Integra DC2 Si - similar spec to the type R and with around 190bhp as standard if you can find one. They sometimes go for below 1500. Agree with the MX5, fun cars to drive - you might even get a 1.8 with LSD for that money. Saw a tidy 1.8 with uprated suspension, LSD and minilite style deep dish alloys go for 1800 recently! Early Clio 172's can be bought for around 1500 now and they're great out of the box track cars. Saxo's/ 106's are great when they're running well. Or someting totally different - Tipo 16v?? VAG cars - Ibiza GTI, mk2 Golf/ Jetta 16v or a mk1 Golf can be had for that budget.
on the honda stuff again a gen 4 prelude with 4ws is a great handling car, few mods should see over 200bhp and the back ends drift out lovely, plenty have a lsd fitted aswell. I just sold mine for 600quid and it had over a grands worth of suspension, engine mods, and exhaust but it didnt have a lsd, and both trackdays it did the coolent system broke something leading in leaks,overheating, and steam cloud explosions. Mine was a dog, that cost 450quid though. I am going to buy another good one with a lsd sometime as it really was hell of a fun car when it ran.
I swear thats what we all start off by saying........ is this car gonna be a second car? I would recommend a good mk1 golf with a 16v lump in it , second choice a corrado or like VW Singh said something a bit more modern and easier to drive "like" an A4 super cheap bits, plenty in the scrap yard. good luck
This is what you need: Tunable 6A or ACE motor. Un-burstable transmission. Massive braking on 4wd. Struts all around. Galavanised. Convert to S2 hubs, lots of 5 stud Audi big brakes and wheels about. You could do a lot with the 1100 left after buying it! http://www.classic-audi.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=10681
some good suggestions here. infinity- the car is going to be a second car, but will want it mot'ed and road worthy. might go and check out an obd vr6 going for cheap over the weekend, but of a tatty body but apparently good mechanicals. only eastern metal i've considered is mx5s and early scoobys.
mx5's are dog slow on track in my experience. I even remember being way faster round mallory park in my old mk2 than the mx5 cup cars that were out at the same time... Golf vr6 has poor gearing, weighs too much and would need chassis mods. Staying vag, then a mk2 16v is the most sensible. Easy and cheap to upgrade as you go along. Polybushed and new dampers and away you go. Consumables are cheap and spares readily available. 2L converted and stripped out they make a really good track car and will show a lot of people up!
MX5's aren't especially quick, but they're still fast enough to have some fun and they don't normally break. This is just as well as there's no space in them to carry spares if you're driving to and from a circuit You'd need one with a turbo or supercharger conversion to be up there with the quickest cars but then you're well over budget.. Took these at Stowe circuit a few weeks back
lots more expensive chassis stuff on a A4, your unlikely to find some quality second hand suspension come up and infinitys has a lsd which makes a massive difference and your not going to pick up one of those cheap. And then you have the more complicated less reliable 20vt lump compared to a n/a engine. I can imagine infinity has put a fair chunk of money into that A4. Dont get me wrong I enjoyed using my A4 at the ring and was very impressed with its handling abilities for a std sport model but the engine did go into safe mode on nearly every lap due to high temps which did suck a fair bit. E36 325/328 sounds good but they can be an ass to work on, just try and find one that isnt chaved for good money though. Im annoyed with myself for not just buying a mk3 16v to use in the first place, simple to work on, cheap parts, second hand market for track mods is healthy and they come with a good engine, chassis design and brakes.
cheers for your input guys. A4 would be nice, but costs will be an issue, although as mentioned there are probably quite a few at the scrappies. what has infinity done to his a4? i had a mk3 16v and once lowered handled fantastically, but just never felt quick! they can be had cheap enough though and loads of them are being broken for spares all the time. bms are tempting, but parts will be more pricey and they are unfamiliar territory for me. but rwd fun for not much initial outlay!
For a VAG track car,my money would be on an Ibiza cupra 2.0 16v (8v not worth a light tbh) Lighter than a mk3 with same engine,better than you might think and can be bought,taxed & tested for under a grand. Good golf mk2 16v's go for more money ATM or it would of been 1st choice.
depends what you call a chunk of money. for a track car... compared to my mk1 this is a bargain... we've spread the cost over a number of years, cost of build so far = 1. cost of car 950 (remember ours is an early pre-complicated version) 2. Quaife LSD 800 3. Coilovers 850 4. remap 149 (eprom chip) 5. suspension arms 80 6. exhaust 160 TOTAL = 2989 (spent over a three year period) effect on performance compared to mod's the first year we ran the with just coilovers and our nurburgring laps were in the region of 8:50 - 9:10 mins With all the mod's 8:40- 9:00 mins The 1.8t engine has been bullet proof, with some minor oil leak issues!! It had 157k on it when we got it and produced 151 hp! gimme shout if you want a drive of it !!
its the diff and collies that I consider to be the chunk, its more than his total budget and imo without collies and a lsd there not worth it, dont get me wrong yours is impressive, I have a your ring lap bookmarked! Mines got the sport suspension which is very good but its not even a patch on my mk2 which at the last track day owed me 1500quid with 165bhp, half a cage, avo's, polybushing, arbs, bucket seats and g60 brakes, passed most stuff on track with a novice at the wheel.
renault 19 16v seems like a good idea on paper well under 1k gets a good one cage and seats strip out heavy electric motors suspension amdtriple 8s they are plagued with dodgy electrics and rust though .
If you didnt want to get a vag car. I would highly recomend a Toyota Celica GT4. The old shape ones go for pennies. ST180 4wd turbo. Good track car.
thanks for all your comments and suggestions, im going to be picking up a j plate 5 door 16v kr over the weekend, has 113k and one of the sweetest 16v i have heard or driven, bodywork is presentable and chassis is solid. managed it get it for a decent amount, so money left over to overhaul the brakes and put some suspension on it.
