Because I ended up not getting the job I was supposed to get, so the budget will be low for a bit. Probably just gonna buy a better wheel, pedals, and stand for my PS3 for now to tie me over on real world circuit racing.
Why were we hypothetically spending money you were supposedly going to get from a job you didn't have?
My suggestion is the following:
- Wait until you have the job you want before you mentally spend the money. It's healthier for your psyche.
- Do not borrow money to buy a car (there are exceptions to this, but they probably don't apply to you)
- Do not attempt to buy a car that is good on the street and good on the track, that is for super rich people.
- You can take just about any car to the track. I've driven a car that was purchased for $3800 (E36 BMW) on the track and had a blast. I think the only mod was tires. I drove that same car on all-season tires in an autocross event and had a blast.
- Whatever car you take to the track you should not rely on and you probably shouldn't actually really care about.
- If you're going to buy a flashy car, buy it for yourself. Flashy cars don't really impress people. They look cool, they might get you a little attention, but none of that attention really transfers to you. You also do not want to attempt to pick up girls by impressing them with your car. It's harder than you think and you probably won't like what you get.
- You need to decide which one is more important to you right now, driving something nicer than your truck everywhere, and driving something good at the track.
- Sell the minivan and start saving for whichever one you picked above.
Here's a small example of why you shouldn't take your daily to the track. You will destroy street brake pads in an instant. It's astounding how fast they disintegrate on the track. Track pads, however, will hold up much better and perform better (ie: brake fade). Brake fade come with street pads and is scary. The scariest part of driving on the track is the turn at the end of the straight when you're doing well over 100 mph and you're about to brake the last possible second and are going to count on said brakes to keep you from flying off the track. Brake fade makes that experience more terrifying since it adds an element of "I don't know how well this car can brake right now" onto "I really need these brakes to work right now".
Track pads are very nice on the track, and will keep your street pads from turning to dust. But... they suck on the street. Some people change pads at the track... but... that's a little absurd.
