Lately I've been contemplating building a track car that can bring exposure to the site and also a build that everyone can follow on the blog. The only criteria I have at this point is that it must be able to compete in drifting, drag racing, and autocross events.
Ideally, the car would be running and on the road by June 2012. This gives me 8 months to find a car, swap an engine/transmission, comply with all safety requirements, and make the exterior presentable enough to catch the attention of spectators. Sponsors will be approached in all areas of the build and will be determined at a later date.
I believe that it's possible that one car can be competitive in drifting, drag racing and autocross. With changes to the wheels, tires and suspension settings, the car can be adjusted before each track day relatively easily.
Obviously, it needs to be RWD to do any sort of drifting and it must be affordable to fix. This narrows the search to a few different cars. My top 2 choices at this point are an FC RX-7 and a 240SX. Shells of both of these cars can be found for relatively cheap and their aftermarket support is plentiful. I will keep the blog updated with possible candidates as I continue to search. Please leave a comment below as to which model of car you think would be best suited for the ImportMeet.com track car.
4 Comments
Slightly biased lol, but I’d say get a s13 hatch =D
240 are more common and so are there parts that is part of the reason I chose an rx7. I would only do an rx7 if you plan on swapping out the rotary for something with pistons. A 1JZ or 2JZ swapped fc would be cool I have seen a couple builds of them.
FC with the rotary still in it. I think that in keeping the rotary you will attract more potential sponsor opportunities. Parts are not hard to come by at all for them. And it really isn’t that hard to make power out of them. Rotary’s are super simple, just rip out all the emissions crap and start slapping parts on. caveat is that if you decide to go into the engine stuff can get expensive in there especially if you decide to go all out with some badass ceramic 3mm apex seals. I’ll be using my FD as a test to see if 400whp is do able without tearing the motor apart, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be a problem with proper tuning.
I think the FC is the better option. You can easily find a chassis for $500-$1000 and the parts are so cheap! If you are getting into drifting, replacing fenders is going to be a way of life… 240SX parts are being drifted by everyone and their brother so you can about imagine the premium parts grab on the forums. In addition, I like the FC for its strong differential options and superior suspension setup. The S4 TII differential is a nearly bulletproof setup for power levels under 500rwhp and the 4.10:1 gears are great for both drag and drift.