Z32 autocross?

[NotloC 08]

Hey, I am looking to buy a car for autocrossing and I was wondering if anyone has tried autocrossing in a 300zx z32. I understand that they arent exactly the lightest cars out there but I wanted to know how they handled. I only have around 5-6 thousand to spend so I would get a 300zx N/A. Does the turbo handle much better because of the 4 wheel turning? Also the added weight on the front. If you can answer any of these thanks very much. Also, if someone has a recomendation for a different kind of car as fast (sorta for a n/a) and that can handle better for the same price or less, please let me know.

Oh and how fast exactly are the n/a's? I mean are they slowish or quick? Thanks! Ive heard a range from 6.5-7.1 0-60 stock, is this true?

Thanks again to everybody.

[Lecher08]

well some people say that 4-wheel steering helps other say not. as well as the speed to 60 it doest vary alot depending on what you transmission you get; an auto n/a does run about 7sec range while the tt 5spd runs a 5sec rangealso both cars are on the heavy side. any car can be good at the track with practice tho. My MR2 turbo seems to be handling pretty nicely even thou it took awhile to get used to. If you want a cheap fast LIGHT track car... maybe the 300zx isnt for you.

[NotloC 08]

Does anyone know of a better car in this price range that could suit the criteria of a cheap fast light car... and not a miata?

[naed240sx]

Does anyone know of a better car in this price range that could suit the criteria of a cheap fast light car... and not a miata?

240sx. Will be much faster through an autocross than a Z for less money.

[V8NSIDE]

I have done some autocross before the swap and the car handle good. The main problem I had was the suspension, because of it being so old and worn, and the car just did not have the speed I wanted to get out of the corners. Now after the swap the car is awesome.Some recommendations: No matter what you get you are going to need aftermarket suspension, and probably some better brakes. Next to that, if you are getting a car that does lag in the hp department, at least try to get one that can go high in rpm, something above 7000. This will help you come out of corners and use the low gearing that most import sport cars have.Like some other members already mentioned, the 240’s and MR2’s are good cars, but so are 300z, RX7’s, 944’s, 325i, and I hate to say it but the Miata are all good cars and in you’re price range for a autocross car.

[evildky]

my regular autocross car is my 71 240Z (turbo beast) local E-mod champ for the past 3 years

I have autocrossed my Z32TT with street tires and did pretty well, it's all stock and with some decent autocross rubber I think I caould have taken my class ( I ran it in EM just because)

we have a guy that runs his Z32TT in SM2 (430 whp) and he does quite well but he had a health problem that kept him out most of the year

we also have a guy that runs a FSP Z32 N/A with abotu everything available done to the car and is very competitive in his class

when it comes to autocrossing seat time is the single most important issue, the car is secondary, and a well prepared car is important if you want to win, street tires aren't gonna be clase to the R compounds, and the Street tires class is dominated with purpose built STS tires (Falken Azenis 615's, Kumho Ecsta MX, etc)

drive what you want and you can figure out what class you want to build ti to later, the Miata's are a lot of fun and very fast but I can't handle driving a car that slow

[NSRsheets]

Do some suspension work and maybe a little weight reduction and it would probably be a realy cool autocross car.

[NotloC 08]

Thanks guys for all the imput. I don't think the n/a is lagging in the hp department at all with 222 hp and 198 torque. Other cars usually arent close to this. HP per pound the 300zx n/a is still ahead of everything listed here except the mr2 turbo, which are a little out of my price range and very rare. Whats the 300zx redline at, 7500? I think if I removed the interior and spare tire and other excess stuff I could really trim the weight off the 300zx. Think it would be a nice autocross car? Also later on I could always put a nice small- mid sized turbo on there for a fat powerband and a nice boost in power. Anyone have an opinion on that?

[Lecher08]

umm...1 turbo on a v6 not recommended and its not just about the weight of the car but the weight BALANCE front n back. so having all the weight up front isnt good either. a 300zx altogether in my opinion is more of a drag/dyno car not "track" Try to look for a GSX Ecplise my bro used to have one AWD is nice. Plus they arent that expensive if their are any around. also its kindda a sleeper too from all the n/a being common. Also a 240sx is cheap light and decent in speed and could always be upgraded to have tons of power. their is a 90' 240sx with a sr20det already in it for 7k in pensacola, fl.

[evildky]

if you remove the interior you put yourself into prepared calss which allows for a lto of other mods but not worth the weight savings unless you planned to build to prepared class specs

[V8NSIDE]

Another thing to remember is what type of tracks are in you’re area. Are you going to do some traveling or are you mostly sticking to the tracks in you’re local area? If you’re staying close you need to see if the track(s) have a lot of good straight-aways or if its mainly corners. If you’re just starting out and are not so good in the corners, a fast car will actually hurt you on a tight track. But on a track with straight-aways you can make up for inexperience with a faster car.

[Lecher08]

^^he is soo right!inexperience driver + fast car on twisty track = trouble

[NotloC 08]

Thanks, I am not so much looking for a fast car, which is why I am going for the n/a and not the tt. I just wanted to know if the 300zx handles as well as other cars in its price range for the most part. I wouldnt consider myself an inexperienced driver, I autocross now in an RSX. Id keep it but it is my friends and he lets me borrow it. I am mostly looking to autocross as of now, later on I would consider road racing or times on an actual track. I just wanted to know the best base car for me for in my price range.

Also, autocross is mostly turns. I would need a car with enough power to get me out of the corners and onto the straightaways which are 200 ft or less (usually). So I am really looking for a well rounded car and to me it seems like the 300zx has a good amount of hp and torque (better than alot of others hp/lb that I considered), can corner fairly well, and is RWD.

Id consider the 240zx but it seems to be like they are quite slower than even the n/a 300zx. In autocross I usually dont go above 70 so 0-60 times are crucial to me. They are a couple hundred pounds lighter but I am not sure if that will make such a big difference considering they only have 155 hp and 135 tq? not sure on those ? Hm, so if someone else has a suggestion or can think of a better car for me, please let me know.

Thanks for all the feedback!
Modified by NotloC 08 at 4:26 PM 8/30/2006

[evildky]

I say build to FSP standards, we have a guy thats realy competitive in his, and the suspension (stock) is pretty much the same as the 240sx but with wider tires and better brakes, handles great and with some decetn autocross rubber would make for a good time for sure

[jEzTeR]

Dont forget that its a Z and thats enough to make it better than all those other cars in its class.

[mtcookson]

umm...1 turbo on a v6 not recommended

Why's that?? Z31 guys would definitely disagree. The only reason a single turbo wouldn't be that great in a Z32 is because of how tight the engine bay is... other than that a twin setup offers no benefits or down sides over a single setup, except that most twin setups are way more expensive.

[evildky]

nothing wrong with the single turbo on a V6, Z31's, and Buick GN's are both awesome single turbo V6 cars, on the Z32 however it's just easier to run duals (and more expensive)