Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
09-09-2015, 02:51 PM
#31
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
Double diagonal roll bar and factory hard top. Hard Dog makes a pretty good bar. So does Boss Frog. You can add about $1500 to the cost of the car to buy that stuff.
Can't go wrong with a 240 either. Z32 parts are generally a direct bolt on upgrade, and they're dirt cheap.
Can't go wrong with a 240 either. Z32 parts are generally a direct bolt on upgrade, and they're dirt cheap.
09-09-2015, 03:19 PM
#32
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
I'm pretty sure the Z32 is direct bolt up for the S13 but there's a difference between the gear ratios for the NA and TT and I couldn't tell you which one or what kind of axles right off hand. I don't have a 240 so I don't tend to remember these things. The NA axles have 5 bolts and the TT ones have 6 so my guess would be NA. Both regularly hold up in 600 horse drag cars so its just a matter of figuring out which one bolts up.
09-09-2015, 06:16 PM
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
I'm not sure there is such thing as a $5k track car. Such a car will be over a decade old and will be looking at suspension and brake overhaul to make it track worthy.
I'd rather buy something for 15k that's newer and reliable. Newer Miata, 350Z, maybe C5....Throw tires, pads, fluid in it and be good to go.
I know there's this constant fear of "crashing into a wall" so don't get something expensive, but to me that's even more reason to get a newer car equipped that traction control/stability control. If you're a novice you should be leaving that on, and much of your time will be spent following an instructor or having one ride with you. With runoffs and traction control it's pretty hard to crash unless you're an idiot maybe.
If you're planning on running VIR frequently I would personally not go the Miata route...too slow for the track in my opinion, especially if you're used to an M4.
I'd rather buy something for 15k that's newer and reliable. Newer Miata, 350Z, maybe C5....Throw tires, pads, fluid in it and be good to go.
I know there's this constant fear of "crashing into a wall" so don't get something expensive, but to me that's even more reason to get a newer car equipped that traction control/stability control. If you're a novice you should be leaving that on, and much of your time will be spent following an instructor or having one ride with you. With runoffs and traction control it's pretty hard to crash unless you're an idiot maybe.
If you're planning on running VIR frequently I would personally not go the Miata route...too slow for the track in my opinion, especially if you're used to an M4.
09-09-2015, 06:27 PM
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
Locally as in Virginia Beach? Interestingly enough, same thing happened to me (down to the dollar amount) and that's why I had to move up north.
For perspective (and I don't care about disclosing dollar amounts for so long ago), when I got out of the Navy back in 09 the best offer I got locally was $65k; I extended my search and landed a gig here in central MD for $105k. I'm sure $40k is less of a percentage of your overall income than it would have been for me... so obviously I couldn't say no.
For me I think it's at least partly related to the field I work in (federal cyber is a fairly accurate description) and the concentration of professionals who make their way here to the DC/NOVA/MD area and it's actually very difficult to find highly skilled people so the market is very competitive at the top of the scale. Not sure why else the pay rates would be so dramatically lower. Cost of living is only really a factor in the densely populated areas of NoVa and of course DC... put it this way I don't think I'd be living substantially differently than I do now if I made the same money but lived in Virginia Beach. Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, however you can get TONS of house for next to nothing... not so much in Virginia Beach but the pay doesn't necessarily reflect that.
Back on topic, I'm running into restrictions on convertibles for track events. How the hell do the Miata guys get around them? I just asked- the BMW CCA event I just signed up for at Summit Point for mid-October is fine with whatever make of car that passes tech inspection... EXCEPT for convertibles and SUVs.
So now I'm leaning towards the 240 again... it's a platform I know very well, and I still have yet to call the guy for the one I found earlier that might end up being a stellar deal...
For perspective (and I don't care about disclosing dollar amounts for so long ago), when I got out of the Navy back in 09 the best offer I got locally was $65k; I extended my search and landed a gig here in central MD for $105k. I'm sure $40k is less of a percentage of your overall income than it would have been for me... so obviously I couldn't say no.
For me I think it's at least partly related to the field I work in (federal cyber is a fairly accurate description) and the concentration of professionals who make their way here to the DC/NOVA/MD area and it's actually very difficult to find highly skilled people so the market is very competitive at the top of the scale. Not sure why else the pay rates would be so dramatically lower. Cost of living is only really a factor in the densely populated areas of NoVa and of course DC... put it this way I don't think I'd be living substantially differently than I do now if I made the same money but lived in Virginia Beach. Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, however you can get TONS of house for next to nothing... not so much in Virginia Beach but the pay doesn't necessarily reflect that.
Back on topic, I'm running into restrictions on convertibles for track events. How the hell do the Miata guys get around them? I just asked- the BMW CCA event I just signed up for at Summit Point for mid-October is fine with whatever make of car that passes tech inspection... EXCEPT for convertibles and SUVs.
So now I'm leaning towards the 240 again... it's a platform I know very well, and I still have yet to call the guy for the one I found earlier that might end up being a stellar deal...
Missed that you're living in MD...so sorry to hear. Guess you'll be going to Summit Point, that's fine Miata tarmac there
I lived in Bethesda for a year and couldn't be happier to have left. Speed cameras, pretentious HOAs, Obama stickers everywhere...no thanks. Lots of car enthusiasts though and of course lots of great places to eat/shop in Montgomery County
09-09-2015, 06:59 PM
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
Missed that you're living in MD...so sorry to hear. Guess you'll be going to Summit Point, that's fine Miata tarmac there
I lived in Bethesda for a year and couldn't be happier to have left. Speed cameras, pretentious HOAs, Obama stickers everywhere...no thanks. Lots of car enthusiasts though and of course lots of great places to eat/shop in Montgomery County
I lived in Bethesda for a year and couldn't be happier to have left. Speed cameras, pretentious HOAs, Obama stickers everywhere...no thanks. Lots of car enthusiasts though and of course lots of great places to eat/shop in Montgomery County
09-10-2015, 11:30 AM
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
Missed that you're living in MD...so sorry to hear. Guess you'll be going to Summit Point, that's fine Miata tarmac there
I lived in Bethesda for a year and couldn't be happier to have left. Speed cameras, pretentious HOAs, Obama stickers everywhere...no thanks. Lots of car enthusiasts though and of course lots of great places to eat/shop in Montgomery County
I lived in Bethesda for a year and couldn't be happier to have left. Speed cameras, pretentious HOAs, Obama stickers everywhere...no thanks. Lots of car enthusiasts though and of course lots of great places to eat/shop in Montgomery County
In a perfect world the 240 will already be sold or the guy forgot to mention it was used as a portable meth lab for the past 6 years... and I just go to Summit Point in October with the M4, don't crash it and enjoy the everliving shit out of it with no desire to fuck around with it at all.
Thing is, I've never fared well on this board in regard to politics so I'll just stick to car talk.
09-10-2015, 01:00 PM
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
1. Locally as in Virginia Beach?
2. Back on topic, I'm running into restrictions on convertibles for track events. How the hell do the Miata guys get around them? I just asked- the BMW CCA event I just signed up for at Summit Point for mid-October is fine with whatever make of car that passes tech inspection... EXCEPT for convertibles and SUVs.
2. Back on topic, I'm running into restrictions on convertibles for track events. How the hell do the Miata guys get around them? I just asked- the BMW CCA event I just signed up for at Summit Point for mid-October is fine with whatever make of car that passes tech inspection... EXCEPT for convertibles and SUVs.
2. NA and NB Miatas are very easy to pass technical inspections with SCCA and NASA requirements. Just get the proper rollbar installed. NC (my generation) Miata's are a little trickier. To have a proper rollbar, you have to remove the convertible top so you can have the proper rear or forward facing brace installed (within the top 30% of the upper hoop). My rearward facing brace is on the lower portion of the rollbar but NASA allows it locally. Some other groups may not allow it depending on how they interpret the rules. I am very confident with the strength/integrity of what I installed.
09-11-2015, 03:53 AM
#38
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
Yeah summit point is an hour and a half from my doorstep. I live in Anne Arundel county... don't make it to Montgomery all too often but I'd venture a guess it's a bit more redneck here. Just off the sheer volume of diesel pickups and Mossy Oak hats alone.
In a perfect world the 240 will already be sold or the guy forgot to mention it was used as a portable meth lab for the past 6 years... and I just go to Summit Point in October with the M4, don't crash it and enjoy the everliving shit out of it with no desire to fuck around with it at all.
I'd have to agree that they're pointless and stupid as it doesn't seem to be doing a damn thing to curb people shooting each other in Baltimore at all. It's like a third world country there.
Thing is, I've never fared well on this board in regard to politics so I'll just stick to car talk.
In a perfect world the 240 will already be sold or the guy forgot to mention it was used as a portable meth lab for the past 6 years... and I just go to Summit Point in October with the M4, don't crash it and enjoy the everliving shit out of it with no desire to fuck around with it at all.
I'd have to agree that they're pointless and stupid as it doesn't seem to be doing a damn thing to curb people shooting each other in Baltimore at all. It's like a third world country there.
Thing is, I've never fared well on this board in regard to politics so I'll just stick to car talk.
09-11-2015, 09:17 AM
#39
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Re: Considering a budget dedicated track car, need a sounding board
Andrews is right in the heart of Suitland/Waldorf, it's terrible. You can't use that as your basis of comparison. It's a suburb of DC and it's a hot damn mess. I'd pick Fort Meade over that shithole any day.
There's lots of great places in northern Virginia and if I were to move today that's probably where I'd end up because now my company offices are in Reston and Alexandria... but when I moved here I was still working in/around the Fort and now I work from home. I love my neighborhood, I may not move again ever. The 'Dena has its own character as well, but I like it here.
