#3875589 - 07/04/09 07:59 PM
Trackable daily for 3k?
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ReplicaR
Post Master Sr
Registered: 05/26/06
Posts: 7093
Loc: E.E.B.
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I'm looking for a car for my girlfriend. First and foremost the vehicle should be a daily driver, which should get good on gas, reliable, and fairly modern, because she does not want an old car. Something in the 90s plus. The second requirement is that it must be trackable. I've taken her for a ride along in my car and several others, and she loved it, so I'm looking to get her involved in HPDE at least, and we'll see where to go from there.
Few requirements:
1. Must be reliable, easy to fix if something breaks, and good on gas (thinking mostly Japanese cars here)
2. Must have ABS, preferably factory LSD, so it's easy to drive
3. Must have some decent potential and decent aftermarket support, so it's not a dead end from the factory like many cars are.
Some vehicles we've considered so far were the 200SX SE-R, maybe an E36 325is. Can anyone help out with some more suggestions for the budget given?
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'94 Mustang GT Acceleration....  -------+--  Handling......... -------+-- Speed............ ------+---
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#3875597 - 07/04/09 08:08 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: skierd]
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ReplicaR
Post Master Sr
Registered: 05/26/06
Posts: 7093
Loc: E.E.B.
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Did Miatas come with ABS? lol on the mustang, I said good gas mileage.
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'94 Mustang GT Acceleration.... -------+-- Handling......... -------+-- Speed............ ------+---
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#3875617 - 07/04/09 08:20 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: skierd]
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ReplicaR
Post Master Sr
Registered: 05/26/06
Posts: 7093
Loc: E.E.B.
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I've been thinking Miatas as well, just because they are oh so everywhere at the track, but I want her to have something safer, because we will not be able to put a roll bar into the car for a while probably, if at all.
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'94 Mustang GT Acceleration.... -------+-- Handling......... -------+-- Speed............ ------+---
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#3875674 - 07/04/09 09:18 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: ReplicaR]
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neonmike22
Post Master Sr
Registered: 11/04/00
Posts: 3150
Loc: Nashville, TN
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we will not be able to put a roll bar into the car for a while probably, if at all.
Solution: buy one with a rollbar.
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Mike Carpenter
'03 Civic Hybrid
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#3875984 - 07/05/09 02:05 AM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: S13kid]
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ESQ88
Post Master Jr
Registered: 11/08/03
Posts: 1604
Loc: Chicago
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Id say a 1st gen DSM but that totally voids requirement#1, OR Miata for sure. They are great cars if you don't mind the homosexual comments thrown here and there by your friends. I'd def. rock the tits out of one tho.
240s are wayy the fuck over priced now and its hard as hell to find one with clean frame rails now that drifting is popular.
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#3876111 - 07/05/09 07:53 AM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: skierd]
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CommonGutterTrash
This user is more useless than a half-baked compost pile.
Post Master Sr
Registered: 09/16/02
Posts: 6437
Loc: Boston MA
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94-97 Miata. /thread
edit - OR another mustang. Having two of the same cars means you always have spares available and you/her only have to get familiar with the same car.
sadly, I'm with this guy 
although.. you may want to get her into a car that's not as competitive, to start?
(I always picture learning in a popular car to be pretty frustrating)
miata/civicSi/wrx/evo/dsm
all of these were pretty popular, and I'm sure their classes are quite competitive.
what about a 4-cyl e30? some are cheap, no?
volvo 2/7 series?
oh.. wait... a daily driver.
yeah... miata.
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Craig R. 2000 9-5 Gary Fisher Wagon 1995 850 T-5R 1996 Galant  AIM = gclipse96
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#3876238 - 07/05/09 11:25 AM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: madmatt]
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southjerseyTSI
Post Master Sr
Registered: 08/07/04
Posts: 3611
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neon acr?
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#3876659 - 07/05/09 05:52 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: NOT spotch...]
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neonmike22
Post Master Sr
Registered: 11/04/00
Posts: 3150
Loc: Nashville, TN
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I was thinking neon acr too, but miata > neon acr, at least in the reliability and RWD categories.
Not to mention the "finding one" category these days. I couldn't find a nice neon in 3 months of looking before i got the miata.
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Mike Carpenter
'03 Civic Hybrid
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#3883655 - 07/08/09 10:35 AM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: vwkaferman]
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WeakVTEC
Jr Poster
Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 100
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If you don't hate FWD... i suggest the Integra. Very well balanced, and it does pretty good on a track, even on a track like Sebring, mine holds its own just fine.
passed all of those cars in about 1/2 of a lap, and was running close times to my old evo. the car only has KW V3s, itr rsb, bushings, carbotech race pads, boltons, and its stripped. doesn't do bad straight line either, pulls 14.1s with only 158whp due to the weight. i got the car for $2800.
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04 EVO RS - Stock and in break-in.
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#3891782 - 07/10/09 05:41 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: NOT spotch...]
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nohondahere
Major Member
Registered: 06/22/00
Posts: 1457
Loc: Mentor, OH
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I would pass on a civic or integra, integra especially, because it is very likely to be stolen.
Perhaps a Celica or something sporty but not a honda.
A neon R/T can be had for cheap and would make just as good of a DD as an integra. And when it gives up the ghost, you can replace the engine for dirt cheap.
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20' Sierra 1500
14' Chevy Volt
97 Miata
00 FBP Si
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#3891834 - 07/10/09 06:07 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: nohondahere]
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NOT spotch...
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 07/25/00
Posts: 57155
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older integra > older celica... the celica makes even less power than the already weak integra and gets worse gas mileage.
A neon R/T won't make as good a DD as the integra simply b/c the hatch gives you 3x the useable space. I daily drove a neon for years and then an integra for years, and aside from the integra simply being put together 10x better and breaking less (not even counting the mistakes I made with the neon), I could haul way way WAY more crap. And it's not just a honda > dodge thing, because when I moved to the prelude i lost that ability to haul stuff again because I lost the hatch. Also, for whatever it's worth, the integra takes the cheap gas and the r/t doesn't (at least it's not SUPPOSED to). At most gas stations around here that's a 30c a gallon difference (used to be 20c  ).
Though the r/t will be cheaper. I think with either the neon or the integra you're going to run into problems with the previous owners either being ricers that modified them or trashy pieces of shit that just beat on the car and don't do maintenance. Whenever I've shopped for either finding a decent one for 3k or less takes some searching, and usually they're 100+ miles away.
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#3893135 - 07/11/09 11:30 AM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: progressi]
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ReplicaR
Post Master Sr
Registered: 05/26/06
Posts: 7093
Loc: E.E.B.
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Wow, this became a pretty good thread. I feel so special 
Anyway, after reading all this and making my own research, and also talking to the girlfriend, we've narrowed down the search a little bit. Many of the cars that were noticed here were either too old for her, or she did not like them.
Miata: Great car, no doubt. Has a lot of potential, is easy on the tires and everything else, because it's so light. The big problem is that you need a roll bar at least to get it on the track. The bigger problem is that my girlfriend is 5'10". To make sure that the roll bar will clear her head in the helmet is going to require too many compromises, so it's out of the question for a daily
E30/FC/B13/S13/VW: All these cars are great cars, minus VW (I swear no one I know will ever own one). I have shown all the cars to girlfriend, and she said that she wanted something newer, so they are out as well. What can I say...
Neon RT/ACR: While it could be a good track car, it's both old and neither me or her like the car as a daily. Cheap plastic dodge interior 
DC2 Integra: This car seems like the best compromise out of anything mentioned above. Ton of potential on the track, with ginormous aftermarket support. It is also fairly light, so it will be fairly easy on tires and pads. It gets great gas mileage, it is reliable, it looks good, and it is built well too. Now, we just gotta see what we can find. I might throw in some of my budget too if something comes up that's too good to pass up.
_________________________
'94 Mustang GT Acceleration.... -------+-- Handling......... -------+-- Speed............ ------+---
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#3893236 - 07/11/09 12:24 PM
Re: Trackable daily for 3k?
[Re: ReplicaR]
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progressi
Post Master Sr
Registered: 06/01/01
Posts: 9133
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BOOO! You made your GF have the slow car. "She's just a girl"
You should've gone with another Mustang. You know them very well and yours has proven reliable. That wouldve been cool. 
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