Track day CAR - anyone got one?

[bluemoco]

There's a guy selling a 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo near me, and I'm interested in the car as a weekend toy/track car.  It's still street legal, got 115k miles on it, and it's been very well cared for by the owner and modded/serviced by a very reputable independent Porsche tuning shop in my neighborhood. 

The guy's asking $10k for the car.  For that money, I think it's fully depreciated and a reasonable buy.  Yes, I know it's a Porsche, but they built a lot of these 944's and parts/service are easy to come by where I live.

I like the idea of a track-oriented car.  I don't want to buy something new, and I like this car's combination of front engine/rwd + a good performance envelope.

Anybody else own a car that gets regular track-day use?  Any recommendations for cars to consider? 

[ryandalling]

I had an 04 Audi TT quatro coupe that I tracked often... that thing rocked the corners better than the Porsches... specially when the turbo on the porsche kicked in mid corner and let the rear break loose... the turbo on the TT had a hard kick too... but in an all wheel drive its not as bad mid corner... although the 911 still yarded me on the straights.

[Popeye the Sailor]

a $500 bmw 

[Pip]

a $500 bmw 

Go on...

E30?

[zooom]

$10K is too much for that 944T IMHO....$7-8K maybe is reasonable to me...unless that thing is showroom immaculate...and you are soooo moved that you have to have it...

as far as track car's though...the most common is the Miata...it is the SV650 of track cars....tons of parts and support for em and easy to flog and put away wet and not worry about...

a buddy of mine is building a UR-Quattro spec 5 cylinder 10 valve turbo for an 88 Audi 4000 CS Quattro which should be fun to see movin!

[JEFF_H]

My wife worked with a group of docs that weekend raced porsches....said the annoying little mini coopers killed them in the corners 

[il d00d]

as far as track car's though...the most common is the Miata...

No FHE, but I was looking into Miatas before my attention veered to bikes.  Tons of mods and support - aside from crankshaft problems in the first two model years, the engines are apparently bulletproof.  From what I remember, these motors are especially moddable since they use the same block, pistons, etc from this engine in a turbo truck they sell overseas.  Boosting is just a matter of adding something that compresses air and plumbing.  Well, maybe not bolt-on easy, but relatively easy.
Early Rx7s were another popular car when I was looking - you may look to see what classes are popular or competitive in your area before you decide on a car.

[derby]

a $500 bmw 

Go on...

E30?

http://jalopnik.com/5497042/how-a-500-craigslist-car-beat-400k-rally-racers

[RAT900]

Any rental car...take out all the coverages

[derby]

No FHE, but I was looking into Miatas before my attention veered to bikes.  Tons of mods and support - aside from crankshaft problems in the first two model years, the engines are apparently bulletproof.  From what I remember, these motors are especially moddable since they use the same block, pistons, etc from this engine in a turbo truck they sell overseas.  Boosting is just a matter of adding something that compresses air and plumbing.  Well, maybe not bolt-on easy, but relatively easy.
Early Rx7s were another popular car when I was looking - you may look to see what classes are popular or competitive in your area before you decide on a car.

not a truck, a 323gtx:

[bluemoco]

$10K is too much for that 944T IMHO....$7-8K maybe is reasonable to me...unless that thing is showroom immaculate...and you are soooo moved that you have to have it...

as far as track car's though...the most common is the Miata...it is the SV650 of track cars....tons of parts and support for em and easy to flog and put away wet and not worry about...

a buddy of mine is building a UR-Quattro spec 5 cylinder 10 valve turbo for an 88 Audi 4000 CS Quattro which should be fun to see movin!

Miata is out - unless I put in a serious roll bar setup.  No convertibles allowed on some of the track day events around here, and I'd hate to skip events at Road America because I don't have a proper car.  I also admit to a strong bias against Audis for track use - way too nose-heavy for my taste.  I prefer cars that have a dominant oversteer characteristic at the limit.  In fact, my friend with a heavily modded A4 just bought a used M3 to run at the track for that very reason.  Another friend who has a very nicely sorted A6 got a 997 for his track-day car.  I like Audis in general (and even though I don't own one, I'm a member of the Audi Club ) but I'd never buy one for a track-day car.  SO, to sum up, neither a Miata nor any front-driver is in the cards for me.

I really like my friend's 997, but that's waaaaaay too much coin for me to blow on a weekend toy.  (I have a wife that I'd like to keep )  I've also considered finding a 6-speed C5 Corvette, but that would likely put me past the $20k threshold, and I'd like to keep this on a reasonable budget.  (assuming that I'll be buying some brake pads, tires, etc.).  Thought briefly about a Lotus - 'til I attempted to get into the driver's seat of an Elise.  I'm 6'4", and it took me about 5 minutes to wedge my ass into the seat.

I dunno.  Now that I'm over 40, I think I"m turning into a crotchety old man...    

[Porsche Monkey]

Pm sent.   

[AdamX]

Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 V6, many years ago

Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 V6 (0-200)

Just listen to that engine!

[hcomp]

Nissan 240SX....I built it for $15K  360HP at the rear wheels and 2300 lbs... C5 Z06 are excellent track cars as well I just sold mine last year.

[bluemoco]

Nissan 240SX....I built it for $15K  360HP at the rear wheels and 2300 lbs... C5 Z06 are excellent track cars as well I just sold mine last year.

nice!  Did you build that 240 yourself? 

I've seen some C5 Z06's around here. A local guy has a 2004 for sale with only 23,000 miles on it. He's asking $24k, and that would be a fun car.