ImBatman

Could you guys check out this thread on some questions I posted in the autoX section?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=799661

turtlevette

your gonna have to install a roll bar to run on a road course. Depending on you level of mods you might have to install a roll cage.

I keep mine as stock as possible so i don't have to put in the roll bar. Because you own a vert there is no way around it for you.

i hope your car doesn't push with that soft rear spring. Might want to go easy on the front roll bar or install a rear bar.





[Modified by turtlevette, 9:26 PM 4/15/2004]

gkull

Turtlevette doesn't really have a slow car!:)

Quote:
-550ib front springs
-330 composite rear spring
-all poly bushings
-brute force u-joints
-3:70 rear gear
-Bilstein shocks
-Adjustible rear strut rods
-Stock brakes with the exception of O-ring calipers and Hydro boost system.
-454 wit aluminum heads,intake,water pump, pulley's and radiator. Removed heater box and a\c to lighten up front end.
-Transmission will be the Richmond T-10. Ideas on what 1st gear ratio I should choose?
-Will be running 17 inch Boyd smoothie II's with kuhmo 255\55\17 all the way around.

Are your running 9-10 inch wheels?

What's your max rpm and expected max speed at the RR track?

IMO 255 might be fine for the front. I have a 420+ pound rear spring and 3/4 sway with VB&P rear Smart Struts Poly not steel joints.

With a 3.73 you should get the closed ratio T-10 so you can go about 50+ in first gear. Get the aluminum flywheel.

They will not allow you on a road coarse if your serious without a cage and 5 point racing seat like mine. Let me take that back! I do see supercharged Honda s2000's and rodded vipers out in the faster run groups without all the safety items. IMO your playing with fire when you start going 120-140 on the straights. It's sad to see "Care Flights" at the club racing level.

ImBatman

Planed on going with 8in wheels all the way around.
I do have front and rear VBP sway bars. Sorry forgot to mention those.
As far as max RPM I would say 5500. I have no idea what max speed would be.

If I run with my hard top installed does that lighten up the rules restrictions any?

Thanks
Wade


[Modified by BlackRat, 7:49 AM 4/16/2004]

turtlevette

Absolutely not. That hard top is gonna fly off on the first roll.

and yes i am slow, but i still have a lot of fun.

its just a challenge with these older heavy cars keeping up with the new cars that are light and nimble and have good hp.

Scooter70

Yup, plus it feels good to have the C5 guys say that they're imprssed that you were keeping up (at least until they hit the straights).

The first time I ran my car on the track, I had the BFG T/As on. They're kind of sloppy, but that just kept me in check so that I didn't do anything crazy. If you just want to go out there and have some fu making laps, there are clubs out there with relaxed rules. Some friends and I joined the Shelby Club so that we could run with them at Gingerman. As long as your car is tight and safe, they'll let you run. You just have to know (or find) the limits of you AND your car and stay safely within them. Warning: It's addictive and you're just going to want to go faster and brake deeper. Just be careful and have fun.

turtlevette

Scooter, do they let verts run without a roll bar? I my opinion thats suicidal. I have a disagreement with GDaina about that. He thinks i'm gonna kill myself painting my own car and i think he's gonna kill himself racinig his vert without a rollbar. :lol:

Yes, road course can be very dangerous unlike autocross. A member of our club that lived a few miles from me died in his new Z06 a few years ago. But then again you could get hit by an SUV going to the corner store to get a gallon of milk.



[Modified by turtlevette, 9:48 AM 4/16/2004]

Fevre

As long as you have half a brain you are safer racing a vert than driving on the e-way.

gkull

I've got a video from in a C-5 chasing a 68 big block vert at Thunder Hill raceway where I go road racing in California. I just don't have a way to post it.

It's 6.29 meg and it's an MPA file for RealPlayer.

Black Rat - go with 1 1/8 front and 5/8ths rear. If your buying dedicated race tires and wheels get the best. I would use at least 9 inch fronts and 11-12 inch rears in 17 or 18 inch dia. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...er&model=R3S03

Scooter70

Yes, I believe that they do.

There's a big difference between Rob's Z06 running SCCA T1 and Shelby Club lapping days. I'd put COM somewhere in the middle. I'm not even sure that the Shelby guys have a rule book. It's just a bunch of guys going out there to drive around the track.

If this is all BlackRat wants to do, I don't see a problem with running the convertible. You just have to go in knowing that you're not as safe as if you were hiding under the covers in your bed.

Chris is right, I'd rather be on the track under controlled conditions than in traffic on I-696 north of Detroit in rush hour. Yesterday, some guy jumped off of an overpass and into an oncoming semi. There wasn't much left of him by the time the truck stopped. :eek:

SmithBros

I see some of you guys race out at Gingerman. What are you racing out there and do you have a schedule of when you will be running. I am currently building a 75 vette with a small block to take out there and have some fun with. I would like to meet you guys that are from this area somtime.

ImBatman

:iagree: :yesnod: Thanks guys. I am not looking to go door to door. I have a dirt track car for that. :thumbs: I just want to go out and legally sling it around some corners and see how well I can get it to hanble. I guess I should have clarified that. The video of the Cobra turning laps the other day really got my blood pumping. I am curious as to how they get around restrictions. That little hoop bar will do nothing in a roll over. :eek:

Thanks
Wade

Solid LT1

I run auto X with my 72 LT-1 (currently leading the points race in WSCC B2 class.) I would like to tell you that some of the information you are being handed is B.S.! The brakes of a C2/3 were designed (when equipped with the J56 option) to handle the 24HRS of Daytona and did sucessfully in their time (also Trans am in the late 70's early 80's.) You need to make sure you have good fluid, Ford OEM brake fluid has a dry boiling point of 550 degree from their research on the GT40 in the 1960's (many Winston Cup and Trans Am teams used this for years with great success.) You need to get some Hawk brake pads for your car (I've tried the others, these are the ones that work!) The J56 brakes had heat insulators on the caliper pistons and Vette Brakes make a set with thinner insulators you might want to add (at leat in the front.) The brake rotors are thicker than the C4/5 rotors and perform well if they are not some of the Chinese junk being sold as replacements by today's vendors. Get a set of stainless braided lines if you don't already have some. Buy a set of REAL track tires like Hoosier R04 tires in 275/50-15 or 16 sizes and feel your car's true cornering potential (at least 1.25G's according to my telemetry.) Please put some 1/2" wheel studs on the car before racing it with sticky tires or know a cheap body guy in advance for fender repairs. Your 550 in/lb fronts with the 330 in/lb back rates are fine, you should try the 1.125" F41 sway bar and have the 0.625" rear bar on back for auto X (may make the car tail happy on the high speed track sessions so approach the limit carfully.) I run Mr Gasket 7/16 long wheel studs in my upper control arm mounts to allow me to get 2 degrees negative camber (big stack of shims!) and 3.5-4 positive caster (like I said, BIG stack of shims!) I have 1/16" toe in at the front because I still street drive the car and, 1/8" toe in rear with 1 3/4 degrees negative camber for my Hoosiers. I will tell you that a well set-up C3 will run with a Z06 at the autocross races with Hoosier tires on it (Just think, I don't have a computer "helping" me to drive either!) Kuhmo has some 265/45-16 Victoracers that should work well too but, I really like my Hoosiers! (except for the prices!) The C3 was designed by Duntov to be a race car and many of those parts are still avaliable to make them run! Go show the late model "experts" what a SHARK can do when let loose! amongst the seals.

gkull

Black Rat - How do fit in a Vette being 6'6"? I'm just about the perfect size for Sparco race seats and a helmet at 5'10" and 170 lbs

VETDRMS

gkull I'm 6'6" and I fit fine. Although what helps is that I don't have extraordinarily long legs, or body. The height is distributed so its actually comfortable. That being said, I do NOT fit in the car with a helmit on....this will make racing this spring difficult.

turtlevette

Solid LT1,

we need help making these things competitive. Can you share more ideas with us?

Shark Racer

VetDrms- @6'2 I have to take the tops off to fit with a helmet. But I think if I got rid of the covers on my seats I'd probably fit without...

Racing bucket with a shorter bottom would most definitely work for the both of us.

-Steve

45ACP

I think I know the one! About 2/3rd of the way down the page - http://www.opentracking.com/track_video.htm

ImBatman

Solid LT1 :eek: GREAT info! Thanks, I printed it off for my reference manual.

gkull- it aint easy. I still have the standard non tilt steering column in the car and the origional wheel. I am planing on a smaller diameter Grant wheel and swapping to a tilt\tele just before I get the car on the road again. leg room really isn't an issue but I am up against the steering wheel right now. I kinda look like that bear you see in the circus riding the tricycle :smash: :lol:


Wade

Kevin Mason

very useful stuff, Solid.

FWIW, when I was Corvette-shopping, I almost bought a '72 LT-1, sold by a Chevy engineer. He autocrossed his frequently and said it had no trouble keeping up with C-5s.