Daily sports car? | Page 34 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Daily sports car?

mimico_polak said:
Had some time this morning to get some insurance quotes:

2017 230ixdrive - $1650/year
2017 M235 - $1740/year
2007 MX-5 - $575/year (liability only due to age)
Click to expand...

What about a Miata with an LS V8 conversion? Best of both worlds! A relative of mine built one, and subsequently sold his Cobra kit car because the V8 Miata is waaaay more fun.

Obviously stretches the definition of 'daily' to beyond snapping, but c'mon, 400+ horses in a little roadster? Total outlay is only about $30k, but requires you do your own wrenching.

I know this isn't anything like what you're looking for (might as well get an Ariel Atom), but they're so bananas I had to throw it out there...
 
mimico_polak said:
Had some time this morning to get some insurance quotes:

2017 230ixdrive - $1650/year
2017 M235 - $1740/year
2007 MX-5 - $575/year (liability only due to age)
Click to expand...

If you still have the requirement to get automatic for the wife, then forget the Miata. It's the most fun car I've owned, but auto will sap most of that fun out of it.
 
mimico_polak said:
Had some time this morning to get some insurance quotes:

2017 230ixdrive - $1650/year
2017 M235 - $1740/year
2007 MX-5 - $575/year (liability only due to age)
Click to expand...
Are you sure you want awd in a sports car? It makes it more functional in the winter and may make it faster when you are flogging it but on public roads, you want slow and fun not fast and fun.
 
@GreyGhost The AWD would only be because the 2 series I'd buy like a secondary family car, but for me and the wife needs to drive it IF (and only IF) the Odyssey is in my possession.

@Relax MX-5 would be strictly mine and only manual gearboxes. Going to see one next week. I'd need a commuter atop that, but I'm sure I can find a boring commuter for 10-12k with cheap insurance to tide me over in the winter. So long as I'm working in BC...no need for a commuter.

@Priller While it sounds super fun...I'm not running a V8 Miata for 30k! LoL I'd love to try it, but would never build it.

EDIT: @GreyGhost I also need to get a price on a Toyaburu and 135 for the toy aspect.
 
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GreyGhost said:
Are you sure you want awd in a sports car? It makes it more functional in the winter and may make it faster when you are flogging it but on public roads, you want slow and fun not fast and fun.
Click to expand...
The x drive system in the BMWs are pretty RWD biased. But you are correct, it will be less of a drivers car.
 
Priller said:
What about a Miata with an LS V8 conversion? Best of both worlds! A relative of mine built one, and subsequently sold his Cobra kit car because the V8 Miata is waaaay more fun.

Obviously stretches the definition of 'daily' to beyond snapping, but c'mon, 400+ horses in a little roadster? Total outlay is only about $30k, but requires you do your own wrenching.

I know this isn't anything like what you're looking for (might as well get an Ariel Atom), but they're so bananas I had to throw it out there...
Click to expand...

Miata with an LS V8 is an awesome car! For a race track. I was in one and it was a blast. I was still smiling for like 30mins after the session.. But I wouldn't drive it on the streets. Insurance is a huge pain as well. If the owner will report the mods then it will be difficult to insure, if mods are not reported then there is a big chance that the insurance company will drop the policy if something happens.. I guess I'm getting old but I'm not sure that it worth the trouble.. as a track toy? 100% super fun car!

P.S. If I would own a Miata with an LS V8 then I would definitely install full roll cage + good seats with 5+ point belts. And always wear a helmet.
 
GreenPlane said:
P.S. If I would own a Miata with an LS V8 then I would definitely install full roll cage + good seats with 5+ point belts. And always wear a helmet.
Click to expand...
At that point, why start with a street car? Just use a tubular chassis with an LS. It should be lighter and more cheaper and easier to fix if you take it out into the rhubarb.
 
george__ said:
The x drive system in the BMWs are pretty RWD biased. But you are correct, it will be less of a drivers car.
Click to expand...
I wasn't even talking about the driving experience. With awd you can put down a crapton of power which translates to a crapton of speed which translates to losing your license. Limiting power delivery to two wheels tones the acceleration down while not reducing the fun. From a driving experience perspective, you also remove quite a bit of weight and rotating mass.
 
mimico_polak said:
@GreyGhost The AWD would only be because the 2 series I'd buy like a secondary family car, but for me and the wife needs to drive it IF (and only IF) the Odyssey is in my possession.

@Relax MX-5 would be strictly mine and only manual gearboxes. Going to see one next week. I'd need a commuter atop that, but I'm sure I can find a boring commuter for 10-12k with cheap insurance to tide me over in the winter. So long as I'm working in BC...no need for a commuter.

@Priller While it sounds super fun...I'm not running a V8 Miata for 30k! LoL I'd love to try it, but would never build it.

EDIT: @GreyGhost I also need to get a price on a Toyaburu and 135 for the toy aspect.
Click to expand...

Btw, I'm as a current mustang owner, would recommend to check 2015+ generation. Even ecoboosts are a lot of fun. They have all the modern tech and are very comfortable (including for long drives).

Btw, my insurance for 2017 GT is cheaper than 2017 Civic EX...
 
GreyGhost said:
At that point, why start with a street car? Just use a tubular chassis with an LS. It should be lighter and more cheaper and easier to fix if you take it out into the rhubarb.
Click to expand...

I guess it is just easier to do LS swap if you want to do it mostly yourself and cheap.. Also, it depends in which class you would like to participate e.g. in OTA. I'm not sure in which class a tubular chassis will go..
 
GreyGhost said:
At that point, why start with a street car? Just use a tubular chassis with an LS. It should be lighter and more cheaper and easier to fix if you take it out into the rhubarb.
Click to expand...

I seem to be the king of the thread derail lately, so apologies, @mimico_polak !

I can't speak for the one guy (my mother's cousin-in-law, no idea how to properly describe that) I know who owns one directly, but what he told me was that the V8 Miata made driving his tubular frame Cobra kit (which cost triple the Mazda) seem a bit dull. Used Miatas can be had cheap, especially if you don't care about the drivetrain.

I suspect a huge part of the appeal is simply in the fact that it's a Miata. There's a track test done by someone at one of the mainline US car magazines that I read a while ago where the author was positively giddy about the driving experience. He wasn't fussed about lap times or cornering speeds, just in the sheer joy of whazzing it around a track. Definitely not a high mileage vehicle, but when I read that a Miata and a Mustang were being cross-shopped, it seemed like a deeply inappropriate compromise between the two...
 
Priller said:
I seem to be the king of the thread derail lately, so apologies, @mimico_polak !

I can't speak for the one guy (my mother's cousin-in-law, no idea how to properly describe that) I know who owns one directly, but what he told me was that the V8 Miata made driving his tubular frame Cobra kit (which cost triple the Mazda) seem a bit dull. Used Miatas can be had cheap, especially if you don't care about the drivetrain.

I suspect a huge part of the appeal is simply in the fact that it's a Miata. There's a track test done by someone at one of the mainline US car magazines that I read a while ago where the author was positively giddy about the driving experience. He wasn't fussed about lap times or cornering speeds, just in the sheer joy of whazzing it around a track. Definitely not a high mileage vehicle, but when I read that a Miata and a Mustang were being cross-shopped, it seemed like a deeply inappropriate compromise between the two...
Click to expand...

The reason the LS Miata is so good is because an aluminum LS motor doesn't weight much more than the stock motor, so weight distribution and handling aren't greatly affected (if at all). As for insurance, check with Hagerty. They are very flexible with modifications, but the car needs to be 2005 or older (based on some recent quotes I got). However, one of the stipulations is that you can't drive it to work every day or run errands such as shopping.I have my 2001 M3 insured with them, and it works out perfectly since I work from home.
 
Relax said:
The reason the LS Miata is so good is because an aluminum LS motor doesn't weight much more than the stock motor, so weight distribution and handling aren't greatly affected (if at all). As for insurance, check with Hagerty. They are very flexible with modifications, but the car needs to be 2005 or older (based on some recent quotes I got). However, one of the stipulations is that you can't drive it to work every day or run errands such as shopping.I have my 2001 M3 insured with them, and it works out perfectly since I work from home.
Click to expand...
Honestly that sounds like a hell of a project.
It’s nice to think about but to pull off something like @Clutt-225 and his dad this, or an LS miata takes a ton of time, talent, and resources.

one of the reasons I ever thought of a mustang is because his project. Factoryfive states a Mustang GT is the donor for their kits.
 
There is no way you are dropping an LS into a MX5 and go.

There is a lot of work involved to make it right.

You can’t use the MX5 cooling system, you need to fab a drive shaft and update the whole rear end to mange the increased power. The suspension couldn’t handle it either.

There would be a lot of custom wiring to tie together the engine management and the vehicle itself such as the dash gauges, hvac etc.

Then if something goes wrong, where do you take it? If you did the conversion, you likely can deal with anything else. However, if you had the conversion done by someone else and need it serviced, you can’t bring it to any old shop.

I’d stick with something you can own and enjoy. Maybe even have some aftermarket add ons to personalize it.

That’s just my opinion.


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@nakkers Yup you’re right. Way too involving for my skill level.

it’s a nice thought but way beyond anything I can do or even afford to put that type of money into a toy project.
 
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