I need a little help

[karl_1052]

Originally Posted by goof2

Try the car thing but for the budget you are working with I think anything "bike like" will be out of reach. Caterhams start at $30k without engine or transmission. The R500 posted earlier is $60k without engine or trans.mThe Ariel Atom is $65k. A Lotus Elise starts at about $48k and an Exige is $65k+. There really isn't much else from a factory I can think of that will have the combination of light weight and power I suspect you would want.

Depending on how strict your area of NC is with emissions and registration you could also consider dropping a GM LS V8 in to a Miata. From what I have seen it can be done for around $25k with a new motor and trans. It could be less with a used powertrain.

He is looking used, and used Caterhams are not too bad.
I have seen them as low as 10K pounds, you could probably get one over here for right around 20K US, then in two years swap out the 1.6L ford for a 1.3L suzuki.

[CasterTroy]

Originally Posted by goof2

Try the car thing but for the budget you are working with I think anything "bike like" will be out of reach. Caterhams start at $30k without engine or transmission. The R500 posted earlier is $60k without engine or trans.mThe Ariel Atom is $65k. A Lotus Elise starts at about $48k and an Exige is $65k+. There really isn't much else from a factory I can think of that will have the combination of light weight and power I suspect you would want.

Depending on how strict your area of NC is with emissions and registration you could also consider dropping a GM LS V8 in to a Miata. From what I have seen it can be done for around $25k with a new motor and trans. It could be less with a used powertrain.

You've got that right....sheesh. But I'm also thinking of maybe building something.

I've done it before



No reason I couldn't again

LS1 motor in a vega?

[askmrjesus]

Hey Troy, Sorry to hear about your friend. I wish I could say I can't imagine how you feel right now, but unfortunately, I can.

We all know, deep down, that motorcycles are inherently dangerous pieces of machinery. Hell, I expect that's why many of us ride them. We tell ourselves, (and our spouses) that we'll be OK. We have all the training, all the gear, and the experience, but in the end, we know it could all go wrong in an instant. It's the nature of the beast. Always was, always will be.

My advice, hang up your helmet for awhile. You have too much bad shit floating around your head right now, and it's going to take a while before you have the kind of confidence it takes to ride like you want to. I don't think anyone would blame you for wanting to trade the bike in for a car, but you already know it won't be the same thing. How could it be?

If you decide the risks aren't worth the reward, move on to something new. If you decide to jump back on, I can tell you from experience that it does get better, and that eventually it will be fun again. It won't ever be quite the same, but, well, that's just how it is.

Take care man.

JC

[Cutty72]

I was going to suggest quads, but if dirt riding is hard to come by, that's out. You could go with a side by side, they can run on the street. Take care man, and keep your head up.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by CasterTroy

You've got that right....sheesh. But I'm also thinking of maybe building something.

I've done it before



No reason I couldn't again

LS1 motor in a vega?

It looks like something you would be comfortable with. Nice work on the truck. If you want to go lighter there are also some kits available for swapping the Integra type-r motor in to an original mini. Seriously light weight being hauled around by 200hp would be entertaining. I would think it could be done in the $12k-18k range.

[Flexin]

Originally Posted by NeonspeedRT

Troy,
If you do decide you want to get into something else, look into autocrossing. Check out the SCCA ( sports car club of America ). Solo 2 events are a blast and you can get intoit pretty cheap. You can race with anything from a Honda civic. Dodge neon, Mazda miata, or pretty much any small to medium sized car. There are classes for stock cars, mild modded cars, highly modded cars, and everything inbetween.

The amount you spend is basically up to you. You can go racing for $25 per event. If you want to run race tires you can. If you want to run stock tires, you can.

The Solo 2 events are basically individual timed runs on a road course, a good sized parking lot, or even an airport runway. The course is marked by cones or painted lines. Check it out. It's a great rush and alot of fun.

You beat me to it. This is a much better way to have fun. I had a friend that did it. His father had a Z24 with the 3.1 in it. They both went every weekend and they both drove the same car. After a while they bought some steel rims and a set of tires and would change them for the event.

I know another guy that did it in a Nissan NX2000.

James

[Ducati Diva]

Dido on what everyone else has said just give your heart time to heal a little before you make any rash decisions but..........
If you want a fun relative consumer friendly fast ltl ride check out the Subaru STI. We had an 05 and absolutely frackn loved it. It's all wheel drive, 4 door(still family friendly), Butt loads of power from the factory, and if you tweak that oh hell hang on. I highly recommend them to anyone. They are a blast!!!!

[Flexin]

If you have a daily driver I would go with a Factory Five Cobra. Full kit is in your price range and you have experience building cars. Or you could buy one that is already built from another owner. You can have as much power as you can afford, brakes and suspension can be as mild or crazy as you want or can afford.

http://www.factoryfive.com/rdsterhome.html

The 33' is nice as well but I'm not sure if you fit in those.

James

[NeonspeedRT]

Originally Posted by Flexin

You beat me to it. This is a much better way to have fun. I had a friend that did it. His father had a Z24 with the 3.1 in it. They both went every weekend and they both drove the same car. After a while they bought some steel rims and a set of tires and would change them for the event.

I know another guy that did it in a Nissan NX2000.

James

That's the great thing about autocrossing. You can do it with whatever car and whatever kind of budget you want. I wouldn't go out and buy a M3 or Vette till you know if you like it. Find a cheap Civic, Mini Cooper, WRX, or something like that.

When I used to race there was a group of guys who called themselves "Enterprise Rental Racing". Two guys would go rent a car, autocross it, and then return it.

[ericr]

Originally Posted by CasterTroy

Yes I could die in a car a much more tragic death....but my family could sleep at night

I haven't read through the rest of the replies yet but this one sentence caught my attention Troy.

When it comes to your family, will it really matter how you die when the time comes??? It's one thing maybe if you're taking stupid risks but I've never gotten the impression you do that on the bike. Yes, riding is risky, so is driving a car fast on curvy roads. People die all the time in senseless (it seems) accidents that are beyond anyones control. People die of cancer, sometimes within weeks of discovering it. Then they look at their life and have to evaluate how they lived it.

The real question for me and the way I look at it is...do I want to live until I die or live in a bubble and start dying slowly now because I'm scared it's going to happen? Well, it's inevitable, it's gonna happen and I'd rather live until then. I feel most alive on a bike, wether I'm pushing it or just cruising along, but that's the most alive feeling for me with some adrinelin thrown in once and a while.

Is it selfish to want to do the thing you love becasue there is a chance you could crash and die? Maybe a little, but it's selfish for someone to not want you to do what you love too, a little.

I'm sure you can tell what my opinion is. It's your choice on how to live your life or not live it. Just come to peace with your choice what ever it is you choose and hopefully your family and loved ones will accept that choice either way also.