Crepitus

Depends on your goals, do you want to run up front in a class? Mid pack? Or the winner behind door #3; have a lot of fun in a very cool car, the C3 Vette! I will not race a car I dont like, I really like Vettes.

lvrpool32

My idea of a "track day" car, is a car that you do SCDA, HPDE type events, so there is nothing to be "competitive" with, there's no passing at the entry level and its made quite clear that it is NOT a race, so all this talk about being competitive and winning is a moot point. Its about improving ones driving ability and that of the car, as your skill level improves.
So I say build a car you like, as mild or wild as you like, build it safe and go have fun!

cottoneg

You sounded exactly like me a few years back. I had a stock 1969 and my primary concern was handling and braking. So I did a Time Trial with EMRA and loved it. The car was still my daily driver back then, but I did slow modifications as I needed them. For example, as I went around track, I noticed my brakes were starting to “go away”. As I came into the pits, I had both feet on the brakes and the car continued to roll until the chain link fence caught me. Damn those J/C. Whitney Car Life brakes! So I upgrade the brakes pads.

And on it went… You can really enjoy yourself at Time Trials. Limited passing (so it is really safe), student instruction, plenty of track time, minimal investment. That was back in the late 70’s. 40 years and a few tracks later, I still drive my car on street with my son. I still do a few time trials and High Performance Driving Schools a year. Enjoy your car, have a blast. Upgrade when your driving skill exceeds the cars ability.

RickyBerg

I use my car for trackdays and club races.

Its a road legal and mostly stock but with a slightly modifyed chassie for better handling.

With the 454 and ironheads its a quite heavy car.. well, its not lightweigt anyway..
It weights close to 1500kg.

And i agree that if you want a competetive classwinning racecar you are propably much better out bying a already modifyed car.

But..

I personally dont want a complete racecar that someone else have bulit, i want to build my own hotrod.

Just like the guys who is modifying there cars for streetracing i modify mine for beeing a streetcar that handles well and is fun to ride on trackdays.

A well handling road/track Hot Rod.

New cars?

Na, new cars simply isnt me..

So i say.. -GO for it Sean!!

Here is a link to what my car looks like:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...racetrack.html

There are som more pictures in my profile if your intrested.
Just click the line abowe my avatar.

//Ricky.

AllardJ2

"Does anyone out there have a street-legal C3 that they use for autocrossing or track days? If so, do you find it to be an enjoyable platform for those events, or would you recommend a newer car?"

I am currently building a C3 Track Day car...out of a '73 and making it look like a late 60's early 70's international endurance race car (LeMans/Spa/etc). I have painted it myself, and am having a blast building the car. Car is 100% mechanically restored: Small block/4-speed/Hurst/3.70 posi rear. Running old school 15X8.5 wheels with 9.5" tread-width Hoosiers on all 4. Plan is to "track day" it often. Start slow, work my times down, stay safe and have a blast. I don't care if newer stuff or foreign stuff or any other kind of car is faster. I've had a Corvette for 40 years and you can have a BLAST driving a good winding small block car and pushing/expanding your limits.

I removed 450 pounds (net loss as weighed including replacement items added back to car) including heater/air-conditioning/vacuum headlights/vacuum reservoir-bracket/front bumper brackets/spare etc. I have a few more "period" international sponsor stickers to add and install the LeMans style headlights. Car has Hooker side dump headers and exhaust with a modified very short glass pack insert.

gkull

I'm at the 3000 lbs min for vintage racing with a roll caged 434 ci small block. Which is street legal. I used to just put on the slicks for road racing days

Kid Vette

Me likey.

Robert Thomas

With the SCCA CAM-S class, there are a lot more Corvettes autocrossing because there are almost no rules. My main hangup is getting wide enough tires I can afford. I'll never win but I'm competing against myself mostly. My car is 500# too heavy, too. It attracts much attention.

RickyBerg

Sweet car you have there!

I do trackdays every now and then with my street legal -72.

It is defenatly an enjoyable platform and i personally enjoy the "odd old car effect" rathe then going the easy way with a modern cat.

Driving a powerfull analog car is imo more rewarding and despite beeing 44 years old it may suprice many newer potent cars on the tracks.

//Ricky.

RickyBerg

Front end.

a striper

Darn! That's a real looker.

RickyBerg

Thanks.

cottoneg

Love the minilites!!

One thing to add. Chose a track suitable for you car. Pocono inner course was like wrestling with a grizzly bear, 50 feet..turn. 50 feet turn.

Bridgehampton was a favorite. Some open sections to let the car use the HP.

The avatar Is NYMS. Also been to Lime Rock.

vetteguy22

I finished my car a couple years ago and have had it on the track. I love Thunder hill raceway.
My car is a 1970 but is not stock in any way. It has a SRIII tube chassis with a small block gen 1 427 putting out 603 hp coupled to a t56 magnum 6 speed. The suspension is from a 1993 ZR1 with dual adjustable coil overs in each corner. The body has been flared and styled after the Owens Corning race car.
It runs and handles wonderfully and I can keep up with the newer cars.
It lots of fun and anytime I see a C3 on the road or track is a great thing.
Rob

RickyBerg

Pictures..?

OldCarBum

If you want to build a serious track car or a street/track car, then look up Factory Five Racing, build either the MK4 Roadster (street/track) or the Challenge Roadster (track only). Everything comes with the car that you assemble for under $20,000.00. Add your drive train, wheels, tires and paint. Then go race. My 73, C3 will never perform or handle as well as the MK4 Roadster. My Factory Five 33 Hot Rod with the frame and suspension Factory Five Racing engineered into it would eat up my C3 on the street or on the track no matter how many $$$ I invested into my C3. Don't get me wrong, I love my C3, but it was not designed for racing.

RickyBerg

The C3 does well on the track and it was run at LeMans in 1968, compared with the competition at the time i must dissagree when you say the C3 was NOT built for racing.

It was then put in production, something that takes the edge of every car, Ferrari, Subary or what ever the name is.

Check out the laptimes the historic racing C3:s do, without having changed out the heavy steel leaf spring och pressed trailing arms.. And no bigbrake kits..

I did run the same laptimes as Nissan GTR on a short, tight track where the topspeed on the longest straight was about 180km/h.

I think that is OK for an old, hobby amateur restored roadcar.

OldCarBum

I'm not saying that a C3 can't be made into a great performing race car. I'm saying that the C3 production car that was produced was not designed as a race car. I know that with the properly designed frame, suspension, and drive train modifications the C3 can perform well in any racing platform.

RickyBerg

I totally agree, just the same as any BMW M3 or Nissan etc.

The closest to a production racecar C3 is the 427 L88 combo, but still the frame is just spot welded (string welded) and so on.
But still a quite stock L88 could asheive (spelling?) a lot on the tracks as a club racer in 1968 without a major rebuild.

But whoever thinks thar racecars sells in showrooms must think again.

a striper

I think the Coupe is a pretty good foundation too.