I am about to take my 1991 NX with 145k miles out to some track days this summer, but I am worried about it blowing up or breaking down!

Ideally, I would tow my car out there (to Willow Springs from S. Orange County), but I am a poor college student with no friends with trucks!

So what are some things I can do to prepare my car to be a reliable enough to drive to the track, drive ON the track, and drive back? Or should I even be bothering with such mileage?

people do many events each year driving their DD cars to and from the track, many hours each way some times.

replace any fluids that you think may be old.

decent pads, and good brake fluid

look the entire car over for good solid assembly (tighten all nuts and bolts)

make sure everything is in good working oder before you go anywhere.

lastly, stay out of the tire walls at the trcak and you shoudl make it home just fine.

At a minimum:

Change the oil/filter
change the brake fluid
get decent track pads (and ALWAYS take a spare set of something)

If you have time: (I usually do these once/year)
flush the radiator, go with a 70/30 mix of water/coolant
tranny fluid

Since SR20s like to spin bearings, take extra oil with you. I've been taking a 5qt jug with me anytime I travel, just incase. My car doesn't use oil, but you don't want to be in the middle of no where or at the track, and need oil. Check the level before each session at a minimum.

I run 10w40 redline oil in my track beater. water wetter and an nx radiator. Held up fine this weekend. 3 hrs to the track 120 min on track and 3 hrs home. Ive seen higher water temps in traffic jams, and the oil still looks new. Follow everyones advice and it should hold up just fine. If you are worried, short shift it on the straights and keep the rpms down.

Ive seen higher water temps in traffic jams, and the oil still looks new.

That is the first thing I noticed about going to the NX radiator. My oil did not discolor nearly as quickly as it did with the OE SE-R rad. I don't have a temp guage for the oil, but that's clear indication to me it's staying cooler.

get at least a 16lb rad cap....running the stock 12lb cost me a race (if i wasn't paying attention it might have cost me a motor). the stock cap will hemmorage(sp?) all of your fluid if you run 6000+ rpms for an extended period of time.