Just want an opinion on a budget suspension to get started with.

 

Thats not budget, search key word Xida.

 

fatcat sure isnt budget. well i guess compared to xidas

 

I heard Racelands are good.

 

Depends on your definition of "budget" and "racing"

Define your terms and we can get you better responses.

 

My defn of budget at this point is approx 1K.
My defn of race is getting out on the track to the next 6 events... no delusions of grandure, no big ego; I just must not see the meatball flag or DNF.

Come-on guys, I've gotta show a little restraint.

My realistic race budget this year is 10k. Included in this is a small spares package, all the safety upgrades, an upgraded turbo, tires and brakes to the sum of 6K. I expect it will take $500/event for fees and gas (x6 events). I've set aside 1K for repairs.

I'm already knocking at the upper limits of my car budget.

The way I look at it, I can work with-in my budget this year and go to a few events, Or, I can buy the ultimate race suspension, sit out the season and talk about racing another year on line...

Just looking for options to my current 400/275# street coilovers. Perhaps something that has some re-sale value that I can sell for my "ultimate" set-up next year.

Rose Cup races are in 2 wks, and I'd really like to participate.

I've come a long way since February:https://www.miataturbo.net/members/gtred-20323-albums-04-msm-track-day-car-463/

 

you wont get a fatcat setup delivered in 2 weeks. nor xida, nor most others.

 

I don't know you and I don't know your skill level, so stop me if I sound like an ***...

It sounds like you have a pretty solid handle on what you are doing, but how much track time have you seen already? 400/275 is not a bad setup, I'm running that now. If you have sock sways, upgrade them and go have fun. Worry about spending that kind of money on suspension next season. Get consistent and get fast on what you already have on the car. Another year of experience will probably make you faster in a year than new suspension will make you now.

This is where I am currently. I don't need more hardware, I need more seat time.

 

Lightly used Koni Race coilovers are going for about a grand. Best bang for the buck IMHO.

 

EO2K:10 years ago I was pretty fast. Now I just want to Sunday drive with friends.

K24madness: If you pass by any of those deals, then PM me please!

 

Watch the classifieds. I sold mine a few months back and another set has popped up since then. Most seem to be heading to the Xidas. If you want to skip a step go straight to Xidas.

 

Since when is a FC coilover 1k?

 

dont they start at like $1500?

 

Making the car easier to drive makes it easier to learn techniques and stuffs that make you faster, that's why I say start with the Xidas. I wasted a lot of years trying to make the car turn and exit clean, which was compensation for a car that didn't handle well.

If I had to start all over with my current financial status (I make less money now than when I built my car) Xidas would be the first thing I'd buy. There is no way I'd spend suspension money on anything other than Xidas aside from MSM shocks and soft springs.

 

FCM kits start at 1200 iirc

 

$1575 on the website and I can still give you a laundry list of reasons why I would put Xidas on my car before anything else.

 

I see now that the xida's are AST's. I've used these before on another car and I can now understand your liking towards them. Also, since they are a mainstream shock, you will have good support and they are easily refreshed.

My only concern this season is the realistic expectation of bottoming when I run at one of the tracks in my region; Oregon Raceway Park. It is situated along a large bowl with sweeping corners that dive down and significant camber to the corners (the half pipe is an ess that has near 30 degrees track camber!).

I have a few sets of Afco's + Hypercoils in my shop and I think I could re-spring on the cheap; but, that might just be a fools errand on OEM bilstiens. I was hoping to find something that had enough rebound control to run a stiffer spring.

 

If we can make it through Harris Hill Road, you can make it though that track.

 

http://harrishillroad.com/about-harris-hill-road.php

So noted.

 

Its the bumps but youtube doesn't really drive the point home. CW, I can get all four tires off the ground twice, its the only track I've been to that consistently breaks exhaust hangers, and its rough enough that I have to adjust my mirror on alternating laps...no other track I"ve been to beats you up like this.