astock165

So do you?

I started a/x in my C4 back in '01, ran a pretty full schedule for three years (eventually trailering tires, etc) in SS and AS and then moved up to BSP. I did my first track day in '05, and have continued doing both, and last year got signed off to Time Trial with a club here in the NE.

I was getting tired of compromising a competition setup to keep the car somewhat streetable as I was driving to events, so finally bought a trailer last year and let the reg on my car run out. I thought my problems were solved now that I had a trailer but I'm finding that's not the case.

I spent what felt like every spare moment working on the car this winter. I lowered the car, put in Z07 springs, hiem jointed rear suspension links, adj sway bar links, cleaned everything that came off, corner weighted the car, set the thrust angle, redid the alignment and got her ready to go.

Go to put her on the trailer tonight for this weekend (2 day a/x to kick off the season) and badly scrape the front end since it's much lower now than last year when I bought the trailer. When I get her up on the deck and try to open the door I hit the trailer fender because this POS is lower now (and the fender is not removable). So I back her down off the trailer and as I do I rip off the left front air dam because the ramps need to be longer now. And you guessed it ... the air dam is right where my custom brake ducts are.

I feel like I spend 90% working/preparing and only 10% driving. And when I want to increase the 10% I find I don't have the money, time off or resources to do what I really want: to run a full TT season and be competitive, maybe even move up to NASA and try to qualify for their Nationals.

I really enjoy the actual drive time but it just seems like there isn't enough of it for all the work that goes into this.

I can't be the only one who has ever felt like this so what did you do when this was you?

RX7 KLR

I felt the same way with my C4... Old cars need work. I now have newer car with a warranty, and have only done regular maintenance (change fluids etc) over the last three years.

Sounds like you need a new stock class car.

John Shiels

Well the last few years 06 & 07 have been scarce running for me due to pets sick, dying, and old. Lack of work makes you nervous in construction and then to busy at work so you want to concentrate on making money again. Also some drunk hitting me and doing 12,000 in damage to the Excursion when hooking up to go to Pocono. After doing 40+ days some years I was disgusted. I bought a new 19' Whaler so I had that to ride around in and have fun and could get back to the pets.

Last year I didn't make it to the track so next to the last PDA event I am now going! Everything possible went wrong as I felt it would. Wake up to see ticket on the truck for parking in the street after 6 PM I had the boat in the driveway so figure they would spare me. Then hook up and trailer near takes the end off my finger as it dropped in the dark. I was trying to feel if it was down on the ball like a idiot.

Take off to Lime Rock and was talking to GF on phone so I blow by the exit and I am 25 minutes out of my way get there with not much time to spare. Run to registration and almost do a header over a bench Run down the stairs and figured there was one more and my legs almost give out and leave me on the floor. Everyone is where have you been we want to run with you or see the car go!

Run out to the car to unload so I roll it back on the tilt trailer to the chock as it it easier to pump up. So I go to start it standing next to the trailer. Push my hand on the clutch and hit the key . The race started and the flag dropped at that moment cars starts and goes to 2500 rpm as it usually does till I blip the throttle. Zoom into the tool boxes wreck the splitter, nose and under-tray. So now it drags me forward for the one short ride of the year. .

That was my 07 season after the previous year which was bad. I paced the pits for three hours before leaving I was so mad. Everyone was not to bad you can still run it. The mood I was in it was smart for me to call it a year.

I left it in the garage all winter looking at it in discussed I would open the door and then just close it saying screw it. I was seriously wondering what was the matter with me . I was lacking interest and wonder if it would come back. I didn't want to do anything on it at all.

Then I got into a discussion here and someone said my 346 would be pointing -by their 427 Well that sparked my interest again and I owe them dinner I am now working on it again with a new vigor and getting ready to rock. I have a few ideas for bit more performance but not HP. I have had the grand luck of no work in my construction business this winter over 5 months. Now I will be busy in a week or two. Now I am saying I could have been working on the car all winter Trying to get it ready for end of May NEPA was trying for May 3rd or 4th which is a dream I think. Then work will leave me busy and exhausted. I do need to concentrate on it to fill the bank account up after a long drought.

Never really thought of selling it I would have let it rot next to my 96 GS I haven't driven in two years. I have sold to many toys over the years then regret it later. They were paid for and you get crap for them when you sell them and the money seems to disappear from the sale leaving you with nothing except a wanting feeling for them. I still have a old pets which is hard to leave but I will hopefully get a few runs in. I will be happy to see the car in one piece ready to run even if it's not much. We all have our moments I guess as it consumes time and money by the boat loads and we seem to be enslaved buy the car.
You see others have a new car and jump in it a run the crap out of it. I long for the days of when I jumped in the car with a helmet and was gone to the track. Well I can never leave anything alone new or old so it's the same old story money and work!

Chin up that's my sad story so I hope misery loves company and it helps. You may need to leave it for a month or two. I have been trying to just go watch but the old dog wakes me 4-5 times a night. I wake to go watch and being tired and having to drive alone I have said screw it. I'll probably crash if I sleep and I better work on the car.

end of rant.

63Corvette

I've been autocrossing (Porsche 365A) since 1962, and I have had a competition license continuously since 1971 so, NO, my interest has never waned. I have been invited to the Wine Country May 29 thru June 1st. See ya there.

Aardwolf

Not me, I love to drive! I balance mods against track time though. I'd rather spend the money driving. So my car only slowly gets better parts. Time goes by pretty quickly! You have all those mods done now and used up some budget, but next year if you don't mod as much, you'll have lots left for track time.

Lawdogg

The prep and maintenance to run in modified classes of autox did get old for me after 10+ years. Decided in '04 to leave the car stock on street tires and drive it to the events and run in NCCC stock street tire class. Haven't even done an alignment. Makes this hobby more fun and less work. It is also very satisfying posting better times than many of the highly modified Vettes on race rubber.

Z06cool

When things break and work gets in the way, it is hard to put in the time. I do get the jitters if I've been away from the track for more than a couple weeks. It may be like breaking off caffeine and I just need to let it pass but I don't think so...

yakisoba

It seems like an uphill battle sometimes, when the car is in pieces, or all the gear is still to load and it's after 5 PM on Friday. However, the moment I sit in the seat and drive to the grid, all that goes away. I hang onto that feeling, and remember it, and so my interest isn't going away. It's getting stronger.

Solo2GS

I have had the on & off switch flip back and forth on my enthusiam. I started years ago with a Eagle Talon in Auto-x and track events in the Pacific Northwest

Moved to So Cal. I got my 96 GS. Ran AS, had a tire trailer to lug all the equipement & tires back and forth. Then I got tired of that and bought a truck & trailer to haul the car (lots of $$). It sure made life easier, but not so much on the check book.

The distance too and from events started to turn me off. 1 1/2 hour each way through traffic in So. Cal just left a bad taste to Solo2. 3 timed runs in the 60-70 second range for 3+ hours of driving through bumper to bumper traffic just killed it for me. Took a few years off from auto-x.

So I started doing more and more track days. A lot more $$, but a lot more seat time. Upgraded the suspension on the GS. Handled much better, but nothing like the stock C5's. Retired the GS to garage life...

Spent more $$$ and bought a used C5 a while back. Tracked the hell out of it, don't car about all the rock chips... The wallet started running low and I had to ween back on that hobby...

Moved to another state. Less people, less traffic, less commute time to events and I am back in full force for Auto-x (ASP). Been involved and helping out a lot with the local events and have been more pleased with my participation & the people involved then I have been in the last 5-6 years.

My interest never wained, but my enthusiasm has in the past, but it always bounces back. I just have to keep it in check with my check book! Thats the trick!

astock165

Is that Wine Country or Whine Country? Point taken.

That's the perfect way to put it and exactly how I feel. I guess I just have to hit that upswing again.

robvuk

I'm kind of a combination of a lot of the comments here. My enthusiasm has not waned but I've learned some lessons over the years.

I did the autoX thing and I too found it to be a lot of time and effort for 3 minutes of track time. I thought it would be cheaper and less time consuming to race motorcycles. Wrong! So from lessons learned, I love to do the HPDE's with a totally stock car. I drive to the event on street tires and race on street tires. Then I drive home on the same tires. The only thing I bring are brake pads. and a few assorted tools for work I might do AT the track. The only problem I have to deal with when I get home is cleaning up the car. I DO have another set of wheels and tires for the track. But they're still street tires and I can do the change at home.

On the other hand, some people just enjoy modding their cars. If you're one of those, then good for you. You have the perfect hobby.

To me, it's all much more fun (and cheaper) when you don't have to work on the car for 3 days before and 3 days after each event. I don't have to have a big trailer or a place to keep it either. With a completely stock setup, I am of course not the fastest but I do plenty of passing for a lot less effort. The ego is supposed to be left at the gate anyway. I prefer to sharpen my skills instead of sharpen my car.

I have too many other "hobbies" or interests to spend that much time working on my vehicles.

abc 123

Exactly. Why waste all your time for no track time. Either at the autoX or the drags. HPDE or W2W is where it's at.

Rob Burgoon

Pssst... buy an old miata.

No REALLY! Buy an old miata, put in coilovers, a front sway, rollbar, hawk blacks, and keep the power stock.

You will see that ratio flip from 90%/10% to 10%/90%.

Words cannot describe the joy of tracking a car that is extremely reliable and 100% disposable.

sperkins

This is my first year with the Z and track events. You guys are making me nervous. I'm already looking for a dedicated track car and a trailer.

mousecatcher

i did auto-x once and got disinterested immediately. too much work for too little reward. but if modding your car is a primary factor (you would do that by itself anyway and forget about auto-x), perfect!

if you're complaining that 90% of the work is "work" for only 10% fun, maybe it's time to take a break. during the break, it could happen that you realize it is too much effort, or it could be like a vacation from your job, where you come back revitalized.

Jason

The other day when I totally fubared a lower ball joint simply trying to replace a bearing hub. Somebody could have gotten one hell of a deal on a Z06 that night.

Racer-38

Maybe it is time for the "next step". Hire someone to prepare your car, take it to the track, set everything up, fix it if it breaks and take it home. You simply arrive and drive. I know its added expense, and it can be pretty significant. But if you find your interest waning, I promise this will bring your passion back. And afterall...you are doing this because its supposed to be FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BrianCunningham

I hit a local autox yesterday so NO

I'm continuing to ramp up my car, make it better as I go along, a supercharger in the near future. But I'm an engineer, so doing that is as much fun to me as actually driving it.

I want to do more HPDE's.
The lack of rules, and not banging doors is really appealing.

What it boils down to, is that I like my car, and like to modify it the way I see fit. It's all about the fun factor for me.

ghoffman

Obviously, this is my job as well, and of course it can be a job at times, but being able to do what you want to and have some of the most trick hardware out there makes it fun! Come over this weekend and help me install the "latest and greatest" Penske coilover setup. The logistics stuff can get to be a PINA, for sure. When I am loading my trailer for an event, my wife shakes her head and says "this is so not a girls sport". She should watch out, I might just skip the trailer some day and steal her Caddy to take to Loudon! Cheer up, it was a very long winter.....

95jersey

It's the money that makes me think twice...all this money on an expensive car, parts, upgrade, trailer, tow vehicle. I have invested about 1000% more than I wanted to 5 years ago. Have I had fun...sure, but I hate when spend all the money, time and get to the track and something breaks, it rains, your sessions are cut short and you traveled 300 miles for 1 hour of track time...the list goes on and on. I want to do this hobby, and everytime I slow down, I want to jump back in.

I have made a commitment to myself that this is the last year of the high $$$$ car and parts spending. I want something cheap, fun, reliable that will allow me to pursue the sport for years to come, but on cheaper terms. Not sure "what" that is yet.