Buying a track day car

[NigelStu]

BTW - excellent move in getting a car for track/fun use.

A rule of thumb I've always used is 'Never put a car on track you cant afford to total'

[NigelStu]

OP - are you looking for an E30 to play with or anything? Got a budget in mind?
World is full of fun track cars. Miatas to Ariel Atoms.



Are you planning on just Open Track Days / HPDEs?


If yes, I'd simply suggest looking for any manual 'is' model (with LSD) in good condition that has documented recent maintenance done to it: e.g. front hubs, new(er) dampers, brakes, engine maint, diff/trans fluid, suspension bits/bushings.

If you are just getting to the track, all you really need to have some fun is a stock car with decent brakes and tires that isn't going to break. Fresh wear parts means less work/maintenance for you. True that the interior doesn't matter, but finding a car that is in overall good shape without the go-fast parts most likely means the chassis hasn't been beat - whereas, like nando said, 'track rats' have likely been used, abused and need parts replaced.


Your learning curve will be so steep the first handful of track days that a top-notch suspension will not be fully appreciated. Get the basics your first year with a stock-ish car, use the money saved to do more track events, upgrade over the winter. win, win, win.

[bimmerteck]

watch out for cars advertised as "track cars". It's probably not unique to e30s, but unless the car was built for a specific racing series or class, it's more than likely just a beater with questionable mods that's been stripped and gutted.

qft

[nando]

watch out for cars advertised as "track cars". It's probably not unique to E30s, but unless the car was built for a specific racing series or class, it's more than likely just a beater with questionable mods that's been stripped and gutted.

[Dave]

You will save money in the long run by buying a car thats already built. You will also lose out on some of the fun that is building it yourself.

Agreed in both respects.

And if you are on a budget, don't limit yourself to BMWs. There are bargains to be had in used SCCA IT cars if you dont mind the possibility of a VW, Honda, Neon, etc.

[Lof8]

bmwcca classifieds, look for a cared for and sorted example.

You will save money in the long run by buying a car thats already built. You will also lose out on some of the fun that is building it yourself.

[djjerme]

watch SpecE30 forums, Bring A Trailer, and sometimes eBay..

[jason952]

bmwcca classifieds, look for a cared for and sorted example.

[bowtie2bimmer]

So the more I think about it I want to buy a track day car. I've played around with autox before in other vehicles but would like to have a dedicated car for it that I could also use on the larger circuits.

Should i look for a super clean car or one more ragged out? I mean I dont really need a/c, p/s, radio and a nice interior or a track day right?

What else should I be looking for? I don't wanna drop a ton of money. I don't want to "build" a car either. i just want one I can play with. Maybe spring/shocks/ coil over mods along with updated sway bars, bushings etc. But I don't care about a 2.7i motor with a turbo.

Any advice for my first track car would be appreciated