a perfect one, but the mechanical parts are pretty durable and simple so tracking one would work well I think. IMO they are more fun than a miata or e30 in good weather, it's just the crappy headlights, no heater, etc that gets old after a while.

I am leaning towards a Z car at the moment, but who know what I will end up with. 2 weeks ago I was plotting to put an LS1 into a 2wd XJ Cherokee...

As far as a Miata goes. I have never been a fan. I know that is sacriledge on here but I have owned two. One was a 1997 and the other was a 1999 with the Hard S package. My wife didn't like either of them. I sold the 1999 and got her a 2000 MR2 which she loved even more the Boxster S we replaced it with.

I am not looking for a track only car at this time. That is what I am selling to get something that I can use more often, not just for autocross or track days.