I'm in a bit of a dillema; I want to dedicate my current street/track car to nearly all track use, and considering it's nearing 90K miles on the odometer acrewing more street miles in lieu of track miles seems like a waste. So, I've been contemplating two options 1. keep my car, dedicate it to just trips to the track and buy a motorcycle for everyday commuting, or 2. keep my car as a daily driver, and buy a car suited for the track?

I will admit, the thought of putting my car into the wall makes me apprehensive to using it strictly as a track car, however, I've had this car since new, and have really grown acustom to it, and am VERY comfortable w/ it.

Any input from those that have had a similar dillema?




[Modified by bb6h22a, 1:12 AM 10/11/2002]

 

Will you race in the future? If it is a hybird, there are very few places that you can. How much will it cost for a new street car? How much for a used race car? Will you tow to the track? Can I really afford both? Questions to ask yourself.

 

my current car is a '99 prelude, and at the moment wheel to wheel competition is not on the horizon. the car that I would use in lieu of it would be, yes, a hybrid; namely a crx w/ a b16a.

If i were to get a new street car, I suppose a decent street car would be close to $30k, the bike I'm looking is close to $8k, and the 'track/race' car I'm consider, all in all will cost me close to $7k, to get it how I'd like it. I don't plan on towing, hence the cars must retain some streetability. As far as affording either; I could not afford, comfortably, a new street car and a track car; I could, but things would be tighther than neccessary.

In the scenerio of the motorcyle or the track car, than yes, I can afford either of those scenerio's, and there isn't a vast disperity b/w the two, fiscally, hence I'm stuck weighing out the options.


[Modified by bb6h22a, 2:51 PM 10/10/2002]

 

Skip the bizarre half-baked, almost-a-racing-car silliness and buy an already-prepared improved touring car - for about what you would spend on that motorcycle. There is almost nowhere to actually race a hybrid but an ITA CRX or something similar will take you anywhere you want to go - track days, autocrosses, rally-X, hillclimbs, SCCA competition, NASA HPDE and races, ECHC, EMRA, ICSCC, WHRRI, etc., etc., etc.

Sell the Prelude and buy a sensible van or pick-up to drag your fun around with you and you are ready to go.

I may just be tired of the same goofy issues being dredged up day after day but please try to avoid using the term 'track car'. It makes me twitch.

Kirk

 

In all honesty, this was the exact same position I found myself in earlier this year. I had a car (Integra) I was very attached to, was very comfortable with, and was very happy with, but I wanted to do more track events and eventually race it. A roll bar or cage was becoming necessary, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I ended up picking up a track car for what a cage for the Integra would have cost me. Having a second car is very good when you do these track weekends. A really good 3rd, 4th, or 5th gen Civic SI can be acquired for less than you think, made fast for even less, and you can leave it up on jackstands while you take your other car to work

 

Kirk,

Thank you for your candor; mental addendum to self: do not use 'track car' in post body. Whats the preffered vernacular around here?


[Modified by bb6h22a, 3:56 PM 10/10/2002]

 

Then keep it a street car. Driving a motorcycle in the rain must suck.

 

You need to save this on your desktop somehow so you can just cut and copy this response to post...over and over!

Long live froggie panties!

 

Racing car = Vehicle prepared to the rules of a sanctioned motorsports organization, complete with requisite safety equipment.

Not a racing car = Everything else, including tow vehicles, parts cars, the bare shell next to the garage under a blue tarp, what your significant other lets you drive when the tow vehicle breaks down, and the goofy contraptions that people waste money on to modify and stand around posing next to.

Track car = The worst compromise possible. Not legal to race (didn't follow any rules, goofy parts), useless on the street (took out the seats, no muffler), dangerous in both situations (just enough cage to whack your skull on, not enough to keep you safe in a real crash), ticket bait (stickers from "reverse sponsors" - companies who took money for the right to display logos on the car), big brake kit with two-year-old fluid and crappy speed-bleeder spongy pedal, race harness and 40 pounds of speakers.

To their credit, I have never seen much in the way of race club tribalizm on this site but - again, to their credit - the folks here are some of the most hardcore circuit racing people that I have run across. It MIGHT be that they could be a little more tolerant (me included) but they take this game seriously and know a bunch.

Seriously - if you have the interest and $8k of discretionary income, you can blow it on stuff that makes a car sound (sorta) and look (okay, a little) like a race car. Or you could shop around and buy a real race car.

Actually, I am just going to call this "Answer #6". Someone asks about using a race harness without a cage? Whip out a big can of Answer #6 on 'em. Turbo or NOS on my CX hatchy? Number 6. Seam weld a freakin' street car?! Number 6...

K

EDIT - wasn't militant enough.




[Modified by Knestis, 2:36 AM 10/11/2002]

 

What he said. While it might seem like a big sacrifice to drive a truck or suv as a daily driver, in the long run you will be worlds ahead.

 

I don't understand this sentence. Why would you be opposed to using your car as a street car if you don't want to put it into a wall? There's a better chance of putting it into a wall if you're on track.....
:confused:

 

A word of caution about using a motorcycle as a daily driver... it's more expensive than you would initially think. If you can do your own maintenance, that helps... but tires get expensive quick unless you're willing to go to a touring tire and sacrifice performance.

I've ridden a bike to work in the rain, in the freezing cold, etc... that part I could get used to. A while back I considered doing what you're proposing. I came to the conclusion that making my daily commute on a motorcycle would leave my wife a young widow. Then again, if you're considering doing this I would hope that you've got plenty of riding experience and know all this anyway...

 

Hi Kirk,

First, let me say that I appreciate the wisdom that you contribute to the board. This is one case where I will respectfully disagree with you.

I use the term "track car" to refer to my car. It set up to Solo 1 specs (bolt-in autopower bar, 5-points, fire bottle on the crossbrace) and is used for time trials, HPDEs, and autocross. I do not call it a "race car" since it is not one. I could call it a "Solo 1 car", but a lot of people would be confused by that. So, it's a "track car".

I have not noticed the ignorant proliferation of the term myself. In fact, I search ebay for "race car" and "track car" all the time, and more of the "race car"s are the abominations that you refer to in the "track car" description.

Just a different opinion

 

Call it what you want but you gotta race car! Solo I is racing, even if it isn't H2H, and you've got the appropriate safety equipment for the job. Your complaint - people abusing the term "race car" - is just the flip side of my issue and another symptom of the same problem. I think we are just on different pages of the same song book...

K

 

Race Car = not street legal, nor would you want to drive it on the street
it is a bitch.. you have to trailer it everywhere you work way too much on it

track car = auto-x/hpde etc.. this car is well maintained and your wife or s/o knows that you need brake pads, rotors, and new tires once a month for your daily driver