ideal first race car

rhysy_boi · 08-09-2006, 10:17 PM

ok as sort of stated in the tital i'm looking to get into motorsport (just abit of fun to start with and see where it leads). will be doing al lthe driver training i can as i want to feel safe and in control not only on the race track but on the road.

not being one with very much money as a 1st yr apprentice, what is a nice cheap car to set up and start racing with? i am mainly looking for something that will be a heap of fun, hopefully V8 (guessing will ahve to be old school to be in price range) and rear wheel drive.

also any advice from you guys, constructive criticism? my falcon is a lovely cruiser but definately not a race car.

cheers for your help
Rhyso

coyote · 08-09-2006, 10:21 PM

My first race car was a KA laser
Cheapo to build, the most fun i have ever had

Ran it as a club car (improved Production) these days

can be run in Motokahanas, sprints and competition

Avoid the series cars as the rules only benifet the ones who can afford to go around them

coyote · 08-09-2006, 10:31 PM

xbgs351 · 08-09-2006, 10:56 PM

Open Wheelers
http://www.my105.com.au/default3.asp?id=526

Sedans
http://www.my105.com.au/default3.asp?id=3916

Sportscars
http://www.my105.com.au/default3.asp?id=527

rhysy_boi · 08-09-2006, 10:57 PM

haha awesome! was it expensive? what sort of suspension setup were you running?

Rhyso

coyote · 08-09-2006, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhysy_boi

haha awesome! was it expensive? what sort of suspension setup were you running?

Rhyso

It was a couple of years ago (last full season 1993) 3rd Club Car ,1600cc

Car had original engine, Built it up over time, changed carbs, dual, single even put one off a 250 Falcon, endedn up with a Haltech F9 to get rid of the fuel surge.

Control 60 series tyres

Suspension was a custom coil over built by Fulcrum

I built the cage and painted it (long time before I painted for a living)

Averaged about 4 -5 meetings to a set of tyres
Nomination costs were about $300 a weekend

Best part was when I first built it I could not afford a trailer so it was ligit registered complete with blue plate. Used to finish the meeting through my gear in the back and screw the plates back on.

Remember driving it over the Hornibrook bridge (Brisbane) and when i got off my eyeballs still were rattling.

Best ever lap (lakeside) 66 sec flat

Oh the memories, Still have a shell in the shed, and a whole lot of parts which I would love to put back together. Maybe one day.

normxb · 08-09-2006, 11:52 PM

I agree with coyote , join a car club & run at club level for a while . Believe it or not , I joined the "Datsun Car Club" in 1974 , ran a Holden , towed by a Ford (what a mix , Huh) but over 12 years had a ball & didn't cost a fortune . In those day's there was a Sports Sedan catagory (not a lot of regulations) I still have the car , wouldn't sell it for "Quids" , too many good memories . (hasn't been raced since 1986)

I ran in Lap Dashes , Club Sprints & Hill Cilmbs

If you want to go this way...
Best to buy a car already built , like any modified car , cheaper to buy one "ready to race" than to build one from scratch.
I bought mine "ready to race" (with Log book)

Here's my old girl , 1959 FC Holden , Division 2 , Sports Sedan in those days.

Good Luck , it's fantastic fun

coyote · 08-09-2006, 11:53 PM

Ps if you look in the corner of the windscreen you can see the rego sticker

Must be an early pic of the car

Qship · 09-09-2006, 09:31 PM

My choice would have to be a mini. not rear wheel drive, not V8, but fun, fun, fun.

MoreHPformyXR6 · 09-09-2006, 09:35 PM

No motor racing is cheap but I would have thought HQ racing would be one of the cheaper forms & can still be very exciting close racing.

I6corp · 09-09-2006, 09:40 PM

I plan on starting in the up coming months, and it'll be in a KC laser.... Cheap as it comes.

Joes_meat · 10-09-2006, 01:44 AM

You could get a cheap import - 180sx, skylines or simmilar. You can get them pretty cheap if they're not reg'd in Aus. I saw a series 6 RX7 for $7000!!!

Have you considered kart racing?

Ruger · 10-09-2006, 02:14 AM

Corolla. ae82 1000 bucks 4age 20v front cut with loom ecu lsd 5spd bigger brakes etc for about 2500. do the transplant get some coil overs and have some fun.

coyote · 11-09-2006, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qship

My choice would have to be a mini. not rear wheel drive, not V8, but fun, fun, fun.

Yep when i was running club car (now Improved Production) I came third in the qld championship-------------

---- to two *^&%(*&^(*& MINI's

They are as light as and you can buy go-fast parts of the shelf from pommyland.

But me If i had the chance it would be another Laser

**TUF_302** · 11-09-2006, 06:55 PM

Remote control race cars are fun and cheaper than the real things!!

Grasshoppr · 11-09-2006, 07:11 PM

Depending on what your budget is, but an ideal first race car could be a saloon car. There are some on the market around $10,000 to $15,000 and these are all ready race. Suspension, roll cages, worked engines.

You can then join a club and just compete at sprint events rather than racing in a series.

Also dont believe that you need to have everything like suspension etc done before going on the track. My club (FPV & XR Club) has a regular entrant that just runs a standard lazer, the only change is better brake pads, and he has heaps of fun everytime.

Check out some of the clubs like Piarc, and my club for better ideas of costs to run the sprint days. Ours is normally around $120 for an event.

rhysy_boi · 13-09-2006, 07:31 PM

will look into it more. a mini could be fun, my dad had a couple when he was younger and i'm sure he'd enjoy building one for racing. cheers everyone, i expected people to get stuck into me about it being more expensive than you think :P

Rhyso

XR8putts · 13-09-2006, 07:39 PM

I'd reconmend an R32 or and R33 Skyline (GTS-T), Coupe, I6Turbo RWD, cheap parts and goes like a cut cat.

It's not a V8 but its bloody good IMO.

eed-250 · 13-09-2006, 10:11 PM

Mate the cheapest form of racing is speedway.
You can get a competitive street stock sedan for around 2k. Cost of all clothes, helmet, medical, club fees etc would be around 1.5k.
for 3.5k you could be at the local speedway having an absoulte blast.

Been there done that, i just sold a fully race regod Sigma street stock sedan for 200 bucks lol.

RSgerry · 13-09-2006, 10:53 PM

It depends on what sort of racing you are looking into. Go-karts are great fun and relatively cheap. Regularity can also be cheap as outright speed is not the goal. Hillclimbs are great fun. I see that you are in WA, so consder some of the sporting clubs. The WA Sporting Car Cluc, The Vintage Sports Car Club (cater for cars up to about 1980 and not as competitive as some of the WASCC events), I am not sure if teh Light Car Club still exists, or even try contacting a club to check out their events, such as the FPV club, the Mini drivers club etc.

Minis are a huge amount of fun to drive. I use my RS for hillclimbs, regularity and autokhanas and it gets driven to teh events. I drove it from Perth to Albany in June, competed at the hillclimb and the around the houses and drove it home again. You may need to keep that in mind.

There are a lot of things to consider, but have a look about, see what sort of sport you like and then get something to maych. Remember though, towing a car requires a trailer and a car suitable of towing it with. BTW, there is no such thing as cheap motorsport. You will pay money, it is up to you how much. Good luck.

blakeyboy · 14-09-2006, 01:44 AM

bang for buck i would go formula ford...
just about the fastest non downforce category in the country.
pretty cheap to run (nothing in motorsport is cheap)

and true race car... it was built to race...

but really whatever floats your boat.

XR8-260 · 14-09-2006, 02:53 AM

XB Falcon? My mate has one - Non GT though... got it for about 3-4 grand or so. V8 - rwd

Pedro · 14-09-2006, 07:39 AM

Starting out I would advise you join a car club and just run your daily driver in sprints and hill climbs. This way you will learn the basic skills required in car control at a speed you can handle and you will have plenty of experienced club members available for free advice.

rhysy_boi · 14-09-2006, 08:35 PM

i am more into road styled cars (not formula ford etc) at the moment. would like a nice easy sort of racing to start with, nothing that is super quick and has pro's in it yet as personally i have only been driving cars for a few years and would not be good enough to just step on a track and blast away with very quick cars.
my road car is an auto so that throws the racing that out the window plus i have too much stereo equipment that is worth too much money for me to want to throw it round a track. at the moment looks like i'll try out a small hatch say mini, laser... something along those lines.

cheers everyone and oh i know motorsport is cheap, what i meant was what is cheapish in racing terms.

Rhyso

xbgs351 · 14-09-2006, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 30487256

XB Falcon? My mate has one - Non GT though... got it for about 3-4 grand or so. V8 - rwd

XB Falcon, cheap? cough cough hark cough hack cough....
I've sunken 20k into my XB and it's still a slug (but a very fun slug).
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...36876320734718
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...36876320734718

I'm hoping my F2 will be atleast as cheap to run as my XB, and around 30 seconds per lap faster. There is one drawback, the safety gear will cost almost as much as my XB did :(

I wouldn't discount the open wheelers. Per dollar they are a heap faster than tin tops.

brendo83 · 15-09-2006, 09:24 AM

I'm hoping to get into racing myself next year, after I finish building my car (purvis eureka with a 12a turbo). I'm going to enter it into some sprints and hill climbs, build up my skills a bit and then start saving for a proper race car.
Depending on budget it will either be a good go-kart, or possible a formula vee.
The formula vees are good value, as they are built using mostly vee dub components, you can get a decent car for under 16k and the are tightly regulated to keep costs down, i.e motor and gearbox have to be dead stock.
People I've spoken to say total cost per season is around 5k which I think is quite cheap, though I'm sure you can spend more if you want.

If I'm actually any good I might move to formula ford, but they are at least twice as expensive to buy and run.

turboute · 15-09-2006, 05:10 PM

The cheapest way to go IMO fast IMO would be an old RX7 (non-turbo) they are light reasonably powerful and best of all available at a cheap price. They would be ideal for hilclimbs/ car club events and should be relatively forgiving to a learner. When you feel you want more power you can put in a 13B turbo and not have to do much more development on you car (i.e keep your suspension setup, roll cage/ brake upgrades etc.)

BTW get the brake/suspension/tyre setup sorted before you go hunting for more power as these are what will help you learn about car setup and how to race on the best lines.

15-09-2006, 05:35 PM

Get yourself an EA Spac, manual
1. Strip it bare
2. Weld in a handbrake where the centre console was
3. Get some superlows for the front and chop them
4. Solid mount the rear suspension
5. Get the LSD tightened (but not locked)
6. Stock up on T5 gearboxes
7. Take the thing drifting

Cheap and still street legal

dj181 · 15-09-2006, 06:11 PM

dont know if there is a local rally cluib any where near u but that is always fun....thta is how i started in motorsport....got myself an old datto 180b. cost me $200 registered!! found an old bluebird series II and put the 2 litre and 5 speed in the 180b, twin su's, and got a front diff out of an old datsun 720 4wd ute (great ratios), put that in the back of the 180b (fits straight in) welded it up, got a cage made, and went rallying!! also was good for motorkhanas