Cobra4B

Now that I have a truck I can start looking into a track only car. Being that my Z06 is my frist corvette, I really would rather make it into a fun street toy and not a track rat.

Also, I've put money into bling bling things like gauge bezels, new hood, new bumper, etc.

So... I think I'll turn it back into a full time street car, and begin the shopping process for a C4 track car. I allready have GS wheels which will fit it pefcectly.

I figure buy a decent early 90's car, gut it, 4-point bar, fluids, then go have fun and mod from there.

Re-paint the Z as planned, de-track mod it and proceed. I'm getting tired of trying to do both with 1 car. I'm **** and keeping the Z06 "nice" is quite hard to do when HPDEing w/o having to do a full detail after each track event... and waxing doesn't fix sand blasted panels.

Any year/options preferred on a C4 to get me in the right direction?
*I've heard the late cars had ultra-soft suspensions
*LT1-LT4 motor is obviously preferable to an L98



Knowing me I'll change my mind tomorrow.

AU N EGL

Brian

There are several C4s allready built into a race car for realativley not to bad a price.

Look up Touring Corvette Challange, http://www.tccracing.com/

Here is one:
1986 Corvette SCCA legal ITE/NCCC R/P $18,000
ATL Fuel Cell

Accusump oil system

ZF Six Speed Trans

OMP Seat

Extra Wheels and tires

Brake Upgrade with cooling ducts

Ran with Touring Challege for Corvettes


Plus look at




Race Junk dot com

SCCA showroom

Cobra4B

Thanks Tom... I figured I could get one pre-prepped.

Cobra4B

Something like this....



Asking $9900 is right up my alley

Wren

look for some type of car that is current with some major rules standard. Even if it's just like a spec miata, or an ITA civic. Otherwise, how will you ever know how good you really are? And you can go racing and find out just how different it is from driving events.

My personal opinion is open wheeled cars, but I think I'm alone in that around here, very fast for the money.

Cobra4B

My current budget and schedule really only permits me to do 4 or 5 HPDEs a year... well probably only 2 this year.

I've gone from driving my Z06 to the track, to trailering slicks, etc... I'm going to get an open trailer to make things 1000x less stressful, and would really like an economical DE car.

I'm hooked on corvettes... the only other car I might consider is a properly setup notchaback mustang by my buddies at performance auto-sport in Richmond.

Basically I want something that's not pulling double duty... I won't feel bad about getting it blasted or getting brake dust in the paint. I can leave my track brake setup and seat setup in full time.

Something I can just load up and go have fun w/o the worry of balling up my "nice" street car.

Oyishdog

If you keep your eyes open, you can find very cheap c5's...which i think you would be happier in the long run having on the track.

Timz06

Brian,

I think if you go with a c4, you will spend a lot of money getting it where you want it.

I spent a lot on my camaro, thinking it would be cheap

Added
-2 different cams and now new forged motor
-ported heads
-headers/all bolt ons etc
-roll bar
-seats/harnesses
-brake upgrade
-suspension coil overs/sways/control arms
etc, etc

this all getting an LT1 car to run like my Z06. Since you already modded your z quite a bit, I don't think you'll be satisfied with a stocker and will be buying most of these, I don't want to add this all up! Either running your current car, or buying a c5 would probably be cheaper/better.

Tim

Tim

Cobra4B

True... I wouldn't be doing this until next year... might go the cheap early C5 route... I'm mor familiar w/ the cars and my track mods on the Z will transfer over w/o issue.

0Vector Vette

Brian,
Tim is trying to get an LT-1 Camaro to run like a Z06. That isn't going to happen. A well setup C4 can run with a C5 Z06. I know of 2 TCC cars that are for sale, they are both very fast. One can be bought for around $17K the other for around $27K. Both are turn key, ready to race tomorrow. Pm me if you would like more information on either of them.

Cobra4B

^ Not yet... not quite in the market... just trying to figure out what I want to do. With the mods I've done to the Z06 I can't see turning it into a track rat and gambling w/ a car still worth over 25k.

I leaned toward the C4 because a few of my buddies have them and they seem easy to wrench on w/ the clamshell hood.

Plus... I can get one for 1/2 the cost of a decent FRC. However it'd take few thousand bucks to make it perform to the FRCs level (even stock).

I figured I could gut the C4 and do the basics and have a fun car to throw around and not worry about as much.

Ideally I could get into a '99 FRC, but they still fetch 17-20k... however if I did this all the track mods on my current car would transfer right over w/o any need to sell.

I could gut the FRC then install my radiator/oil cooler, brake goodies, harness bar and go from there.

I guess the real question is would I have fun an a relatively stock C4, gutted, w/ a racing seat, on V710s...

Cobra4B

The more I think about it... this is the real question. Do I need to go as fast to have fun? I'd want a '92 and up so it'd be a LT-1 car at least so w/ 300 horse and < 3000 lbs (gutted, no AC, etc.) it should move just fine.

AU N EGL

Rember is it NOT the HP but the drivers skill that determains the speed.

If you want to go faster, and have more fun, get more track and seat time. Forget the bolt on mods.

MattW_VA

I think you'd be happier in a C5, I think it would be a little less expensive in the long run also...

Cobra4B

Tom.... I've been doing driving events in some form since '02 now... I got it There is something to be said for the rush of accelerating down the back straight in a modded Z06, that you just can't get in a spec miata
Hmmm.... it really depends on how far I want to take the car. I can't see having 20k+ tied up in something that won't be street legal, won't be registered, won't be insured, and unless I win powerball and can quit working, will only be driven at local auto-x's and 4-5 HPDEs a year.

Thus... I was figuring I could try to keep a budget of 10-12k and stick to that.

Again, my goal is not record lap times, it's an economical car that I don't care about messing up or keeping nice. Which is why I keep leaning toward a used C4 w/ "the basics".

I know quite a few people who have gotten into this hobby w/ their nice/expensive car only to grow weary of thrashing it up, then get a track only car and wish they'd done it from the start.

One of my good buddies has 2 very fast street cars, but has the most fun flying around VIR in his Nissan Sentra SE-R race car.

We'll see... might see what comes accross the autction block at Carlisle this year

Cobra4B

Well... just ran some numbers... might make more sense to get a used C5 indeed.

I allready have all the parts to make a C5 a track car... so I'd only have to gut it, install my track parts (dewitts radiator w/ oil cooler, DRM brake cooler ducts, SS brake lines, BK harness bar, belts.

So in reality if I can get a C5 for 15k then I'm ready to go romp. I can also offset some of the cost by selling the parts that I strip out of it.

Even if I can get a good C4 for 8k I'd have to do a bunch:
*Weld in 4-point
*Bracing and bushings
*springs, bars, shocks
*radiator and oil cooler

SO... when you start to add it all up you're not really saving money

I guess it's time to start the hunt for a mechanically sound but cheap C5.

Also... I know my way around a C5 very well and I'm used to driving one.

Independent1

Brian,

I would have figured when you reached this pivotal moment that you would have gone with an FRC given your past posts on this topic. Dug up a couple of them for ya!!

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=537428

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...&highlight=FRC

Wish I had the resources to do what you are doing. I think when I get to that point I am going to go with an open wheel racer that was designed from its birth to be a racer.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cobra4B

^ Wow.... that first thread is way old... back when I first started shopping for a C5!

Only reason I can do this is becuase my grandfather left me his pickup truck. It was way out of left field, didn't expect it at all, so now the money I was going to spend on a tow vehicle I can put into a track rat.

In an ideal scenario I could get a very cheap, cosmetically poor '99 FRC to tear into, but '97 and '98 coupes are usually a few grand less than an FRC.

Independent1

^^^FWIW those threads you started about FRCs were very instrumental in my decision to buy an FRC when I decided I wanted to seriously track my car.

Now all I have to do is complete the journey I have begun. Purchased the FRC. Have to do a little work on the car and then sign myself up for some HPDEs this year.

Just want to say thanks for all your contributions

Cobra4B

^ Sweet!

I think this winter, when prices are down, I'll grab a used '97 or '98 coupe for cheap.