Good Car for Auto-x?

[GRNDHOG]

So my mom called me yesterday. She said she bought something "cool" and wanted to give it to me.

Turns out its a 1989 Toyota Supra. It's an Auto, non-turbo (which I found out there is only a 34hp difference between turbo/non-turbo) It has about 200hp.

It's a one owner (now, two) low mileage car.

My mom picked it up for $500!

She's going to drive it for the summer and then it's mine. All I will have to do is fly up to Ohio and drive it home.


So my brain started working and I was wondering if it would be good for a complete noob at auto-x?

What class would something like that be in?

[bimmershark]

oh man dont get yourself caught up in a na/auto supra i bought one a few years ago for a beater paid 600 for it ..did the most basic of maintenance on it and drove it sold it too my mom who drove it then my cousins ex who drove it into the ground ..and being from ohio i am gonna assume some rust ...

i would pass but thats just me

[Anthony]

its free so either way get it and drive it,auto wont be that friendly for autocross though

[GRNDHOG]

its free so either way get it and drive it,auto wont be that friendly for autocross though


thats the way i look at it...its free.

but auto's are bad, really? i thought that they'd be better...well easier. Believe me, I much prefer driving a manual. interesting.

[Z1NONLY]

While the autos are generally slower than sticks, it does give you one less thing to think about.

Most cars that old will need shocks, and the bushings should be checked too. I would just expect to see (feel) a lot of "slack" with all the interfaces. (Steering, suspension, brakes, etc)

It might be "amusing" to just show up and drive a car that old with no prep. And since it's free, you might seriously consider doing just that.

[Billy]

autos suck for autox. trust me i had one.

[SurfWagon]

it's free......for now

[bimmershark]

i dont have a lot of confidence in a 500 dollar auto supra making it from ohio to florida with no issues but thats just me

[Acuracy]

Free FTW, you'd have to be stupid to turn down a free car. Worst case you get some free driving/fun out of it and if it takes a shit you don't HAVE to fix it so you don't need to dump money into it if you don't want to.

[STiDriven]

By the time you drive up there and back and get and get a plate for it your free car is going to into a little money pit even before u drive it.

[blackjti]

as stated above .. free = cool ... auto for auto x = meh .. if you can leave it in 1st and 2nd manually like in most auto cars .. that would be the way to auto x it .. if needed .. but yeah .. thats not gonna be the greatest car for that

[Semi Jew]

an auto heavy car for auto-x? nah.

and briton's right. got a truck from a relative recently, even when i had it marked as "gift", it was $440 to register it with new plate. Fail.

[GRNDHOG]

yeah, I am not worried about costs of registering, maintenance, etc. I know that'll happen.

I just had visions of tearing up and down Buckingham air field at blazing fast speeds with relatively little upfront cash....I guess that won't happen. lol


Thanks all