Help me find a Wintercross car

Lime Rock just bought snowmaking equipment. This is relevant to my interests.

I'd like to get a sacrificial car with a manual transmission and add a set of Hakkapeliittas for winter hoonage. Yes, these events are expensive, but the cheaper the car, the more events I can justify. I have no long term plans for the car, but I'm tired of dealing with rust.

Here's what I am considering:

-E46 BMW. Aside from the 318Ti, I never really liked the E36s, and they get rusty anyway. Downside: Most E46s for sale around here seem to either be automatics or have 190k miles on them.

-Miata. Sure it's the easy choice. I've had two and I know them well, but I'm surprised at how hard it is to find one with rocker panels for less than $4k, even in the winter.

-Subaru Impreza 2.5. Engines are cheap and easy to work on. I'd love one but, again, hard to find one that's not rusty around the rear wheels. And if they're not, they will be.

-BMW Z3. I don't know much about these things, but they don't seem to be rusty and early ones are starting to show up on Craigslist for $5k or less. I know that the four cylinders don't get the LSD rear but I could probably deal with that.

-Old Saabs, just because they look right in the snow.

I'd stretch the budget and accept the risk that comes with an early Boxster if the price was right, be it 5 speed or (gasp!) Tiptronic.

I've looked at a couple of Volvos. My dad had a '96 850 that was as solid as a bank vault. I've looked at the later S/C/V 70s and they don't seem to be built anywhere near as well. This disappoints me.

What else am I overlooking?

I vote old saab

I've also been scanning the ads for 944s, but they all seem to be pretty well used up.

DaveEstey wrote: I vote old saab

I agree

Woody wrote: What else am I overlooking?

Boeing 737

Go to Bradley Field (I bet it isn't called that anymore) and buy one-way ticket on Southwest Airlines to Charlotte, Raleigh, Norfolk or thereabouts. Drive home with rust free car of your choice.

Volvo 240 and swap a 5.38 R&P and limited slip into the Dana 30 and have all the fun. you don't need tons of power, you just want to be able to put it down, weight helps with momentum and transfer, and something tough as nails is a plus for when it gets stuffed into a snowbank.

captdownshift wrote: Volvo 240 and swap a 5.38 R&P and limited slip into the Dana 30 and have all the fun. you don't need tons of power, you just want to be able to put it down, weight helps with momentum and transfer, and something tough as nails is a plus for when it gets stuffed into a snowbank.

I have thought about those, but I don't have time for a project and this venue shouldn't have any snow banks.

how far are you from the nearest location that host ice racing? You'll get the bug after snowcross

What about an RX8? They are great in the snow and have a factory limited slip. Not old enough to be super rusty. Yet.

I see you have saab, and although that is also my vote you could also do civic/focus/golf FWD hatches for minimum dollars.

IF you go with the one of the BMWs and the diff is open, grab another handbrake lever and run one to each rear wheel. There are already independent cables. DIY limited slip. ha. You could probably also get an arduino board to read out the wheel speed sensors to show a light for which side is slipping too.

Where do I sign up?

captdownshift wrote: how far are you from the nearest location that host ice racing? You'll get the bug after snowcross

Too far. I've spectated, but it's close to three hours away. Too far to stresslessly drag a trailer in the winter.

Ice racing is what I originally wanted to do, but the schedule and distance don't work for me. Spending a little more but staying close to home work for me. Also, I just got back from Northern New Hampshire and it's not looking like a great year for ice.

You said "sacrificial car", does a little rust really matter?

Kenny_McCormic wrote: You said "sacrificial car", does a little rust really matter?

Yes. Just in case I fall in love with it.

bludroptop wrote:

Woody wrote: What else am I overlooking?

Boeing 737 Go to Bradley Field (I bet it isn't called that anymore) and buy one-way ticket on Southwest Airlines to Charlotte, Raleigh, Norfolk or thereabouts. Drive home with rust free car of your choice.

This. Fly and drive is the only way to get rust free where you are.

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

bludroptop wrote:

Woody wrote: What else am I overlooking?

Boeing 737 Go to Bradley Field (I bet it isn't called that anymore) and buy one-way ticket on Southwest Airlines to Charlotte, Raleigh, Norfolk or thereabouts. Drive home with rust free car of your choice.

This. Fly and drive is the only way to get rust free where you are.

I'm more of a drive and trailer kind of guy.

No stick, but I wonder if a C280 would be fun in the snow?

For such an event and ice racing, FWD is almost essential.

And of course, winter tires.

Mid or rear engine. Fun will follow.

American V8, RWD junkyard drivetrain. (not saying ^ that car has a junkyard drivetrain)

I do have an ACR neon sitting in the driveway...already has snows and koni's and high rates... I have done some Rallycross in the past, different car, you will win with this car, (add a LSD or quaife) it won't be that much fun because you will not be sideways... sideways is always more fun but you will win...

Tempting, but slightly beyond my budget:

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/4835764905.html

Focus ZX3. Cheap. Genuine WRC pedigree. Plentiful. Cheap.

I was put off a bit by the entry fees...but then I started to think about the cost of a typical rallyx event. Towing fuel up to VT/NH, usually a hotel night, entry fee. The $300 Lime Rock fee then starts to seem reasonable. I will probably attend at least one in my NB Miata, which currently wears studded Altimaxs. Any rules against studs???

http://limerock.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=755:get-slideways-on-the-winter-autocross-course&catid=25:latest-news&Itemid=55

The snow in that first pic leads me to believe that AWD would be better. The old 1st gen Forester S model has the rear LSD and disk brakes out back. Way more fun for going sideways.
My ride is a '04 XS with Sparco wheels and Goodyear Wintergrip tires.

You already know how to pull a motor on these cars!