I hear ya. I am not suggesting I want height adjustment between daily driving and autox. I want height adjustment to get rid of any wheel gap I would have.
There's no need for height adjustability if you choose right the first time, and choose that for the right reasons. Though if you read through Terry's S197 build thread for the red car I think you'll find that he lowered that car for aesthetic reasons rather than for any performance advantage.
Then it would stay there as long as full load mid corner didn't create rub. However if I wanted to change it, I want to be able to.
My advice - don't even think about going that low, or driving that hard with a full load.
Also, I've read specifically that some of the coilovers used on the s197 and s550 projects by vorshlag were adjustable dampening and offered a better ride, but still kicked butt with the right tires in competetion. So I don't completely agree that I can't have both. I know it will ride like an autox or track car, but at least it won't be cut springs level was my point..
Adjustable damping is an entirely different story. All functional as opposed to mainly aesthetic.
As for what class, I am not sure as I haven't looked into the rules of any entry level classes. I know I would not try to be in any class that would require my daily driver to be nothing but a track car.
Read the rules very carefully, with the guiding philosophy being that if within any given category (Street, Street Touring, etc.) the rules don't explicitly say that any given modification is permitted (allowed, allowance being SCCA's preferred terms here), then it is not allowed for that category.
A single mod as simple-sounding as opening up the big center hole in the strut towers (to permit greater negative camber) can send you all the way to Prepared even if you modified nothing else anywhere on the car (maybe Classic American Muscle also allows this). Even if you chose to not use any of the extra negative camber that such a mod might permit, welcome to P or maybe CAM.
Also the comments about 1500 bucks getting me a quality setup, lol, maybe I phrased it wrong. My point was, it is going to be above and beyond 1500 bucks, so if I'm gonna do it, I wanna do it right.
I see somewhere between half again and double that in your future. Still higher is entirely possible.
Back to wheel sizes. I haven't picked exacts out yet. I know I would like to look at forgestar or apex offerings. If their 18x11's would fit I'd be game.
I am running the Forgestar 18x11's, with 285/35 MPSS tires. Up front, it's tight but entirely doable.
I understand that a 285 to 305 tread width is where I'd want to he with that, but again, that is down the road with my budget. Kids, wife, work and mortgage come first. So unfortunately I would have to make do for just fun and use my daily 20's and 250 to 350 tread wear tires. ( which by the way I hope to get a truck before that gets too serious and it not be so much of a daily.. really would need the back up to be safe with my aforementioned responsibilities, but again I am thinking ahead a bit and coilovers is something I can use now for my new daily wheels.)
FWIW, even the OE springs are good enough to support being 'promoted' at least up to 'intermediate', and possibly into 'advanced', at least with upgraded dampers, a bit more roll stiffness in the sta-bars, and a more serious wheel/tire package. Remember that it's a lot more about the driver than anything about the car that gets you moved up.
I get it that you guys get tired of the one off questions and you wanna squash any bull, but c'mon, ease up just a bit. My intentions are pure. Lol
Questions 'out of the blue' about which coilovers to get (with vague mention of $1500) do have a certain sound about them. No flame intended.
Norm
