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Track Car Choice

NickR33

By NickR33,
in Motorsport Discussion & Builds

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warps Mentor

warps

Posted
Posted (edited)

Don't let the FWD thing put you off. The Civics are about the most RWD FWD you can get. My first ever drive of mine was a track day at LAkeside, and I must say it's the most fun I've had in a car for years (have just stepped out of an RX2 gravel rally car).

Also, the FWD's may understeer if you try to drive them like a RWD, but on slippery surfaces they will match much more powerful RWD's if you drive them right - they are a fantastic khana car. In fact, the FWD driving style lends itself to attacking each corner faster than you should, and if you look like overcooking it, then you have to push it even harder (as opposed to a RWD where you ahve to dance on the throttle to balance it)

For your budget you could pick up a complete rally car (Civic, Corolla, Swift) with allthe hard work done, including LSD, CR gearbox and maybe even some Murrayflex / DMS suspension. This will be as much fun as just about anything else on the track, and will also be fairly competitive in the tight twisty stuff.

While my times were 10 sec off the fastest cars of the day, I know there are a good 2-3 sec left int he car without doing any changes (and it's still riding on the tall, soft gravel suspension). I was feeling my way around the track, learning the car and I haven't a lot of tarmac experience so was nowhere near the limits of the car. Besides, I managed to get within 0.7 sec of a Porsche 911 (997) so I was pretty happy with that. I don't care if he wasn't trying hard. that's not the point.

Anyone who thinks that FWD's are boring should have a look at this.

Edited by warps
Nee-san Grand Master

Nee-san

Posted
Posted
definitely no motor swaps on the cards... I was just wondering why its not more popular

Alfas are great but I'm just wary of them from a reliability point of view... my old man has had many over the years and they aren't cheap to fix... but then again would be no worse in that area than the E30

I thought about 32GTSt but everyone asks stupid prices for them or they have rubbish mods (or both) and at the end of the day its a turbo RWD so will go through tyres and I'll end up upping the boost or doing something silly with it

Had a 33GTSt and they're great but too heavy for what I want... I want sub 1200kgs... sub 1000kgs would be ideal

if I was to go turbo it would be an S14... but I don't want another turbo... I wanna have some n/a fun... I like AE86's too but the prices people want for them are hilarious

From what i've heard its a massive f**k around with the transmission tunnel and whatnot.

rob 240 Apprentice

rob 240

Posted
Posted (edited)

are we allowed to make MX5 jokes here ?? the driving regs allow mx5's to wear arseless chaps at track days :]

sorry .. they are a great car and a good value track choice .

shame you specced RWD . we've just done a fwd track car renaultsport clio 172 . 7k to buy in top nick with logbooks and 12 months rego . the motors run forever . we put coilovers on / rotors n pads / rear bolt in cage / stripped out interior / harness / sticky tyres / and a LSD we got at a great price .. while fitting lsd got gearbox checked over and fitted new drive shafts just in case .

it now drives like new , paint shnes like new , weighs under 1000kg , has 106kwatw stock except for intake , handles like a dream and owes bugger all .

its fully regoed , looks stock so the plod dont give it a second look . does easy 12's with a reasonable driver at wakefield . maybe into 10s with a good steerer .

a pleasure to own and drive ...

Edited by rob 240
No Crust Racing Grand Master

No Crust Racing

Posted
Posted

As a former 3S owner I can say that a straight drag between a 3S-GE and an SR20DE stock for stock shows the Toyota engine to be willing NA performer.

Not as cheap to mod as the SR though and service/repair costs for the rest of the car are higher.

I still say go Nissan, but couldn't resist chirping in about the Toyota offerings.

badhairdave Proficient

badhairdave

Posted
Posted
Thats because MR2's are: a) slow b) 3S motors like to go pop more than RB's do c) Expensive for what they are.

d) hard to work on

e) rear heavy (snap oversteery)

f) constant under performers

which means

g) shit track cars

After i cant remember how many years of track days i'm still waiting to see a fast one.

I was really put off a couple of years back when a few mr2's came along to an autosports day i attended and all of them ended the day coated in mud and dirt from the arse end coming around on them constantly

FineLine Grand Master

FineLine

Posted
Posted
d) hard to work on

e) rear heavy (snap oversteery)

f) constant under performers

which means

g) shit track cars

After i cant remember how many years of track days i'm still waiting to see a fast one.

I was really put off a couple of years back when a few mr2's came along to an autosports day i attended and all of them ended the day coated in mud and dirt from the arse end coming around on them constantly

spoken for truth. spoke to a couple of guys at track day with them and couldnt wait to get rid of them, Way too twitchy was the consensus.

juggernaut1 Proficient

juggernaut1

Posted
Posted
d) hard to work on

e) rear heavy (snap oversteery)

f) constant under performers

which means

g) shit track cars

After i cant remember how many years of track days i'm still waiting to see a fast one.

I was really put off a couple of years back when a few mr2's came along to an autosports day i attended and all of them ended the day coated in mud and dirt from the arse end coming around on them constantly

Agreed,

I followed a few around Barbagello over the years.....in general the arse is so twitchy on those things they remind me of old 911's......but at least the Porche owners knew to back off around a corner :D .

Marlin Grand Master

Marlin

Posted
Posted (edited)

We've proven with the St185 GT4 we have that the 3SGTE is (unless mega-dollar specced), is a wart of an engine. The things have more oil control issues than the king of oil control issues, the RB26.

A willing engine, but pale beside the might of a 200,000klm RB20. The 3S doesn't rev, doesn't go, and in an MR2, is just plain slow due to appalling untrustworthy handling.

Can you tell I'm a fan?

At least the St185 GT4 doesn't try to kill you, but neither is it fast, as even our lightened and stripped one verifies, they really are a heavy pig of a thing. AND, it looks like a Corgi lying on its back.

Edited by Marlin

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