Yaris homebrew race car?

[Kiteless]

So next month (July) My Yaris turns 5 years old. I plan on keeping the care another 5 years. It will be LONG since paid off by then. A friend of mine says I should turn it into a track day car. Racing slicks, rims good for racing, even stiffer springs, and a little lower. I could remove the seats, spare tire interior, some of the dash board, radio, replaced the driver and passenger seats with racing seats, carbon hood, aaaaand turbo…

But… Should I bother doing this to a 10 year old Yaris? What kinds of other things should I be looking for? The engine will have about 200K miles on it. Should I have the engine rebuild, or maybe even drop in a new engine? What about the transmission? Would I need a new stronger gearbox? Granted 5 years is a long time from now, but I am mainly just curious to know if anyone has done any of these things, what all they did and how much it cost?

Thanks all,

- Jason

[ilikerice]

I say thats a good idea.. In the mean time, Id start looking for another 1nz-fe motor and break it down and rebuild. 5 years is a long time and PLENTY of time to really learn how to work on the 1nz. As a beginner, I'd rip it apart. Then put it back together, put it in your car to see if it cranks. If it doesnt, find out why. Then when you get it cranked, pull it back out, break the motor down to pieces again and repeat. Do this til you know it like the back of your hand.

While your doing this, start saving that money and buy your roll cage and suspension, tires and wheels. After 5 years, you will have a motor to put in that is more reliable.

THEN, take taht 300k mile motor and break that down and ReBUILD for a TURBO...

sorry, got carried away.. just a thought if i was in your situation. GOOD LUCK!

[puetato89]

Originally Posted by ilikerice

I say thats a good idea.. In the mean time, Id start looking for another 1nz-fe motor and break it down and rebuild. 5 years is a long time and PLENTY of time to really learn how to work on the 1nz. As a beginner, I'd rip it apart. Then put it back together, put it in your car to see if it cranks. If it doesnt, find out why. Then when you get it cranked, pull it back out, break the motor down to pieces again and repeat. Do this til you know it like the back of your hand.

While your doing this, start saving that money and buy your roll cage and suspension, tires and wheels. After 5 years, you will have a motor to put in that is more reliable.

THEN, take taht 300k mile motor and break that down and ReBUILD for a TURBO...

sorry, got carried away.. just a thought if i was in your situation. GOOD LUCK!

+1

[Flipper_1938]

Ever thought about building it for land speed racing? A Yaris on the Bonneville Salt Flats might be fun. It might be hard to find a class that is not already dominated by hondas though.

[thepartsmancometh]

great idea! I have always toyed with the idea too. The wife proclaimed she wants the yaris for 10 yrs, after that its mine to do whatever with...

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Kiteless

So next month (July) My Yaris turns 5 years old. I plan on keeping the care another 5 years. It will be LONG since paid off by then. A friend of mine says I should turn it into a track day car. Racing slicks, rims good for racing, even stiffer springs, and a little lower. I could remove the seats, spare tire interior, some of the dash board, radio, replaced the driver and passenger seats with racing seats, carbon hood, aaaaand turbo…

But… Should I bother doing this to a 10 year old Yaris? What kinds of other things should I be looking for? The engine will have about 200K miles on it. Should I have the engine rebuild, or maybe even drop in a new engine? What about the transmission? Would I need a new stronger gearbox? Granted 5 years is a long time from now, but I am mainly just curious to know if anyone has done any of these things, what all they did and how much it cost?

Thanks all,

- Jason

If you are on a budget, or don't have prior racing experience, I recommend turning it into a B-Spec car. It's a new class, but should offer tight competition among like cars at a very reasonable cost.

Mods are very limited: non-adjustable shocks or coil-overs (no compression or rebound adjustment) with max spring rates of 500lbs. Minimum 5" ride height measured at the lower sill. Max -2.5 front camber, can be done with crash-bolts or offset bushings. Drop-in air filter replacement. Cat-back exhaust. 15"x7" wheels (12lb minimum weight) with 205-50-15 R compound tires. Any brake pad and stainless steel brake lines. Also required is a six-point rollcage, racing seat, 5-point harness. Interior is all removed, except the dash.
Even at 200k miles I would not bother working over the engine of trans, if it is running fine get out there and get experience, once it breaks fix it.



Now if you have deep pockets go for H Production. You can go nuts on suspension. Change the gearing (actually replace the entire trans), clutch, flywheel, LSD. Carbon hood and hatch. Plastic windows. Flare it for 10" wide slicks. ECU is open, head work and cams can be done. The car will be just over 1800lbs and should make around 135hp NA. It is crazy fast, for a Yaris. We are into our second season with the car and the only mechanical failure has been an aftermarket crank pulley. The trans and engine hold up great. If you went with a turbo you might have more stress on the gearbox.

[puetato89]

[Kaotic Lazagna]

+1 on drooling

[Kiteless]

Wooooow man! Those are both great looking cars! 5 years is so far away, but if I was not making car payments, I could totally afford a track day car and my roomie has a truck. Thanks so much for all the information from everyone! Makes me wish I could do it now.

- Jason

Originally Posted by Jason@SportsCar

If you are on a budget, or don't have prior racing experience, I recommend turning it into a B-Spec car. It's a new class, but should offer tight competition among like cars at a very reasonable cost.

Mods are very limited: non-adjustable shocks or coil-overs (no compression or rebound adjustment) with max spring rates of 500lbs. Minimum 5" ride height measured at the lower sill. Max -2.5 front camber, can be done with crash-bolts or offset bushings. Drop-in air filter replacement. Cat-back exhaust. 15"x7" wheels (12lb minimum weight) with 205-50-15 R compound tires. Any brake pad and stainless steel brake lines. Also required is a six-point rollcage, racing seat, 5-point harness. Interior is all removed, except the dash.
Even at 200k miles I would not bother working over the engine of trans, if it is running fine get out there and get experience, once it breaks fix it.



Now if you have deep pockets go for H Production. You can go nuts on suspension. Change the gearing (actually replace the entire trans), clutch, flywheel, LSD. Carbon hood and hatch. Plastic windows. Flare it for 10" wide slicks. ECU is open, head work and cams can be done. The car will be just over 1800lbs and should make around 135hp NA. It is crazy fast, for a Yaris. We are into our second season with the car and the only mechanical failure has been an aftermarket crank pulley. The trans and engine hold up great. If you went with a turbo you might have more stress on the gearbox.

[CrankyOldMan]

I have been considering something similar. My '09 hatch was paid in cash, so I own it outright, but I need to finish college (3 more years) and get most if not all of the kids out of the house (10+ years) before I can really get into something as time and money intensive as racing. The kids part is flexible, as engineers tend to earn decent pay, but having a garage is a must, so moving out of the trailer and into a house is a must.

I hadn't thought about the class that I want to compete in, but I had thought about getting involved with SCCA for some entry level experience.

[SilverBack]

Originally Posted by CrankyOldMan

I have been considering something similar. My '09 hatch was paid in cash, so I own it outright, but I need to finish college (3 more years) and get most if not all of the kids out of the house (10+ years) before I can really get into something as time and money intensive as racing. The kids part is flexible, as engineers tend to earn decent pay, but having a garage is a must, so moving out of the trailer and into a house is a must.

I hadn't thought about the class that I want to compete in, but I had thought about getting involved with SCCA for some entry level experience.

+1. I had many plans for my Yaris just it was about to get paid-off. I had just installed proper street tires and lowering springs when the economy bit me and the need to return to school kicked-in. Just a temporary setback.

And SCCA is awesome. You learn so much about your car just by doing only a couple Auto-X events.

[Kiteless]

Originally Posted by CrankyOldMan

I have been considering something similar. My '09 hatch was paid in cash, so I own it outright, but I need to finish college (3 more years) and get most if not all of the kids out of the house (10+ years) before I can really get into something as time and money intensive as racing. The kids part is flexible, as engineers tend to earn decent pay, but having a garage is a must, so moving out of the trailer and into a house is a must.

I hadn't thought about the class that I want to compete in, but I had thought about getting involved with SCCA for some entry level experience.

A friend of mine bought a Del Sol brand new may years ago. I want to say its a good 12 years old now. He got it new, had it for like 9 years and then went crazy. Converted it to 4WD, installed a roll cage, welded it in himself. Did some stuff to the motor but still NA, modified the gas tank, racing seats, gutted, but it is still street legal and he goes Rally Crossing with it.

I am just after a track day car. Something I can have a set of slicks in the back (or on a little tire trailer), bring a jack and tools, swap tires and have a fun day. Or maybe do an ECU, run premium gas, and leave the slicks on it and borrow my roomies truck and rent a trailer and tow it out there.

How do you register/insure a track only car? Does it even need plates? It certainly would not legally pass smog. Can one remove the Cat?

[ilikerice]

Originally Posted by Kiteless

I am just after a track day car. Something I can have a set of slicks in the back (or on a little tire trailer), bring a jack and tools, swap tires and have a fun day. Or maybe do an ECU, run premium gas, and leave the slicks on it and borrow my roomies truck and rent a trailer and tow it out there.

I do that when I'm running R Comp tires. I have an extra set of rims rota's 15x7 that i mounted some 225/50/15 khumo V700 on.

Threw 4 rims/tires, a low profile hydrolic jack, ramps to get the front high enough to get the jack under the side skirts, torque wrench, breaker bar, a Makita cordless impact gun, and a bag of stuff (tire pressure guage, laser temp guage, lunch, bottle waters, sunscreen, camera, and my numbers/letters.

[Flipper_1938]

Originally Posted by Flipper_1938

Ever thought about building it for land speed racing? A Yaris on the Bonneville Salt Flats might be fun. It might be hard to find a class that is not already dominated by hondas though.

As is, the yaris fits into H / Production category. That means stock body and a normally aspirated engine sized 1.01-1.50 liters. Current record is 153.517 mph.

Any way in hell that a Yaris could be hot rodded enough to go 150+ mph?

[atpro]

2az-fe? Nice, strong good running engine! They make a ton of parts for them, including turbos, full head kits etc. Given you can fit one under the hood of our lil' yarii.

[ilikerice]

Originally Posted by atpro

2az-fe? Nice, strong good running engine! They make a ton of parts for them, including turbos, full head kits etc. Given you can fit one under the hood of our lil' yarii.

Then it wouldn't be H production class.. that is the Goal there, a 1nz getting to 150mph Naturally Aspirated.

[Strider199]

And to think I bought my 2012 yaris to get me from point A to point B everyday as cheap as possible.

Now you've got me thinking. Thanks for that. lol

[ilikerice]

Originally Posted by Strider199

And to think I bought my 2012 yaris to get me from point A to point B everyday as cheap as possible.

Now you've got me thinking. Thanks for that. lol

god do i know what you mean.. I bought this car as a DD so I wont put money into it. 1st autocross event and my jaw dropped on the handling this thing has. So sad