My advice is buy a good street car that needs minimal mods to do DE/TT. If you like it after a few years buy a race car someone already built and save the time and money. Turning a street car into a race car is expensive, time consuming and frustrating.

 

Matt, thats one nasty looking interior. I'd love to see that in person some day.

Jeff

 

Its all business, that's for sure. Its available to see any day at my new shop, Aspen Autosports in Randolph NJ. Stop by anytime.

 

Back to the OP, it's been said a thousand times and it applies here:
"how fast you want to go is directly proportional to what you are willing to spend".
Translation: A Spec Boxster is a little faster than a Spec Miata, and costs a little more to campaign.

 

Yeah, I get that. But here is what I am trying to sort out:
-- Is the Boxster 5x the cost, 1.0x as fun, and 1.02x as fast
-- Is the Boxster 2x the cost, 2x as fun (because the handling, sounds, community, whatever), and 1.02x as fast
-- Is the E36 M3 1.5x the cost, 1.5x the fun, and 1.2x as fast.
Because there is a big difference in my willingness, as a guy new to this sport, to spring for the Boxster or E36 vs a Miata depending on what's true.

Unlike perhaps some people who pose these kinds of questions, it's not like if I spring for a Boxster I wouldn't be able to pay my cell phone bill. I can afford to run a Porsche. I actually think that's a major contributor to what's making this so complicated for me.

I just have a very sane wife who loves to berate me for "wasting" money (on things like track car repairs.... but $1K spa days are some how a good use of money? I digress...). I'm just looking for the right fun/value/learning ratio (and some help justifying how I got there). Make sense?

 

To race boxster

1/2 set of tires per day
1/4 set of brakes
1/4 oil and gear box
250 entrance fees
50 gas
Hotel / towing / occasional wrecks not included

1500 a day id say

 

Thanks for pic - helpful

You have more seat angle but then have to have your legs less straight than mine

I'll take snaps of me in car in a few weeks and send for comparison

 

Matt,

You've got a top blower on your helmet? No wonder you're squeezed. Do you choose that over a cool suit?

 

Well, yes and no. You can't calculate this accurately because there are way too many variables and uncertainties. Case in point; I thought my car was s great deal. But then I crashed it first race. That changed things. Decide what car/club/people you want to run with and take a plunge. If it's not what you calculated then make changes.

 

I can't afford the weight of the coolsuit system, which ends up at around 25 lbs when loaded. That and I don't like the idea of plastic tubes close to my skin in the case of a fire. Being from Australia, I don't mind the heat so much, so it would be overkill for me also. The top blower on the helmet actually doesn't touch the roof and fits nicely up between the roll cage bars. Getting in the car and getting strapped in and the helmet connected is a different story.

The helmet blower is a great compromise for me. Gives me just enough cooling on the head to get me through the race, but almost no weight added.

 

Are you running accusump? I think that's where all my excess weight is

 

Yes. That's so,e weight, but not all. My cage is overbuilt, and that's where most of my weight is. You can cut the wiring harness down (if not already done) to offset the accusump. Unless you have the super large one, which is overkill.

 

FWIW. Here is my progression and experience:

My first track day was in my '00 Boxster S. Total street car. Loved the experience but wasn't comfortable with the soft top. Bought a Porsche 944 Turbo which ended up being too nice to track prep. I had driven a friend's E36 M3 and liked the fit and feel. I bought a '95 M3 and started out driving it to the track. I tracked prepped the suspension and motor. I gradually removed more and more of the interior until there is not much left. It has a 4 pt roll bar, Sparco seat and harness, dash shell and gauges. It has 250hp and in an absolute joy to drive. It goes where you point it, stops well (after adding ABS from an E46 M3) and has enough torgue to be fun. Consumables are cheap, tires (255/40/17), rotors and pads last a long time because the car has so much less weight to drag around. I recommend the E36 M3 to anyone that wants to do track days. I did have to but a trailer and truck to tow the thing, but that expense would apply to any dedicated track car.

I am in the process of resurrecting a 944S2 SP3 with a 968 race motor. Not to do wheel to wheel, but track days. We will see April 2 at Sebring, how it compares to the M3.

 

Hi all --

Can other folks who have run a 986 Boxster comment on running costs?
If I ran in 12 DE days/year, what would I likely spend?

Audipwr's suggested $1500/day sounds extraordinary high, certainly more than I'd be willing to spend. I'm currently running a heavier, higher HP car and got 5 weekends out of a set of PSS tires. I'm driving 7/10ths, but still... 1/2 of tires a weekend scare the crap out of me...

I've found a nice (race winning) Spec Boxster for $20K. I can't decide if I'm trying to talk myself out of it, or into it. But if running costs are truly 2-3x an E36 M3, I think I've got my answer....

 

If you decide not to buy that spec Boxster for 20K please share the information.