PH Project car...would it work?
Discussion
Not really aimed at any particular state so everyone chip in.
Ok so we know that interesting cars can be somewhat pricey here and it does seem that a fair few of us are without a weekend toy.
I was mooching around carsales.com.au and found a few fun looking cars that would probably be out of reach for us on our own (especially as a second car) but as a group would be affordable. I guess we would aim for everyone to get at least 5 events a season driving. On the events your not driving you turn the spanners and assist where possible.
As a social event its going to be fun to compete against each other as well as try and help each other develop some new skills be it driving or learning which way to turn a nut to tighten it.
So what cars are there around? Depends how much of a project we want...a mid 80's MK1 MR2 can be had for sub $5000 but will take more time / money to get it going reliably and handling well.
Or for $20,000 there are plenty of ex-race cars knocking about 'ready to race' as well as some very nice classics:
http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/results.aspx?N...
Or do we get silly and build a bike engined single seater from scratch?
Or a Westfield?
Road legal or not?
Ok so we know that interesting cars can be somewhat pricey here and it does seem that a fair few of us are without a weekend toy.
I was mooching around carsales.com.au and found a few fun looking cars that would probably be out of reach for us on our own (especially as a second car) but as a group would be affordable. I guess we would aim for everyone to get at least 5 events a season driving. On the events your not driving you turn the spanners and assist where possible.
As a social event its going to be fun to compete against each other as well as try and help each other develop some new skills be it driving or learning which way to turn a nut to tighten it.
So what cars are there around? Depends how much of a project we want...a mid 80's MK1 MR2 can be had for sub $5000 but will take more time / money to get it going reliably and handling well.
Or for $20,000 there are plenty of ex-race cars knocking about 'ready to race' as well as some very nice classics:
http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/results.aspx?N...
Or do we get silly and build a bike engined single seater from scratch?
Or a Westfield?
Road legal or not?
Edited by deviant on Tuesday 7th October 05:51
Plenty of options out there when you begin looking at doing something as a group.
I was thinking along the lines of a trackday / sprint / hillclimb car. Looking at Perth for a moment there would be something like 3 or 4 timed events a month and 5 or 6 trackdays for most of the year.
Road legal would probably be best...unless someone has a suitable tow vehicle and trailer handy? Though I love the little auscar in the back of the transit van!!
Would much use be got out of a Westfield or single seater? Would anyone feel like driving it in the heat of summer...its hot as all hell at Barbagello in the summer. At least a road legal car still with A/C fitted is going to be easy to drive to an event and we would not end up with a sweaty mess of a tired driver spinning every 2 laps.
I was thinking along the lines of a trackday / sprint / hillclimb car. Looking at Perth for a moment there would be something like 3 or 4 timed events a month and 5 or 6 trackdays for most of the year.
Road legal would probably be best...unless someone has a suitable tow vehicle and trailer handy? Though I love the little auscar in the back of the transit van!!
Would much use be got out of a Westfield or single seater? Would anyone feel like driving it in the heat of summer...its hot as all hell at Barbagello in the summer. At least a road legal car still with A/C fitted is going to be easy to drive to an event and we would not end up with a sweaty mess of a tired driver spinning every 2 laps.
Sounds like a good idea in principle.
Where is everyone located though? I'm up in Kingsley so not far from the track but am I right in saying a few of you live nearer to Freo. Could be a long way to travel to swing some spanners round on an evening.
My car should have no problems towing a car on a trailor (4.0 Land Cruiser Prado).
If my wife and I decide to stay in Australia after next year, I was thinking of building a Westfield myself - quite pricey over here though. Shame it's not easy to import a UK bike engined one. End of the summer, there's a few kicking around for good money.
Where is everyone located though? I'm up in Kingsley so not far from the track but am I right in saying a few of you live nearer to Freo. Could be a long way to travel to swing some spanners round on an evening.
My car should have no problems towing a car on a trailor (4.0 Land Cruiser Prado).
If my wife and I decide to stay in Australia after next year, I was thinking of building a Westfield myself - quite pricey over here though. Shame it's not easy to import a UK bike engined one. End of the summer, there's a few kicking around for good money.
Yes location of the car is another consideration...Looks like we range all the way from Rockingham to the far north of Perth!
You will be looking at around $30K to get a basic Westfield on the road. I did see a few rumours flying around that bike engined ones can no longer be made road legal in WA. Believe it or not an XTR2 or XTR4 is around the $80K mark and can not be made road legal!!
You will be looking at around $30K to get a basic Westfield on the road. I did see a few rumours flying around that bike engined ones can no longer be made road legal in WA. Believe it or not an XTR2 or XTR4 is around the $80K mark and can not be made road legal!!
I live in North Perth, in Aveley, and have 3 garages, so have space to store it, if requried.
I looked at a Caterham a month or two ago, but the web site say's "Due to the specialist nature of the product, all future Caterhams for Australia will be factory built specifically to customer order", prices start at $107k.
It would be cheaper to buy a classic porsche 911, or ferrari.
We would need to decide what kind of car, and what use we need it for first. Then work out who's in, and how much spare cash we all have. Maybe something to discuss over a pint.
I looked at a Caterham a month or two ago, but the web site say's "Due to the specialist nature of the product, all future Caterhams for Australia will be factory built specifically to customer order", prices start at $107k.
It would be cheaper to buy a classic porsche 911, or ferrari.
We would need to decide what kind of car, and what use we need it for first. Then work out who's in, and how much spare cash we all have. Maybe something to discuss over a pint.
Another option I was thinking is to buy something like a VN or VS SS Commodore. They come in manual, have a V8 and are RWD and there are plenty of bolt on go fast bits. They are pretty cimple cars and there is no issue with parts supply.
Ok so they are hardly premier sportscars but they are dirt cheap and like I say they have a big engine and RWD...you could do everything from drift to drag and trackdays in it.
Ok so they are hardly premier sportscars but they are dirt cheap and like I say they have a big engine and RWD...you could do everything from drift to drag and trackdays in it.
Just been out to lunch with Toomuchbeer and both mentioned the benefit of the track car. Especially given the ability to buy something nice for not a lot.
So worth a further chat?
I wouldnt mind something RWD, light, powerful, easy to fix/maintain. Old 911, 944? not sure but could be a laugh.
So worth a further chat?
I wouldnt mind something RWD, light, powerful, easy to fix/maintain. Old 911, 944? not sure but could be a laugh.
It seems, at the mo, that a track day car, is more what we are all looking for. It should be road legal, to drive to and from a track day. It must be fun, rear wheel drive, big on power, so assume V8, and have potential to add quicker bits to. Large boot space would be a bonus, to hide a set of racing tyres in, ready for a quick swap before hitting the track.
Although I haven't driven one yet, hows about something like this perhaps?
Although I haven't driven one yet, hows about something like this perhaps?
hmmm, some odd suggestions IMHO...
The biggest concern for me with most of them would be the ongoing costs. V8s cost a fortune to track, in tyres, brakes etc. Also they tend to be lumbering heavy cars, not a lot of fun.
I know I'm biased, but if I was looking at a track toy, it would either be a clubman (7 clone) or an RX7. You just can't beat an RX7 for value for money performance and fun.
The biggest concern for me with most of them would be the ongoing costs. V8s cost a fortune to track, in tyres, brakes etc. Also they tend to be lumbering heavy cars, not a lot of fun.
I know I'm biased, but if I was looking at a track toy, it would either be a clubman (7 clone) or an RX7. You just can't beat an RX7 for value for money performance and fun.
Ah yes the RX7 was in the back of my mind to. Even if you buy one with a ropey engine your only looking at $5000-$6000 for a strong 300BHP. There are still lots of aftermarket bits around and all sorts of interchangable parts between the models.
I would love a clubman...road legal or not though? Would anyone be really bothered by the heat in the middle of summer?
If you keep it as a track only car then the range of engines opens up to anything you want. For road going cars you need to meet some strict emissions standards.
If there is a suitable garage space then building a kit together would be good for a laugh and you sure cant beat the performance for the money.
I would love a clubman...road legal or not though? Would anyone be really bothered by the heat in the middle of summer?
If you keep it as a track only car then the range of engines opens up to anything you want. For road going cars you need to meet some strict emissions standards.
If there is a suitable garage space then building a kit together would be good for a laugh and you sure cant beat the performance for the money.
tim the pool man said:
Fiddlemesticks said:
306 gti or xsi?
Eh? not familiar with them but I assume they're FWD? We're not in England now, no need to be afraid of RWD fun here 
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Probably the last Peuougoueguout hot hatch worth talking about and the first hot hatch to get a 6 speed box. They have a 2 litre lump with somethig like 170BHP.
They also have a habit of providing silly angles of lift off oversteer or cocking a wheel in the air under hard cornering. They have a ton of competition history in rallying and circuit racing.
I believe the XSI was essentially the same car but without a bodykit and missing some of the more luxurious items. They also did the Rallye which was a GTI with no frills at all to keep the weight down.
There is the odd GTI and Rallye getting about Aus but not a huge amount. This is enough to put me off though...go fast bits will be very thin on the ground and with the aus $$$ being so week bringing bits in from abroad would be a bit exxy.
The advantage to the jap import turbo whatnots is the huge amount of bolt on bits available off the shelf here for some quite silly prices...its a weekends work to get a set of coilovers, big brakes and 300BHP from a Skyline or a Silvia.
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