Terminator Question

[Jimmysidecarr]

That is the best advice you could ever get.

Thanks!:beer:

I ran stone stock except brake cooling and SFCs from 04 through 05. That was coming from almost 10 years of autocrossing(rain and dry) and 5 years of Ice Racing(Central NY Ice Racing Association). I wanted to learn what the car was capable of, and frankly.... It scared the $#!T out of me it was so damn fast! I had never riden in or driven anything quite like it in my life!

These are extremely capable cars, that are best learned unmolested with relatively slippery normal street tires on them.

This gives the driver a chance to learn how to best catch a "slide out" and prevent it from becoming a "loop".

Most drivers have little to no sliding experience and it spooks the living $#!T! out of them causing over correction errors and "OFFs".

By running multiple events on a bone stock car with normal street tires, it actually allows the driver to develop VERY NEEDED SKILLS more rapidly.

Newbs showing up with coil overs and R compound tires are a disaster waiting to happen.
There is so much less time to react when they do find the limit, that very few are able to pull off the save.

Bad things can and DO happen in this scenario WAY TOO often.

Once you can drive the car and tires at the limits, only then should there be any "go faster" stuff bolted on.

MY $.02:rollseyes

 

[Juruense]

Jimmy you are too kind giving us so much of your expert knowledge and insight in the thread :rockon:

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Ok this is a newbie question but what does changing the K member do for you? What benefits do you get?

Do this down the road after you get a chance to learn the car stock.

Depending on who makes it a Tubular K member not only is lighter, but it can add some enhanced positive caster capability as well.

A strut type front suspension does not benefit from any(or very much) camber(negative camber that is) gain when the suspension is compressed.

To get as much negative camber under compression as possible, we run as much positive caster as possible. This at least gives a little more camber as the grip side(outside) is compressed and helps keep the contact patch of the tire more squarely planted on the pavement.

It does effect bump steer however and that has to be addressed.

I recommend just driving it as is with some high quality caster camber plates, and just use them to maximize your track only alignment settings.

BTW Unless you are coming from a racing background, you will find that the car is more than fast enough to plant a smile on your face that will take about 2 weeks to wear off.

Sign up for an HPDE/Open Track event TODAY!!!
You can thank me later.;-):rollseyes

 

[sandman6983]

Awesome advise Jimmy, I've never road raced yet but plan to soon. I planned on leaving the car predominately stock until I can drive it for awhile and get used to it. About the only thing I'll be doing to it right away is the red pill IRS stuff. Just to kinda tighten everything up in the rear. Other than that I plan on lowering it with either H&R Race or Steeda springs and keeping the stock shocks, and I'll probably do something similar to your brake duct write up. Hopefully then I'll be able to take it to the track work on some skills.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Awesome advise Jimmy, I've never road raced yet but plan to soon. I planned on leaving the car predominately stock until I can drive it for awhile and get used to it. About the only thing I'll be doing to it right away is the red pill IRS stuff. Just to kinda tighten everything up in the rear. Other than that I plan on lowering it with either H&R Race or Steeda springs and keeping the stock shocks, and I'll probably do something similar to your brake duct write up. Hopefully then I'll be able to take it to the track work on some skills.

Do yourself a favor and hold off on this one aspect of your plans.

You may find that after a few track events that you wish you still had that money available, either for better brake pads, or tires, or even more track time.

Lot's of guys have had to remove aftermarket springs when the went to coil overs after getting moved up into intermediate or advanced run groups.

See what I mean?

It really is best to just "run watcha brung" because you will be better able to decide what the best mods for you are, AFTER some extensive seat time.

Trust me, you will be better equipped to target your money where it will give you the best bang for the buck.


:beer:

 

[sandman6983]

Awesome thanks for the advise. Now I just need to get one...lol. I just found out I'm being stationed in Japan for a year. (I'm in the Marine Corps) So the whole year I'm over there I'll have time to save and look for a Cobra.