Thinking of buying a track car

[paulkots]

I am thinking of buying a track car. I am having by first 4 track days coming up. I will take my E46 M3 for the first 4 but I can not afford anything happening to my M3. Need a cheaper track car. Knowing from experience, I can buy a built car for 1/3 the price of building it. I found a E36 325is track car that is built and has a complete cage. Its within my $7-$9k budget. Its a good deal but I don't have a trailer or a towing vehicle. What are my options? Should I look for a car without a cage? Does anyone drive their caged car to the track? With a helmet on?

[jayhudson]

I used to drive my IP car on the street occasionally. I'd be willing to risk it to/from track without a helmet as long as the cage, seat, harnesses and bar padding were properly installed. I always wore my harnesses tight to keep me from moving around in the case of an accident.

If it were me, I'd want a car that was licensed and insured. I'd also want AC, heat and cruise.

Jay

[paulkots]

The license and insurance is mandatory for my. I can live without AC, heat or cruise. This would a track only car. I just can not afford the maintenance on my M3 if I track it. Especially is something happens. I don't want to worry about dings and scratches.

[jayhudson]

The drive to/from the track could be very uncomfortable without heat/air. Also, if you ever have issues with the inside of your windshield fogging because of humidity or rain you'll need a way to deal with it.

Might as well be comfortable unless you're digging for the last few 10ths in weight reduction.

Jay

[RangerGress]

Go ahead and get the track car and plan to drive it to the track. After 2 events you'll be shopping for used trucks and trailers. Happens all the time. The challenge is to own the truck and trailer before some mechanical issue on the track car strands you far from home. I personally had to learn the hard way, but most folks are smarter than me. Or is it "smarter than I?" See what I mean?

[Seeyalater]

Be sure to also not deplete you entire budget just to purchase the car. Even on a tight budget, weekend racing fees, repairs, etc.. add up really quick.

[dbgeek]

sell M3
buy truck/suv that can tow 5000+
buy open trailer
buy race car

[RangerGress]

sell M3
buy truck/suv that can tow 5000+
buy open trailer
buy race car

That's a good point. In '07, after tracking my DD 2 weekends/mo for a year I sold it and bought a track car, trailer, and tow vehicle. Then for a low-cost DD I bought a nice e36. The DD sold for $30k and everything I bought totalled only $20k so not only did I make money in the exchange but the funmeter went way way up. A dedicated track car is so much more fun on the track that it's not even close.

[Mike Miller]

sell M3
buy truck/suv that can tow 5000+
buy open trailer
buy race car

I second this motion.

[MasterKwan]

The license and insurance is mandatory for my. I can live without AC, heat or cruise.

I regret removing my AC, wasn't stupid enough to remove the heater. Mine's caged and street legal. When I had a dedicated track car, it was a pain to work on and test because it wasn't street legal so, I couldn't legally test the mods before a track day.

I run the risk of splashing my brains around the inside of my car on the cage. My excuse is I live out in the country and really seldom see other cars when I'm testing. Probability is on my side too. I typically DD a Fit.

Figure your E46 is probably worth 15-19K. By the time you build a track car as fast as that you'll be 15K into it anyway so, you might just want to turn the E46 into a track car. E46 does better in crashes than the E36 too. More than a cage, the E46 needs rear subframe re-enforcement so, it stays together on track.

If you're going racing then the 325 will be fine. If you're just HPDEing, it'll get mauled by the other cars on the track, which isn't much fun.

[skierman64]

Here's what I did. After tracking my E92M3 4 times and buying track insurance (to the tune of ~$300 per event) I decided I needed a track car. I didn't want to continue to pay for track insurance and I wasn't enjoying drying out the interior of my expensive car after running the final track day in the rain. Also, I didn't like having to worry about scratching my car while loading/unloading track stuff before/after each event. Finally, the thought of balling up the car I'd be saving for, for years didn't seem all that appealing.

I shopped around and after looking at a couple of other cars I purchased a 89K mile E36M3 on Ebay for $8000 (2 years ago) that was about 90 minutes from where I lived. Since then I've added, a CF hood (I found used on Ebay for cheap) it saves 35 lbs and offsets keeping the AC in the car. I've also added a roll bar, a rear spoiler, oil pan baffles and suspension reinforcements. I drive it to and from the track. With the rear seat removed (or just laid down) I can fit 4 track tires and a ton of track stuff in the car. I've become the master of packing that car for track weekends, it's amazing how much stuff will fit into the car. I can drive to/from the track at 10 over and get 25-26 mpg.

With the money I've saved on a tow vehicle and trailer, it will pay for quite a few Penske/Uhaul truck and trailer rentals if the car breaks to get me and the car home. Additionally AAA will tow my car home up to 200 miles.

I haven't spent any money on suspension upgrades yet. I did swap the front strut hats, which gives me -2.5 camber up front and I have -1.25 in the rear on the stock suspension. Running on stock suspension makes me a better driver IMHO, because the car doesn't mask any mistakes. I have to precise to be fast the way the car is set up. I can run mid pack in the instructor group with the DelVal/NJ guys, who arguably are some of the fastest in the nation. I'm top 10-20% with some other clubs (Audi). I run Nitto NT-01s and Hawk HT-10 pads, which are my only "speed" mods.

I see a aftermarket suspension in my future, but unless I get a adjustable one, I can't go too stiff or my kidneys will be bleeding every time I drive it on the street. My other option is to go with a stiff race set up and buy an open trailer to put behind the wife's SUV.

One downfall is, I've put 20K on the E36 in 2 track seasons. I just turned 110K on the way back from Mid-Ohio this last weekend.

Would I like to have a dedicated truck and trailer for track weekend...sure. But I find the money is better spent elsewhere. Besides, if you're just starting out with track driving, you might want to wait and see how much you end up going to the track and how much you like it (although chances are you'll become addicted). My $.02.

Remember, racing is an addiction only overcome by poverty.

[RangerGress]

By the time you build a track car as fast as that you'll be 15K into it anyway so, you might just want to turn the E46 into a track car.

You could buy a race prepped e30, open trailer and 10-12yr old serviceable 1/2ton tow vehicle for that $15k easy.

[will v]

Knowing what I know now.. this is what I would do.

I would just suck up the cost of DE'ing the e46 M for one year. After one year you will be in a position to decide your next step - which I see as the following:

1. Decide if you want to DE or race.
2. If DE - do one of two things. Put some money into your car to set it up nicely (suspension, brake ducting, good pads.. that sort of thing) or go out and buy a e36 m3 that has already been set up that way.
3. If racing - decide which class you want to be in -- i.e. how much money do you want to spend and do you want to be a front runner or an also ran in whichever class you picked.

From there decide if your current car fits the classing/budget. I know everyone will talk about the benefits/dollars saved of going with a car that is already put together. I went the other route and I have turned every bolt in my car ( I started with my dd of 10+ years) and I know everything about it. That was worth the $'s spent over buying someone else's "problems". I've spent more than I care to talk about -- wasted some on things I had to undo when I "learned better" but overall I couldn't be happier.

My wife though -- that's a nother story!!!

[paulkots]

Thanks to everyone for the input. My current M3 is well setup up for track(at least I think so). I am running SS V1 headers, Evolve R software, AST 4100 suspension, vorshlag camber plates, oversized star spec tires, and PFC 06 pads. It also has the reinforced rear subframe, new bushings from front to rear and 13.5" front, 13" rear suspension setup. I am no expert in setup or driving but I try listen. I will use my M3 for these first events and make a decision later.

Maintenance and reliability wise, is the E36 M3 better(then the E46 M3)? Are parts cheaper? Is there any high dollar items to look after? I like the 325i option because the engines are so cheap. For at least 2 years I will be doing DEs until I learn enough.

Thanks,
Paul

[Seeyalater]

E36 parts will be a little less expensive then the E46 parts, but I think I would just use your current E46 since it sounds like it's already good to go for the track. If you really get into racing down the road, you could always turn the E46 in a dedicated track car and get yourself something else for the street. By then, you may be able to pickup a used E92 for fairly cheap.

[matthewAPM]

I had to drive my track car on the street for a while. Proper padding and having the seat mounted low, I was never worried about hitting my head.

Plus it is cool going to park at a fast food place and have a crowd around your car when you come out.

Little kid... "dad, why don't you have a racecar?" He now comes to autocross events!

[43bullet]

i predict that after 2-4 track days you will look at the e46 m3 as the fund source for your growing track addiction.

-df