Critter

Would it be foolish for me to go the rally route with my set up (see sig)?

what are the price points for suspension and handling?

Advice from my current point in my build?

DrewHMS97SS

I would do what you enjoy. Tubular front suspension stuff is expensive. Roughly $1,000 for upper and lower a-arms (less if you get non-adjustable), $5-600 for the cross member (though not needed), and anywhere from $1000-2500 for front and rear shocks.

Personally, I would start knocking stuff out individually starting with what you feel is the weakest at the track. Do you have any suspension stuff done? Poly anything? If nothing suspension is done, how about this:

1. Energy Suspension poly kit ($199-$300 depending)
2. Strut tower brace ($100-250)
3. Sub frame connectors ($100-350)
4. Poly motor mounts ($100-200)
5. Poly trans mount ($50)
6. 98+ style front brakes (find a car at the junk yard and steal the spindles and calipers)
6a. Stainless steel brake lines for a C5, longer lines are needed for the brakes, and while at it upgrade to SS for better brake feel ($100-200)

The on the fairly cheap will tighten the car up a lot. The next step IMHO would be shocks/struts/springs/coil overs, which ever direction you choose to go. That can get really pricey though. Better brakes over the 98 style would be preferable, but like the shocks/struts, get pricey. I would base my brake decision on how much your brakes are fading while at the track.

DrewHMS97SS

A side note, I really like BMR for suspension parts, but equally like UMI. I am constantly getting 25% off deals via email from classic industries, which has a lot of this stuff.

Injuneer

There's a lot of interesting “handling” parts on Sam Strano's site:

Strano Performance Parts - Parts Catalog

Critter

Thank you for the help guys. After doing a lot of research it looks like my best route might be (I may have to shave my beard off for this) is buying a 99 miata.... In the stock classes they were beating brand new grandsport corvettes and they are going for around 3k with tires at 1/3 the cost of what i would put on the z. Hopefully i can swing keeping my camaro, my suzuki samurai and getting a autox car with the wife.

DrewHMS97SS

I think it depends on what you are looking for in the autocross. Part of the draw is the feel of the ride. I've been in a Miata at an autocross and was unimpressed by the ride, even through the time was good.

The best feeling car I have been through a track in within a realistic price range was a Lotus Elise, but that is still way more than the Miata option. If it were me, I would chip away at the Z a few hundred at a time and enjoy the progression. Cheers to whichever way you decide to go fast!