Should I track my IM?

You only live once, go for it!

If the car would mine, I guess I would baby it too much to expose it to that kind of risk and stress.  Maybe it's a geezer thing. 

For the price of a used Miata and some 13inch slicks, I personally wouldn't risk it.  You can get the Miata from craigslist, track it and have it back on craigslist for what you paid without worry.  If the engine blows, you lose a little bit, but had fun.  If all your going to do is track the car, you don't even have to worry about registration or insurance. It doesn't get much cheaper than that.

-=theron

That is kind of what my Miata was, but (ironic part coming) I thought it was too nice to track (with only 37,000 miles). 

No!

That is a beautiful car, Ron. Way too nice to abuse.

Why can't you use your wife's car?

Rent a Hertz Mustang!

Speedster > Miata

Hell, Vespa > Miata

On one of my track days there was a fellow driving a rented V6 Mustang.  He drove the absolute crap out of the car.  After one of the sessions he returned to the pit area with smoke billowing out from under the car.  I thought he had finished off the poor Mustang, but he went out for the next session and the one after that.

I pity the next guy who rented that car.

Ron

What the heck....

Brian Johnson, lead singer for AC/DC, rented a BMW/Riley for this year's Rolex 24 hours and came in 32'nd overall.  Food for thought.

After all you've been through with that IM; owning it, selling it, seeing the remains of the fire and ressurrecting it afterwards, I would have a hard time taking it to the track.  You'd be tooling around at speed and hit a track bunnie with your sump and here we go all over again!

I have the urge, but I probably won't.  I'm going on my annual summer cruise (1500 miles) and I want the engine to behave itself.  If I had engine troubles I'd have to take my Miata, which is way more reliable, but not nearly as much fun.

Ron

Ron – I went the other way, sold the IM and bought a GT3 to scratch the track itch. The original speedster was considered a track worthy car in its day, and I don’t see any reason a standard IM wouldn’t be even better, but technology has come a long, long way. Brake fade, engine and transmission cooling after sustained hard lapping, cornering speeds, all of those factors just mean a typical T1-based IM would have to be driven at a much lower speed than a fully modern vehicle such as a track-prepped Miata. So it probably comes down to whether you’d have fun driving at a slower pace (maybe a lot slower) than most of the other cars on track and slower than what you’ve been accustomed to in the past. You could set up an IM to make it much more track worthy with a more robust engine and transmission, bigger brakes, fan-equipped heat exchangers, stiffer suspension, etc.  I’ve driven a few IM’s that were built that way from the outset and those cars would more than hold their own on a track with modern hardware, but those IM’s were significantly different cars from my old T1-based IM with VW gearbox.

If/when I get a good parking option for three cars I’d like to get another IM and keep it for cruising the twisty back roads on the weekends. If you can keep all three you’d have the perfect ensemble: (1) Fill-in-the-blank commuter drone = Practical daily diver (2) Miata = Very low cost and capable track car (3) IM = Great-looking/sounding roadster for weekend fun on public back roads. Life isn’t about trading one toy for another; it’s about MORE toys!

<<Life isn’t about trading one toy for another; it’s about MORE toys!>>

I wish that were so.......I've been trying to hang onto my 'classic' car & somehow get an IM, for a few years now.  The darn economic times we're experiencing have kept that thought just a dream so far. And for me...... the backroads would be enough, no need to track it.