They do not run any track events in the Chicago area. My car can not run in any NCCC. class unless I put a roll cage in it. I can run SCCA, TRI STATE in a modified class with out a roll bar or cage.
I have a 355 Chev. with Dart Sportsman Alloy Heads with Manley oversize valves, Comp roller cam kit, Jacobs Energy System, Hooker Hedders, Highly modified turbo 350,
VBP complete suspension systems and new brakes, spredder bar.
Seperate oil cooler remote filter, trans cooler with a remote cooler.
New interior, placed second in our May NCCC concourse. Concourse prepairded. A distant second just wanted to see where the car needs the most clean up.

 

The car qualifies for the Exhibition class, as long as you're on DOT tires. Still, never seen a car NOT allowed to run.

MI region ran at Gingerman in April and will be back in October. A little further away is Grattan raceway, which will also run in October. Putnam Park will be running June 3-4. Brainerd is coming up also in June with the Midwest Region.

 

Well, I just got back from a running a couple of sessions this morning. What a blast! I was able to correct most of my issues from the last time so things went quite well. I changed the front brake pads to Hawk HP plus compound and that made a big difference. I think I need to upgrade the rear pads now.

I weighed the car at the track. It's the first time I've done it and I'm mostly happy with the overall weight. My cross weights are a little goofy but I didn't disconnect the sway bar before weighing it. The results are:

Total weight w/o driver and 1/4 tank of gas - 3320 lbs
w/driver - 3495 lbs

corner weights
LF RF
799 855

LR RR
873 793

I was able to run the skid pad and I definitely have a lot of understeer in both directions. My observations are that I don't have enough neg. camber in the front and/or I need a bigger anti-roll bar (I have the stock bar on at the moment). I am also going to have a look at the shock settings; I have no idea what they are set at currently. So during the quick transitions I get a lot of body roll and load transfer is delayed as it slowly takes a set. I need to speed that up a bit.

Other observations are:
- Fuel pick up problem at levels below 1/8th of a tank. I guess I'll just need to keep more fuel in it.
- Engine tuning. Still issues with the E.F.I.
- Engine gremlins. I have some goofy oil/blow by strangeness to deal with.

Overall it was a good day and I learned a lot of useful information about making the car run better. Incidentally, there was a Porsche GT (pretty cool) and another C3 (even cooler!) on track today.

 

I know there are some clubs out of the the Chicago Region that run events at Gingerman. Is this a timed high speed auto cross or a time trial? I like running the time trials since they are just for fun. There are not any NCCC clubs in the Chicago region that run any track events(Time trails). I know I can run in an expedition class as long as I have the right tires.
When I have time I will post a picture of my 79. It is yellow with a Black Strip down the middle and I have the Lemans Lights on it also. Looks like yours except my is yellow.

 

Well, a time trial (by NCCC standards) is simply a high speed (>80 mph for group 2 car) autocross on a course greater than one mile in length. But there are no slaloms or other obstacles typically associated with autocross. It's just a single timed lap of the track. But here in the MI Region we also have lapping sessions before and usually after the time trials. This gets you more track time, bang for the buck, yet you still get the competition runs. Also having practice lapping before the time trials is much safer than just a few parade laps then going ***** out on your time trial runs. Come to MI for Gingerman and Grattan in october (and Waterford in July for that matter).

http://michcorvette.org/highspeedseries.pdf

http://michcorvette.org/7-22.pdf

http://michcorvette.org/4-16.pdf

 

a larger front roll bar is going to increase understeer. You might have a really soft rear spring to get that much understeer. Try setting the front shocks on a soft setting and the rear shocks on a firm. That might balance it out some.

 

Yes, but at the moment I am more concerned with transition rather than overall grip. I feel that the lack of confidence I get from the significant body roll and lack of response from the chassis is more of a concern. I don't really have an understeer problem in transition so I'm going to go more firm on the front shocks. My front tires are just too small to have a balanced setup. I'm running 245's on the front and 295's on the rear. I'm planning on changing that in the near future.

 

That's exactly what i've always said. These things roll a lot and it don't feel comfortable. The just enough spirng to avoid bottoming out philosophy is baloney

what spring rates do you have?

 

Front spring rate is about 480 and the rear is a stock 9 leaf if I remember correctly. I'm all for running higher spring rates if need be. What size bar and springs are you running in the front? I noticed from your pictures that it rolls quite a bit.

 

you need to get someone to take picts of you. You have to be rolling even more.

i have 550 and 1.125 front bar and 5 leaf spring on rear in the picts with the rallys. Changed to a 330 fiberglass rear on the picts in the aluminum wheels and the black steel 17s.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/507653/1

i bet my car is lighter than yours too.

 

Hey burners, you an Eagle pilot? I flew heavies, UPT class 71-05, where it just so happens I bought my first C3.

Anyway, a question for the road course folks. Brakes seem to be the weak point on the C3. A fellow I work with runs a C3 at fairly high speed as part of the Speedseekers events. He uses Hawk pads with stock calipers and DOT4 fluid (fresh for each event). He experiences some brake fade. I was wondering how you guys prep your car for the higher-speed events.
Thanks

 

First no cost option is to run cooling ducts. I have not done that yet.
He could remove the dust shields. He could put titanium plate heat shields between the pistons and pads. Make sure the rotors are not rusted badly internally as that will cause poor heat transfer.

Wilwood calipers would be the next option.

 

very cool. Looks like a lot of fun. That's one fast vette.

 

I just stumbed on this thread - wow, this has been great! Thanks to the guys sharing their real-world experience - it's like being part of the crew

I did a few years of autox in a 1970 MGB, and a few years in the SCCA in Vee and FF - but I'm looking forward to some autox fun in my '69 as it comes together.

 

Went to Mosport last Sunday a 570 mile trek one way. Got about 4 hours of track time. Thought sure the car wouldn't last that long especially after the long drive but it ran like a top.

I was able to top out on the straights running approximately 120 mph ....yes my car has no top end *****. But i was able to shine in the braking department. I was making up 100' or more in some braking zones by waitiing late and hammering it hard.

I was out there for more than an hour at a time and couldn't get the brakes to fade or lose pedal. I'm extremely happy about that. Brakes are the #1 tip top priority when running road courses and getting on the binders hard at 120 is a rush.

I'll post some picts if i can find some. I got to get set up with a video cam.

 

Turtle, next time...can you get some of thos temperature stickers? Sure would be nice to see what the max. caliper temp is.

 

I'd love to see also but them suckers cost. What about buying a IR gun for 80 bucks? You think that would work as good.

Then i could check my rotor temp, caliper temp, rear end, exhaust manifold yada yada yada.

wait, maybe they're not so expensive. And an IR gun is no good because you will never get the peak temp.

 

They are about 5 bucks each

 

i'm thinking about trying to lighten my hood.

Anybody cut the underside support out? Do you wish you hadn't.

I want to keep the stock hinge and latch system so i would be leaving the pieces of the support that they are attached to. Do you think they will eventually come unglued? Am i asking for trouble?

The hood feels like a good 50 pounds to me, way heavier than it needs to be.

 

You're better off with an aftermarket hood, even without the support the decklid is still very heavy. If you shop around you can get good deals on hoods, the L88 one I have is about 1/3rd the weight of the stocker if I would have to make a good guess.