Selling the 911SC - What next??

In reply to captdownshift:

To be honest, this is the answer but I don't want to wait for a chassis at this point. Future project for sure. I follow the Exocet Facebook group, lots of awesomeness there.

asoduk wrote: Cayman, S2000, or Viper?

Lol Viper... You're killing me.

In reply to LuxInterior:

Expensive consumables, but.....they are tons of fun. If you get a 2nd gen you can even cook breakfast on the door sills when you get to the track.

My vote would be an Exige if you can find one within budget, honestly they are probably a bit less Spartan inside than a 930 generation 911.

Well it sold! Off to Oxford, England. Bye-bye SC The search is on for it's replacement.

ptmeyer84 wrote: Honestly, I am afraid of BMWs but really like M3s.

You've owned a Porsche, and are considering another, but you're afraid of BMWs?

$12k-$15k will buy you a very solid E36 M3 or E46 330ci already prepped for track work and with any problem areas taken care of. Keep the fluids fresh and don't money shift it. Replace tires and brake pads as needed. Enjoy.

In reply to Duke:

Come on, this is a "What Car" thread! You can't come in throwing stuff like "logic" around!

In all seriousness, I am looking at the most robust platform regardless of marque. I'm liking the E36 M3 alot. If I could find a properly prepped one with a full interior, I may jump on it. The Magazine's latest article on the spec BMWs has me thinking of E46 330s.

Anyone with Elise experience here? My heart is pulling me that way...

I have a friend with and Exige that I've spent some time in. They're awesome, but there is no way to have a minor accident with them. Damaging the front or rear clam is $$$$$$$ and god forbid you bend the chassis. They're genuinly fabulous, though I haven't driven it on track, but I was like a tiny nervous dog the whole time I was driving it.

I am out. Smart crowd here, all the good choices have already been mentioned. Maybe a Lotus/Caterham 7? Might be tough with a 2 hour commute though. I think for my money it would be a M3 or BRZ/FRS.

ptmeyer84 wrote: In reply to mazdeuce: Not quite that low, but close! Cayman in KC

Where was this when I looked last year? Sheesh. '09's and up were easily upwards of $30k.

I just listed my e46 M3 for sale. Would make a deal for a GRMer.

Great track car potential. The right mods already, a slicktop, and the cool cloth/leather interior.

My e46 M3 FS thread

dyintorace wrote: I just listed my e46 M3 for sale. Would make a deal for a GRMer. Great track car potential. The right mods already, a slicktop, and the cool cloth/leather interior. My e46 M3 FS thread

Damn, you had me until SMG...

In reply to mazdeuce:

How about Elise vs Exocet build??

ptmeyer84 wrote:

dyintorace wrote: I just listed my e46 M3 for sale. Would make a deal for a GRMer. Great track car potential. The right mods already, a slicktop, and the cool cloth/leather interior. My e46 M3 FS thread

Damn, you had me until SMG...

I too used to be an SMG hater, until owning one. It's all the pluses of a manual (since it is truly a manual) without having to actually depress a clutch pedal. And, if you decided you really hated it, you could swap in a manual shift lever and hang a clutch pedal.

dyintorace wrote:

ptmeyer84 wrote:

dyintorace wrote: I just listed my e46 M3 for sale. Would make a deal for a GRMer. Great track car potential. The right mods already, a slicktop, and the cool cloth/leather interior. My e46 M3 FS thread

Damn, you had me until SMG...

I too used to be an SMG hater, until owning one. It's all the pluses of a manual (since it is truly a manual) without having to actually depress a clutch pedal. And, if you decided you really hated it, you could swap in a manual shift lever and hang a clutch pedal.

I have the exact twin of dyintorace's car in 2004 year. As he said, dont discount the SMG, it works! Mine has a few track days and it has been flawless.

Get an SMG tune (TTFS is what I have) and you'll love it. Plus if you get bored it is very easy to convert to a manual.

ptmeyer84 wrote: In reply to mazdeuce: How about Elise vs Exocet build??

I have a friend with a track Exocet build, and while I haven't driven it, I've poked around it and talked to him a bunch.
The Exige is a production car turned up to 11 from a driver connectedness point of view, but you're still in a car. The Exocet is closer to being ON a car, the sensation is totally different. I would recommend you go visit Keith and drive one before building. It think the cost of the trip would be worth it to see if it's what you want. My friend sold his within a couple months of completing the build. It was awesome, but he couldn't find anything to do with it. It wasn't competitive in any of the classes it could run in, so that left him playing with himself on track which he immediately found boring.

mazdeuce wrote:

ptmeyer84 wrote: In reply to mazdeuce: How about Elise vs Exocet build??

I have a friend with a track Exocet build, and while I haven't driven it, I've poked around it and talked to him a bunch. The Exige is a production car turned up to 11 from a driver connectedness point of view, but you're still in a car. The Exocet is closer to being ON a car, the sensation is totally different. I would recommend you go visit Keith and drive one before building. It think the cost of the trip would be worth it to see if it's what you want. My friend sold his within a couple months of completing the build. It was awesome, but he couldn't find anything to do with it. It wasn't competitive in any of the classes it could run in, so that left him playing with himself on track which he immediately found boring.

Didn't think of the competition. Good insight. Still, I have been trying to work out a visit to Western CO and to stop by FM's shop. To me, that would be worth the trip alone but convincing my wife to drag our three little munchkins out there is another matter...

Not a hater of the SMG, I realize it can be improved. I still need to give my left foot something to do.

In reply to ptmeyer84:

That's what the brake pedal is for :)

ptmeyer84 wrote: In reply to KyAllroad: I've considered that same plan with the NC but with a 2.5 swap instead of a supercharger. All the discussion of heat management in boosted miatas has me a bit worried. I will be consumed with managing track driving, I question my ability to watch the temp gauge. Maybe I am blowing this out of proportion. Might be better to leave the engine alone in the NC and just do suspension/tires/brakes/rollbar. In reply to Cotton: Thanks, it's been a fun ride. It's still open for bidding!

Good-Win racing has a radiator to solve any concerns about overheating in an NC.... http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/61-1845.html?mv_source=News1

Worth looking into if you go the NC route. I am planning on the 2.5 upgrade and will use this radiator.

NC's are cheap, fun and have great aftermarket support.

You didn't mention being especially attached to creature comforts so...

Elise. Because that are wonderful track cars. Upgrade the suspension and they are even better. Also (honestly) because I've wanted one for ages.

I went for a ride in supercharged Elise at HPR a couple of years ago. It was the most fun I've had in the passenger seat at a track day.

Here to update. Car is sold and is waiting to get through customs in NJ and I still have no idea what car to buy. I have test drove an E36 M3 and loved it, but rust and transmission problems scared me off. Drove multiple ND Miatas and I love every second I spend in those things! But I really want to avoid the new car deprecation. I have a lead on a clean looking S2000 to check out next week. I have flirted with the idea of doing a fly and drive on an E36 M3 just haven't found the right one. Drove a FRS for the second time and was underwhelmed. They just don't feel special.

Any advice? Should I be patient for the right M3 or just take the depriciation like a man and buy a ND?

Lotsa good E36 M3's out there...

In reply to ptmeyer84:

You can buy a darn clean S2000 for about 2/3 the price of an ND and I really don't think it would depreciate much at all if cared for. Awesome, awesome cars too, if you've never driven one. So that would be my vote.

docwyte wrote: Lotsa good E36 M3's out there...

Worth it?

I like this one, but the lack of maintenance history scares me a bit. Also, I wish it was Estroil Blue...

I've been casually shopping e36 M3s and that seems incredibly expensive to me.