Miata and 240sx are definitely the best choices here. That being said it's hard to find a reasonably priced 240sx.

 

Please be advised that there is no such thing as a budget racecar. These 2 words are a direct contradiction. You may have either but not both. Racecars are not a budget item, unless you are deciding how much of your hard earned money you are spending on a very expensive hobby. Racecars eat large quantities of money.
Regards
Dave

 

I am a member of VMSC, one of our members just posted a for sale ad for his Miata. VMSC is located in Richmond. Here is the link. http://www.vmsc.org/index.php?option...opicseen=1#new
Good luck with your search!

 

Aaaaand I'm dumb. If only I would have listened to stuff like this:

Car's for sale ($3k). https://www.vadriven.com/forums/impo...8/#post8365086

Basically- I remembered how much I hate working on cars, I don't have a spot in my garage for it to hang out while it wastes away, and I don't like the idea of paying other people's bills by having all maintenance/upgrades done by a shop. And I have an M4, which will accompany me to a couple HPDE events and I'll take it from there.

Seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

Thank you sir for listening to sound reason, my experience is vast, having been partners in several circle track ventures, there is never enough money to really be competitive. Please realize that this was in the 1980's, things have become exponentially more expensive since then. I have many fond memories and a much lighter bank account as a result. I had a lot of expendable income at the time and had a lot of fun, however all I have to show for it is a lighter bank account. Allow yourself to grow up and rent if you can afford it. Find a fun series and learn to drive well. At one time I had a (then) Busch series drivers license, IMSA and FIA comp license. Ahh those were the days. Now I am just as happy to spectate either live or on TV. Welcome to your 50's. Too much work not enough fun for me. I'll keep driving my economy hondas and swapping to suit my enjoyment and wallet. Look for the old guy in the hat, I will be watching and smiling.
Regards
Dave

 

3 grand will buy you a lot of track day insurance. Just don't tell your regular insurance company. You don't have to, provided they aren't paying out if you crash, and they will probably drop you as soon as you ask them.

 

Not really. My customers with M3/M4 typically spend ~$600 or so for track insurance for a weekend.

 

If this is dedicated track car, I would recommend you weld in a baffle in the oil pan and weld on the oil pump nut at some point. The nuts have been known to back off causing the oil pump to fail. For the suspension you should eventually get reinforcement plates for the rear subframe and rear shock tower. my 2 cents