I just came back from the NASA event at VIR and I've decided to buy a race car. Or at least some POS that will someday evolve into some semblance of one.

I 'm thinking of using a gen 2
I need something I fit in. I'm tall w/ long legs/big feet and I need room.
I rememeber the interior is good - I owned a first gen that I liked and was fairly roomy and I drove a second gen once or twice and I remember it was a good fit for me as I railed it all the way from DC to Atlantic City (this girl I worked with owned it and I drove it there once).

What else would be a good choice

 

For non-turbo 2nd gen RX-7s the best choices would be the 86-87 Sport, the 88 GTU, and the 89-90 GTUs model (but not the 89-90 GTU) for a race car, as those models were typically lighter and with a heavy duty suspension (except the 89-90 GTUs model).

As far as cars other than the RX-7 you would want to post in the general automotive section.

 

what are the differences between 4 and 5 lug cars -

 

depends what class you wanna run in. i dont know what all NASA events include, i only know of road racing. either way, you want to find yourself a class and all of its rules. i have seen a few 2nd gens, but i dont remember what all they've raced in. miatas are also great. you may want to look into this. i'm not sure how much you know or your pockets, but racing can cost some money. spec miatas cost around $12000 or so i believe. also, you probably want to be competetive, so a fresh engine is a plus in any field.
so what are you into? what class would you prefer?

i talked to the owner (i think) of Maz-Max at TWS in texas. he had a black GTUs with convt wheels. the GTUs has the 4.33 rear with LSD, but the turbo driveline (excluding engine) adds even more weight to a car that doesn't push enough torque to need the beefier transmission and driveshaft.

Check the stickies at top:
FAQ for FC &
What did my car come with....?

 

There is a difference between 4 lug and 5 lug brakes as well as between the single piston front brakes and 4 piston front brakes found on the different 5 lug systems.

 

The NASA class is going to allow a much easier entry into racing cost wise and is a good way to start because you build any car you want. Your mods determine your class and you go thru some instructor levels to compete in lap day type events. Thats what I want to do. You can definitely run what you brung.

I dont want to race something I cant fit in

 

Looking at Mazdatrix - what did the four piston caliper come on in 2nd gen? Is it the same as the 3rd gen caliper. What about the rotor size?

 

okay, one thing scares me...
...the rest of your paragraph sounded ideal, but mods are something abstract with many different combinations. you dont wanna have a car perfect for "this" class, but have one stupid mod that puts you in "that" class where other stuff may also be available but you dont have. thats how i understand it and know it works with some forms of racing and categorizing. i'm sure thats how it will work there, too.
check out icemark's site, it has info on all the models within the site.

http://www.mazdamark.com/about_the_fc.htm
the series 5 have better graphs. wish the same went for the S4s.
http://www.mazdamark.com/about_the_s5_fc.htm

 

To begin I need to get a car and get lots of lapping days in - so I'll get a beater and get it runnig enough to get started - mods will be slow to start.

I work for a performance brakes company so I will try to get some dough from my boss once I get it running.