OK, as I get more serious about getting back into tracking, I'm debating what type of car to purchase. It looks like a really nice 993 NA with less than 40,000 mi can run upwards of 40G. So then I start to think what else I can get for that price. And the fact is, for not much more, I could probably pick up an extremely nice 997.1 coupe with some warranty left. Not to mention a brand new Cobra Mustang or GT with track pack, or a 370Z! A 13 to 16 y.o. car vs a 3 y.o. car with warranty left, or even a brand new car? A very tough choice. The 993 is the emotional choice, but the 997 or new car makes more dollars and sense sense. I think.
Please weigh in.

 

Do you want to just drive around the track, or are you a competetor? I have a 997.1 4S, and I love driving it on the track, but there are just not that many people competing in the local time trials in late model, non GT3, cars. If I were buying a car for track only use, (and I may be in the next year or so) I would look at the class structure for whatever sanctioning body(s) I will be competing with (PCA, POC, SCCA, etc.) to try to select a competitive class with good turnout and affordable (however you may define that) costs such that you can compete with some frequency (spec classes are usualy good bang for the buck).

If, on the other hand, you want a street car that you can drive really fast on the track, a 997 coupe is a fantastic car, and I love having mine. If you want a "track car", decide how you want to drive it, and get the best car that you can afford for that job.

 

I think you should set a budget and then shop. If the limit, all set up, is under $25k, you could get a 996 possibly. Or go back in time to a 964, or 1980s 911 or even earlier. Some of those can be had for $15k set up, although with all choices there will be more money spent than you initially plan.

If racing is the goal, pcs's advice is good. Choose your class then your car.

I've been going through this for a dedicated DE car (not for competition) and my main criteria is being able to walk away from it, all wadded up, and not hurt financially (too much). That sets the budget, then I can shop. I also like the idea of being able to carry spares to the track without a trailer - the M3 is very good at this, for example.

 

I love my genII viper for the track. You can pick one up that is already modded and they are bullet proof! They are so cheep right now and with the right suspension set up they are great around the track. They are so damn much fun!

 

All good advice. I'm not planning on competing - just DE events, probably at least a few per summer season, and maybe some in Phoenix in the fall and winter. An E46 M3 is probably a good thought too.

 

How about a Gen I Cayman S? An instructor in NASA has a modded Cayman S with suspension, wheels, tire upgrade (hoosiers), and man is it fast! No matter what I did, I couldn't catch him! I was kind of pissed off to be honest

Cayman S has adequate power, it is light and is balanced well...

 

Another good choice.
I'm just feeling kind of po'd that the 993's aren't more affordable as I really want to learn the rear/rear set up on the track. Freakin' 15 yo cars going for as much as a 3 yo 997 w low miles?! It just aint right.....

 

Spec boxster looks like a hellavu lot of fun and cheap to get into. Probably not cheap to maintain though...

 

I pretty much need a fixed roof for the track.
Dare I even say it?.......CORVETTE?

 

Did you search for any 996 GT3? Or a Carrera S or something?

 

There are a few 06 Carrera S's out there with less than 30k mi for less than 50G.
Damn. It would be nice to get a car for 30 or 35 so that I can spend some $ on mods and not have a ton invested in case of an, uh, unfortunate event. But I'm enough of a perfectionist that I won't be able to tolerate a car with worn seats, rock chips, etc... And looking for pristine examples of nice cars sems to creep back up into the 40's, whether for a nice 993, early 997, E46 M3, or even a used Z06.

 

993 is a collectible series and the prices reflect it. That's why you have to either go newer (996) or older (964 or before) to keep the cost down. Or find a 993 that has already been set up for the track (hurting its collectible value). If its just about the rear/rear set up, then go to the late 1970s 911 - inexpensive but make sure you get one that has already had the fixes or be prepared to ante up. The Pelican board is a good place to get a feel for pricing on older models.

 

First question - why are you looking at 993s with less than 40k miles, for track duty? Sure - less miles would be better, but you're paying for a classic car (last of air-cooled 911s) in pristine condition, and most enthusiasts would call you crazy for tracking it. But one with 100k miles on it.

Second question - do you 'need' to have the mods done yourself? The way cheaper way to go is to buy a car that someone else has already set up for track duty, whether you're talking 993, 996, 997, or honda civic. If you know your mods, and get a good feel about the car and the owner, you can save a ton of cash. The only reason not to do this is if you feel you must do the mods, or have them done.

You should be about to get a great 993 all set up for the track for under $40k. Less for 964 (great choice, btw), and similar for 996, but expect to pay more for a 997 with the right mods. Caymans need plenty of mods, too, if you do your research.

Sure, you can take any car right out to the track without doing any mods, but for someone that says they want to buy a track car, you're automatically talking about mods IMHO, either done by you or the PO.

Here's one that was listed recently on Rennlist, that would probably make a great first track car for someone:

I am reluctantley selling my 1996 993. I am the third owner of this car and have all reciepts and paperwork since new. The car has 53K on the odometer and a host of fantastic upgrades. The car runs flawlessly and is very solid and dependable.

Upgrades include:
Euro Trany with Guards LSD. Tranny has some newer gears and syncros and has about $12k put into it. Tranny was gone over and refreshed when recieved from Europe. This is a fantastic upgrade which makes 6th gear usable among other things.

RS LWF and clutch. This was installed with the tranny along with any other parts that would normally be replaced when you have that kind of access...throw out bearing, rear main seal, etc. Heal toeing is a dream with this setup.

RS tranny mount.

PSS9 suspension lowered to RS ride hieght.

TRG sway bars front and rear.

Sparco Evo 2 seats with sliders on both sides.

6 point harness both seats.

DAS sport rollbar.

RSR mufflers along with drilled airbox. Sounds great.

New windshield.

Gert front protection bar.

Strut tower brace.

Wheels:

Newer Fikse Mach 5's with Toyo RA-1's


I have the original seats and they are in excellent condition.

Car has some stone chips in the front and a small split in the rear bumper cover. Very tight and fun to drive.

Price is $35,000 firm. I read once were it wasn't a good idea to put 'firm' in an ad but I thought I would go to the bottom line and take some of the angst out of the deal.

 

if you get serious about tracking and club racing - you need to decide what class you will be running with an then start shopping for a proper cup car.

if all you have in mind is occasional DE with you driving to a track on your car (means street/track use) - then get gt3 car, 996 or 997.
what I did was a '06 997.1 C2 for $39K which now gets gt3 suspesion with jrz rs shocks - about $10-12K total for that. Will it run better than 993 car? i thnk it will. it is all a matter off choice which platform to run.

 

If a P-car is not a must, I have an idea. How about a 350 or a 370Z? I had a 350Z with the second gen engine (higher revving), and it had eibach springs on it. The car was absolutely a blast to drive!The car comes with LSD standard from factory so I was drifting all over town It certainly was not as fast as my 997, but not modded like my 997 either.

The only problem with the car was the transmission, the gear changes were hard sometimes. Not ideal for track where you need to shift really quick... But I don't know about the 370Z to be honest. I saw a fully modded (including slick tires, brembo brakes, etc.) one on the track last weekend, and it looked bada$$!