NoOne

I've decided...I've kicked around so many idea's lately that the C5 is just not going to be my track car. Its been running and sitting in the garage for weeks now with good weather.

I just don't have the time to drive it and its tough justifying it just sitting there for 5-6 events per year.

I have my A6 as a DD which after the work is as fast as a stock C5/early C6 so cruising around in that has been more to my liking. I go out in the garage and I see the C5 and while I love it thinking of getting in and out of it(cage), the smell(no cats, cam), sitting in rush hour traffic coming home from work and I end up hopping in the A6.

I must be getting old

So I put it up for sale...the equity is too much just for a track toy.

Cheap, light weight...the only thing I can think of is a Miata. The wife had 2 before and we loved the car...I can sell the C5, get that, slicks, suspension, really make it a track safe car and not need to worry if I have a hunk of money sitting in the garage not being used.

Any other idea's? Must be RWD...

AU N EGL

Camaro prepped in Camaro Mustang Challenge race trim.

Aardwolf

C4!

DrBro

Panoz GTRA or GTWC or GTS. Several of us Vette guys have made the switch. There is no comparison to a real, purpose built race car. These cars are very inexpensive for what you get and equally inexpensive to maintain. It is like a 300 hp Miata - but a whole lot more. The Spec Miata guys drool all over my car when I am at the track. I agree with your pain of seeing a nice car sit in the garage. I am much happier seeing my under $25k toy sit there waiting for play days. After only one weekend, two other guys here in Texas have already converted. Hayes at WireWheel.com was extremely helpful. My car and write up is on their website. One of the best parts is never having to spend money to fix "street car" hardware on you dedicated track car, and they don't lose value by driving them on the track.....

NoOne

Sorry cant' do the C4, some of us have standards

Given an honest to God choice between a Turbo Miata and a C4...I'd take the Miata...hell I might even take the NA Miata. I might take the C4 if it had a greater resale value...so I could sell it and buy a Miata

F-body isn't a bad idea...but I wonder if a prepped Miata would make a better track car than an F-body?

When I say cheap, I mean under 6-7K

AU N EGL

A good track prepped Miata would be more then 7 grand


92 Camaro with trailer 90 % finished 5 grand
http://nasa.racingjunk.com/post/1134...-trailer-.html

94 Camaro 3 grand
http://nasa.racingjunk.com/post/1176...-SPO-GT1-.html

75 Trans Am 4 grand
http://nasa.racingjunk.com/post/1189...ng-Set-Up.html

wallyman424

could probably pick up a nice spec e30 for around that price.

AU N EGL

YES a Spec e30 would be a good choice. Easy to work on and parts are easy to find. Lot of fun too

Cobra4B

My father and I went the Panoz route too

psd_bullitt

I guess "standards" are subjective!!!!
My wife and daughters like Miata's also. I don't like being passed by one on the track but I still don't want to drive one on a daily basis.

Racer-38

you're kidding us right?????? you'd rather have a miata then a C4??? C'mon....cut it out, you're killing me

method

Have you considered a 250cc shifter cart?
140mph top speeds and most F1 guys started with them and use them to keep their skill sharp, don't they?

What's the total investment to get into racing a shifter cart compared to a Spec Miata or Panoz?

95jersey

Not sure what your budget, but what would be faster/more fun than a miata/c4 would be a Lotus Elise. You can find them in the mid/high $20's in perfect low mileage condition. For the same price a C5Z used would be nice...actually very nice.

I need to buy my old car and be done with it.

jlucas

Something to keep in mind is that some DE groups have bans on convertibles and some tracks as well.

For example, you cannot run a Miata at RoadAtlanta unless it's in a sanctioned SCCA or NASA race; doesn't matter if you have a log booked Spec Miata (full cage & hardtop), you can't run it at a DE at RoadAtlanta.

I looked into it a bit before we got the SpecE30.

Mikelly

I'd buy (and may well do so anyway) a Porsche 944 Turbo, race prepped and ready to roll... Don't believe the BS about them being "sooo expensive" to maintain.

The Miata is a safe and inexpensive way to roll, but you might tire of momentum racing and want a little more "umph".

Mike

Cobra4B

^ Wierd... I mean a spec miata with a full cage and hardtop would be safer than any stock coupe road car.

drivinhard

Is that a new track/Skip Barber rule? Miata's use to run in our track day groups all the time, same for S2k's, etc.

NoOne, I have been kicking around the idea of going halfsies on a spec miata with my next door neighbor, so I feel your pain. So many cars/tracks/events/races, so little time/$$

NoOne

I was just giving the C4 guys a hard time, everyone does it

Spec E30...I like that....A guy that does our track days has a early M model, think it was the 30 series although it look a bit more modern, but not a E46.

Amazing car. Slicks, brakes...not much else except for M parts. Father and son. Son runs in advanced, father runs in intermediate. They've run this car at about 20-25 of our events. They run it back to back, 40 minutes straight. Both are fast and finally after 20 some events they blew off a PS line.

Took them 10 minutes to fix.

Sounds like a winner, going to do some more checking into them.

We had a 320hp Miata, too much oomph for the chassis....more around 220hp would be good enough.

I think Spec E30 looks good....just to find a few for sale.

Cobra4B

^ That's what my father and I do in our Panoz... I run advanced and he runs in Intermediate, back to back to back all weekend long.

Last time out at VIR we simply added fuel to it every few sessions.... zero brake work, zero engine anything.

Before taking it out again I'd just move the front tires to the back and vise versa and bleed the brakes

66IISS

Tried that at road america once in the C4 (me and pops running, not back to back) He was in advanced and I was in the 3rd group. Needless to say... the car didn't like it much, neither did the brake fluid. Now we take 2 cars and both run advanced