Track Gear Fit in FT86?

After you’ve been to the track or autocross a bunch of times, you start to form a long list of things you know you’ll need or want while you’re out there. Over the years I’ve had a variety of cars that I’ve taken to the track. First was my ‘98 Integra Type R. That car was cavernous inside. I could fit my 15” race wheels/tires, and all of my tools and gear with room to spare…ah, the good ole’ days. Next up was my 350Z. Tires…you must be kidding. With that goofy giant cross-brace in the rear hatch area, I could barely fit anything! I had to either slim down my payload, or have a friend bring my stuff along in a separate car. My C5 Z06 was a bit better. Cramming 18’s with 305 Hoosiers was clearly out of the question, but it definitely swallowed a lot of my other gear without any issues. Finally, my ‘92 Miata is fairly useless for hauling anything other than the driver. I therefore bought a small tire trailer that I pull. It’s a great solution, but necessitates a hitch, the trailer, and place to store it.

While we’ll be hauling our Essex BRZ in an enclosed trailer, I was curious to see how much of my standard track ‘stuff’ I could cram into it. I scooped up a bunch of my track gear which included:
Ramps
Aluminum jack
Jack stands
Blue plastic Rubbermaid bin (air compressor, tire gauge, fix-a-flat, oil, brake fluid, spare brake pads, window cleaner, towels, etc.)
Small tool box
Torque wrench & breaker bar
Helmet, gloves, and Hans device
Driving shoes
Fold out chair
Razor pit scooter (don’t laugh until you try it)

First, we pulled the spare tire. I left the foam blocks in, but removing them would provide a couple more inches of vertical space if needed. We then crammed in the OEM wheels and tires. Many people will have slightly wider tires and rims for the track, but you should be able to squeeze four tires in the back seat area and still move the seat back far enough for the average sized driver. It’s going to be tight, but doable with a 17” or 16”. 18’s may get awfully snug.

I stuck the ramps in the passenger side. If you’re bringing a guest to the track (don’t bother with your girlfriend or wife…she’ll hate you afterwards), you’ll have to either leave your ramps or tires at home. Everything else packed in nicely. There was even enough room left over for a small overnight duffel bag. It’s no Integra in terms of storage, but it does seem to have enough space to haul track essential for a weekend trip. That’s something quite a few of the competitors cannot do!