Autocross and other quick questions!

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Mrmaddbrad

Well ya know, as I am only 17...

Ok, sorry but I didn't realize that you were only 17. In that case, the Miata is definitey the better choice. You are exactly the same age as my son and that is why I bought the Miata (for him).

You need to learn to drive before you need to go fast and the Miata will teach you to drive well and it won't get you into situations where your inexperience will cost you a lot of money. The Miata is super cheap compared to a Boxster to purchase, maintain, run, and repair after you crash it (which you are sure to do at your age regardless of what car you have).

And don't get me wrong - we ALL crashed a car in our teens! Heck, that would be a long thread, having everyone post up what car they crashed as a teen! Its part of growing up - you find the limit, exceed it, and learn that going over the limit doesn't always work out like in the movies.

My advice is to buy a nice NB or early NC Miata and use the extra money that you would have spent on the Boxter for upgrades, driving schools, and track time. Then, re-eval in a few years.

[Perfectlap]

^ boy aint that the truth. That's one thing I definitely miss about the Miata.
For the price Fabspeed charges for my full Boxster exhaust system I could have bought that old Miata. I set it up with FM springs and rear mounts, KYB adjustables, sways, autocross wheels and tires, a very slick Racing Beat aero kit, low profile headlights, that any old mechanic could work on and I had a car that you simply couldn't beat for that little money ....and could pound it all day without a worry about a hugely expensive repair.

[Mrmaddbrad]

*sigh* shouldn't have said i was 17....

Alright. Lets get a few things straight... lol. Not to be some cocky 17 year old, but I am currently driving a 1986, rear-wheel drive, BMW 325es... I do autocross it and actually do rather well. I have been dominating my class which consists of ~6 people depending on the day and usually win by 1 to 3 seconds (depending on the overall times of the course...). A few of these people have been racing for 20+ years and have cars much more competitive in the class. Not to brag, but it all just comes down to driver.

I can drive, I've never ever gotten myself into a situation where I felt out of control.

Biggest problem with the world... Stereotypes.

Lets say im 17, driving a porsche. What does everyone think? "Oh look at him... What did his mommy buy that for him? He'll wreck it in a few months anyways..."

Well not true at all. I'm taking a AP calculus, physics, AP government, and AP Spanish class and then go to work at a German Auto shop, working my ass off for my money that i can save and hopefully buy my dream car. I hate that just because of my age, everyone thinks i should buy a different car. I'm not a spoiled little brat, and I hope you guys will see that in me. Just disappointed in the world guys, disappointed...

[thstone]

Hey buddy, we're not down on you. We appreciate that you're trying to get some input and good job on doing your homework before shelling out the cash.

At the end of the day, only you can decide what car to buy. You asked for advice and input and the folks here provided that (for what its worth).

But if you really want a Boxster, get one. We'll always be glad to have another owner in the club.

[Mrmaddbrad]

Haha i know. I had just had this long talk with my boss (who's like 30) about how age discrimination is such a huge problem now lol.

Well, it is what i want, and most people ive been talking to are trying to discourage me from it, mostly just because of their badge on the hood... In the long run, its a car I hope to keep for a long time, and currently I'm just throwing money into a car i know I'm not going to keep.

[Perfectlap]

well it sounds like you are in that very small group of 17 year olds who has knowledge of what it means to drive for real and not just drag racing. But if you're putting a full second on your competition then you need to move to a more competitve class. I've seen SCCA and NASA events where the first 8 positions were seperated by less than half a second -- in different cars. If you're easily beating the guys in your class then you will not improve for long. Autcross is a big time committment given how little seat time you get not to be maximizing every lap to its fullest.

But given your economic situation I would still encourage you to buy a Miata even if to use only for autocross. I think most would agree that there is no better car to maximize you skill set at the lowest cost to race and maintain. And because of the low mod cost and abundance of smaller tire choices you could fine tune the set up to get every tenth of a second out of the car with money left over in your budget. It's also as close to a kart in a road car as you will get at that price. I used to get flack about driving the car because it doesn't have the prestige of a German sports car. But since I didn't have room for more than one car it had to suit both purposes: real world and racing world. I wasn't bothered by the people who would make a joke about the Miata because I knew something straight away about them: they didn't know how to drive. Anyone who has been to the track or autox knows this car is a fixture of grass roots racing. Racing a Porsche is expensive. Tires: $700 -$1,100 a pop. Maintance from accelerated wear: not cheap. Modifications: EXTREMELY expensive for the gains you get.

And while I'm not your financial advisor I get the impression that you don't have a rich benefactor to pay for your big boy toys. If this is the case then you need to understand that sinking a big % of your available income and savings into a car -- AT YOUR AGE -- is the biggest mistake you could make. At 17 you have 18 years of investing time to acrrue a let's say a million dollars before 35. The "time advantage" of money is powerful and is something most young people have no sense of before they no longer have that advantage at their dispoal. The longer you wait the more money you'll have put away for not much more gain. Pretty sad for most in their 30's and 40's. By putting away a little bit of money every week, EARLY ON - in a moderately agressive investment you will have a huge advantage over someone who decides to start putting away money only after they've been hired for a six figure job. The problem is that no matter how many times you tell an under 20 year old that investing now could buy you a GT3 with money to spare later he/she needs that car, rolex or $2K handbag now. Little do they know what that premature indulgence has cost them in the future. Making up that ground even with a high income later is incredibly difficult. Even most professionals can't beat the major indices like the S&P. Time and the ability to be more aggressive is an investing window that is only open for a short time for very young people, a potentially life-changing oppourtunity that most kids are NOT taught about, probably because their teachers have much debt and little savings.

[jsceash]

Not to be another downer but I agree in most respects to what Perfectlap just said. Here is the hidden part of the picture and anyone who has had service on one of these should be quick to agree. Parts and service on the Boxster are expensive. I recently upgraded my clutch. Parts only I did the work $2200 Stage 2 clutch Throw out bearing, flywheel, pressure plate, Main seal, and a couple special tools. That would put three clutches in a Miata. Tires to run on Street and turn laps on autocross cost $1100 a set I burn off at least one set a year.