FridgeFreezer Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 A mate of mine has admitted to a hankering for something sporty, but knowing nowt about cars other than where to put the petrol he's asked me for advice. Basically he's after something to hack about like a loon in without getting in trouble from the missus, potentially for track-days and such like. Preferably RWD but preferably not too big (which makes life tricky as my 1st suggestion was Volvo 760 estate drift-car ). I've come up with all the usual suspects - anything BMW with undesirable trim levels / paintwork, old Jags, Volvos, Mercs (although I've never really liked 'em) or even one of the cheap not-a-911 Porsches off of the 80's, Granada Cosworth, etc.. Basically anything luxo you can rip all the trim out of in the name of adding lightness, leaving you with RWD and a lot of grunt / tuning potential. Obviously class stuff with either rally, race or Grand Turismo appeal is out of budget which puts the kybosh on Mk1 Escorts, 200SX's, etc. and all the boy racers have the market cornered for hot hatches, scoobies, skylines, etc. So - any off-the-wall suggestions that aren't immediately obvious? Ideally it wants to be something findable on eBay/AutoTrader for around the £500 mark, allowing the other £500 for the inevitable repairs, tax & MOT and whatnot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 An old Mini Cooper S? Not RWD, but damn fun. An MX-5 could also be fun, and not too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonka Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 me and 12 friends did a banger rally to the nurburgring last year, budget was 400. we managed to pick up a volvo 850 t5 for 400, had to spend a little on it to get it road legal. we were both supprised how fast it was, even full of a weeks gear and camping stuff beer etc, but if you completly stripped it of all unessential things it would be alarming. plus a 10 minute lap on my friends first lap of the ring is very supprising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Old MX5's seem very popular for this. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Merc 190 are easily picked up for that budget and aftermarket parts are easily available, the cosworth engines turn up cheap on the bay too, they are a bit slow but being mercs they have about 3t of excess weight that could be shed! Personally I want that transit off TG last night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Your shortlist seems to be full of a lot of heavyweight motors.... I would look for either as above, an MX-5, or one of the less popular Mazda coupes, or a little hot hatch, Peugot 106/Clio/Golf GTI (older the better)/MG ZR 25 thingy/MGF/Suzuki Swift (the quick one)/Honda Civic VVC. Then you can also look at the smaller Jap coupes, such as the Mitsu FTO, Nissan 200 etc, there are some rsuty ones out there for the sort of money he is looking to spend.... For a laugh, what about a V12 Jag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zim Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Peugeot 106 rallye Small, handle like a go kart and fast ! Even faster with a 1.6 16v in it out of a GTi. Or saxo vts...similar to above but comes with free "Chav Badge" G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangeyRover Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 3.0 turbo manual supra Old Skool Wind up the boost till it cries, engines are super strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutty_32 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I have an MR2 (the first square type) that i got from a local scrappy for £50, was an MOT failure for welding. Mid-engine RWD, now massivly lightened and parts/upgrades are pretty cheap. The MK1 (like mine) is only a 1.6 and a little slow in a straight line, but they did a supercharged version, or you can fit a V8 with a bit of work. The mk2's are also cheap and 2ltre turbo so quite a bit quicker! Although on the track, I have overtaken a number of things I shouldn't, which brings a massive smile to my face as tvr's and supercharged elises and new porsche's let past an old 1.6 which is followed by a slight haize of oil from the exhaust, haha . Lowered super stiff suspension and race slicks mean it sticks like sh!t, and it not costing much means I give less of a carp if I bin it. Don't see the point in buying a brand new porsche and tootling round corners, then just nailing it in a straight line. And the best money I ever spent was on some race tuition, I raced karts for many years, won a few championships and was by no means a slow driver, but little tips and tricks of the track are invaluable, and for £30/40 it shaves much more time off than pretty much anything I can think of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deface Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I know someone with an MX5 and had a little go in it and was a good fun to drive for a 1.6, there is a 1.8 version but they seem to be harder to get hold of. MX5s are pretty cheap now. Not so long ago my girlfriends dad picked one up for £520 and just needed about £150 worth of parts to make it road legal, there are also loads of aftermarket parts for them like kits to fit a turbo etc. Other suggestions would be a coupe 3 series beamer, i knew someone with a 320 and he used it for drifting and although it did end up burning alot of oil it did take quite a few years of abuse, and there is loads you can rip out to make it lighter and again loads of aftermarket parts you can put on them. Also something ive been wanting to do for a while is to make a rover metro into a pocket rocket, ive seen people put the VVC 160bhp engine out of a MGZR as they go staight in with no major modifications and becuase they are so light and the VVC engines and the original DOHC or SOHC engines in the metros weigh pretty much the same you end up with something that can embarrass the big boys for example click .HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Another vote for the MX5, they're a fun car to drive and massively underrated/overlooked so they're comparatively cheap to pick up. If looking for something bigger I'd keep an eye out for a decent Subaru Legacy, again often overlooked but very quick and reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deface Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 If looking for something bigger I'd keep an eye out for a decent Subaru Legacy, again often overlooked but very quick and reliable. I used to work for a Subaru service and repair centre and we used to get no end of boy racers and track day cars come in with either the engine knocking, pistons melted where they had ragged the plop out of it or with gearbox in peices where they had changed down from 5th to 2nd while doing 70mph!? and cost many £s when you want it repaired or serviced (IIRC about £700-£800 for a cambelt change if you need idlers changed) I am talking about imprezas driven by idiots but they have basically they same engine and gearbox. They are still really quick cars but thats just my experience with them. I would prefer an evo but too expensive even for an old one. just my 2p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidW Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 As others have said, MX-5 is a very good option. They're quite light/cheap on consumables as well which will be a factor when used on track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 3.0 turbo manual supra Old Skool Wind up the boost till it cries, engines are super strong. Another vote for Supra, or a Mitsubushi Starion or a Capri with lots of concrete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Cheers for the tips guys - it's good to hear 1st hand experiences. I think I'll be making him buy a set of spanners whatever happens, mainly 'cos his other half wants a VW camper I kinda discounted the hot-hatches as all the boy racers want them, and MX5's because they always seem to fetch strong money (or used to). Likewise all the Scooby / Evo / turbo drift stuff as there's strong demand for 'em... but will tell him to scour eBay with an open mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 tell him to get a Mini, small engines (998) are a hoot, will rev to about 7000,, corner like a scalextric car and are infinitely tuneable, best fun you can have with your clothes on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticbadger Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Another vote for bizzare Jap turbo and/or 6cyl stuff - Supra, Mitsubishi 3000, Starion, pre-glory days Skyline etc. My old Starion cost £750 and went like stink with a modded waste gate and exhaust. Older Supras are near in-destructable, I've seen the early turbos running all home modded injection and turbo at 3bar boost. Strangley enough, why not look at a Sierra? Admitedly a few years back, but I did my first track day in a 2.0i Sierra wearing some nice wheels, no back seats, no air filter and that was it. Suprising what it could keep up with. That car cost me £60, to which you could add a lot of other mods for your budget. Here's a picture, just cause I can: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1992-TOYOTA-SUPRA-AUTO-BLACK-/220730517474?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item33649067e2 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1992-TOYOTA-SUPRA-TURBO-AUTO-GREY-/120678453439?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1c18ff10bf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 or cheap track hack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Young Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 His tire costs will rapidly overtake whatever he spends on the car; just something to keep in mind (esp. when considering weight). Personally, I think drifting at the limit is more fun than top speed. The MX-5 is a blast on roads, but even it feels a bit heavy and soft on a track. Something light with RWD and very little rubber can also be a hoot: you'd be shocked at how fun an old Sprite or Midget can be on a track. (Personally I'm not a big fan of the Mini because I find it harder to drift.) What about an open-wheeled car? The budget probably won't stretch to a FF, but do they run FVee over here? FVee also benefits from being a very cost-concious class and they therefore have good tyre options without breaking the bank (something that can't be said for FF in the States, where they run on $$$ slicks). A lot of guys in the States love the old Mustangs -- but you're looking at $800 in tyres per weekend. Jeff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 On the tyres front I reckon the plan should be getting friendly with the local tyre shop / scrapyard and running whatever they have in the skip that holds air, and run 'em till they don't ...and keep a set of spare wheels & tyres for getting to/from the track / tyre shop, before the thought police start up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Young Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 It's not a bad plan, but... newer (softer) tyres are a lot more predictable. I tried going through school in a FF with old tyres (figuring it didn't matter for school), but it made the car a real handful at the limit. One lap it would do a corner fine, the next I'd be spinning. That was on slicks though; it's possible that older/harder treaded tyres are more uniformly (un)grippy. Jeff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangeyRover Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 As an aside I have a mate selling most of a westfield, chassis, axles seats etc. He bought it for the engine so would need a new one. Got some pics if interested. Think he wants £650 for a rolling chassis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UdderlyOffroad Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Another vote for a Supra, doesn't have to be a turbo either. Just don't go overboard on lightening the weight, as you need some kgs over that back axle... ;-) And if he wants to fit bucket seats, the Supra ones are quite comfy in a Defender, though you may want to remove the bulkhead bar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gti-90 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 306 gti6 rallye or gti6 model. 167hp standard. stripped out and lightened, fast car that handles well. lots about and dirt cheap! cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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