I was wondering if it was possible to build an IT car from one that is not on the list of cars that the SCCA provides. I am thinking of going racing wheel to wheel in the future and I dont want to get ridof my car. It is an 1989 Mazda 626. The list shows the MX6 for the same year and my car is just the four door version. Thanks for any info.
If I may suggest something...
Racing a car like that (no support, really unlikely to ever be competitive) is going to be a mistake. You'll spend a lot of money turning it into a race car only to find you have little chance of ever being competitive. Then, when you realize the folly of your build and try to sell it...worth nothing. There are always "bad idea" IT cars for sale; you'll see them for $2500 and up. A competitive car will be at least 5 grand and probably closer to twice that.
I find there are two types of people who want to go racing, those who want to RACE and those who want to have competitive fun with their particular car of choice. Serious racers don't tinker with oddball cars with little chance of ever winning. If you really are in love with that Mazda and want to track it, I'd suggest just using it in HPDE classes and/or time trials.
Why do I say this? Because I nearly went down that road with one of my cars. Got out of it in time and only lost about $3,000 trying to make it something it wasn't.
The biggest problem you're gonna have is, unless it's listed in the ITCS, you're not gonna be able to run it. You can petition the board to have it included, which may not be all that hard given that the MX-6 is already in there. But I've yet to really see one in 20 years of racing SCCA, so that might tell you something.
My dad bought a 1972 Toyota Corolla SR-5 that was in ITC for $3k back in '92. It had won the SARRC championship and was the runner up the two years previous. We brought it to Sebring and promptly set the track record on the club course our first weekend with it. It was a WELL sorted car and was easy to just get in and drive, cause all the work had already been done. My dad had run short track, both asphalt and dirt, motocross, autocross, and road racing with a C Sports Racer. I had about four years of autocrossing at that point, and ran almost as fast as my dad. The best thing I can tell you is to search around for a car that has been sorted and will finish races. You'll have a much more enjoyable time starting out like that. Then after you have a chance to see what works and what doesn't, you can build a car.
I have built 4 IT level cars(two were SpecMiata) and on one of them went down the road less traveled: Escort GT. There were few Ford parts(some from the SR program for the ZX2) and I could only get Mazda parts thru the back door. I did meet the fine folk at Corksport chasing JDM parts.
While I dont discount the idea of buying someone else's car, I did enjoy my own product but I won building cookie cutter cars ie RX3 and Miata but never could make the EGT fly. YMMV
Lisen to what these guys are saying. I raced in IT with a car that at the time was competitive and parts were available but that same car today would be a big mistake to racet. I am currently planning on racing a VW Scriocco 16V in ITA. I know going in it is not the car to have but I knew that and still built the car. The advantage of this car is mechanical parts availabilty. Since it's a Mk I chassis I can get part cheap. I know the 626's. They are rare cars, parts won't be cheap and they will be hard to find. If you are going to race you are going to use up parts much faster then if you just drove it on the street.
Go to a website : "Improvedtouring.com" and search that site and then sign up and ask questions. Almost any questions but the stupidest will be answered to the best knowledge of the members there.
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