F-body road racing?

[RageAgainstTheMinivan]

cool that sounds like it was fun! Dont WS6's come with power steering coolers? I believe i read that once.

Just follow the return line for your power steering pump. If its the radiator hose type, there will be a section of aluminum tube that the radiator hoses connect to just forward of where the power steering pump.

[beach cruiser]

Yes, WS6's and SS Camaros have the Power Steering cooler, it's in the rad hose. I burnt my pump up early on and replaced it with a Turn One pump which has different flow output for longevity. I also replaced the fluid with Red Line fluid, no more issues since.

My Mod list:

Koni 4/3 shocks all around
Strano Lowering Springs Front and Rear
35mm/22mm Front and Rear Bars
Rod Ended Panhard Bar
Hawk HP+ brake pads
Strano offset upper control arm bushings
Z06 17x9.5 wheels with 295 35 Hoosier A6's (really an autocross tire)
I have Z06 18x10.5 with 315 A6's that I autox with for the rear
Ws6 stock 17x9 stock wheels with Kumho XS 275's for the street
Hooker 3" catback with Aerochamber muffler

For Alignment specs I'm running -2.6 Camber with 4.5 caster and 1/16 toe out
It's a little aggressive for the street and you can wear tires pretty fast, but I only put about 5k miles a year on the street.

My car is also a M6 with the WS6 RamAir hood so it's good for about 325hp or so factory. No mods to the motor at all other than a K&N filter. 117K miles on her.

I have a set of Ebay Headers that are going on this winter and I might get a slight Tune to clean up some things, but other than that, that's the way I track it, full interior and all. It's still a street car.

[mitchntx]

wow im impressed with the durability. what have you done to your car to make it road race worthy? wheels, tires, engine, transmission, braking, suspension?

OEM wheels ... cheap and relatively lightweight. For a 16" wheel, the salad shooters weigh less than #20 and people will almost give them away. I use late model SS 10 spokes as a 17: wheel for the same reason

Tires ... a spec tire. Everyone runs a Toyo RA1. They run about $800 a set and a set and a half (six tires) will last a season.

I raced 2 years on an 80K mile junkyard take out. My sponsor had a motor built and we installed it in my car and the 80K mile motor is a spare. Still makes the required HP/TQ numbers too. I shift at 5K ... no need to spin the motor to rev limiter.

Trans is a stock T56 ... running stock power through, so it's not hard on any of the drive train.

LS1 brakes with C5 calipers. Carbotech brake pads ($130/set front and $115 a set on teh rear). I go through 2 sets a year on the front and put a new set on the rear once a year

Suspension ... Limited on shocks. Nothing exotic, just basically off the shelf stuff. All suspension pickup points are rod ends, including the Lower A-Arms. Stock torque arm, 10 bolt with 3.37 gears ... mostly stock stuff.

6 weekends a year
5 different tracks, 2 about 6 hours away, 2 about 3 hours away and one 30 minutes away
Friday/Saturday/Sunday event
$4K annual budget
That includes travel, food, lodging, fuel everything.

[tav8ws6]

Thats alot different than i thought. I pictured added power, at least full exhaust. Its cool that its a mostly stock spec race. Keeps the costs down. Did you upgrade the brake lines or is that all part of the C5 setup?

[mitchntx]

Thats alot different than i thought. I pictured added power, at least full exhaust. Its cool that its a mostly stock spec race. Keeps the costs down. Did you upgrade the brake lines or is that all part of the C5 setup?

I've learned a lot ... The aftermarket rapes us on these kinds of things.

You can get -3AN braided brake lines from dirt track shops in various lengths and configurations for ~$15 each. So I ran hardline I sourced from Autozone and installed adaptors to -3. About $100 in lines for new stuff routed where it best works for me.

For instance ... the right front hardline is routed through the K-Member. If you drop the motor, you have to breech the brake system or pull the MC and drop it as well.

I ran the new hard line forward and along the lower core support and then back to the right front.

So dropping the motor is a piece of cake ... 45 minutes from drive on the lift to on the motor stand. Of course, once you get all the street necessary "stuff" out of the way, it's really easy to work on.

By rule, I have to run stock exhaust manifolds, but after tha is unrestricted. I use a stock Y-Pipe and then go into a 3" custom exhaust that runs the same route as stock. I have a single 12" spiral flow muffler and a turn-down about 18" before the rear diff.

Battery is maounted in the spare tire well and I used welding lead for battery cable.

No key, all systems are on toggle switches.

Biggest expense was the Autometer gauge package and the required safety gear, like cage, belts, seat, fire supression, etc.

I put the car together and began racing for about $7500. Over the last 5 years, I've probably added another $4K in repairs and upgrades. The lower A-Arm rod end kit from Global West was almost $400!!!!!

[Too Fast]

I've learned a lot ... The aftermarket rapes us on these kinds of things.

You can get -3AN braided brake lines from dirt track shops in various lengths and configurations for ~$15 each. So I ran hardline I sourced from Autozone and installed adaptors to -3. About $100 in lines for new stuff routed where it best works for me.

For instance ... the right front hardline is routed through the K-Member. If you drop the motor, you have to breech the brake system or pull the MC and drop it as well.

I ran the new hard line forward and along the lower core support and then back to the right front.

So dropping the motor is a piece of cake ... 45 minutes from drive on the lift to on the motor stand. Of course, once you get all the street necessary "stuff" out of the way, it's really easy to work on.

By rule, I have to run stock exhaust manifolds, but after tha is unrestricted. I use a stock Y-Pipe and then go into a 3" custom exhaust that runs the same route as stock. I have a single 12" spiral flow muffler and a turn-down about 18" before the rear diff.

Battery is maounted in the spare tire well and I used welding lead for battery cable.

No key, all systems are on toggle switches.

Biggest expense was the Autometer gauge package and the required safety gear, like cage, belts, seat, fire supression, etc.

I put the car together and began racing for about $7500. Over the last 5 years, I've probably added another $4K in repairs and upgrades. The lower A-Arm rod end kit from Global West was almost $400!!!!!

Still, not much money to go racing! Especially since you can make V8 noises at the track, or is the class you race in only V8s?

[mitchntx]

VERY affordable. I spend a LOT less on my race than I ever did on my street car trying to keep it nice AND street legal.

Only V8s ... CMC = Camaro/Mustang Challenge

I only race against CMC cars. But there could be otehr classes on track at the same time.

[Too Fast]

^^^But you're in a Trans Am LOL!!!! They allow ours in the CMC? J/K, ok? The Trans Ams look best IMO.

[mitchntx]

^^^But you're in a Trans Am LOL!!!! They allow ours in the CMC? J/K, ok? The Trans Ams look best IMO.

Specifically, WHITE Trans AMs ...

And to really screw with your head, 79- 85(?) Mercury Capris are allowed.

[EchoMirage]

So the main track I like to hang out in NJ, Raceway Park, has driving school classes. $225 for 8 hrs of learning/track time. But it scares me if something went wrong. One issue is the rigidity of the f-bodies. I have UMI strut tower brace and subframe connectors to strengthen the car but is it enough for a track? will the excessive turning under high speeds easily cause twist is the car? How well do these cars hold up?

Thanks

im at etown all the time. the next track day is nov. 8, sunday. im going, weather depending. show up, ill see you there and talk you through what you need. also, bitchntx has a stripped, gutted, full caged race car. NOT a street car. do NOT compare your car to his, all he will do is say what you need for a race car. taking your driver to a track day is MUCH different then having a race car. many, many people seem to forget that.

FYI, your stock brakes will overheat and glaze in etown. mine did, yours will too. plan on doing brakes before, or after the day. take in consideration if you drive there, youll have to drive back home on wasted brakes. i did several times, till i swapped pads and started towing my TA.

for the price and amount of driving time you get, you cant beat a day at etown. even though the track is short and shitty, its a full day, and you will probably run out of gas by the late afternoon. starting at 10ish (for open trackers) ive had my fuel light come on by 4-5, depending on how many people are there. granted that equates to around 120 miles or something, but thats just how much time you get on a good day there.

[JoshuaGrooms83]

I plan on running the Ring in Germany next spring. Getting my brake and suspention modes out of the way first during the winter. got a good start though. THe ring is a toally different road race animal. LONG course. like 14 miles total. but I cant wait to try it out its like 100+ euro for 8 laps i think. ($140 in usd)

[bluehawk2000]

I plan on running the Ring in Germany next spring. Getting my brake and suspention modes out of the way first during the winter. got a good start though. THe ring is a toally different road race animal. LONG course. like 14 miles total. but I cant wait to try it out its like 100+ euro for 8 laps i think. ($140 in usd)

I hate you lol!!!

[LeadFarmer]

just thought I'd throw this here, TWS college station. This is my friends uncle's fox body, he's been doing this for about a decade I don't know the class but they have to be under 300rwhp(only restriction) and it was a Mustang VS. Fbody competition. enjoy

[az gt eater]

I started in a 98 TA street car doing HPDE's like the OP described ...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdGrYXUs7C0[/ame]

I could watch this all day.

[Too Fast]

^Yeah looks fun. That's you driving?

[JoshuaGrooms83]

I hate you lol!!!

lol looks like April is the when it will be "suitable" for me to run it. Its snowing here in Germany and im not about to take my car on one of the most dangerous tracks in the world in the snow on my virgin run lol Definatly gotta look into how you can get a cam in the car though. Apparently they are strict about no onboard cameras (public days). I read somewhere though you gotta get some kind of journalism pass or somthing. but ill figure it out.
That 6le camera bar should come in handy in the back for this

[Too Fast]

^^^do you have to run solo? Your passenger could sneak a camera.....

[JoshuaGrooms83]

^^^do you have to run solo? Your passenger could sneak a camera.....

actually no, if someone is willing to sneak one in, that would be kinda cool sneeky sneek

[Too Fast]

Alright, I'll get my plane tickets and meet you soon. Gonna bring my 1080i spy camera.

[Imled]

Well done guys, thats got to be the most Lomond Roadies in a Road Race for a long time, if not ever.
When and where are your next races?