What car for fun/light track use? Making a list of options to show the wife.

KyAllroad said:

The NC is gonna be a good dual purpose car.   Taking the wife out to dinner in the convertible is at least as nice as taking your whip to a few track days a year.  And since the NC is basically a short RX8 chassis, it's much roomier than the NA/NB/NDs are.

Speaking of, if you buy cheap and save for the inevitable motor swap, an RX-8 might be a good choice.    They can be had for next to free anymore.

I don't know about the RX-8, head room is surprisingly tight in those.  I'm 5'9" and even without a helmet I have to lean back more than I like to keep off of the headliner.

KyAllroad said:

...Taking the wife out to dinner in the convertible is at least as nice as taking your whip to a few track days a year...

Exactly, I think convertibles are fun anywhere. What I'm looking for is probably best summed up as: fun cool date night car that could also handle a casual track day or two each summer without falling apart.

On that note: We started talking about rubber bumper MGBs, Fiat 124s, etc and her eyes lit up. Totally not what I was thinking of since anything that old is going to be more like a project. Not roomy, sturdy, or ideal for track day things; but definitely fun, cool, and different than my usual stuff.

Working on a little old car seems like it would be more fun, cause it's kinda part of the experience.

I am 6'2" and fit great in my mk6 Golf. Have yet to try with the helmet though. The seats adjust way down and can always be swapped out.

What about a regular Fiesta(non-ST) with the 1.6 and the 5 speed? They are STUPID cheap right now, all the ST stuff bolts up and the B-spec catalog is abundent. There are a few sedans and a few hatchbacks around me for under $5000 with some higher miles.

In reply to kevinatfms :

Bonus if I could find a good one in that fun bright green color 

In reply to kevinatfms :

Non-ST Fiestas aren't legal for autocross.  It follows that without work you might not want to take it on a track.

KyAllroad said:

In reply to kevinatfms :

Non-ST Fiestas aren't legal for autocross.  It follows that without work you might not want to take it on a track.

FWIW, they aren't legal for Street category.  They can be legal elsewhere.

In reply to KyAllroad :

I know of an ST Fiesta that's rolled on track, stock suspension on 200tw tires, and seen a couple similar incidents. No contact with other cars involved.

Enough to make me think that at least lower/stiffer springs and constant awareness of the laws of physics while behind the wheel is a requirement for anything b spec shaped.

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

In reply to KyAllroad :

I know of an ST Fiesta that's rolled on track, stock suspension on 200tw tires, and seen a couple similar incidents. No contact with other cars involved.

Enough to make me think that at least lower/stiffer springs and constant awareness of the laws of physics while behind the wheel is a requirement for anything b spec shaped.

Go straight to coilovers. No reason not too for a track car. Also, most of the FiST cars that have rolled are doing it on stock suspension + a taller/sticker tire. 

Coilovers with proper spring rates, 15x7's + 205/50R15 200TW, Wilwood brake kits front + rear(disc conversion), short shifter, intake, exhaust + tune. Basic B-Spec guide.

Toss in a nice set of seats(OMP HTE-R has my vote), roll bar and a nice steering wheel to finish it off for a track car.

That would be a sick setup to have a BOATLOAD of fun on track while being exceptionally reliable.

So in conclusion:

Sounds like I really need to try an NC. Buying a blown up one for cheap and dropping in a 2.5 doesn't sound terrible.

Fiestas and Mazda2s are cool, especially because they come in fun colors. A good option 2.

MINIs are kinda like forbidden fruit. If we could find a good one... 

Mustangs are worth trying out. I've actually never driven one. Closest I've come was the 87 Lincoln Mkvii

I'd revisit a BMW. I do miss the 318ti.

Definitely pretending I didn't think about cheap Boxters.

Edit: "New" Beetles. They're cheap, quirky,  and we dig them for some reason. Working on things in the engine bay is annoying but less need for that if it's not a diesel :P

Going to sit on this for while, watch for deals but wouldn't "need" to find something until spring.

My dad did a track day in a 2nd gen Fit, bone stock and it was slow, cooked the brakes and wore out the sidewalls of the tires from so much body and tire roll. Overall it may have potential, but definitely not great in stock form, where it felt a bit like driving around in a tiny minivan.

I did a track day in my old 2005 Focus 3 door hatch and it held up very well. The stock brakes were more than adequate and while I had slightly wider wheels, the "performance" all seasons I had on it held up well. Stock suspension with a factory rear sway bar. I was driving in the instructor run group that weekend, so my point by arm got a workout, but it was definitely worth the trip. They're quite good handling cars for what they are.

My wife took her 2009 Matrix XR to the track and it also held up well, but that was her one and only time there, so not necessarily pushing it to the limit.

I had a student with a early 2000's Civic coupe once and it was constantly overheating.

My 1991 RX7 with sunroof had very little headroom for my 6'-3" frame, but my non-sunroof RX8 R3 was fine, not requiring me to lean back any further than normal. Both held up very well to track use. My 2015 WRX (no sunroof) has tons of headroom, but will need cooling mods for summer track use.

The difference between a sunroof and non-sunroof RX8 is surprisingly big when it comes to headroom.

Sounds like I need to try an RX8.  I'm not scared of replacing an engine if I know what I'm getting into ;)

Yeah if this were just a summer driver/track rat for me I'd be looking for a "boring" cheap Golf, Focus or Matrix/Vibe GT.

If she likes her Mazda5, how about a 3? Same underpinnings, just more lively..

docwyte said:

Rear wheel drive I like the E36's a lot, same thing applies, buy one that's been maintained.  Although they're super easy to work on and parts are surprisingly inexpensive...

Sez the guy with a Porsche 996 Turbo...

In reply to rdcyclist :

LOL.  Are the parts Chevy cheap?  Nope.  But for a BMW, they're a lot cheaper than you'd think...

E36 is an amazing chassis. Might be able to find a 1 series for 5kish which is basically an e36 with nicer interior.

Thoughts on the new Elantra N?  Same drivetrain as the Veloster but in a sedan...

On the cheaper side, I wanted a Miata but my fun car has to pull double duty shuttling kids to daycare sometimes so I bought a Mazda2.  If you don't need that capability then I'll agree with everyone saying NC. 

In reply to bluescooby :

Of the Hyundai N cars, I think I'd go Veloster for the hatch. The little half door would make occasional baby hauling manageable.

If I needed a new do-it-all daily driver there would probably be one of those in the driveway right now.

Starting to wonder if the better solution would be to ditch the dual clutch Focus commuter for a small hatch with a manual to do both commute and track things. Then the 3rd car could be something "cooler," more suited to the wife's preferences just for fun around town.

Maybe more effective compromises that way?

Tracking a daily is never effective. It's the double tap of maintenance and repair needs with no downtime allotted for doing it. 

Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

Tracking a daily is never effective. It's the double tap of maintenance and repair needs with no downtime allotted for doing it. 

Yes and no. If you go only occasionally and are ok with driving a bit conservatively to not wreck the car, then it's usually fine and would be very difficult to justify a dedicated car for a use that comes up only a couple times a year. If you're going to be at the track regularly, then yes, a dedicated track car is better.

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

In reply to bluescooby :

Of the Hyundai N cars, I think I'd go Veloster for the hatch. The little half door would make occasional baby hauling manageable.

If I needed a new do-it-all daily driver there would probably be one of those in the driveway right now.

FWIW, that's not a little half door.  The doors on the pass. side are normal sized doors.

The driver's door is  plus size :(

That was my issue.  I had a great E36 M3 track car, but I was using it for maybe 4 track days a year.  While it still had a license plate on it, it had no back seats (because rollbar) so I couldn't carry the kids in it and it wasn't all that comfortable to drive on the street.  So I ended up selling it, along with my trailer to get my 996 Turbo.  While I love my 996, I do miss that old M3, it was such a good car...

I'd Suggest replacing Mazda 2 and Fiesta with Honda Fit on your list.

if headroom is an issue, you need to be looking at a Fit.

The 2 is a great little car, the Fiestas just like to roll, full stop. The rollover in the runoffs this year, was a Fiesta.

Seth on this forum rolled a Mazda2 (in rallyx), Tony on this Forum totalled a mazda2 this summer on track. Multiple B spec drivers have had rollovers in Mazda2's

The Fit is reliable, and can be had within your budget, are extremely practical, and the suspension geometry and the CG are all good out of the box.

Bobzilla will probably be along eventually as well to say you should look at Kia Rios...