+1 to find a way to fit
After that I'd say E36/46, FRS, 350Z
+1 to find a way to fit
After that I'd say E36/46, FRS, 350Z
E30s have become 'collectible'. I think there is better bang for the buck but you won't find an easier to drive car than a 325i.
E36 are dime a dozen but with your budget I'd go with the M3. They aren't expensive to own and are way faster than your Miata so you won't need to keep doing point-bys on the track.
E46 are affordable but they have several 'issues' which can dampen the ownership experience. I also don't think the 'feel' is as tactile as the earlier cars.
S197 Mustangs are a good choice. Reliable with better brakes and handling than you'd expect. Lots of upgrade parts both new and used. Fox Mustangs are too collectible and the suspensions are garbage without lots of expensive upgrades. SN95 and New Edge models aren't much better. For the cost difference I'm getting a S197.
You can buy C5 and C6 Corvettes around that price point. High miles don't mean a lot to them. Tires will be expensive though.
Yeah, you can get a Porsche, WRX or Evo for your budget but serious reliability concerns on stuff like that particularly as used cars.
12K will buy a whole lot of early s197 GT with enough left over to throw Griggs or MM parts at it.
C5s are well within this budget and for motorsports purposes the 90s GM interior probably is less of an issue
I second the e36 M3 also
An e46 m3 with the SMG can usually be found in this range, but I dunno much about the transmission other than some people have issues and some people find it works flawlessly.
penultimeta said:An e46 m3 with the SMG can usually be found in this range, but I dunno much about the transmission other than some people have issues and some people find it works flawlessly.
I'm not a fan of the SMG, but it's fairly straightforward to convert it to manual. Mechanically the SMG is a manual with some hydraulics attached, so you can take those off and add a clutch pedal/shifter/etc.
That said, a $12k E46 M3 is probably going to need subframe reinforcement as well as VANOS service and rod bearings if it's going to be a reliable track car.
FR-S
If I were to start over (currently tracking a turbo miata) I would probably go with an S197 mustang. They are a hoot to drive on track, and at 300hp still a relatively momentum car.
Drop pan is the answer for your Answer
350/370 Z. ?
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to run the Miata as is for the season. If I still love it, I'll dump some more money into this Miata shaped hole and drop the floor. If not..... I'll find a different shaped hole to dump money into. Probably an S197 or GT86.
Where are you located Slocus? If you pass the broomstick is it really safer to be even lower? I assume you pulled the seat pad off the bottom of the seat right?
I'm in Seattle. I'd feel more comfortable passing the broomstick test by 2", rather than 1/2". And unless I'm mistaken, the Sprint doesn't have a removable pad.
Slocus said:I'm in Seattle. I'd feel more comfortable passing the broomstick test by 2", rather than 1/2". And unless I'm mistaken, the Sprint doesn't have a removable pad.
You can also get more headroom if your seat can be reclined more the biggest issue being the shoulder wings etc usually get closer. I see a lot of people out there who are not passing the broomstick. Side mount seats/brackets are usually not as low as a bottom mount to the floor. Some people even remove the rear stock seat "humps" which gains an additional 3/4 inch. When I had a side mount in my last miata the most head clearance option was actually not lowest bolt/lowest bolt on the bracket because that was too upright
The good news also if you do the drop pan is there are enough tall guys who want to drive miatas but say they can't fit you can probably recoup some of the cost of the install by being able to advertise it.
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