What's a good "second" track car?
on one of those Frankonia backroad curves and rolled it.
06-08-2011 | 04:06 PM
#47
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: MA
Requirements for second -main- track car:
1. Purchase Costs under $50K (hopefully closer to $35K)
2. Should be European-made, Audi or VW okay, no BMW
3. MX-friendly so I can learn some of that stuff (DO NOT want to learn CL's... but changing brakes etc. could be fun)
4. Mod and safety equipment-friendly (readily available, cost-effective)
4. Fun to drive with good steering but more power than a Miata...
5. I could (but prefer not to) trailer it if I "went all out" on mods...
Summary: I want to make a decision soon whether to
1) Keep the GT3 somewhat "pristine" to retain its value better but still enjoy some track days AND get something else to mess around with OR
2) Don't worry about the mileage so much (how much will it really matter?), put some stuff on it and face the risk it getting "bent" some sooner or later on the track. OR
3) Something in "between", I've missed to (re)consider?
Tx for your thoughts, Horstair.
1. Purchase Costs under $50K (hopefully closer to $35K)
2. Should be European-made, Audi or VW okay, no BMW
3. MX-friendly so I can learn some of that stuff (DO NOT want to learn CL's... but changing brakes etc. could be fun)
4. Mod and safety equipment-friendly (readily available, cost-effective)
4. Fun to drive with good steering but more power than a Miata...
5. I could (but prefer not to) trailer it if I "went all out" on mods...
Summary: I want to make a decision soon whether to
1) Keep the GT3 somewhat "pristine" to retain its value better but still enjoy some track days AND get something else to mess around with OR
2) Don't worry about the mileage so much (how much will it really matter?), put some stuff on it and face the risk it getting "bent" some sooner or later on the track. OR
3) Something in "between", I've missed to (re)consider?
Tx for your thoughts, Horstair.
E36 M3 with supercharger is a second best bet. Both those platforms are way less expensive to maintain than gt3 rs car IMHO and well tuned stripped C6 Z06 car is quite capable.
You should try some day one of those modded light z06s with 500+ horses at wheels. It is some experience.
06-08-2011 | 05:03 PM
#49
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: MA
in all honesty it is difficult to find truth about all that. those cars are very easy to be forced above safe limits. i have heard about possible oil starvatiuon issues in lefthanders but again, not sure, info is pretty scarce.
06-08-2011 | 05:04 PM
#50
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,312
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From: Roseville, CA
That's what I hear and read about the M3 with its near perfect weight distribution. And honestly, I wasn't trying to make fun of BMW drivers
but the last two times here at my local (Thunderhill) track, they were all in the dirt. Maybe because the car is so easy (confidence-inspiring) to take to the limit?
Or maybe those young folks just suffered from too much testosterone...
but the last two times here at my local (Thunderhill) track, they were all in the dirt. Maybe because the car is so easy (confidence-inspiring) to take to the limit? Or maybe those young folks just suffered from too much testosterone...
The best of the best probably won't be there. A car Tony Colicchio built, and drives quite a bit, it's a regular 325i E36 that's good for sub-2:03 over the top at Thunderhill.
06-08-2011 | 05:10 PM
#52
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 8,022
Likes: 56
From: California
e36 m3 is a good choice. These cars are completely disposable nowadays. Kill one, buy a 6k replacement, and swap all your track parts...
I wouldn't waste my time on an e46, personally. By the time you mod it enough to not suck, might as well have bought a Cayman.
I wouldn't waste my time on an e46, personally. By the time you mod it enough to not suck, might as well have bought a Cayman.
06-08-2011 | 05:13 PM
#53
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,401
Likes: 7
For a little more I would buy this car!!
BGB Motorsports 997 3.8
http://www.renntrack.com/forums/show...3-8-RS&p=20598
Car has everything you would want or can do to a street 997, and better yet it has all the AWESOME GO FAST and RELIABILITY PARTS.
It has all the safety equipment and when you decide you want to race it will be ready.
Also the consumables and replacement costs are much less than a GT3.
Plus you are buying a car for $75 that cost over $170k to build.
But you will have to trailer to track... but in the name of safety for you and your family.. I would do it.
BGB Motorsports 997 3.8
http://www.renntrack.com/forums/show...3-8-RS&p=20598
Car has everything you would want or can do to a street 997, and better yet it has all the AWESOME GO FAST and RELIABILITY PARTS.
It has all the safety equipment and when you decide you want to race it will be ready.
Also the consumables and replacement costs are much less than a GT3.
Plus you are buying a car for $75 that cost over $170k to build.
But you will have to trailer to track... but in the name of safety for you and your family.. I would do it.
06-08-2011 | 08:06 PM
#55
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 290
Likes: 22
From: San Diego, CA
Want a track car that runs very quick lap times, and needs nothing but gas and consumables, S2000. For < 20K you can run 1:31 @ big willow, sub 2:00 @ BW CW13, 1:23 @ Streets....
Want to run very very quick lap times for a bit more $$$, C5 Z06.
.02
Want to run very very quick lap times for a bit more $$$, C5 Z06.
.02
06-08-2011 | 08:18 PM
#56
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From: Other PA
If you can drive a 911 really well, you can drive any car really well. Don't know if you can say the opposite. As others have stated, just drive the car you have now. Put the $$$ towards more DEs and pro coaching.
06-09-2011 | 03:31 AM
#57
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,312
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From: Roseville, CA
I'm not the one to talk to about anything past simple video or data. The video I do is just for observational purposes. The data from any of the AIM systems I have on the car, well I'm old school and look at squiggly lines to figure out what's what.
I did download the Trackmaster for my new Android, but I'm a mess at even learning the phone at this point. So I didn't get any data a couple of weeks ago.
The camera I'm using now is an Oregon Scientific I picked up at Costco for $200 last month. It mounts like a Contour, but is waterproof to 20M. (If you really want to go OT, and see why I bought it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRj9ezB_My0)
Here are a couple with a cheap $100 Kodak Playsport (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx-Qk2pRT0k and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_6XlfK3Qw). Lousy sound, and narrower field of view. But it works. Mainly bought that camera to have along when snorkeling.
I did download the Trackmaster for my new Android, but I'm a mess at even learning the phone at this point. So I didn't get any data a couple of weeks ago.
The camera I'm using now is an Oregon Scientific I picked up at Costco for $200 last month. It mounts like a Contour, but is waterproof to 20M. (If you really want to go OT, and see why I bought it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRj9ezB_My0)
Here are a couple with a cheap $100 Kodak Playsport (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx-Qk2pRT0k and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_6XlfK3Qw). Lousy sound, and narrower field of view. But it works. Mainly bought that camera to have along when snorkeling.
06-09-2011 | 11:55 AM
#58
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: san francisco
Get a simple set up(hdpro/iPhone) that doesn't costs a ton of money and hire a coach. U lose way more seconds off vs data acquisition which IMO is good for the experienced de'r/racer who want to shave off time measured in tenths. Mike
06-09-2011 | 12:02 PM
#59
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: MA
it is all a matter of price. I use smartycam with ODB2 bridge - it was about of $1100 package I think. you get gps sensor with it, accelerometers, etc. decent HD camera would be about of $400 expense, Go Pro cameras are $250-$350 for kit depending of what you get.
So far I like smartycam a lot, imho $800 premium over GoPro solution is well worth it. I also really hope they will make a firmware to allow downloading of data into aim race studio directly from smartycam but it seems to get stuck in AiM somewhere.
here is how it looks like. original video was 720 lines, youtube does 360 out of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RpYj9drhpY
So far I like smartycam a lot, imho $800 premium over GoPro solution is well worth it. I also really hope they will make a firmware to allow downloading of data into aim race studio directly from smartycam but it seems to get stuck in AiM somewhere.
here is how it looks like. original video was 720 lines, youtube does 360 out of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RpYj9drhpY
06-09-2011 | 03:57 PM
#60
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,371
Likes: 1
From: Reno NV
it is all a matter of price. I use smartycam with ODB2 bridge - it was about of $1100 package I think. you get gps sensor with it, accelerometers, etc. decent HD camera would be about of $400 expense, Go Pro cameras are $250-$350 for kit depending of what you get.
So far I like smartycam a lot, imho $800 premium over GoPro solution is well worth it. I also really hope they will make a firmware to allow downloading of data into aim race studio directly from smartycam but it seems to get stuck in AiM somewhere.
So far I like smartycam a lot, imho $800 premium over GoPro solution is well worth it. I also really hope they will make a firmware to allow downloading of data into aim race studio directly from smartycam but it seems to get stuck in AiM somewhere.
