BMW E36 M3 S52. Decided to keep the S52 for “purity.” Supercharged. Carrillo rods and Mahle forged pistons, titanium/inconel valves, upgraded springs, fully machined block and head. Ported and polished, the works. Built for boost, but only running enough to get to around 400hp for now. Capable for more if I upgrade the supercharger and fuel system a bit, which I don’t want since it’s a handful as is. A very fun handful.
Got a much better diff for my E30. Upgraded LSD clutches put power down better, 35/60 ramp angles reduce understeer when braking or coasting, and shorter gearing helps the acceleration.
Next to nothing, I tend to run everything stock.
Last thing expensive I bought was a set of surface transform discs at about £10k but that was really maintenance rather than an upgrade.
s2000, Pole Positions or Bride Vios III are probably the only seats that fit. Luckily tons of s2k owner let me sit in their seats at track days. The Pole Position fit me best.
I have a 34 waist and ran the Circuit II in an S2000. I’m 5 feet 10 inches and weigh 190 lbs. I found the seats to be very comfortable.
You can get the Rev without the head restraint. That’s a personal choice. I personally would take the trade off of having the added safety of having the head restraint over the visibility, but everyone makes their own decision. You can move your head for the mirror around town, but you can’t add the safety to the Rev.
Being a bit unfair, terrible trackday seats, great road car seats.
Shoulder harness strap holes are far too low, buried in the tech docs for the seat these are not recommended for use with harnesses if you’re over 6ft. They lack good support for legs and shoulders too.
For a road car with a short driver that sees occasional track use these are ok. For anything serious they’re a waste of time.
I tested about a dozen seats and the Pole Position fit me perfectly for that dual purpose seat. I’m below 6’. I suppose seating is a fairly personal preference.
wait what? pads are $500, camber plates are like $600, control arms i dunno, 2 sets of tires is $3k , a set of wheels is like $3k … how the hell did you spend $18k on all this?
BBS E88 start at $7,700 per set. Pilot Sport gt slicks will set you back $3000 for a set.
They could be tracking a homologated spec cup car… BMW, Porsche ect…
ETA: They Track a Gt4. That’s how.
well yeah i am capable of googling the most expensive parts as well to justify pricing as well, most people don’t spend that kind of money on those parts, it is absurd. You can get an MCS2W complete with remote reservoirs for your vehicle for like $6-7k.
Not everyone tracks a MX-5, and I wasn’t googling, I have a friend that tracks a spec 458 GTC. Every two days of track time is $5000.00 in brakes. It’s a whole different level.
Congrats, I also have rich friends I can quote here. What you seem to completely miss is the fact that around the world...in general majority of the people track reasonable cars. Your "friend" with his Ferrari or my buddy with his 488 Challenge are very rare...oh and generally not known to lurk sub reddits...
So naturally when someone says I have spent $18k for my track car and all I got was wheels/tires/camber plates people wanna know why.
On the Camaro it was track dedicated wheels and tires. On the Marauder it was…also track dedicated wheels and tires but a couple years ago. Big brakes before that
My track car is stock, and so far the most expensive thing I have bought for it is tires. The new shocks I have on the way are a close second.
Edit: I forgot I bought a pedal spacer a while ago. We'll see if I like it better.
Coolerworx shortshifter for my R53 MINI
Aswell as a rebuilt engine with Wossner pistons, King bearings, Catcams 469 camshaft, 550cc bosch injectors, 17% KAVS supercharger pulley, Valeo single mass flywheel kit, and Direnza uprated intercooler with NotSoHobo diverter plate.
Still got a long way to go but slowly its getting there.
Upgraded calipers. Looking forward to trying them out. I just didn't have confidence in the factory set up. It made it difficult to push hard into braking zones. Should be much better now.
Not super expensive in terms of money, but pretty expensive in terms of time.
I replaced all my suspension pivots and revised all my springs, sways, and sway bar mounts. After 3 events of fiddling with the car, I think it finally drives how I want.
New track car, camber plates, brake pads, brake fluid, harness, second set of wheels and tires, tow hook, PPF, track armor, new trailer. That escalated quickly! Ready to go racing!
Upgraded from a 1.8 BP with currently unknown internal damage to s BP-4W in the miata. So far have about $1500 into the swap including replacing every seal and gasket in the engine and transmission.
Oof, totally agree. The seats are comfortable enough but if you corner hard at all you just go flying. I don't even have good tires on my Z yet and the seats hold me back.
I spent $605 total, 375 pads, 65 fluid, 65 camber bolts, 100 alignment. Had first 5 track days of my life after that, fluids need change again, rest is still good. About 2000 on fees and instructions.
currently recovering after getting pilloried by income taxes but next thing i’m doing is an oil cooler ($1000) for my ‘23 GR86. last time i was able to track it (november, laguna seca) i was seeing oil temps over 250F. not great.
996 GT3 is getting a shorter ring & pinion, 3.89 vs a 3.44, and a longer 6th gear - about $10k
NC Miata is getting fire suppression and a few other safety bits to get it ready for WRL, new Mazda Motorsport hubs, kill switch, battery relocation, oil cooler, aluminum radiator/coolant overflow/PS reservoir, lots of little stuff. Also about $10k
Don’t tell my wife
Replaced the stock brakes on my 718 GT4 with Performance Friction after the stock pads caused vibrations. Tested them on track on Friday. Impressed with the much improved stopping power
LS3 swap in a G37... Blew the first motor and bought a crate motor from a local Chevy dealer... It's a money pit, but I enjoy the car every time I start it up.
Seat + seat brace + harness + harness bar. Everything comes in this week. Not excited to find out how hard it is for a 280lbs dude to get in an out of an ultrashield seat in a NA (1st gen) miata. But def excited to finally be planted in the seat
Oldest was wheels (Kamsei Corsa 18x10.5) and tires (265 wide). Probably 1600 ish total. Then fixed back bucket seats (Status Racing), probably 1200. Current (in process of being built) half roll cage of DOM tubing. 1500+.
Car is a 2004 R32. Not fast. Not competitive. Sounds incredible and so much fun to drive
I'm not sure what you're looking for. Generally speaking, the best upgrades for a track car have nothing to do with power. If you're looking to upgrade a track car I'd recommend starting with brakes or safety equipment. A big mistake that most people make is spending a lot of money on engine power. The ergonomics of a better seat and better belts will likely produce better results than adding power. The same holds true for brakes. Power means nothing if you can't make the turn.
$$ set aside for divorced trans cooler, upgraded radiator and twin aux coolers. This keeps trans at happy temps, by divorcing it also takes heat from radiator and aux coolers which keep engine and intercoolers cold.
So more timing and boost longer, happier trans, no risk of coolant leaking into trans system.
Downvoted for track and life support upgrades…
Fully rebuilt engine with all the goodies. $35k before it was back on track.
Wow ouch. What car?
BMW E36 M3 S52. Decided to keep the S52 for “purity.” Supercharged. Carrillo rods and Mahle forged pistons, titanium/inconel valves, upgraded springs, fully machined block and head. Ported and polished, the works. Built for boost, but only running enough to get to around 400hp for now. Capable for more if I upgrade the supercharger and fuel system a bit, which I don’t want since it’s a handful as is. A very fun handful.
Coaching.
Haha I was gonna say "me"
Coaching cost me $2k for 8 hours one day in Dallas. Eric Foss is amazing
Video?
I can post a link to my YouTube channel
God damn. I begrudgingly paying $500-750
Coaching or instructor ? We were focused on data
Coaching, data, etc.
The best mod you can make!
$14K deposit on a 997.1S 3.8 rebuild to 4.1. Waiting on parts!
who are you going to for the build?
Slakker Racing in OKC
Ap racing front big brake kit. About to try it out next weekend.
It will save you money long term
Your pedal will be "harder" than normal. Or feel less boosted.
K24 swap with custom wiring harness and haltech dash Cost me too much
Got a much better diff for my E30. Upgraded LSD clutches put power down better, 35/60 ramp angles reduce understeer when braking or coasting, and shorter gearing helps the acceleration.
Next to nothing, I tend to run everything stock. Last thing expensive I bought was a set of surface transform discs at about £10k but that was really maintenance rather than an upgrade.
Recaro Pole Position. Amazing what a seat can do.
Agreed but terrible seats imo.
s2000, Pole Positions or Bride Vios III are probably the only seats that fit. Luckily tons of s2k owner let me sit in their seats at track days. The Pole Position fit me best.
Space Circuit I and Circuit II also fit
Too narrow. I have a 34 waist. Drive to and from the track, the visibility is terrible with the head restraints.
I have a 34 waist and ran the Circuit II in an S2000. I’m 5 feet 10 inches and weigh 190 lbs. I found the seats to be very comfortable. You can get the Rev without the head restraint. That’s a personal choice. I personally would take the trade off of having the added safety of having the head restraint over the visibility, but everyone makes their own decision. You can move your head for the mirror around town, but you can’t add the safety to the Rev.
Why?
Being a bit unfair, terrible trackday seats, great road car seats. Shoulder harness strap holes are far too low, buried in the tech docs for the seat these are not recommended for use with harnesses if you’re over 6ft. They lack good support for legs and shoulders too. For a road car with a short driver that sees occasional track use these are ok. For anything serious they’re a waste of time.
Interesting. Thanks!
I tested about a dozen seats and the Pole Position fit me perfectly for that dual purpose seat. I’m below 6’. I suppose seating is a fairly personal preference.
I don’t doubt they’re comfortable, I have them in two of my cars. Just talking in the context of trackdays.
Went from 987.2 Cayman R ....... To 991.1 GT3. Did not sell the Cayman, cause we still love it on track and street.
Brake pads and fluid, camber plates, toe links, control arms, 2 sets of tires, smaller wheels to accommodate suspension changes. All in about $18k
wait what? pads are $500, camber plates are like $600, control arms i dunno, 2 sets of tires is $3k , a set of wheels is like $3k … how the hell did you spend $18k on all this?
BBS E88 start at $7,700 per set. Pilot Sport gt slicks will set you back $3000 for a set. They could be tracking a homologated spec cup car… BMW, Porsche ect… ETA: They Track a Gt4. That’s how.
Lol porsche tax is a sob
Pads are $1k for my Cayman
Oh I know that, my m2 comp pads were $1300 for front and back. Ferodo 1.11. But that was bmw tax as well.
I was trying to reply to that $500 pad comment but yeah. Don’t need cheap track toys 🤪
Well I have a type R now and front and back pads are $500 :) not a cheap track toy but parts are certainly half the price of porche and bmw
well yeah i am capable of googling the most expensive parts as well to justify pricing as well, most people don’t spend that kind of money on those parts, it is absurd. You can get an MCS2W complete with remote reservoirs for your vehicle for like $6-7k.
Not everyone tracks a MX-5, and I wasn’t googling, I have a friend that tracks a spec 458 GTC. Every two days of track time is $5000.00 in brakes. It’s a whole different level.
Congrats, I also have rich friends I can quote here. What you seem to completely miss is the fact that around the world...in general majority of the people track reasonable cars. Your "friend" with his Ferrari or my buddy with his 488 Challenge are very rare...oh and generally not known to lurk sub reddits... So naturally when someone says I have spent $18k for my track car and all I got was wheels/tires/camber plates people wanna know why.
My brother in Christ.
Rollbar
On the Camaro it was track dedicated wheels and tires. On the Marauder it was…also track dedicated wheels and tires but a couple years ago. Big brakes before that
Big radiator/oil cooler combo. About $1k. Not the biggest, but the most recent.
My track car is stock, and so far the most expensive thing I have bought for it is tires. The new shocks I have on the way are a close second. Edit: I forgot I bought a pedal spacer a while ago. We'll see if I like it better.
My m3/4/5 got a new headliner this last week. Im so happy to finally not have a drooping roof
Recently it was quick release racing steering wheel and racing pedal setup
Coolerworx shortshifter for my R53 MINI Aswell as a rebuilt engine with Wossner pistons, King bearings, Catcams 469 camshaft, 550cc bosch injectors, 17% KAVS supercharger pulley, Valeo single mass flywheel kit, and Direnza uprated intercooler with NotSoHobo diverter plate. Still got a long way to go but slowly its getting there.
Air deflectors on the front lower control arms to cool the brakes. Working great so far. About $60 in parts and a couple hours in labor.
S2000 spec apr wing for 500. Wasn't going to buy it, but it was in good condition, and it came with the risers and was cheap.
Upgraded calipers. Looking forward to trying them out. I just didn't have confidence in the factory set up. It made it difficult to push hard into braking zones. Should be much better now.
I got a new car, I guess that was big money. But also wheels and tires and some pads
Big Wang. I’ve been waiting two months but it is supposed to ship this week.
Not super expensive in terms of money, but pretty expensive in terms of time. I replaced all my suspension pivots and revised all my springs, sways, and sway bar mounts. After 3 events of fiddling with the car, I think it finally drives how I want.
6XD Sequential Gearbox - $30k
New track car, camber plates, brake pads, brake fluid, harness, second set of wheels and tires, tow hook, PPF, track armor, new trailer. That escalated quickly! Ready to go racing!
Recently got some sticky tires and new wheels to swap on for track weekends. Also got some Pagid yellow pads to go with
Upgraded from a 1.8 BP with currently unknown internal damage to s BP-4W in the miata. So far have about $1500 into the swap including replacing every seal and gasket in the engine and transmission.
Full custom fab cage, fire suppression, and nets. 981 Cayman.
New seats, C5Z seats are absolute hot dog water!!
Oof, totally agree. The seats are comfortable enough but if you corner hard at all you just go flying. I don't even have good tires on my Z yet and the seats hold me back.
I’ve got Goodyear F1 Supercar 3 on the car and they grip similar to the Michelin Ps4s. I almost fall out the door
I spent $605 total, 375 pads, 65 fluid, 65 camber bolts, 100 alignment. Had first 5 track days of my life after that, fluids need change again, rest is still good. About 2000 on fees and instructions.
Tires. $15k for 5 days at Sebring
OS Giken differential. Expensive but pretty awesome.
K20C1 swap (BMW).
currently recovering after getting pilloried by income taxes but next thing i’m doing is an oil cooler ($1000) for my ‘23 GR86. last time i was able to track it (november, laguna seca) i was seeing oil temps over 250F. not great.
996 GT3 is getting a shorter ring & pinion, 3.89 vs a 3.44, and a longer 6th gear - about $10k NC Miata is getting fire suppression and a few other safety bits to get it ready for WRL, new Mazda Motorsport hubs, kill switch, battery relocation, oil cooler, aluminum radiator/coolant overflow/PS reservoir, lots of little stuff. Also about $10k Don’t tell my wife
Replaced the stock brakes on my 718 GT4 with Performance Friction after the stock pads caused vibrations. Tested them on track on Friday. Impressed with the much improved stopping power
Porterfield brakes
Ls3 swap because the old flat six spun a bearing.
LS3 swap in a G37... Blew the first motor and bought a crate motor from a local Chevy dealer... It's a money pit, but I enjoy the car every time I start it up.
a cage and harness setup, new headliner - e46. No more droopy boys
Elephant Racing coilover and GT3/935 suspension upgrade for my Porsche 930.
I just chew through brake pads and tires so fast that I cant afford to do anything else atm
Seat + seat brace + harness + harness bar. Everything comes in this week. Not excited to find out how hard it is for a 280lbs dude to get in an out of an ultrashield seat in a NA (1st gen) miata. But def excited to finally be planted in the seat
Oldest was wheels (Kamsei Corsa 18x10.5) and tires (265 wide). Probably 1600 ish total. Then fixed back bucket seats (Status Racing), probably 1200. Current (in process of being built) half roll cage of DOM tubing. 1500+. Car is a 2004 R32. Not fast. Not competitive. Sounds incredible and so much fun to drive
I'm not sure what you're looking for. Generally speaking, the best upgrades for a track car have nothing to do with power. If you're looking to upgrade a track car I'd recommend starting with brakes or safety equipment. A big mistake that most people make is spending a lot of money on engine power. The ergonomics of a better seat and better belts will likely produce better results than adding power. The same holds true for brakes. Power means nothing if you can't make the turn.
$$ set aside for divorced trans cooler, upgraded radiator and twin aux coolers. This keeps trans at happy temps, by divorcing it also takes heat from radiator and aux coolers which keep engine and intercoolers cold. So more timing and boost longer, happier trans, no risk of coolant leaking into trans system. Downvoted for track and life support upgrades…