What is happening to me?

[Sully]

I have a beautiful M3 sitting in the driveway that I still owe 5k on plus the 2k of work that is "needed" to make it a reliable DD and yet I'm trying to figure out how I can work a miata into the budget to autocross and eventually track...is this a downward spiral?

Ok so my original intention was to DD the M and autocross/occasional track it...it would be outfitted with racing seats and 5 points and some other goodies down the road to make a bulletproof autocrosser...now all I can think about is how perfect that car is without touching it that I want to just DD it and make it a nice reliable car, and in-turn have a full fledged miata race car that I wouldn't car about looks, just performance (and maybe some giant M's painted on the side)

Not sure why I posted this but I was bored and wondered if anyone else is in the same boat, I believe Jake might be close but change the story a little, his e36 happens to be an e34 because he now has joined the real world and must be practical

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[Jake]

Well.

I bought the Miata as a "one size fits all" type of vehicle. DD it, autocross it, eventually race it. When I was 18, that was a fantastic idea. When I was 19, it was a pretty good idea. When I was 20, it was a feasible idea. Now I'm 21, graduated and going into a "big boy job" and cannot stand the Miata as a daily with the suspension that's on it.

I considered an E36 or some other RWD coupe. Ended up with the E34 because I figured I already had one sports/sporty car, why bother having a second? Big, pimpy luxury is what's up. The 535 is a fantastic daily, save for the gas mileage.

Ignore my E30 I owned. That was on impulse and fun but completely dumb.

IF you can swing it money-wise, it's great to have one sports car/weekend toy/track toy and one daily. I will caution you, though, that owning and maintaining two cars on a college budget is difficult. Pheasant Run was nice to me and the other MM boys and let us all park our secondary/busted whips in Visitor or in resident parking with no passes. You can't count on that 100%. Insurance is more, even with liability only.

Where you're at now -- you have three years of college left -- I'd recommend keeping the M3 and getting it solid as a DD. Get a second set of wheels and some R-Comps if you want to save wear on your street tires. Three years from now, you'll be graduating and if you start saving now, you can have some cash saved for an even sweeter DD by then... at which point you can turn the M3 into your full-on race car.

Even if you get a Miata this summer with plans to make it a track rat, you still have entry fees. That's another expensive item on the college budget. You can crash with MM workers at the track and save on hotel, but between gas there & back, oil change before and after, brake pads/rotors that you WILL burn through, the $365ish weekend fee with NASA, you can be looking at a $600+ weekend each month. Is it worth it? Fuck yes it is. Thing is, you can do an HPDE 1 session in the M3, as it sits now, and have a blast. Shit, do three weekends in it. Fat old men come out there for DE 1's in their Caddy Sevilles and 5.0 Mustangs and drive them 85 mph on the straightaways, so why not use the M3 here and there?

Save the money now and live it up college-style. Track weekends are a blast, but so is beer and BDubs with the amigos. Make sure you have money for both so you can leave JMU and be able to say you enjoyed every second of being here, versus "I had a great time at the track, but didn't go out much because I never had any play money."

[Goodspeed]

+1 to what Jake said. Honestly, Miatas are great cars and buying mine was probably the best decision I've made - its just an "easy" car to have fun with, in every way including your wallet. Though, theres something to be said about being happy with what you have, and you're doing all right for yourself having a M3 as a poor college student. Plenty of time to get a second play car down the road.

PS- on the M, skip the seats and harness for now. To do that properly, you'll need a rollbar, and you'll be taking a big chunk out of its DD-ability. Get that second set of wheels and a tire trailer, a few mild bolt-ons and have a great dual-purpose car until you have the $$$ to back up having two cars.

[fiveoh2go]

IF you can swing it money-wise, it's great to have one sports car/weekend toy/track toy and one daily.

This.

[DavidL]

To echo what Jake said:

I had great success in having a fun DD/occasional track car with the WRX and now the STi through college. It could take me to class and back, haul friends around in (relative) comfort, but also be capable for the weekend autocross/hyperdrive. I found that this suited all my needs and was fairly economical. Why not try it out with the M3 for a year and see how you like it?

[Sully]

I guess I know in my head that the idea is less than ideal while in college and everything. I think what I am getting at more is why would I want another car, I already have this sick M yet I want a Miata...and have no real reason to, other than the fact I dorve Jakes and really had a blast whippin it around the course. I think the hicup I had in teh M's debut on the autocross track also had some say in why I feel this way. First autocross, first lap, my power steering pump completley blows and whines for the rest of the event. I just don't like breaking my DD on the weekend.

Also to what Jake said, I ruined the ride quality on the truck with the suspension lift, my impulse buy 240sx had coilovers which made handling great when it had traction but ride quality was complete crap. Now the M has some aggressive suspension on it which is a somewhat fair compromise to handling and ride quality but its still not great...Just as good as the stock M I rode in though...I think I could handle the M as a daily with its current setup but I really want a full track suspension again like the 240 had.

I understand I have to wait to get all these things I want, just never thought I would want a Miata or an M3, I have learned alot my first year in college and very little of it has to do with James Madison Curriculum.

[WRXtranceformed]

Why you motherfuckers like Miatas so much I've never understood. If you have a big boy job get a big boy car. Or if you have a big boy car get a big boy weekend car (see Evan for tips)

That's Lee's drunken post for the month. I <3 all you Miata closetfags!

[Jake]

Why you motherfuckers like Miatas so much I've never understood.

Cheap to buy, own and race. Why you Honda people think FWD is a good thing, I've never understood

I just don't like breaking my DD on the weekend.

Breaking from abuse and breaking from a maintenance stance are two different things. You driving the M3 as it was built to be driven is great. Just be ready for the wear items (including pumps, belts, etc) to fail at random times. The good things are that you have a HUGE community to help (between MM and the BMW forums) and you are on a very good, consistent bus route to and from campus at Pheasant Run.

I haven't owned a JMU parking pass for two years, and never really needed it. If my shit breaks, I figure it out, order the part and then replace it in the parking lot. Remember, two cars means two cars' worth of things to break.

[ScottyB]

...is this a downward spiral?

not at all!

....just sell all your other vehicles. how many toys do you actually need at this point in your life? use the proceeds and get 2 cars exactly where you want them instead of having 5 that are all over the place and half done.

[Evan]

I have a totally awesome miata track car project for sale if you're interested

[TorinoCobra070]

If Jake bought one of every car that he drove and enjoyed he would never get out of debt lol.

Same with me. I want all kinds of stuff, but what I want and what I need are two very different things. Sounds like you just need to slow down a little and think about your situation.

[Sully]

If Jake bought one of every car that he drove and enjoyed he would never get out of debt lol.

Same with me. I want all kinds of stuff, but what I want and what I need are two very different things. Sounds like you just need to slow down a little and think about your situation.

I don't plan on actually buying one right now but just thought it was interesting that they are a great lil car in so many different ways than the M

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[WRXtranceformed]

Why you motherfuckers like Miatas so much I've never understood.

Cheap to buy, own and race. Why you Honda people think FWD is a good thing, I've never understood

I never said FWD was a good thing but I also didn't buy my car to race it.... There is nothing wrong with a FWD daily driver, especially for the rare snow we get in which I can get around fine and all of the RWD BMWs and 2WD trucks are in ditches.

Every performance car I have ever owned has been AWD and the next one will be *high horsepower* and RWD

[Mike]

Why you motherfuckers like Miatas so much I've never understood.

Why you Honda people think FWD is a good thing, I've never understood

Because it's fun to lap Maeng.

[WRXtranceformed]

Because it's fun to lap Maeng.

Bang.

Well, if I wanted to track my Honda I suppose I could. My Accord with Brembos seems to stack up pretty well against its competitors. 2 seconds is good right guys? High score what does that mean? Is that good??

[DLingenfelter]

I pretty much second everything Jake's been saying (especially RWD>FWD!). I bought my Miata way back when for the same reasoning of combining a good DD and fun car. I only originally planned on making two autocrosses a year...HAH, 2 regional STS championships later and countless events here we are...The car has pulled double duty flawlessly for the most part and I've driven it every winter through virtually every snowstorm (ever pass a stuck Explorer in an open diff miata that's pushing snow on the chin spoiler...ALWAYS FUNNY).
You can make one car do it all you just have to set limits to what you're going to do with it and what you'll expect of it in each situation. I recommend focusing on the M3 and keeping it happy and relatively stock. They're great cars in factory trim. Maybe get some better tires or a second set of rims with someone else's last-year's cast off R-comps. Save the rest of the money for maintainance and maybe once a year buy the car "a treat" or performance part. Keeps the car feeling new and keeps you from being burnt out.
I've had my Miata since '06 and with this formula I've never the slightest inclination to sell it. I don't expect a totally cushy ride although the stock seats and adjustable shocks do help that alot. I don't expect a quiet exhaust (I'm not old yet!!!) Likewise I don't expect FTD's at autocrosses with it (Although I'll damn sure try!).
And like Jake said, having two cars means maintainance X2 as I found out this year when I got a second car for winter duty (an FWD Oldsmobile). Had to tear down the entire top end and replace the headgaskets and clean the lifters...Miata ended up doing winter duty anyways. My time and money would have probably better spent on the Miata.