99 GT starting in Road Racing

[gcassidy]

Dadgummit!!!! I said another day/time!!!!

It's another day!! :rockon:

http://forums.corner-carvers.com/showthread.php?t=448&highlight=Strut+tower

Some of my favorite reading. LOL

Like they say, get the safety stuff in place, and learn about your car and track driving....then start modding.

Here's my first couple years with only upgrades being rollbar, pads, steel hoses and SFC's.

Learning is fun.

 

[gcassidy]

They still have lots of life in them, hardly worn. :lol1:

Seasoning rotors can add HUGE life to them! It's just not practical for everyone to do.

I found a set of slotted Brembo rotors I picked up on ebay stupid cheap, seasoned the bejebbers out of them and I have yet to kill them! They just refuse to die. I am a FIRM believer in seasoning rotors. Even if it does cost you a speeding ticket or two! :fart:

I've been getting lots of rotors from my friends in the Cobra club I belong to that have '03s and swap out their rotors for slotted/drilled bling. They almost give them away.

 

[wheelhopper]

Nice nose dive in that early days pic Greg.

 

[gcassidy]

SP Main-Turn 5.

 

[99 GT]

Okay, now for replacement parts that i should do before going to the track, what do you all recommend. I work at a car shop and this month i get 30% off, so i want to take advantage of all parts such as:
-air filter (K&N)
- oil filter (K&N)
- spark plugs (Bosch, Autolite, NGK or Champion)
- brake fluid (Royal Purple or Motul)

...and im not sure what other fluid or parts i should get replacement wise for the track. Thanks in advance guys!!!

 

[1993R]

tranny and rear end........

 

[99 GT]

tranny and rear end........

...what about it?

 

[majinprodigy]

he probably means change fluid in them.. Oh 99 if you ever want to feel a modded car me and my buddy got 2 different suspension set ups and we wouldnt mind giving you a ride so you can feel differences.

 

[99 GT]

where do you guys live?

 

[99 GT]

Anybody have suggestions for what fluids i need and what typ of spark plugs to get?

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Anybody have suggestions for what fluids i need and what typ of spark plugs to get?

I and many others have had great luck with Royal Purple Syncromax for the trans and Royal Purple Max Gear(75w140) for the diff. I am not running a diff cooler on an IRS car(HOT) so I change it once a year.

 

[majinprodigy]

we both live in mission viejo

 

[99 GT]

oh sweet ...im right by you in Rancho Santa Margarita, on the corner of santa margarita parkway and alicia(by the bridge)

Im now thinking of getting some coilovers, Anybody suggest some good ones. thanks

 

[ac427cobra]

oh sweet ...im right by you in Rancho Santa Margarita, on the corner of santa margarita parkway and alicia(by the bridge)

Im now thinking of getting some coilovers, Anybody suggest some good ones. thanks

Seat time is WAY more important that coil-overs! ;-)

 

[majinprodigy]

+1... to AC, suggestion...ummm tokico D w/ maximum motorsports?
koni yellow w/ maximum motorsports??

trust me when i say, drive in a car with springs before you even think about doing them; when my friend upgraded to 900 lbs fronts and 375 rears i knew i wanted something similar then went coil overs, now i want to get stiffer fronts and stiffer rears because ive seen how it handles and got used to driving it on the street.

send me a PM and maybe we can meet up sometime, im usually free all days saturdays.

 

[TXPD]

1. Seat time. Get laps. Drive what you have til you have gotten close to all it has to offer. Then improve one piece at a time.

2. The #05 car has 1000lb front springs and 240-260 variable rate in the back. The rear springs are not available anymore and would appear to have been replaced by 350's. I am told by a couple guys that I respect a lot that 1200lb springs is the way to with the 350 rear.

When you start you will have no idea why your car feels loose in the corners. Are you driving it in too hard? Are you taking the wrong line? Are you turning the steering wheel before enough speed is scrubbed? Are the tires warm? Is there enough or too much air pressure in them? Are they worn out? Is the car understeering enough that when the front tires grab the rear end breaks loose?

Thats all around the rear end of your car feeling tail happy.

In the case of my car and my experience. It was a little to a lot loose depending on the situation. I learned to drive it that way. When I reached a point where we were going fast enough and wanted to go faster yet and were being held back by the condition, we made attempts to tighten the car up.

One pound of air pressure on Toyo RA1's cured the loose condition. When we changed to BF Goodrich R1's the car was WAY loose, but only before the tires warmed up. When a better driver got in the car at Road Atlanta he found that he car was pushing like a dump truck and all the tightening up we did for me had to come out.

I had to learn how to drive the car over again. I took the new driver's line and turn in points and sure enough my laps times came down and the push came up.

 

[99 GT]

So what do you suggest i do. I have about $1200 to spend on parts. Currently on my car i have:

- 18" x9" svt cobra wheels(with 1" hubcentric rear spacer)
- 265/35/18 Falken Azenis RT615s (all around)
- Stangsuspension lowering springs (2" lowering in front and 1.7" rear)
- Maximum Motorsports Caster Camber Plates
- Then exhaust,x pipe. cobra R kit, etc (unimportant misc..)

I am most likely getting the 13" cobra front brakes kit for $400. And i want to get some of the parts in the orig. post(chassis work,seat,etc) What else should i get for the money? thanks again guys for the help.

 

[99COBRA2881]

Why 18s??? once you progress to race rubber be ready to shell out alot more for a comparable tire in 18" diameter versus 17."

 

[gcassidy]

From your orig post, all I'd spend the money on is the brake ducts and the SFCs.
You already have some suspension work done, that won't hurt (I don't know about the 1" spacers, though).
I'd spend the rest of the money to enter HPDEs or the like. At around $300 a weekend, the money can go real fast.
If you want to do things like the seat, exhaust, etc, I understand, we all like to modify our cars. But don't consider that needed for going to the track.
And if you are really interested in going racing, not just playing with your car on the track (as your title suggests), don't spend any more on your car, save it for a Racing School like Bondaurant or Barber.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[99COBRA2881]

Something I havent seen mentioned is read everything you can get your hands on. Speed Secrets series of books by Ross Bentley is top notch. 'Going Faster' by Skip Barber is another excellent choice. After you read those I recommend 'Tune to Win' by Carroll Smith. Hope this helps.