What £1000 track weapon?
Discussion
Hypothetical question? Myself and a a group of friends are considering a weekend at the Nurburgring for a mate's stag do. We've never been ourselves before but have heard some horror stories from friends of friends who have been and broken/damaged their cars. We are a bit reluctant to take our pride and joys, so were considering buying a car each on a modest budget (about £1000)and then if it did break/get damaged it wouldn't be the end of the world. We don't intend to drive like idiots or crash but you never know!
Any suggestions on what car would be a good choice? I want something fairly reliable that will (hopefully) get me there and back with some speed and comfort and who knows, if I like it, I may keep hold of it for fun/to use on track days. I would prefer something with a decent MOT and a tin top for safety (so no MX5s or MGFs) and at the moment from a reliability point of view, I was thinking of something Japanese such as a Honda Prelude or Toyota Supra. Would these be good choices or are they not as reliable as they seem? I'm open to any other suggestions.
Any suggestions on what car would be a good choice? I want something fairly reliable that will (hopefully) get me there and back with some speed and comfort and who knows, if I like it, I may keep hold of it for fun/to use on track days. I would prefer something with a decent MOT and a tin top for safety (so no MX5s or MGFs) and at the moment from a reliability point of view, I was thinking of something Japanese such as a Honda Prelude or Toyota Supra. Would these be good choices or are they not as reliable as they seem? I'm open to any other suggestions.
Not sure why, but I love this! http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2877545.htm
Well that is a punishing track so I assume you are just buying the car for this purpose and hopefully fitting it with some basic safety equipment such as a roll cage and beefing up the brakes. Personally with that much room I'd get the most powerful cr possible and take time modifying it. Well the Stag sound like a scary proposition but at the same time I feel that you will be hard pressed to find a solid Prelude for 1K but hey who knows? Maybe a Miata if it's about handling and I personally would want a rear wheel drive car for that type of application. Perhaps a fox bodied mustang they are easy to modify and suitable cheap and powerful. a mid 90's one shouldn't set you guys back
PainTrain said:
Supra for 1k?
My money would be on a a 323/ 325/ 328.
Yeah. I was thinking of a 1980s 3.0i (non-turbo) Supra. You should be able to get one of those in budget. I guess a 200SX should be a contender as well but I'm worried about turbo life. I guess the other option is German as you suggest i.e. a BMW or an Audi Coupe? My money would be on a a 323/ 325/ 328.
SteveS Cup said:
Seriously!? 
yes, actually. And FYI its the first time I've recommended an MX-5 on Pistonheads!Frankly the OP gave no indication of the level of skill of the drivers so I'm inclined to suggest something reliable, easy to drive, RWD, and lightweight. There are several MX-5 racing championships for a reason, and the cars they run are close to standard bar safety features.
I'm also quite surprised by those suggesting big BM's... they belong in the 'cheap barges' thread.
Classic Grad 98 said:
SteveS Cup said:
Seriously!?
yes, actually. And FYI its the first time I've recommended an MX-5 on Pistonheads!Frankly the OP gave no indication of the level of skill of the drivers so I'm inclined to suggest something reliable, easy to drive, RWD, and lightweight. There are several MX-5 racing championships for a reason, and the cars they run are close to standard bar safety features.
I'm also quite surprised by those suggesting big BM's... they belong in the 'cheap barges' thread.
tucks said:
clio 1.8 16v? will chomp through mounts and shafts but the actual f16 block likes to be abused.
I was going to say this, along with a Saxo VTS, 205 GTI, cheap ph1 Clio Sport... but a lot of people won't go French... I get this but I think at the £1k mark you're just as likely to have an issue with a 325 / S13 as you would with anything French... The french breed would probably be newer / less miles too. Someone should mention that, if you do have an accident, the damage to your car is likely to be the smallest bill you get. You will be billed for clean-up, damage to any other vehicles, armco, and loss of revenue if the track needs to be closed. Your UK insurance is extremely unlikely to cover you. Many more detailed threads are available in the Trackdays section of this forum, well worth a look.
PS: MX-5 is a great idea, get one each in different colours
PS: MX-5 is a great idea, get one each in different colours
Rent?
You could get a fully insured Clio cup with money left over the fuel + tickets
http://www.rsrnurburg.com/index.php?option=com_con...
Or an entire day in a Swift or corsa with fuel and 12 laps worth of tickets AND full insurance
http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/rentals-for-the-no...
Would probably be nicer to drive your own car over their than risk it with some old beater that you will still need to insure, tax (maybe), repair before you go(probably) and then sell afterwards.
You could get a fully insured Clio cup with money left over the fuel + tickets
http://www.rsrnurburg.com/index.php?option=com_con...
Or an entire day in a Swift or corsa with fuel and 12 laps worth of tickets AND full insurance
http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/rentals-for-the-no...
Would probably be nicer to drive your own car over their than risk it with some old beater that you will still need to insure, tax (maybe), repair before you go(probably) and then sell afterwards.
Why not open the budget up a little to $1,500? Also if you are using this car strictly for track purposes why NOT put a roll cage in it especially if you are new to the track? It's the best cheap insurance you can have. I don't think there is anyone out there wishing gee I wish I didn't install that roll cage and besides you can always sell it separately and most likely recoup most if not all you investment in it. If it was a more modern car I'd say maybe but for a track toy I consider it essential.
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