ajcjr

yes i am full of words today since i am posting alot!!!

I was discussing getting a track car with a friend and he thinks its a total waste to buy a car just for the track. Basically right now i would use my tow vehicle as a daily driver and then a porsche as a track car. Right now i am not in the position to own several cars and i think i will get more out of the car at the track then driving mis daisy on the streets.

I was trying to explain to him the fun you can have on the track without alot of the problems you could come up on if you were on the street. Plus i told him if you are not driving the car everyday, would you enjoy it more by really pushing the performance of the car in a safe manner or driving around town doing illegal speeds to really feel the car.

Whats your point of views.

M758

I don't have a lot of money to spare, but when I decided to take my nice 944 Turbo S off the track and just use an old beat cheap 944 NA on the track it was the best move I ever made.

The 944 Turbo S was then and still is now a nice stock street car. The old 944 has been through alot over 8 years of track and autocross time. The best part is that it has been a car I have never feared damaging in any way. It is 100% dedicated to the track with no compomises and as such is at lot faster despite being down 100 hp to the 944 Turbo. Plus not worrying about denting a fender gives me the freedom at the track to drive the car hard. If something fails I will fix it. If the fender gets dented I will pull it out as best I can and get back on track. Once home I will take my time to fix it. Since my car is red. Red duct tape can come in handy for "quick fixes".

Really the best thing I ever did was go with a dedicated track only car.

blake

I'm with you...

I bought my 996 GT3 as a dual purpose track car & Sat morning therapy car... It did not take long for me to make it a dedicated track car. I can now get aggressive with suspension settings (camber/toe) and the exhaust (straight pipes). I look forward to track days because I get to fire up the beast and run like hell! Having a track garage also rocks because now I don't have to put unnecessary miles on the car.... A trailer set-up would accomplish the same thing...

It also helps that I have a 964 Speedster in the garage for those Sat morning drives. What it lacks in hp it makes up for in style and the wind in the hair... It is damn fun to drive.

My $0.02,
-Blake

DanR

I own a 997 and decided that whilst I love driving it on the street I did not want to take it to the track and risk losing more than I can afford. I therefore bought a track prepared 944 turbo S as well to have my track fun in. I know that I can drive it how it was designed to be driven without the aprehension I would have with my daily driver. If you can do it, it is a no brainer...... suppose like everything, it comes down to budget

todinlaw

That becomes the problem is that if you really get into tracking your car using it as a road buggy kinda gets in the way. I bought a GT3 and started tracking it because I told myself If I did not use it for what it was intended for I should not buy it in the first place. Now that I am hooked and averaging track days every other weekend. Its kind of a pain to swap tires all the time. Plus I would really like to put an aggressive alignment on it for the track and some other mods that I am slow to do to a road car.

If I knew then what I know know I would not have bought the 3 yet. I would have bought a used car, maybe even a prepared car to learn on and not care so much about. I agree with getting a car for the track that you are willing to take some significant risk, it speeds up the learning process.

Kool

I agree that a dedicated track car is a good way to go. but I would suggest that whateever track car you choose make sure that if you ball it up it isn't going to put you in the poor house. Also keep in mind that if you have a car that is only for the track there is money that needs to be spent in getting said car to and from the track.

himself

Most of us like the track enough to compromise on a double-duty vehicle, but not enough to get a dedicated car. However, IMO, if you can afford it, you should always have the right tool for the job.

-td

Kool

Agreed there is alot of preparation that goes into a dedicated track car. Most poeple will start with a street car but in the process of making it faster for the track the compromise swings the car no longer makes sense to drive on the street.

But to buy a prepared car and supporting equipment is not a cheap undertaking. No matter what you start with.

M758

True, but if you are comparing an expensive street car it can cost you alot more than an really cheap track car. Example is GT3 vs a 944. Split duty in GT3 will be more expensive than a full up 944 race car. That does not even include crash damage. You can crash 10 944's for cost of 1 GT3.

So a dedicated track car need not cost more. One of the reason I went to a 944 NA instead of trying to dual use my 944 Turbo S was the 944 was going to be lower cost since I already had the tow vehicle, trailer and space to store them.

Kool

Totally agree. Currently when my turbo is finished it will be a compromise car. Both ways work and neither is cheap.

Craig T.

Get the track car!

I did DE's and POC Time Trials in dual purpose cars for years. The first was a bone stock 993 C2S. I spent the first 30 minutes of every event taping up the leading edges to prevent chips. The second was a 993TT. It started out stock, but ended up with a roll bar, seats, harnesses, PSS9, etc. That was the BIGGEST MISTAKE I EVER MADE. I was afraid to wreck it (and couldn't afford too). With Clear Bra and two rolls of tape, the paint was still thrashed. I took a bath $$$ on that car.

I drive the crap out of my race car. I released on the paint. If it breaks, I fix it when it's convenient. No insurance. No registration fees or state tax. If I put it into a wall...So what! I'll take the cool stuff out, buy another POS 911SC for $6K and do it again!

Edward

Another one here who had started out with the dual-purpose track/daily driver car. It was fun for the few years that I did it, no question there. But I as I was pushing the envelope further, both in driving the tarmac, increasing skill, and more mechanical prep and $$ into the car, it became increasingly obvious that I did NOT, nor could NOT afford to ball up my lovely 993, of which I also lovingly called my dream-fulfilled car. 'Nuff said ...I got the ok from the CFO to get a track only car. Like others here, it was the best decision ever.

I sold off the misc 993 track-related goodies and brought her back to daily-driver duty. I then scoured the planet (ok, maybe a 300 mile radius) for a great SC. Fast-forward to today: still "streetable" (still DOT registered for rainy days ), but respectably track worthy in brakes, suspension, power/weight, and of course safety. While I tried to pay as little as possible for the car, of course, I figure that it still is far cheaper than even one "incident" with the 993. Not to mention the pride in gaining driving skill in an older, more challenging car.

The key is do your HW and get lots of advice from those who have done it. Figure out how much you can spend, then buy a car for a couple of $K less than that (for the incidentals you'll run into). Try to subordinate cosmetics with a mechanically-sound and straight-chassied car. Get one with as much track prep as you can (so long as it's done properly and not half-baked) as this is cheaper than prepping it yourself. Finally, don't obsess over go-fast goodies ...work your way there as funds arise. Just drive the car as is (with safety gear, naturally) and enjoy the grins. Ultimately, you'll have more fun on the track as you won't be so worried about damage as you are about driving. Three years into my modest little Trackmeister and I'm still in 911 heaven

Edward

jester911

Funny the timing of this thread. My wife has not been all that thrilled about me making my 911 into a track car the last few years. She suggested I buy a track only car just this last weekend.
Great news as far as I am concerned but we have to wait for our house to sell first.

Palting

Best is to have a street sports car and a separate dedicated track car.

But, c'mon now. Lets be practical and real. Not everyone has the bucks, the time, nor the dedication to have a high end sports car (997 or 996), a dedicated track car (say, the ever popular 944 or 944T), a tow vehicle whether or not you need a tow vehicle for any other purpose (Suburban like mine), and a trailer (open or enclo$$ed). I am willing to bet that no one who goes to a Porsche dealer seriously looking to buy a new Porsche will change his mind and say "I'd rather buy a track car".

So, if there is only one choice, and the choice is between:
1. A 997 or 996 I enjoy mostly on the street and take to the track occasionally.
2. A track dedicated Porsche (not streetable, older, no fear of wadding it state), tow vehicle, +/- trailer.
No question it's choice number 1 for me.

In most scenarios, the dedicated track car is the result of a progression of events, not the beginning. It starts with a track capable sports car like the Porsche, slow creep towards track mods, until the momentum of that slippery slope makes you sell house and home and live at the track with your track beast.

TedA

If you are addicted to the track, get the best prepped (performance and safety gear) car you can afford to wad up. I am a cheap bastard.... but enjoy the car and track time more than words can describe.