I've been searching the passed few months to get together some info so I can get another car to track over the summer. I have little to no track experience, but at this point refuse to track my only car (1998 BMW M3 pictured below). It is a near perfect specimen, and since I bike to work most of the time it has very little mileage and blemishes. I originally planned on picking up an e30 325is and modding as my skills progress, but people have told me to look out of the BMW world since I want to stay on a budget. Because of that I've been looking at FC RX7s, Miatas, civics, and a few other late 80s early 90s cars. The late 80s early 90s cars are perfect for me because of budget for the car and I can insure them as a classic too. I like the price of the cars, because that leaves me money for safety and maintenance work. I'd like to have a car that could teach me how to be a better driver, and I figured the low amount of power/torque compared to my M3 would also help. The biggest reasons holding me back from the civics are the fwd factor and a few track junkies I've spoken with say that even at my skill level I'd be bored to death after a few DEs. What are your thoughts on a civic track rat for a beginner on the track, or would I be better with something else?

Pics of my M3 because I love whoring pics...

 

Civics can be great cheap, reliable, fast (light) track cars, for sure.
If you want to stick with RWD, however, go with a Miata.
RX7's are going to have more hassles and less parts availability.
If you like BMW's and RWD, however, and want to spend a little more, an older E30 or even beater E36 might be a good choice.

 

An e36 is out of the question... I actually was going to buy a 97 328is that was track prepped for safety this weekend for a hell of a deal, but I can't afford insurance on both the M3 and a 328. Because of that the most ideal car would be one that could be registered as a classic. And yea, at this point it is really whether I should go miata or civic... the downside of the miata is since I'm a safety freak and my BMWCCA chapter is too I'd need a spec cage to run with them, which will obviously cost a pretty penny.

 

Not sure if cross posting links is okay....

Here's a Spec Miata cage for 150 on Chumpcar

http://forum.chumpcar.com/index.php?...26-miata-cage/

 

I have owned 2 e36m3's. I built one for track use. I then bought an s2000 and after realizing I wanted to race/TT I bought a civic with a k20 motor swap.

If you want to go RWD, pick up an s2000. It is every bqit as fast as the e36 m3, with even skilled drivers i think the s2000 is faster It can ruqn through the corners so much better and requires more skill to drive fast than an e36.

The civic is about as fast with the motor swap but is much harder to drive at that pace. No abs, crazy oversteer ....etc. Anybody who tells you that you will be bored and you have not yet tracked a car, is misguided. Just go on YouTube, type in "Honda challenge".

The civic is cheaper to run and really easy to work on.

 

i'd track the chit outta that m3! at this point, they are cheap and who cares how 'clean' it is. but thats just me. but if you have emotional ties to it, don't track it.

a civic or integra can definitely be a cheap track car. cheap to mod, cheap to replace should the situation present itself. and as was already said, if u want to stay RWD, miata or e30s are cheap as well. right on the same lines as old hondas

 

I def recommend a civic! Parts are a dime a dozen and cheap! When tracking **** is gonna break which makes that a huge plus!

 

One of the big things that holds me back about the miata is that I'd feel the need for a full cage rather than roll bar, and then I wouldn't feel smart driving it to the track... FYI the car will not be trailered. Pictures like this scare me about just a roll bar on a miata.

 

unless you plan on rolling the damn thing, i wouldn't worry. yes, it happens but its not super common. and that one is fixable

 

That's nothing to fix but sawzalling the posts off and putting tear offs on your helmet

 

I wouldn't give a **** if its fixable, I'd be dead haha... I've become very **** about safety stuff, since I've lost a few friends recently to car incidents, one being a roll over. It just scares me, and I'm not saying its going to happen but I like to be cautious. Anything but a miata seems easy safety wise because I'd get some fixed backs and a roll bar, but I'm just so clueless/oblivious as to what would be the best car for me.

Edit: This would be what I'd want for a miata most likely, and its a definite nono on the street.

 

LoLthat is fixable though.. would of been easier to cage it in the first place

 

a civic or any tin top will collapse the same way if u land right on the roof above the windshield. only a cage would keep the a-pillars upright.

 

I've never raced as well, but I intend to start next year with my Integra.
But just an opinion, Civic's are always a relatively cheap buy in, and usually rather easy to make your money back with should you decide to sell.
Maybe you should get a Honda, and try it a couple of times, and see if its what YOU want, because we on the internet can't know, and if you don't like it and resell it you will lose very little to no money.

AlSO:
God, that's a clean Beamer

 

Thanks for the comment on my car... I will have to go out and test drive some cars I guess to figure it out. And yea, worst case scenario is I just resell the car I buy.

 

also wat engine do you plan on running once you get the car? d,b,h,k? and how much power do you want.. see wat the engine avalibility is around your area say you blow it up and put a whole through the block or mess up the head. do junkyards or friends often have that engine you'll choose laying around.

 

I planned on going over to Innovative Motorworks, whenever they email me back, and learning a little bit more about the motor choices... I don't know much about these cars, but I plan on learning if I buy one because thats what I did with my M3 and it is just to my liking in every aspect now.

 

well i shouldnt have added h series... they dont have that good of an aftermarket support. as far as the d,b,k:

d series is torquless and doesnt make much power n/a with out some serious money investment and still i dont think many if any have broke 200whp n/a. you most likely be disappointed with the cost and power.

b series is a great engine platform , makes good power, and has good aftermarket support and price wise is not too expensive to make power and be competitive.

the k series depending on your chassis choice that can be a beast on the track. they can make some real good numbers all motor for a 2 liter they as well are starting to have some good aftermarket support as well. just price wise the k series cost more.... but with that being said you gotta pay to play.

 

How much does classing change with a different motor swapped in? Realistically I planned on a b series, but depending upon how much the car itself costs it may be a year before a swap. And I guess I will add, when I buy the car bushings will all be replaced, brake refresh,ground control coilover(unless there is a better system for these cars under 2k), and 225/45/15 RS3s on 949 6uls.

 

the k series depending on your chassis choice that can be a beast on the track. they can make some real good numbers all motor for a 2 liter they as well are starting to have some good aftermarket support as well. just price wise the k series cost more.... but with that being said you gotta pay to play.




And no offense to the BMW, but the m3 motor will feel down right sluggish if you go out and drive a k20 motor. Mine is a k20a2 with bolt on's and it runs through the revs likes its in nuetral. A very impressive motor.

 

i think more time could be spent online to find a better coilover setup than ground control. im not saying they are bad but there is better. the typical coilover setup for them is less than 1500 several right around 1000.

as far as the swap. depending on you chassis choice can depend on wat engine it came with and how hard it is and how it affects your classing. b series in a eg or ek is an easy swap. k series isnt as bad to swap in an ek but is atleast double or triple the price of the b series swap. get a shell that was manual in the first place.. its just the smarter route.

 

The chassis all depends on what happens when I talk to the insurance company again... I need insurance to be cheap, since the M3 is expensive. I have always had a soft spot for the ek hatch, but I need to check insurance on them before I commit to one. And yes, I figured a K series would make my s52 in the M3 feel sluggish, it makes me excited about getting a civic. As for coilovers, I just named ground control because I don't want JDM crap unless it is actually functional.

 

idk how it is for your company.. but i wen from a 96 dx hatch back civic to a 2000 civic si coupe.. price increase over 6 months..... 1 doll hair.. it really depends on may of factors obviously

and as far a making your m3 feel sluggish...... that wont take much.. lol civic aftermarket parts are gonna be like half or a third the price of the German upgrades. i mean you pay for quality but there is a point wen its too much.. the Germans really love to push that line.. ive have 2 eg's and on my 2nd ek. (besides my audi and (junk>)1g gsx eclipse.)

and understandable on the coilovers. im having a trouble deciding on wat i want to run too. im just one eibach drop springs right now.. theres the performance and the part avalibility as well as customer service are all things you want to think about.

 

Honestly pick up a Civic and do as little chassis modifications as you need to so that it is disposable. Once you put too much blood, sweat, and tears into intricate modifications it becomes too much of a "oh no" factor if something were to happen. A roll cage is an exception as that is a safety item.

 

Yea parts for the m3 are ridiculously expensive, which is a huge plus for the civic. I figured I'd just go to my parts guy and take his recommendation for coils, maybe jrz if they even make them for these cars.