Hi all,
I am totally new to IT and really to road racing for that matter. I have done some autocross but I want to make a switch to something more high speed and more like, well, racing! I don't have a huge budget and I really want to just do this for fun. I have read that IT is the way to go but now I need to know what would be the best way to go as far as a vehicle and class to run in. I have read that a Volkswagen Rabbit or GTI is a good way to go. Can you guys confirm this for me and give me some good recommendations as to what I should look for in purchasing a good candidate for racing? I am not a full-on mechanic or anything but I do have access to one(ASE certified) who is willing to help me. I am serious about having fun with this so I don't need to go crazy spending all kinds of money. It's going to cost me enough just paying reg fees! I live in CA so I will not have to worry too much about rust. I just don't know much about the whole lineup of vehicles from VW's and what some of the more subtle, possibly very important differences, are between years and models.

Thanks for any help!