10 Best cars to modify for drag strip or circuit track

[GNVYUS 1]

For a total of $60k you can make a Geo Metro do whatever you want. :tongue:

I still think the GN is the best strip bang for the buck and the 1G AWD DSM's are the best bang for the road course.

With $60k I would restore two old street rods and sell them 10 years from now for $150k each. Thanks Barrett Jackson

 

[budget_crx]

drag racing I wpuld say any G body, they accept just about any GM engine ever made and can be found for pretty cheap.

for road course I would have to say a second gen honda CRX, they are cheap, light, nimble and are insanley easy to modify. plus if you dont like the FWD setup you can always shorten the AWD of a EDM civic or a CRV to make it work

 

[baller760]

For a total of $60k you can make a Geo Metro do whatever you want. :tongue:

I still think the GN is the best strip bang for the buck and the 1G AWD DSM's are the best bang for the road course.

With $60k I would restore two old street rods and sell them 10 years from now for $150k each. Thanks Barrett Jackson

Ok, let me be more clear. You can't spend up to $60k on the car and mods. $50,000 is the limit of the CAR ONLY. After that you can spend up to $10,000. So, if you spend $1,000 on an old Iroc RS you can only spend $10,000 after that.

 

[a trail rider]

I doubt he meant it that way, but even so... Nothing says "I can win" quite like a ZO6. A 2002-5 model can be had well under 50K and pretty much spank all the wannabes we've listed otherwise. If I have 50K for a car, you couldn't get me to buy a Honda or DSM under any conditions. They're outdated the day you get them, and were never capable of Corvette prowess anyway. A G-body is excellent for drag racing, but who wants to dump that much money into one when they could have a nice one, then a 50K screamer that can also be the daily driver? Not me. I mean, he's talking drag and road race. I won't waste my time with a G-body on a road course anymore than I would a DSM or Civic.

Let's think it over...I can drive a near new 'vette or a 20yr old G-body... Hmmm... decisions decisions... CORVETTE thank you.

 

[madhat]

You guys wanna have fun on no $$$? pick up a FWD turbo dodge or gen 1 DSM. Dirt cheap, already turbo, bolt on's exist, corner like it's on rails. Not quite the WOT straight line of the GN but they are screamin' little sh*tboxes. And cheap.

bob

The only problem is thier glass trans...but I guess since you'd be spending money on it, a $4000 trans would be in the list....other than that, I would agree

 

[madhat]

I doubt he meant it that way, but even so... Nothing says "I can win" quite like a ZO6. A 2002-5 model can be had well under 50K and pretty much spank all the wannabes we've listed otherwise. If I have 50K for a car, you couldn't get me to buy a Honda or DSM under any conditions. They're outdated the day you get them, and were never capable of Corvette prowess anyway. A G-body is excellent for drag racing, but who wants to dump that much money into one when they could have a nice one, then a 50K screamer that can also be the daily driver? Not me. I mean, he's talking drag and road race. I won't waste my time with a G-body on a road course anymore than I would a DSM or Civic.

Let's think it over...I can drive a near new 'vette or a 20yr old G-body... Hmmm... decisions decisions... CORVETTE thank you.

Well, then, I think I'll just spend my 35k on a NEW Lotus Exige and blow your pansy ass C5 out of the water on the track thank you very much!
Or, maybe I should go pick a Noble GTO, I'm sure someone will part with a year or two old one for less than the $60000 imported price....
I dont know, maybe I could import a Skyline GTR R-34...
Oh, a Renault R5 turbo - THAT could be fun
Why not a Carerham Super 7? Or a Daytona Coupe(replica ofcourse)?

There is no reason to be so closed minded about what to buy - pick something fun, unique, AND competitive.

Hmmm... decisions decisions... SOMETHING DIFFERENT thank you.

 

[budget_crx]

nevermind, I just saw the prices that we are allowed, I would have to get an Ariel Atom instead for a road course car

 

[a trail rider]

Well, then, I think I'll just spend my 35k on a NEW Lotus Exige and blow your pansy ass C5 out of the water on the track thank you very much!
Or, maybe I should go pick a Noble GTO, I'm sure someone will part with a year or two old one for less than the $60000 imported price....
I dont know, maybe I could import a Skyline GTR R-34...
Oh, a Renault R5 turbo - THAT could be fun
Why not a Carerham Super 7? Or a Daytona Coupe(replica ofcourse)?

There is no reason to be so closed minded about what to buy - pick something fun, unique, AND competitive.

Hmmm... decisions decisions... SOMETHING DIFFERENT thank you.

I have no problem with whatever he chooses. I simply think it's a bit much to purchase TWO cars, one for each track, rather than one which could easily compete on both. Btw, I don't think the Exige would fare all that well against a ZO6. Remember, he's got 10K more for mods and the ZO6 is far more open to choices in that regard. It's already quicker and faster than the Exige, and will run right along in handling all day, if driven as slowly as the Exige. Besides, 54K for a Toyota powered 1.8L 190hp engine... PASS! The pre 2004 model got a Rover 1.8L, which was less powerful.

Step up a year(2007) to the Exige S and you've still only got 220hp and that's WITH a supercharger. Still, 0-60mph is about 4.1(about 1 second quicker than the 06 Exige) and then the ZO6, with it's near fire breathing V8 blows past with ease. So while it does handle well, I think the ZO6 is capable of easily beating it, particularly when considering just how much quicker and faster the ZO6 really is. And the S model cost over 75K U.S. dollars.

Can you get a Caterham Super 7? If so, for 50K and will it run with the big dogs? I don't know much about the car. Then again, I think he's considering cars which are already in America and readily available, and I'd think that one is not. And besides, I want a car WITH a roof! I'd like to drive that car, but it's reserved for sunny days and I doubt it's got much hope on the 1/4 mile in the long run. Like the R5, I think it would be a blast to have, but also like the R5, drag racing just isn't its thing.

 

[sailbrd]

There are going to be a lot of obsolete NASCAR vehicles available soon. With the COT (is that NASCAR for POS?) coming whats going to happen to all the old race cars? Get a short track or road race car, drop a 572 chevy 700 hp crate motor in and have some fun.

 

[fitz3820]

I can't believe someone would say a Ricer!

Have you ever driven one?

 

[87GN_ponykillr]

No one brought up a LS1 FBody? Say $13K ish range... Add in a 12bolt, built auto trannie, Heads + Cam & some joose and suspension mods. Way under $50K and you have a great quarter car

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

for fifty grand? corvette. every day. and 3 times on sunday. id have some money left over too. and dsm's are cheap? you guys must all be engineers lol. to get one that doesnt have crank walk, or burned pistons (yea, good luck cuz the only ones being sold now, are from kids, that are all done with their fast and furious days, and are graduating college, selling their burnt headed dsms for preludes) youd have to spend like 5 grand, then, another 5 grand to get it fast. where do you guys get japanese 'go fast' parts for cheap at? foreign parts are always more expensive than domestic.
id get a used ZO6 and do chip, air filter, and gut the cats, and be good to go.

though for drag racing, the grand national is the king. otherwise, id get an older mustang. good little cars, and have a TON of support.

 

[speeder]

My twin turbo Stage II powered Datsun 280Z should do quite well at the drags and road course - Should be faster/quicker than any of the above plus quite a bit below the stated price.

Fully adjustable suspension and 3 sets of tires ( street, road race, and drag) will allow me to set the car up for any purpose. I have 325/50-15 M/T DRs in the drag race configuration and 305/35-18 Toyo RA-1s for road race.

I chose the Stage because it can be mounted super low (dry sump lubrication) and way back in the chassis.

Probably will need to work on my stick shift drag race technique -

It has air, a decent stereo, and comfortable seats.

Now to get my painter off his butt and pry the motor out of jail....I have a pile of conversion parts ready to go.