cobraz240z Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Ok I love 240z's and would not get anything else but........ my friend is looking for a new car he selling his 1998 civic hatch and 1992 mitsu GSX both cars are hooked up but he wants to what is the best road race car for the money. should he keep the gsx or get a miata what do you guys recomend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 If road racing is his stated purpose, I would get a Spec Miata. He'll save tons of money as there should be plenty of them around, and lots of folks to race against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 A MR2 maybe or a sentra ser spec-V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evildky Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 spec miata for the ease of maintenence, if you've ever worked on the Mr2 midengine or the sentra's amazingly cramped SR20DE and then worked on the miata's spacious engine bay you'll understand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Sorry guys, but I am sold on the SR20DET. You can pick up a 240sx that has been converted for around $5000. That is a great place to start as long as it isn't a hatchet job. I expect next week, mine will be putting out around 375whp and getting close to 30 mpg on the highway. I was just getting 250 or so whp and 30 mpg's. New turbo, injectors and standalone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 spec miata for the ease of maintenence, if you've ever worked on the Mr2 midengine or the sentra's amazingly cramped SR20DE and then worked on the miata's spacious engine bay you'll understand SR20de? I think you're thinking of an older model Spec-v I'm reffering to the 02-04 model. Engine layout is alot like a civic and Had the OR25DE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie05 Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 SR20de? I think you're thinking of an older model Spec-v I'm reffering to the 02-04 model. Engine layout is alot like a civic and Had the OR25DE QR25DE... and he's probably thinking of the 200sx SE-R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Time out: What "type" of road racing, and does the individual have a road race license currently? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Yeah, ....what Mike said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraz240z Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 He had it but he needs to get it againg he wan't to do racing that is similar to canyons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 any really SERIOUS road racing car is basically built around the frame,suspension and roll cage, and engine components and thier location in that frame/roll cage as the main concern with the drive train and arodynamics,weight transfer as major factors in the design. serious cars don,t add components to the stock factory design, rather they build a car that APPEARS to LOOK like the orriginal car with as much weight and non-functional sheet metal,interior,etc. removed as the sanctioning body allows you may want to read thru this http://www.miata.net/sport/Physics/ at one time I was deeply involved in road racing corvettes, trust me when I say the majority of the factory parts in the car were replaced or removed with lighter weight and/or more efficient parts,even most of the frame and body components "LOOKED FACTORY" but were lighter and stronger (NEAR COPIES) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Exactly! The engine is the LEAST of your concerns when building a car for road racing. Pick the chassis first and light weight is one of the most important criteria. Less weight helps braking, cornering, reliability, and accleleration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Not to mention sticking with the rules for the class, for the racing organization you plan to race in... "Like Canyon type stuff" sounds like someone who wants to tell their friends they race, when they actually don't... They just drive "hard" (by their own estimation) on the street, which is a danger and menace to society at large. I'm not saying this is your friend's intent. I'm saying your description of what he wants to do is lacking valuable details. That said, If it were me, I'd buy a SPEC MIATA and get my license. I'd then go have the time of my life racing in an extremely FUN and extremely COMPETITIVE class with other Spec miatas in NASA or SCCA. It is A: Cheap to race in spec miata comparative to other classes, and B: more challenging because the popularity of the class provides bigger fields and provides more door to door/ wheel to wheel challenges every race. Go watch one at a track near you and you'll fully understand what I'm talking about. These guys put on as good a show as European Touring Car series I've watched on Speed. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraz240z Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 ok he is on a $9000 budget and needs it to be streetable sorry I forgot to and the most important stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 It may be possible to get a Spec Miata for $9000 with a well tuned engine and suspension goodies. It would streetable (with some muffling) and a blast to drive. Plus you could work to a competition license. You wouldn't win the saturday night street drags, buy it would be a great all around car. Having said that, you've made me think about getting one! Darn you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 If your friend has a $9000 budget and wants to drive the car on the street, then he doesn't want a race car. He wants what I described above. Sorry, but if you want a car to "RACE" in a series other than solo1 and solo2 type "stuff", then it isn't going to be a livable car for the street and be safe on the track. Forget about taking it out on a date (with someone who you care about anyway!), passing state safety inspections or having the comforts of a street car. No, your friend isn't going to "race" a street car in any kind of competitive wheel to wheel action and then drive it home, not many times anyway. There are a handful of people who do race their cars on the weekend and drive them on the street during the week. But the compromise is such that the car is absolutely no fun. I know a guy who races a Corvette in T1 and he doesn't even own a truck or trailer. By his own estimate, he's one mistake away from bankruptcy. If he wrecks the car at an even, due to his or someone elses mistake, he'll be in financial ruin. Not very smart... Go find that video clip of me going off the track at 100mph (Doug Carrow posted a link in another thread) and then look how close I am to tire walls and guardrails... Not the kind of situation you want to be in without a trailer and truck to take the car home. No, your friend clearly doesn't want to road race. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 If your friend has a $9000 budget and wants to drive the car on the street' date=' then he doesn't want a race car. He wants what I described above. Sorry, but if you want a car to "RACE" in a series other than solo1 and solo2 type "stuff", then it isn't going to be a livable car for the street and be safe on the track. Forget about taking it out on a date (with someone who you care about anyway!), passing state safety inspections or having the comforts of a street car. No, your friend isn't going to "race" a street car in any kind of competitive wheel to wheel action and then drive it home, not many times anyway. There are a handful of people who do race their cars on the weekend and drive them on the street during the week. But the compromise is such that the car is absolutely no fun. I know a guy who races a Corvette in T1 and he doesn't even own a truck or trailer. By his own estimate, he's one mistake away from bankruptcy. If he wrecks the car at an even, due to his or someone elses mistake, he'll be in financial ruin. Not very smart... Go find that video clip of me going off the track at 100mph (Doug Carrow posted a link in another thread) and then look how close I am to tire walls and guardrails... Not the kind of situation you want to be in without a trailer and truck to take the car home. No, your friend clearly doesn't want to road race. Mike[/quote'] AMEN. Thats why most people modify and upgrade cars, so they can have the "compromise" that works for them. If you want a track/race ready car, the suspension is going to be so stiff that you are going to mess up you back. Look at the front suspension setup that formula 1 has. I guess I'm going off subject. Try to find a car that would need the least amount of upgrades to get the way you want it, not the most upgradable car. Oh yeah which insurence braket its in also is a factor, since you're looking for a street car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 A S14 with a SR20DET sounds good to me, heaps of mod stuff available and they are an excellent well balanced package. The MX5/Miata is in a class of its own, great competition car. Honda S2000(?) is supposed to be excellent too, similar concept to the MX5. Trailering your race car is of course best, but there are plenty of competitors around here who race what they drive to and from the track. Try driving your car 800km or more, racing it hard and then driving back, like a few of us did at the last Nationals And of course I know nothing about the US racing scene so be warned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc's240z Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Your friend needs to decide what he wants to do...All the race cars we know show up to the track on a trailer and go home on one too, they are not street cars. Personally I would not want to drive my race cars on the street as the roll cage can cause severe head trauma in a car accident on the street without a helmet, and I doubt your buddy is going to wear a helmet while driving on the street.... But as for shopping a good site to look at is race-cars.com to see what is available...there might be a few cars that will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube80z Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 I know this isn't a car but had your friend considered something like a 125cc shifter cart? You can haul it around in the back of a pickup or large SUV. Or on a really small trailer like you can get at home depot. A 125cc shifter kart is a serious little ride and the racing is as good as a car. The new TAG 9touch and go) models are easy for one person to deal with and well within this budget. Cary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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