Busy, busy, busy...
We finally bought Sheri a track car. A 2000 fixed roof coupe Corvette. It's very stock, save for a set of very loud exhaust pipes, a piggyback ECU and a new head unit for the sound system. We got a very good price too.
That will change.
In order to turn a stock C5 vette into a sustained use track car, this is what you need:
Air intake (stock is horrible)
Oil cooler (It's Texas, in the summer)
Transmission cooler (see above)
Extended wheel studs (for racing wheels)
Stainless steel brake lines (rubber lines expand under hard braking, these don't)
Harness bar (race seats later)
Full alignment (hybrid street/track; -1.5 camber front, -1 rear, little toe in back, toe out front)
Catch can (for oil)
Power steering pump (the stock pumps melt at high RPM or boil the fluid)
Bigger sway bars (doesn't hurt street manners and corners much better; includes better end links too)
Track wheels and tires (for Hoosiers!)
Upgraded brake pads (obviously)
Full synthetic fluid change (AMSOIL)
Radiator fill with pure distilled water (in case of spills on the track)
Dyno tune (most stock tunes are crap)
Nothing to it. I can do most of this, save the dyno tune.
Actually, we have a lot of this stuff, since Sheri had her convertible almost converted to track use. I've got some of it done, and the car is better for it. The alignment was way off, and that's fixed. I swapped the air intake out for more power and the oil cooler and a host of other parts are on the way. It's fun to have another car to play with, however...
We are out of space to park cars. Really. It now looks like there is a constant party at our house. Thus, we are looking seriously at making the garage bigger. As it turns out, we can do it in the existing plat for our lot, and we will begin the design and finance process Monday of next week. I can't wait to have a real shop.
I competed in the Chrono X time trial again, in the second round of that series. I had a blast, though I came second to a very fast Lotus Exige. By 0.004 seconds. I'm good with that, as he had to switch to autocross slicks to get that time. Were I on four new tires, I'd have had him. And mine are coming. I received my prize tires from Hoosier for the TWS event and purchased two more for the race wheels. I'll be on new rubber soon, which is good because I have too many events coming.
Next weekend is Viper Days. It's a TWS event and wild as hell. I'd like to go for the full three days. Early next month is Hallett NASA in Oklahoma, then we have the third Chrono X back here, and the Driver's Edge event at Harris Hill too. Going to be a busy couple of months, which is good.
I have a lot of friends who drive cars to get from point to point. Cars are a way to take you someplace you can't go by foot or other transportation. I used to deride that point of view, because driving to me is an end in itself, no matter where you end up. However, I have to say, a racecar can take you places no other vehicle can. It's really impossible to explain in words more than that.
That will change.
In order to turn a stock C5 vette into a sustained use track car, this is what you need:
Air intake (stock is horrible)
Oil cooler (It's Texas, in the summer)
Transmission cooler (see above)
Extended wheel studs (for racing wheels)
Stainless steel brake lines (rubber lines expand under hard braking, these don't)
Harness bar (race seats later)
Full alignment (hybrid street/track; -1.5 camber front, -1 rear, little toe in back, toe out front)
Catch can (for oil)
Power steering pump (the stock pumps melt at high RPM or boil the fluid)
Bigger sway bars (doesn't hurt street manners and corners much better; includes better end links too)
Track wheels and tires (for Hoosiers!)
Upgraded brake pads (obviously)
Full synthetic fluid change (AMSOIL)
Radiator fill with pure distilled water (in case of spills on the track)
Dyno tune (most stock tunes are crap)
Nothing to it. I can do most of this, save the dyno tune.
Actually, we have a lot of this stuff, since Sheri had her convertible almost converted to track use. I've got some of it done, and the car is better for it. The alignment was way off, and that's fixed. I swapped the air intake out for more power and the oil cooler and a host of other parts are on the way. It's fun to have another car to play with, however...
We are out of space to park cars. Really. It now looks like there is a constant party at our house. Thus, we are looking seriously at making the garage bigger. As it turns out, we can do it in the existing plat for our lot, and we will begin the design and finance process Monday of next week. I can't wait to have a real shop.
I competed in the Chrono X time trial again, in the second round of that series. I had a blast, though I came second to a very fast Lotus Exige. By 0.004 seconds. I'm good with that, as he had to switch to autocross slicks to get that time. Were I on four new tires, I'd have had him. And mine are coming. I received my prize tires from Hoosier for the TWS event and purchased two more for the race wheels. I'll be on new rubber soon, which is good because I have too many events coming.
Next weekend is Viper Days. It's a TWS event and wild as hell. I'd like to go for the full three days. Early next month is Hallett NASA in Oklahoma, then we have the third Chrono X back here, and the Driver's Edge event at Harris Hill too. Going to be a busy couple of months, which is good.
I have a lot of friends who drive cars to get from point to point. Cars are a way to take you someplace you can't go by foot or other transportation. I used to deride that point of view, because driving to me is an end in itself, no matter where you end up. However, I have to say, a racecar can take you places no other vehicle can. It's really impossible to explain in words more than that.
posted by Yakisoba at 8:55 AM
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