‘Cheap’ track day cars

[johnnyguitar]

Evening all

The company I work for is veteran owned and support Mission Motorsport as it’s chosen charity.
I (along with some of my colleagues) have volunteered at the last couple of MM track day events and I have been both impressed by what MM do for injured, sick and wounded ex and current soldiers, and what some of the beneficiaries get from a day at a race track.

So I am committed to getting another track day car after I sold my last Clio 172.

I am looking at both 172/182 but would appreciate suggestions of what else to go for. EP3 Civic Type R is now outside my £2.5k budget, which will get me a Clio with a half cage and seat/harness and leave me enough left over to get the belts done OR it will get me a car with an up to date belt change and leave me enough for a half cage, seats, harnesses; etc.

Or is there something else to go for? Don’t fancy an MX5. R53 Cooper S seem to be plentiful but am concerned that of the number I’ve seen there are plenty with dead engines.

What do you suggest?

[Dave O'Sullivan]

I was going to mention the Mini as they seem highly rated for track use but as you say, they’re not the most hardy engines.

An MX-5 might fit the bill?

Not that I’m giving a sales pitch, but my business partner has a track prepared E36 328 that I think he’s thinking of moving on. Happy to get further details to you if that’s of interest?

[stiglet]

MM is a great cause to support. I was invited to supply my car for a photoshoot a couple of years ago along with some other hillclimbers - pic below

I have an R56 Cooper S an everyday runaround. It's in bits just now as we deal with an oil leak, a water leak and fit a new timing chain. Great car but not the strongest engine

Another Clio would be the obvious choice - but don't rule out an MX5 . We have 2. Rust issues aside they are reliable and provide the most fun per £ in the paddock.

There is a reason it is currently the most raced car in the world

[johnnyguitar]

Thanks for the input so far.
Stiglet - my brother had an R56 Cooper S with an oil leak that he claims Sytner could never track down. The supercharged versions do seem a bit brittle.

I would like an MX5 but I think I'd just like a bit more poke. I sold one for a friend about 8 or 9 years ago - it was only 10 years old then and she was getting rid because it had the first advisory for rust on the sills.

[magirus]

This is one way of doing it.

[Mj2k]

Haha loved the fact it opened with a Motability advert!

[johnnyguitar]

This is one way of doing it.

That is but also, it cost somewhere in the region of £7k, so it's not my way of doing it.

Anyway, I've viewed a Clio 172 today and I would have brought it home had I not lost my debit card and been unable to withdraw any cash.
So I shall go back and pick it up tomorrow, then it's off for a half cage and a pair of seats.

[WarrenVrs]

Thanks for the input so far.
Stiglet - my brother had an R56 Cooper S with an oil leak that he claims Sytner could never track down. The supercharged versions do seem a bit brittle.

I would like an MX5 but I think I'd just like a bit more poke. I sold one for a friend about 8 or 9 years ago - it was only 10 years old then and she was getting rid because it had the first advisory for rust on the sills.

The turbo minis are the fragile ones. The sc cars are fundamentally robust.

I'm a massive rs fan, had 7 172/182 variants over the years. Before the kids were born, I had a modified r53 cooper s. Despite being a massive Clio fan, I'd never go back to one over the mini.

[NikGixer750]

The clio is a good choice, cheap parts and easy to drive. The MX5 would be fun as its RWD, I had a megane r26 as a daily but also tracked it a few times a year and it was great, could keep up with most cars in the corners and just lost out on raw power, I had it running at 290/300. You could pick up a megane 225 stick a stage 1 map and strip the interior and it would be pretty quick.

[WarrenVrs]

The clio is a good choice, cheap parts and easy to drive. The MX5 would be fun as its RWD, I had a megane r26 as a daily but also tracked it a few times a year and it was great, could keep up with most cars in the corners and just lost out on raw power, I had it running at 290/300. You could pick up a megane 225 stick a stage 1 map and strip the interior and it would be pretty quick.

Loved my r26. Missed out on a 5door that had the diff added, would have been a great daily.

[johnnyguitar]

The clio is a good choice, cheap parts and easy to drive. The MX5 would be fun as its RWD, I had a megane r26 as a daily but also tracked it a few times a year and it was great, could keep up with most cars in the corners and just lost out on raw power, I had it running at 290/300. You could pick up a megane 225 stick a stage 1 map and strip the interior and it would be pretty quick.

I was looking at a 225 that was about £2.2k but then it would have been seats and a cage on top, plus any servicing, etc.

Instead I picked up an early Ph.2 Clio 172 which already has a set of Cooksport springs and a replacement stainless exhaust and possibly, from the way it idles, a 197 cam.
The belts are still in date and I can get away with not doing them until early 2024. Cost was £1475 at a time when the price of them seems to be optimistic.
This morning I went to Wigan and picked up a pair of Bimarco FIA fixed buckets and Sparco 4 point harnesses for £400 and the car is off to Norwich on Wednesday for a half cage.
The total cost so far for the car, seats, half cage, subframes, nuts and bolts, etc is less than £2300. I want a set of 15s and some track rubber, a steering wheel and a decent set of brake pads and I reckon we'll be somewhere around the £3100 mark.

I need to decide what to do with the Corrado as it needs work, which is going to be a couple of years in completion and I was offered a JCW R53 with 130k on it as a swap. Not sure if I should go with it or see out the Corrado project.

[JGJG]

Puma.