Which car for this application

W

Wayne

New member
I would like to buy an older car for use as a commuter over the next two years. The car will then be given to my son when he turns 16. He will use it as a daily driver, as well as track days, high performance schools, and autox.

Rear drive is a must, would prefer 4 door but might consider a two door. Don't like any cars that have those goofy motorized shoulder belts. I'm 6' 4" tall and my recently turned 14 year old is 6' 1" tall, so I'm thinking head and leg room is going to be important.
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Along with my son we will slowly (over the next two years) do some simple maintenance and modifications to make the car track worthy. At this time I'm not planning on turning it into a full-on race car. Just robust enough for some track days, autox etc. If he decides he wants to pursue racing then he will have to bring some sponsorship to the table, and maybe I'll consider it.
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Would like to stay in the 4-6K range money wise.

Any such animal that meets these requirements?

Wayne
 
In the 4-6K range I don't think you could go wrong with an earlier 3 series BMW: Decent performance in stock trim, plenty of aftermarket performance parts available (both new and used), should be cheap to iunsure for a kid (specially the 4 door), eligible for BMWCCA schools without a lot of safety prep, fairly stylish ride for a 16 y.o., etc. And older Sentra SER might also be a good choice.

BMW may be a bit more expensive to race prepare for IT in SCCA, but it doesn't sound like running up front is a major priority at this stage.
 
I second the BMW in IT..I am building my second. I would recommend the 2dr car, however. I am told the 4dr versions have issues with the bolt that holds the rear supframe. The 2dr cars do not. Plenty of parts available and you get to run BMWCCA races in addition to the SCCA IT venues. BTW, a nice 325IS 89-99-91 can be had in the 4500 range.(ITS) A good 84-87 325e much less (ITA). Good Luck

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Chuck Baader
E30 ITA under construction
Alabama Region Divisional Registrar
 
Mustang.

However, your leaving a lot of great cars off the list by not considering front wheel drive: VW, Audi, Honda, Acura, Mazda. All are easy to find, very reliable and inexpensive (to purchase, fix, buy parts, upgrades, etc)



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Jeff L
#74 ITB GTi
 
the datsun 240 is still a car with max fun potential on the street and at trackdays....these cars are still out there especially out west,$4000-$6000 will get you a good car that's ready to return your investment in a few years if you decide to go another direction with race car.

david spillman
 
e30 325 or 318 BMW would be a good choice. See if you can find information on the "Spec e30" class of racing. It's something short of full-on IT and makes for a really practical multi-purpose car.

K
 
I like the plan but with one exception. buy the street car learn on it and do some track days but you might then want to relegate it to parts car and buy a it car. much cheaper.
dick
 
O.k. BMW is a great car and all but how much does it cost to repair one? Even the 944 is pretty expensive.

I would take a look at this from a different starting point. What class do you eventually want to race in? Keep in mind that ITS is usually more expensive to race in then ITA (and so on). Faster often means harder on brakes, tires, ect.

I also think that a lower HP car will force a person to learn more. If you make a mistake and brake too much, you'll definately notice it.

The ITA CRX si is always a good choice. If the golf III gets moved to ITB, then that would be another good car.

I hear the whole buy a built car but if it were me and my son (at least I say this now that I don't have kids yet) I would rather build a car. So much to learn and great bonding experience together. Buying a car is typically the cheaper / faster route though.

Try to think of what you want in 3 or so years. Time goes by sooo quickly!

And don't rely on sponsorship. That should just be an extra perk if you happen to get some. If you rely on it, it will quickly take away the fun and add a lot of pressure. And I'm not saying you shouldn't go after it; for me it has been very rewarding but more on a personal level then financial.

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Dave Gran
NER #13 ITA
'87 Honda Prelude
 
Actually if you are going to do most of your own work BMWs are not more expensive than most other cars. This is especially true for the e30 318 and 325. Of course I am a bit biased having owned several and currently racing an ITS 325, but I have not driven a better street car for certain and the race car has to be one of the best. One thing you have to do is get the information CDs which are available on ebay that break down every part on the car, repair instructions, wiring diagrams, etc. You will be very far ahead with this. Also, there is a very strong BMW community on the web with several very knowledgeable mailing lists in addition to bulletin boards. All in all the enthusiast following will be a big help in for you and your son. It is what I plan to do, of course my son is only 4 and BMW doesn't sell a kart yet. Check out the BMW CCA club racing site, there are a number of e30 cars there that should fit the bill:

<http://www.bmwccaclubracing.com/forsale/forsale.htm>

Feel free to email me for other sources, lists, etc. Best of luck to you.
 
You guys want to give a 16 year old kid an E36, 944, 240SX, Mustang, or a 5-series?

Damn, lucky kid!

I guess I'd say Integra GSR. That was my first car and I tracked it completely stock a couple times. Good engine, good handleing, and good brakes. With a little bit of tweaking with easily available and relatively cheap parts you get great engine, great handleing, and great brakes. It is FWD though.

Plus it's a Honda - incredibly reliable, safe, and unbelievably easy to work on.
 
I assume you're talking about an ITA Integra. Definately a good car.

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Dave Gran
NER #13 ITA
'87 Honda Prelude
 
I'll have to agree with the 240sx, but I'd recommend a S14 (1995-1998). You should be able to get a very nice daily driver for around 5K. You can get most S13's (1989-1994) for around 2K.
The car is fun to drive even stock and most of the time, the motors last well over 200K miles.
 
One downside of the 240 is that current trends make it a sellers' market for that model.

I don't know where you are but Jason Weaver (posts here) knows a LOT about this market and finding good examples of this - and similar - cars. He's in NC.

K
 
Originally posted by R2 Racing:
You guys want to give a 16 year old kid an E36, 944, 240SX, Mustang, or a 5-series?

Damn, lucky kid!

I guess I'd say Integra GSR. That was my first car and I tracked it completely stock a couple times. Good engine, good handleing, and good brakes. With a little bit of tweaking with easily available and relatively cheap parts you get great engine, great handleing, and great brakes. It is FWD though.

Plus it's a Honda - incredibly reliable, safe, and unbelievably easy to work on.
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My second car which I bought in 1977 at 17 for $1500 was a R-model 65 Shelby mustang complete with a Cal Club SCCA log book, car had 10" wheels, flared fenders,full cage, and a 2/4 carb setup. I street raced it for 2 years and sold it to a guy for 3k that had found some old racing photos of it at riverside, he put it back to that same racing trim and got 30k for it in 85 at the montery concourse.
 
Talking good cars....I just had the absolute joy of picking out a red 2002 ZO6 Corvette 11K miles, all custom intake, exhaust, rims, chip, short shift ready - all with an extended 7/60 warranty. Man, what it feels like to be a kid again (although being mid-30s and being able to buy this sh*t beats driving my old Volare)

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BenSpeed
#33 ITS RX7
BigSpeed Racing
[email protected]
NNJR
 
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