Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum - View Single Post - Screw it! Guys I'm a nut, please help me not do something stupid.

HippoSleek · 04-13-2003, 09:28 AM

A couple of observations:

Building a car for IT take money. Lots of it. Expect to drop upwards of $10,000 for a basic ITA car (shell, weld-in cage, safety gear, suspension/wheels/tires, LSD, basic motor). This car will in no way be competitive -- but nor will you as a driver initially. For that, you will need a new final drive and plenty of motor work. And this doesn't even account for the hours of labor. Bob Strech's car is estimated $35K :0

Buying a pre-buit car is always cheaper. ALWAYS! Many come with spares and other stuff that will make life easier too. Of course, you can't drive more IT cars to the track (nor would you want to) b/c of safety, noise, space for gear/stuff. A sorted car will also out perform your home-made effort, b/c they've already figured out the suspension, alignment, and engine settings to optimize performance.

Why a 240? In ITA trim, a 240 can dominate... for a price. Those that are winning have at least $15-20K minimum invested (as do winning CRXs). Parts for the 240 are expensive and they are hardly a class killer.

The tow rig. My advice -- don't buy one for a while. If you are talking about towing to 5 events/year, it is usually cheaper to rent a truck and trailer from UHaul for a weekend. Sure, that is $200/ rental or so, but it is way cheaper in the long run and it doesn't come with a big up-front cost. Buying a junky tow vehicle just means more time working on it and potentially being broken down. Most who start off w/ a POS puller wind up making payments on a real truck before long.

Other options:

As you know, SpecMiata has a huge following. You can build a car for under $10K and run in the pack. It is RWD, and about as quick as an ITA 240. The cars are just as reliable as any 240, and there are several people who drive to the events b/c the level of prep isn't as great as IT (w/ a little tire trailer for the 2d set of wheels).

Spec-Rx7. It is racing. It is almost as fast as ITA (in some cases, faster, according to laptimes). Cars and parts are cheap. And you can buy a turn key, competitive car for under $5,000 (many are b/n $3-4K). They aren't as unreliable as you'd think (you remember Al/Crack Monkey has one). If you want to race a RWD car at bargin prices, this is the way to go.

If money were my biggest issue, I'd race ECHC/ITA w/ a CRX. If I really wanted RWD, but had little money, I'd race SRx7. If I had a bit more money and wanted RWD, I'd go SM. If I had still more money (and more knowledge to develop a car), I'd go ITS w/ a 2d Gen Rx7. More money still, 325 in ITS (that's rap star money though! ).

If I were in your shoes, I'd think long and hard about a CRX. You can get a turn-key car for about $4,000. They're reliable and cheap to maintain and you can pull them with about anything. I know FWD doesn't appeal once you've had a taste, but dollars to enjoyment, I think an ITA/H4 CRX is the hands down winner.

I know its tough to detach yourself from the 240, but understand that it will take a lot to get one out there. There will be a trade between racing and money. If you want to get out there, the closest trade will come for an SRx7 or a CRX.

Duff -- while many drive their race cars, there are a lot of reasons not to. Space for wheels and tires. horrible rides. unsafe cabins (unless you are in a helmet and illegal harnesses). excess wear and tear. the inability to prep the car to competitive levels b/c of sound and suspension trade-offs. inablity to drive the car at 10/10ths b/c you know you have to drive it home. And most important, break downs -- A lot of race cars sustain mechanical or physical damage at the track. One LONG tow home can near the price of a trailer.

Dave -- shoot me an email if you want to chat some time -- its my username at hotmail.

04-13-2003, 09:28 AM	#5
HippoSleek Nissanaholic! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: elsewhere Posts: 2,081 Trader Rating: (0)	A couple of observations: Building a car for IT take money. Lots of it. Expect to drop upwards of $10,000 for a basic ITA car (shell, weld-in cage, safety gear, suspension/wheels/tires, LSD, basic motor). This car will in no way be competitive -- but nor will you as a driver initially. For that, you will need a new final drive and plenty of motor work. And this doesn't even account for the hours of labor. Bob Strech's car is estimated $35K :0 Buying a pre-buit car is always cheaper. ALWAYS! Many come with spares and other stuff that will make life easier too. Of course, you can't drive more IT cars to the track (nor would you want to) b/c of safety, noise, space for gear/stuff. A sorted car will also out perform your home-made effort, b/c they've already figured out the suspension, alignment, and engine settings to optimize performance. Why a 240? In ITA trim, a 240 can dominate... for a price. Those that are winning have at least $15-20K minimum invested (as do winning CRXs). Parts for the 240 are expensive and they are hardly a class killer. The tow rig. My advice -- don't buy one for a while. If you are talking about towing to 5 events/year, it is usually cheaper to rent a truck and trailer from UHaul for a weekend. Sure, that is $200/ rental or so, but it is way cheaper in the long run and it doesn't come with a big up-front cost. Buying a junky tow vehicle just means more time working on it and potentially being broken down. Most who start off w/ a POS puller wind up making payments on a real truck before long. Other options: As you know, SpecMiata has a huge following. You can build a car for under $10K and run in the pack. It is RWD, and about as quick as an ITA 240. The cars are just as reliable as any 240, and there are several people who drive to the events b/c the level of prep isn't as great as IT (w/ a little tire trailer for the 2d set of wheels). Spec-Rx7. It is racing. It is almost as fast as ITA (in some cases, faster, according to laptimes). Cars and parts are cheap. And you can buy a turn key, competitive car for under $5,000 (many are b/n $3-4K). They aren't as unreliable as you'd think (you remember Al/Crack Monkey has one). If you want to race a RWD car at bargin prices, this is the way to go. If money were my biggest issue, I'd race ECHC/ITA w/ a CRX. If I really wanted RWD, but had little money, I'd race SRx7. If I had a bit more money and wanted RWD, I'd go SM. If I had still more money (and more knowledge to develop a car), I'd go ITS w/ a 2d Gen Rx7. More money still, 325 in ITS (that's rap star money though! ). If I were in your shoes, I'd think long and hard about a CRX. You can get a turn-key car for about $4,000. They're reliable and cheap to maintain and you can pull them with about anything. I know FWD doesn't appeal once you've had a taste, but dollars to enjoyment, I think an ITA/H4 CRX is the hands down winner. I know its tough to detach yourself from the 240, but understand that it will take a lot to get one out there. There will be a trade between racing and money. If you want to get out there, the closest trade will come for an SRx7 or a CRX. Duff -- while many drive their race cars, there are a lot of reasons not to. Space for wheels and tires. horrible rides. unsafe cabins (unless you are in a helmet and illegal harnesses). excess wear and tear. the inability to prep the car to competitive levels b/c of sound and suspension trade-offs. inablity to drive the car at 10/10ths b/c you know you have to drive it home. And most important, break downs -- A lot of race cars sustain mechanical or physical damage at the track. One LONG tow home can near the price of a trailer. Dave -- shoot me an email if you want to chat some time -- its my username at hotmail.