I have a 2002 Miata that is a blast to drive. However, I'm coming to the conclusion I may be just to tall to track it. I now have a Sparco Sprint bolted to the floor, and I pass the broomstick test....... barely. I'm planning to track it this year as is. What's the replacement when Miata isn't the answer because you don't fit comfortably? I'd prefer to stay rear wheel drive wth a budget around $12k.
In the original GRM Pentaverate, after Miata for sporty top down motoring, the next answer for hardtop motoring was BMW e30 which may be be updated to include e36 and e46 as well.
The full Pentaverate also include P71 for 4 seat.
Chevy Astro for seating/towing/utility needs (updated to include Suburban)
Jeep XJ for off road needs.
John Welsh said:In the original GRM Pentaverate, after Miata for sporty top down motoring, the next answer for hardtop motoring was BMW e30 which may be be updated to include e36 and e46 as well.
The full Pentaverate also include P71 for 4 seat.
Chevy Astro for seating/towing/utility needs (updated to include Suburban)
Jeep XJ for off road needs.
Are you certain it's not
Miata
Miata powered MGB GT
LS powered MGB GT
LS powered E36
E36 (M52) powered E30
Astro Van
Wrangler Unlimited
F350 6.7 Powerstroke
Genesis 5.0 sedan
FRS
C5 corvette or E46 BMW
If you still have the stock seat, you can always do a foamectomey.
Then switch to a race seat, then go the SM route and drop the floor pan for plenty o' space.
In reply to Slocus :
I was in my tall buddy's shop the other day whee he was just finishing up welding in the new lower floor pan in his 3rd miata track car. I think he said he drops it 2" under the seat.....so as always a miata remains the answer ;)
What do you like about tracking the Miata? What do you not like about tracking it (other than fitment)? Do you want more power? Are you willing to pay more in consumables, or do you want to keep those costs low? Do you need to bring everything to the track in the car?
There are a lot of reasons to drive a Miata, but all of those reasons exist in other cars in different percentages. In many ways a C5 Corvette is a really fast Miata that is more expensive to run.
Have you tried an NC Miata? More power, better handling and roomier than the NA/NB chassis.
I'm pretty amazed by how much more space I have in my NC after having older Miatai.
Or get an RX-8 if you like the Mazda feel but want a real roof and (sort of) rear seats.
Side mount the seat,I did this in my Alfa Romeo spider, so I could sit low in the car. I am 6 foot. I made my own brackets, welded in the mounts. Easy to do.
and yes I am useing miata seats in my Alfa Romeo spider,I sit much lower than oem seats, before I looked out of last 3 inches of windshield,had to take visors out, now, just over steering wheel.
To get and IdeA how low you can go. Remove the seat rails, then put seat in. Level them. Email me, Randelltgribben@gmail.com. Will send phone number.
Slocus said:I have a 2002 Miata that is a blast to drive. However, I'm coming to the conclusion I may be just to tall to track it. I now have a Sparco Sprint bolted to the floor, and I pass the broomstick test....... barely. I'm planning to track it this year as is. What's the replacement when Miata isn't the answer because you don't fit comfortably? I'd prefer to stay rear wheel drive wth a budget around $12k.
I think some here are missing that point. There's not much lower to go.
But I'd be asking the same questions as Keith- as that matters in terms of an alternate car.
I'd say BMW. Coming from a Miata, it's amazing how much vertical room there is my E46 once you take out the sunroof and I'm told E36s are the same.
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:Have you tried an NC Miata? More power, better handling and roomier than the NA/NB chassis.
I'm pretty amazed by how much more space I have in my NC after having older Miatai.
Or get an RX-8 if you like the Mazda feel but want a real roof and (sort of) rear seats.
I drove a well built NC Miata on track (ex-Playboy Cup car, with further refinements) and it was amazeballs. Handling and braking were both incredible.
For $12K I might look at an early Boxster or a built 944 track car.
A C5 is a great option to.
I've never raced one personally, but there seems to be a Mustang to fit every budget. I have never been to a track day or seen a GRM race event where at least one wasn't represented.
May I suggest a kart powered by an IAME X30? About four grand for a good one and you'll be pulling 2.5g in no time (and 3.2 g when the track is rubbered in)
Mustang
Is
Always
The
Answer
John Welsh said:In the original GRM Pentaverate...
Does GRM meet tri-annually at a secret country mansion in Colorado known as "The Meadows"
I regularly track 2 of the cars mentioned above - mostly stock rx8 and e46 330i that's completely stripped with race seats. I'm also 6'2" so I can relate to the fitment issues, here are my thoughts:
RX-8:
Mine is mostly stock, only mods are springs and sways - full factory interior. I generally let my novice friends drive it for HPDE, and they have ranged in size from a former nfl linebacker, to my 5'8" neighbor. They've all been able to make it work, though I have two seat pads, one with the foam removed, and 1 that isn't modified at all. That said I can't fit in it with a helmet on without completely removing the cushion and sitting on a cut yoga mat(ouch). I do have a sunroof model, and w/o sunroof I bet I'd fit just fine in the stock seat, at least the one with most of the foam removed. The wheel doesn't telescope so leaning back is not an option unless you have really long arms(like the previously mentioned linebacker)...
On the Track, the car is a blast. With decent pads, the stock brakes are incredible. It's pretty light and has a factory LSD. It's really easy to drive fast, yet still pretty capable in the right hands. On a medium tight track, it will hang with and even pass much more powerful cars. I will say that prior to the new springs/sways, it did have some pretty substantial body roll in the corners, but that was a cheap upgrade and it's dead solid now. In 2+ years of tracking it multiple times a month I've only replaced tires/pads/and a couple $15 solenoids. It really seems to like being run hard!
e46 330i
With race seats(not even in their lowest position) and the interior stripped I have several inches of headroom, even with a helmet on. Prior to the race seats(stock) and when it still had the sunroof(since deleted) I fit comfortably even then. The wheel telescopes and moves up and down and it should be easy for just about anyone to find a decent driving position.
On the track, It's my favorite car(that I have). Super well balanced, and though the rated HP#'s are similar, it has more grunt than the rx-8 by a good margin. To be fair though, the engine is a ZHP motor with catless headers, CAI, 3.38 rear diff(currently at the shop getting a 3.46 lsd installed) underdrive pulleys, and an aggressive tune. Still, I do remember it having more power than the rx8 when it was stock and 400 lbs heavier. It goes through consumables a bit faster than the Mazda, but not excessively so, and has been fairly reliable(if you don't count the original engine that had 135k on the clock when I bought it and likely wasn't cared for well based on the condition of the rest of the car) I've also addressed all the common failure points(cooling system, oil pan baffle/pump nut/chassis reinforcement, etc. etc.) so that may contribute to it's reliability. On similar tires, I'm about 3-5 sec a lap faster(on a ~2.27 mile track with 14 turns) in the e46 than I am in the mazda, though at this point it's not really a fair comparison as the e46 is probably 90+% of a true race car while the rx8 has only minor mods. The biggest downside to me is that all non-m e46's came with an open diff, and the M diffs don't fit. There are plenty of ratio options to be had by swapping from the different e46 models, but none are limited slip. If an LSD is important to you, plan on spending 3k(including core) if you do it yourself, more if you have to pay someone to do it. That could be a deal breaker, as that's probably close to the price of the entire car, more than half anyway, whether you went e46 or rx8.
TL/DR: The e46 330 and the rx8 are both awesome track cars with tons of potential. If you are concerned about fitment, you're fine in an e46, but make sure you find an rx8 w/o a sunroof, otherwise be prepared to sit in the seat pan or have race seats installed.
Hope that helps!
I have never owned an answer. I have driven some, and at 6'1" myself (with a longer torso) I could never get my head to not brush the top.. at least not in an NA or NB.
Instead I got an E30 Cabrio that I loved to pieces. I had H&K springs, Konis, Momo wheels, and a newer top, so I jumped on it. The 5-speed had the typical loose bushings, but a day and many busted knuckles later it was fixed. That car and I absolutely terrorized the streets of L.A. for years. I drove it cross-country twice. Comfy seats, lovely car.
But good luck finding one that isn't clapped out for challenge cash. Mine set me back $5500, but it was nearly flawless in every way. I had bought it from a BMW service shop in Glendale. When I went to sell it, I went back to the shop to ask if he had a list of all the refurb stuff he did to the engine. He offered me $5500 on the spot and said he never should have sold that car. So I ended up standing on the sidewalk in Glendale with $5500 cash and a stack of CDs from the glove box waiting for my wife to pick me up.
Zzw30 mr2 is the real answer.
Slocus said:I have a 2002 Miata that is a blast to drive. However, I'm coming to the conclusion I may be just to tall to track it. I now have a Sparco Sprint bolted to the floor, and I pass the broomstick test....... barely. I'm planning to track it this year as is. What's the replacement when Miata isn't the answer because you don't fit comfortably? I'd prefer to stay rear wheel drive wth a budget around $12k.
If you are concerned about getting lower for safety there are ways to do that. If you are not comfortable then I think looking at other cars is a good idea. My buddy is 6'4" and I am 6'1 and when I drive his car with the drop pan in it I feel too low, IIRC it cost about 700 to have someone cut the pan, weld the drop pan and mount the seat and some other things.
https://www.advanced-autosports.com/products/spec-miata-floor-drop
I mean have you seen how tall Emilio Cervantes is? (one of the founders of 949racing and Supermiata series out west) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUWuzMi-mxs
Height is usually not the issue people make it out to be IF YOU WANT TO FIT most people who say "I am too big to fit in a miata" don't want a miata for other reasons and use it as an excuse
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