Looking to build FIRST track car!

[happycamper]

Hello, I am an UBER NOOB to this amazing forum. I am just getting into the Japanese car world. I'm sure that there are MANY posts like mine on here, but I'm having difficulty finding them through searching. If I can get some help or just some links - that'd be great!

I am looking to build a cheap track car. So far an old civic seems to be the best choice. I first became interested when I found that it is possible to pick up a car for around $500 and throw around $1000 at it and end up with a fun track car. I am a little confused as to what kind of engine to put in it (or keep the original?). There are MANY choices, like a D series with turbo, a B16, B18... and so on. I don't need a super fast car, just something that can take corners really nicely - So what would you recomend for suspension upgrades, if any? I want to do it all myself too - I just need a place in calgary to install this stuff - any suggestions?

That is what I'm looking for. Is it possible, and how should I go about doing this?

-Thanks

[inline6turbo]

I know I was buggin you already about this project today at the shop, but if you do happen to get this project going I totally forgot to mention I have a set of the most amazing coilovers EVAR for an EG/DC2 Integra for sale.

But like I was saying, search up in the garage section here for civic build threads and see what other people have done. There's a ton of them on here as they're probably the most popular as a starting out car.

[happycamper]

Thanks! I'll check that out now.

[Modelexis]

You have to be much more specific than just 'track car'

1/4 mile track
1/8 mile track
auto-x track
oval track
road course
rally
ice track

etc

I've seen people with stock crx motor, just a stiff chassis, good tires and all the safety equipment out on race days with a very capable car and a very fun ride.
So I would say forget about power, worry about suspension, tires, safety, and take some driving classes to learn how to race.

an ef with a b series would be just fine for auto-x and some light road course racing.

Go here and read read read until your eyeball fall out.
http://www.honda-tech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19

[Redlyne_mr2]

Not to rain on your parade but I really wouldn't want to track with a $1500 car man unless it's just autox. Your life is at stake as well as the lives of many other people who you share the track with. The stuff that usually fails on $500 cars like ball joints, tie rods, shocks, control arms, wheel bearings, brakes, cv joints, axles, tires, engines, transmissions, frames, etc etc are all very very much a requirement when tracking. It's important to make sure that all issues have been addressed and that can take a lot more than $1000 of repair. Proper tires are $600+++. I'm not saying you can't track a $1500 project, what I'm saying is that you can't track a $1500 project safely. Good luck with your build though, always need good peeps for our events.

[happycamper]

ICE TRACK, I WISH!

No, just Auto-x and light road course. Rally Would be SWEET but $1500 would be a stretch! Is a stock engine with upgraded suspension really going to be good enough? Or would it be really worth it to invest more into power?

[happycamper]

And thanks for the advice, Redlyne_mr2! Safety is pretty important too - didn't really think of that.

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by happycamper
ICE TRACK, I WISH!

No, just Auto-x and light road course. Rally Would be SWEET but $1500 would be a stretch! Is a stock engine with upgraded suspension really going to be good enough? Or would it be really worth it to invest more into power?

If you have leftover money, just as redlyne said, replace all your steering joints, and bushings, and axles, and wheel bearings etc.

Also, upgrade the brakes, brakes and tires are the two most important parts of racing aside from skill.
Invest in light wheels and sticky tires, great brakes, a stiff roll bar, and reduce the weight of the car.

You are on a budget, so reducing weight is going to be easier than upgrading the motor.

I don't see why ice racing would be much more expensive than autox or light road racing?

http://www.hadamotorsport.com/images/iceracing-20050206-lees-first-full-stud-race.jpg

[happycamper]

How much weight can be stripped from a civic hatchback? I didn't think there was much to these things to begin with. I'd still like to have the two front seats.

[happycamper]

Originally posted by Modelexis


I don't see why ice racing would be much more expensive than autox or light road racing?



Well I guess it wouldn't be too expensive - but Is the vehicle less drivable on regular roads?

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Originally posted by happycamper
ICE TRACK, I WISH!

No, just Auto-x and light road course. Rally Would be SWEET but $1500 would be a stretch! Is a stock engine with upgraded suspension really going to be good enough? Or would it be really worth it to invest more into power?

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/238496/mrets-new-project-car-yes-its-still-a-honda/

"Yes."

[AndyL]

There's a bit of ice racing in alberta - nowhere near the group it was back in ontario though...

Yeah, as above - don't expect to be able to take a 500$ beater to the track... Tech inspection is pretty rigorous, something that might pass for road legal for an insurance inspection isn't likely to pass those inspectors at the track...

That said - start with autocross with the calgary sports car club and a stock car. From there you can build up / move on... You really need to understand the basics before you start modifying.

[ercchry]

i would say spend a bit more and get something that already has a bunch of parts you will be wanting already installed... it makes your final build price a lot lower.... oh and look at that a car with fia approved seats, harnesses and a pretty crazy roll cage... huh ;)

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=313663

[texasnick]

my 2 c....

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/314064/fs-official-civic-drag-car-part-out-thread/

buy the chassis.....spend a few hundred on a d16z6, and enjoy.

You're going to be hard pressed to find another civic chassis with all the goodies this one has in it for that cheap.

[bituerbo]

I say keep it cheap. You don't want to be running your $15,000 car into frozen snowbanks. A $1500 car, most things can be fixed with a hammer. A track car doesn't need coilovers or a fancy engine, it's just a car that you can 'dedicate' to the track.
Pull the rear seats, remove power steering and AC, radio, speakers... Start with the lightest car possible. Lower HP just means you'll be put in a lower class.

Miata, Neon, CRX, EG...

The cheaper the better.
Oh, the best handling 'upgrade' is driver training/seat time.
The 2nd best handling upgrade is a good set of tires.

Once you've maxed out those maybe get a set of entry level coilovers. Nothing's better than showing up in a stock car and sweeping your class haha.

[happycamper]

WOW. thanks for all of the help. beyond.ca is my new favorite forum. :thumbsup: