[MikeG]

Imparting my own advice, if you are happy with a tail-happy, 300hp+ 1000kg car, for <$20K then I'd recommend a late model (s15) Nissan 200SX / Silvia - I know, it's not exotic or european, but when I had mine overtaking Porsche GT3's down conrod back in 2010, I didn't really care...  I think my best lap time was ~2:45 which would have had me on pole in the 1980's.  Shows what the car is capable of with a mediocre driver at the wheel.

These things come from the factory with little or no creature comforts, and are designed for all the modifications to make it go faster - including space left in front of the radiator for a front mount intercooler.

These things are cheap to run, and cheap to fix, and are highly reliable.  I did around 190,000km on the original turbo (which never failed, I just replaced it because it was getting noisy) even with most of the car's life being at double the boost and a plethora of track days.

I almost bought my old car back as a weekend track car, but I got distracted by the opportunity to get a Maserati Gransport instead - but I'm still keen on Silvia's as they are a specialist track weapon, and have precision handling due to their light weight chassis design, and near equal weight distribution.

The trick will be finding one that isn't completely clapped out...

The guy who bought mine (with probably $30,000 in modifications) was selling it again a month or so ago for ~$14,000 - let me know if you want me to put you in touch with him.  The thing has a new turbo, and it's been garaged most of the time since I sold it to him 2 years ago.

... oh and it's road registered, which makes life easy...

MikeG

[Ferrari Fissatore]

Well, I took my Radical to Winton yesterday, and with ambient of 43 in the shade, of which there is none, the track temp hit 70!!!! Drove ok for an old grease monkey, but just too hot.... 40 laps, I'm done. Car is good except for heat making the dashboard do crazy things...

I made far fewer mistakes this time, and despite the searing heat and aging tyres i managed to match my previous best lap  (1.27.9) several times, each time with top speeds varying from 178 to 188 depending on how I took the last corner.

I had a mega moment through the sweeper.... Holding a tail slide with up to a quarter turn of oppo for what seemed like 5 seconds but was actually just 2 or 3 probably. A Radical is not the sort of car designed for drifting capabilities!

The tyres needed no warming up out the pits and after 7 or 8 laps were really gooey.

 Went home, happy.

[robertb]

Well, I took my Radical to Winton yesterday, and with ambient of 43 in the shade, of which there is none, the track temp hit 70!!!! Drove ok for an old grease monkey, but just too hot.... 40 laps, I'm done. Car is good except for heat making the dashboard do crazy things...

I made far fewer mistakes this time, and despite the searing heat and aging tyres i managed to match my previous best lap  (1.27.9) several times, each time with top speeds varying from 178 to 188 depending on how I took the last corner.

I had a mega moment through the sweeper.... Holding a tail slide with up to a quarter turn of oppo for what seemed like 5 seconds but was actually just 2 or 3 probably. A Radical is not the sort of car designed for drifting capabilities!

The tyres needed no warming up out the pits and after 7 or 8 laps were really gooey.

 Went home, happy.

Thanks for the invite............

The slicks would be rooted after 40 laps in that heat.

[Ferrari Fissatore]

Thanks for the invite............

The slicks would be rooted after 40 laps in that heat.

Sorry, meet me at the workshop  5.15 am yesterday!

The tyres are pretty good actually. They're a bespoke tyre to Radical. 15" fronts and 16" rears. Dunlops.

When they were brand new, my helper Brett dI'd a 1.26.00 on them. They've now done over 80 laps and ten heat cycles, I reckon I'm a second slower than Brett, and the tyres have lost maybe a second.

I'll use them again yet, but yes, nearly no point any more, despite the wear indicators still being about 3/4 as new.

1 litre of pump 98 per lap. Brake pads looked half worn when I got the car. Still look half worn after 3 hours driving.

Cheap car to run. Biggest expense is/was/will be gearbox repairs and transport costs. Running sweet right now, but they're marginal on 4cyl Radicals.

Tyres cost $1600 set.

[robertb]

Sorry, meet me at the workshop  5.15 am yesterday!

The tyres are pretty good actually. They're a bespoke tyre to Radical. 15" fronts and 16" rears. Dunlops.

When they were brand new, my helper Brett dI'd a 1.26.00 on them. They've now done over 80 laps and ten heat cycles, I reckon I'm a second slower than Brett, and the tyres have lost maybe a second.

I'll use them again yet, but yes, nearly no point any more, despite the wear indicators still being about 3/4 as new.

1 litre of pump 98 per lap. Brake pads looked half worn when I got the car. Still look half worn after 3 hours driving.

Cheap car to run. Biggest expense is/was/will be gearbox repairs and transport costs. Running sweet right now, but they're marginal on 4cyl Radicals.

Tyres cost $1600 set.

Maybe next time.
10 heat cycles,about finished .

[Ferrari Fissatore]

Maybe next time.
10 heat cycles,about finished .

Yeah, but as I said. They're still lapping within 1 second of new time as of pack up.

See what they feel like next time out, get my eye in, then I have new ones ready to go.

[Ferrari Fissatore]

For the record, John Morriss local Porsche specialist has a few radicals now too.

He has near new stuff. He's got a 1 year old SR3. 8 hours on refreshed engine in a 34hr chassis. Fully optioned hi spec car.

He wants $80k NO OFFERS. I reckon it's a fair price. His car would be maybe 2 seconds faster than mine everywhere.

[robertb]

Yeah, but as I said. They're still lapping within 1 second of new time as of pack up.

See what they feel like next time out, get my eye in, then I have new ones ready to go.

 Pity there is not a class for them in the VIC state series.

[Paulstar]

Yeah, but as I said. They're still lapping within 1 second of new time as of pack up.

Do you use anything on them to soften the compound up again?

[racecomp]

Do you use anything on them to soften the compound up again?

Bleach is good