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What to build? 2017 Racecar?


99StockGT

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With much of racing season already gone, and quite a lot of the projects being completed or nearly complete time to look ahead at next year. There's an HPDE event at Mid Ohio coming up that I did last year but the more I think about it tossing the Stealth around there again at crazy speeds just doesn't seem the smartest plan. Between all the expensive maintenance pieces and the cost of fixing things if I impact something, I just can't stomach it. So in my mind that means purpose built race car.

 

Mid-Ohio, Pitt, Ginger, those sorts of road courses are really what I'm looking to enjoy next year so what would you build? Would like to keep this budget conscious, say under 5k all told. Solid aftermarket parts availability and decent reliability. Brand loyalty doesn't matter, we work on damn near anything under the sun so I haven't got an issue there.

 

Something I noticed with the Stealth around Mid-Ohio is that sometimes a lot of power makes the experience less enjoyable. While it's awesome to blast down the back stretch at 30+ mph faster than everyone else I think those who did it a bit slower actually had more fun and less worry. So, power to weight ratio should also be considered.

 

What would CR do?!

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are you looking to "build" something or do you just want to strip down an already running car?

 

If the former...why not a factory five 818 since you always seem to have access to lots of subaru parts.

 

 

If the later....E30 bmw. You can still get 325es for real cheap. Swap with a 325i head to get rid of the 4K redline and make a super eta (325e models are 2.7L not 2.5L like the 325i). If you wreck it, recycle it into beer cans and get another. Plus it makes you eligible for all sorts of other racing series if you want to take it to another level.

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Depends on how "purpose built" you want it to be...

Is "street legal" important so you can drive it to the track? I prefer a trailered car as "if" the unthinkable happens - I can put it back on/in the trailer and drive home.

 

After building a couple of purpose built cars I can tell you it's much easier / faster / cheaper to buy a built car and improve upon it. Then the choice becomes "real" race cars (sports racers / tube chassis / formula) or converted street cars (Showroom stock / Improved touring / American Sedan / etc).

 

Formula cars are generally out as most track days don't allow "unfendered" cars.

 

I can offer two choices:

 

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5694396084.html

"Real race car" w/fenders that can run most track days. Much cheaper than other SR's and still faster than a lot of higher powered cars (I will deal on price)

 

or:

 

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5694377464.html

Converted street car (truck) w/spares for lots of fun.

 

Either way, you won't have 2-10 more "me too" cars in the paddock with you. I am cleaning out so I can go Chump racing (I have a buy/build project in mind) - or if the truck is still here, it's almost done being prepped to race.

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This made me think of a locost 7. A kit car based on the lotus 7 but with rotary power.

 

What I meant.

 

 

 

I was roughly $1,500 away from this guys asking price. He wouldn't budge at the time. I believe someone in Ohio ended up with it.

 

 

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?8937-FS-Street-legal-R1-powered-Locost

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A $1500 miata with 949 big grip kit and 15x9 wheels with some good tires is honesty the fastest and most reliable thing for that budget. Other than that you are paying to be more unique.

 

I paid 3500 for my super clean 90 miata. Put energy bushings, used koni yellows and ground control coilovers on it. Used 15x7 wheels with used hoosier SM7s and the car is capable of doing 1.48s at midohio club. That's less than $5k and less than 100whp.

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Does not need to be street legal, this will get trailered to and from the track along with tools and such to support it. Ideally this would also be a car we could use for some promotional example of what we can do and the car clubs we support. The Nissan G/Z/GTR club and Subarus come to mind.

 

We DO have a semi gutted Forester here which is going through the process to become an AutoX car for next year. That will still be streetable with full A/C and such so not exactly the purpose built racer.

 

On the Miata front, it's certainly hard to beat. That platform has been proven 1000 times before and it's certainly appealing to have the pedigree, unfortunately it would also be lost in the herd of miata... and I can already see me eyeballing mods on other cars...and spending more and more money to get higher and higher in the Miata ranks

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http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?57329-1994-Sentra-SE-R-logbooked-RACE-CAR-WITH-legal-Title-in-my-name-FS-NASA-PTE-TTE

http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?57377-1995-G20-NASA-Race-Car-w-Nats-wins-17-track-records-AND-titled-street-driven!

 

Something like these if you want to stay reliable and Nissan. Seriously the popular cars at the track are popular for a reason. Being unique is expensive and 5k isn't anything.

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Ideally this would also be a car we could use for some promotional example of what we can do and the car clubs we support. The Nissan G/Z/GTR club and Subarus come to mind.

 

 

I like your thought process here. Race on Sunday sell on Monday type of thing...

 

Personally I'd suggest the miata or E36 or something front engine and rear drive. Kit car Lotus' scare me somehow I'd feel safer on a bike than on one of those.

 

I'd love to give Chandler shit about selling the vette cause it was a great car but his miata proves that something relatively simple can be fast as snot when driven well.

 

OR....establish new ground for the shop. Friend of mine in KY is stupid fast and a lap record holder in just about anything he sets foot in. He decided he wanted to build the ultimate miata for himself and did an LS3 swapped, wide body miata that will outrun most anything it comes up against. In doing so and showing how fast the car was he gained a customer base of people that want him to build them the same car and he's done several of them now and established a name for the shop as one of the great places to go for that particular car build. Find a platform where you can do the same and all of a sudden building a track toy for yourself results in building the business even more.

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http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?57329-1994-Sentra-SE-R-logbooked-RACE-CAR-WITH-legal-Title-in-my-name-FS-NASA-PTE-TTE

http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?57377-1995-G20-NASA-Race-Car-w-Nats-wins-17-track-records-AND-titled-street-driven!

 

Something like these if you want to stay reliable and Nissan. Seriously the popular cars at the track are popular for a reason. Being unique is expensive and 5k isn't anything.

 

You didn't happen to know I already have a Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V that literally just got on the road Monday did you? That's scary ;)

 

Yes I definitely agree, one of the reasons I gave up on the Merkur racecar is the parts support just aren't there. When you cook or snap something and have to pay 4x price and wait a week the replacement to arrive, that's not good low budget racecar planning!

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Yes I definitely agree, one of the reasons I gave up on the Merkur racecar is the parts support just aren't there. When you cook or snap something and have to pay 4x price and wait a week the replacement to arrive, that's not good low budget racecar planning!

 

XR4Ti you already have?

 

...

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The problem with the Merkur isn't the engine, it's everything else. The brakes and suspension are specific to the car, same with axles. I could do a spindle swap and move over to 5 lug Ford setup but then I'm going to have quite a bit more money just to get the conversion done. Once that's all done you still have a very angry 2.3 under a lot of boost which will heat soak just about any intercooler when doing road racing. AutoX or drag racing short busts of throttle then you cool off for a while, with road racing you are looking at heavy throttle out of every corner and down every straight for extended periods of time.
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You didn't happen to know I already have a Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V that literally just got on the road Monday did you? That's scary ;)

 

Yes I definitely agree, one of the reasons I gave up on the Merkur racecar is the parts support just aren't there. When you cook or snap something and have to pay 4x price and wait a week the replacement to arrive, that's not good low budget racecar planning!

 

XR4Ti you already have?

 

LS swap?

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A dry sump to keep any LS alive would be his entire budget. Which is part of the reason I don't own the vette anymore.

 

Exactly, you also will NEVER see me running anything that's LS swapped, just not my style personally.

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what about a SB chevy (non-LS) swapped jaguar xj6/xjs? Sure they are big cars but they have amazing suspension and you can find ones already swapped for under $3K:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5715325975.html

 

Broadspeed raced the XJ series in the 1970's in euro touring car championships:

http://www.jagweb.com/jaguarmodelclub/2005/olmag/59/b04.JPG

 

Junkyards are stockpiled with them so used spares are cheap ($500 parts cars are common) although new parts might be pricy. The jaguar rear end was used for many kit car cobras to replicate the IRS of the original so there is a decent aftermarket for it (Kugel rear ends are a copy) including quick change center sections. You can pick up a dry sump SBC setup used from a circle track racer for about $400 (if CL is to be believed).

 

One thing is for sure you would stand out.

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what about a SB chevy (non-LS) swapped jaguar xj6/xjs? Sure they are big cars but they have amazing suspension and you can find ones already swapped for under $3K:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5715325975.html

 

Broadspeed raced the XJ series in the 1970's in euro touring car championships:

http://www.jagweb.com/jaguarmodelclub/2005/olmag/59/b04.JPG

 

Junkyards are stockpiled with them so used spares are cheap ($500 parts cars are common) although new parts might be pricy. The jaguar rear end was used for many kit car cobras to replicate the IRS of the original so there is a decent aftermarket for it (Kugel rear ends are a copy) including quick change center sections. You can pick up a dry sump SBC setup used from a circle track racer for about $400 (if CL is to be believed).

 

One thing is for sure you would stand out.

 

Ha! Well that's not a suggestion I was expecting! The one in the photo though IS a pretty bad ass looking ride!

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