What is a good car to race with?

Question

what is a good car to get that is fast and will look good if i fix and is at a good price range

Answer 1

Little Car... Big Motor.

Find any car under 2500 Lbs, Drop in a motor that doesn't belong there.
It's all about Power To Weight.

Usually calculated in hp per ton, these calculations are hp per pound.
(easier for my head)
Examples:

Buggatti Veyron 4162 lbs, 1001 hp= .241 or 4.2 lbs per Hp
Dodge Viper: 3400 Lbs, 400 hp. = .118 or 8.5 lbs per HP
Honda s2000: 2800 Lbs, 240 hp = .086 or 11.6 lbs per Hp
Nissan 240sx:2800 Lbs 140 hp = . 05 or 20 lbs per Hp

Little cars, big engines:

Austin Mini With Acura b18c (integra GS-R) Under 1400 lbs, 195 hp
.139 or 7.18 lbs per hp Better than a viper on paper...

Civic hatch with gs-r swap 2100 lbs, 195 hp .009 or 10.8 lbs per hp
No rocket, but a stock civic has to haul abour 2x as much weight for each hp.

Dodge colt with mitsubishi eclipse turbo engine (Mild mods): 1800 lbs 300 hp 1.67 or 6 lbs per hp



My 1972 datsun 240z, chevy v8: 2400 lbs, 350 hp .146 or 6.85 lbs per hp


Small cars with big motors = Fast.
Traction can be a problem, but who doesn't love big smoky burnouts????



Hope that made sense...

Answer 2

Depends on what sort of racing you want to do.

If you want to race on a road course or autocross, a Miata is a great choice. Cheap, great handling, a good car to learn racing techniques, and there's always plenty of other Miatas to race against at any event.

If you want to go drag racing, the little car with a big motor approach is pretty good. If you don't want to piece together something like a 383-powered Vega on your own, though, I would say to either go with V8 power or a factory turbo car. Good V8 choices would include a 5.0 Mustang, or an old school Chevy Nova, Dodge Dart, or Plymouth Duster. Some popular and cheap turbo cars include the Mitsubishi Eclipse (and its Plymouth and Eagle clones), some of the '80s K-cars, and the MR2 Turbo.

Answer 3

I'm bias.. A 3rd gen Camaro... They are light, fast & handle like a dream.( I am old school & actually prefer OLD MUSCLE... but this is what I have.. It will do! LOL)
They are still pretty common.. (for now)
Also fox chassis Mustangs are really neat!
What ever you do decide to pick..... start with suspension.. Get subframe connectors, stiffer springs, performance struts/shocks....also take into consideration.. your axle gear ratio.. you might want to change some stuff there.
Then work on your exhaust & engine.. ect. Getting all the restrictive emissions $hit off helps tremendously! Along with a good tune up .. Accel supercoil & good plugs & wires. I love accel plugs & cut to fit 9mm wires. but they are pricy but worth it. Also upgrade your ignition system. & overhaul your tranny.. build it up to take abuse. If it is an automatic put a shift kit in it.
Stay real & pick a Real car.. American V8 power & you'll kill the Rice Rockets/Burners.!! I hate tuner cars they are sooo gay.
God Bless & have fun!

Answer 4

Any V-8 will do. You can pretty much outpace all the riceburners. The old Chevy Malibus/Chevelle 350s are dirt cheap and clean up nice. 5.0L Mustangs are quick and light, but dime a dozen in looks.

Answer 5

Since your username has an 86 in it, which reminds me of the Toyota AE86. Maybe your into drifting. get a AE86 or a Mazda Miata, both are dirt cheap and yet can keep up.

Answer 6

there are too many good cars to race with. do what every one else does, take the ride you have now and do some lite mods to it till you can get somthing better. do your research on horse powers, band ratios, weight and torque.

Answer 7

I suggest a camaro or a mustang...a small NOS system would probably be your less expensive way to go for added power and speed.

Answer 8

Geo Metro

Answer 9

Can't answer that without more info from you - it totally depends on what kind of racing you want to do.

Answer 10

whatever car you can ride comfortably will do good for a start before you move on to pro cars...