More Money than Sense

[dly]

Howdy

Been reading this forum all winter and decided to hop on in. As the title says I have more money than sense and I'm lookin for help.
I'm a 57 yr old man that brougt a 07 GT/CS when they came out and started to mod it soon after. I was on the local show car circuit for 4 1/2 years and got tired of just sitting around so last year I joined my local SCCA club and started Autocross/Solo. Lots of fun but I probably had already modded my car to the point of only being able to be in SM class. My goal for the year has to not come in last place at every race. By the 5th race I placed 4th out of 6 cars.
The car is very capable but the driver is lacking. So this year I signed up for a Driving coarse at Gingerman's Raceway. I hoping some of this will help me in my Autocross. Most of the club's races are held at the Tire Rack's test coarse.
I will list my car's modds and would like comments on good or bad things.
Brakes are stock but I use Hawk racing pads on race day (Fronts
only) with SS lines.
Tires on wet days I leave my Hanhook R3-S on (265/30/18..
285/30/18) On sunny days I have Hooiser R6's (245/30/18 on stock
rims)
Front suspension A bigger front adjustable sway bar (size unknown
solid w/ the setting on the softest) D-spec stucts (Koni yellows in the
garage waiting on spring) Tein gold springs (Steeda Comp springs in
garage waiting on spring. Freedom Works sway bar links (in the garage
waiting on spring) Steeda Bump steer. MM Castor plates
Body stiffiners Steeda rear mount X-Brace. Hotchins under mount
X- Brace.
Fays watts linkage. Adustable upper and lower control arms.
Relocation bracket. Adjust bigger rear sway bar.
Engine Stock 4.6 with a Saleen SC w/ 3.4 pulley (Dyno at 452 hp
430 tq) shorty headers, OR H-pipe, gutted out Saleen Hertiage
mufflers) etc etc etc

Like I said I have way more money than sense and I know half of what I got is worthless weight but its what I like and I know I'll never be the fastest car but I'm having lots of fun.

Thanks for listen Slow Poke Darrell

 

[STEVE_POE]

so Darrell what kind of info are you looking for ? you gave us your history and mods but I think you missed the question for us ?

are you doing your track day at gingerman with nasa or ?

 

[dly]

I guess I'm looking for the best way or help in setting up my car. At the autocross I only get maybe 6 runs (3 in the morning and 3 after lunch) and when I'm not driving I have to go be a coarse worker. So there is very little time to make adjustments.

The driving school is actually a open track day with an instructor riding along. I don't think I get a license or anything like that. Its more to get expearance to be able to drive alone on future track days. I looked for an EVO driving class but none were schedule near me.

http://www.cgimotorsports.com/

Thanks for the reply Darrell

 

[lost won]

I guess I'm looking for the best way or help in setting up my car. At the autocross I only get maybe 6 runs (3 in the morning and 3 after lunch) and when I'm not driving I have to go be a coarse worker. So there is very little time to make adjustments.

I looked for an EVO driving class but none were schedule near me.

http://www.cgimotorsports.com/

Thanks for the reply Darrell

Hi Darrell,

Big Sticky Tires are a must for a relatively heavy car in autocross. I think there's an EVO Phase 1 school in Louisville, KY on March 30. About the same money as the track school, but more autocross oriented.

Best regards,

John

 

[JesseW.]

some 295 to 315 hoosier a6's will help a lot.

Lot more spring rate is needed, i'd start at 450 to 500# front springs, and 200 to 250# rear. my car was hitting the bumpstops on the koni front struts on a6's with eibach pro's..... you're probably going to need better shock valving than the yellows for those spring rates. AST's, penske's, t&a bilsteins, or revalve the koni's for those spring rates.... if anything it will certainly help with car feel. then play around with swaybars to get the balance where you like it


and practice, lots of practice will help a lot. that should help you spend your money.

 

[fivelinkcobra]

I have heard good things about CGI, and have wanted do go to one of there schools but have not yet.

I do run some track days with Porsche,BMW,Alpha,Mustang, SAAC,Audi clubs. Check out http://www.3ballsracing.com/ too. Most of the clubs have some instructors that will ride along with you. Don't forger to check out the tracks web site and see who has the track rented for the day or weekend. Most clubs will let you run regardless of the make of your car. Check out the web sites for Gratton and Waterford Hills MI and Autobhan in Ill for some more options.

On track day you will usually get 4-5 sessions that are 20-30 mins long, and sometimes even longer at the end of the day.

Spend your money on seat time, don't worry about adding or changing parts on the car yet. The more seat time you have the better you will know your car and find it's week spots, then upgrade. Also have FUN and learn, we are not getting a trophy so don't get to caught up on lap times or being the fastest. Remember smooth is fast.

Jim

 

[NEMustang]

I'm a 57 yr old man that brougt a 07 GT/CS when they came out and started to mod it soon after...

Brakes are stock but I use Hawk racing pads on race day (Fronts
only) with SS lines.

Tires on wet days I leave my Hanhook R3-S on (265/30/18..
285/30/18) On sunny days I have Hoosier R6's (245/30/18 on stock
rims)

From a 53 year old running an 07 GT/CS (First one off the assembly line in Black...third GT/CS made!)...I'd do a simple Brembo brake upgrade...the stock caliper are ok, but the Brembo with give you quicker bite and better head dissipation...plus they look good!

Secondly, most people use a smaller tire for wet and a larger tire for dry days...I would bump up those Hoosiers to at least a 275.

The rest looks pretty good...btw, once you get on track, you won't look back...you'll be hooked!

Good Luck!

 

[dly]

Thanks I really think all your coments will help me alot. I need to get wider rims to get the wider tires on. So I'm lookin for some 10" wide rims. I have a place that sells me 50 to 75% tread life left used Hoosiers for cheap.


Thanks again for the great comments

dly

 

[Norm Peterson]

Go here to find two 18 x 10 wheels with the right offset. I'm considering the Forgestars myself, with some 275-wide tires for a dedicated track day package (though certain events I'd like to run will probably force me to choose from among what's available at 200TW )

Read this thread for a long and well-written STX/ESP/track day build thread.


Out of curiosity, just which Hawk front pads, and what rear pads?


One difference between an instructed road course track day and an autocross school probably comes down to "timing".

At autocross, things are happening so fast that you need to consciously start your steering inputs before you get to the course feature that you're trying to steer around (I figure it takes about half a second to crank the wheel over to where it needs to be, during which time you've moved down-course perhaps a couple of car lengths). Very little time at autocross is spent under anything approaching "steady state" conditions. When you get this right, tire slip/slip angles will cause you to run wide of and just miss the cone that you were initially certain you'd be running over.

On the big track, it'll feel like you're being more "deliberate" - not less accurate, just not as hurried with the steering wheel rotation, and you will be much closer to steady-state much more of the time. Keep in mind as well that at an HPDE or whatever your group is calling it you won't be shooting for 10/10ths driving all or even part of the time like you would at autocross. There's lots more value in staying on line, consistently hitting your marks, and giving point-by's than on following a 'hero' lap time up with an 'off'.


Norm

 

[dly]

I'm running Hawk HP Plus autocross front pads and Hawk HPS street pads on the back. Rotors are EBC slotted and dimpled. Sorry but the here link didn't work for me.
Yes I'm been reading about the Fairs and all their trial and errors. They seem very sucessfully in their quest.
My local SCCA club only schedules about 7 events for the year but thats about right for me as I work 2 weekends than I get off the next 2 weekends.
I'm hoping that this 1st driving school will only be the start, I'm still looking for a local evo school.

Thanks dly

ps How much Brake Fluid is needed to flush my system??

 

[dly]

From a 53 year old running an 07 GT/CS (First one off the assembly line in Black...third GT/CS made!)...I'd do a simple Brembo brake upgrade...the stock caliper are ok, but the Brembo with give you quicker bite and better head dissipation...plus they look good!

Secondly, most people use a smaller tire for wet and a larger tire for dry days...I would bump up those Hoosiers to at least a 275.

The rest looks pretty good...btw, once you get on track, you won't look back...you'll be hooked!

Good Luck!

The reason behind my tires are rim sizes. The Hoosiers are mounted on my stock 18x8.5 rims. The Hanhook street tires (140 tire compound) are on some aftermarket rims 18x9 fronts and 18x10 on the rear.

Thanks dly

 

[Norm Peterson]

I'm running Hawk HP Plus autocross front pads and Hawk HPS street pads on the back. Rotors are EBC slotted and dimpled.

OK, that's very similar to what I'm running (same pads, different make slotted-only rotors).


The link is to Vorshlag.com under "Products", then "Ford", "S197", and "Racing Wheels" as you drill down. Terry will apparently sell you still wider wheels than 10's, but doesn't list them because he'll want to make sure that you know all of what you might be getting yourself into first. I really like that attitude, which I've also found at other small parts businesses.


I'd suggest getting 2 liters of fluid. When I swapped the HP+ up front, it took a little under one liter to flush everything but the rear lines and calipers and maybe a few cc trapped in the ABS module (that's likely to stay buried there because I so rarely get into the ABS). I did suction out and refill the reservoir with the new fluid. ATE amber, if it matters any. Blue can apparently stain plastics, and even though it's legal where I live (it isn't in FL) I'd rather not have to deal with that. Fresh fluid vs old/dirty coming out the little piece of clear tubing and into a glass jar is still a visible enough difference.


Norm

 

[dly]

Nuts I used the Blue Brake Fluid last year and will be changing to the RBF 600 Motul dot 4 Fluid. But I do have SS brake lines. I only have 1000ml of the Motul, I guess I need to double that.


Thanks dly

 

[Napoleon85]

Nuts I used the Blue Brake Fluid last year and will be changing to the RBF 600 Motul dot 4 Fluid. But I do have SS brake lines. I only have 1000ml of the Motul, I guess I need to double that.


Thanks dly

You could probably get away with 1500ml, since it's sold in 500ml bottles. The ATE stuff is sold in 1L bottles, so that's why you need to order 2L. Jason at Hypermotive gave me a good price on the Motul (and the hawk pads btw), he's a vendor on here (Jayman33).

 

[dly]

Well I got the koni yellows. steeda comp springs, bumpsteer tierods, castor/chamber plates, and the sway bar end links installed finally with this cold weather. Took it to an alignment shop. Asked for -1.5 camber, 1/16 toe out, and 7.5 caster. This is the final read out. Racing (Autocross) starts this weekend.

 

[sheizasosay]

Why not more camber? I drive around town on -1.8*. Just remember where that 1.5* is at in reference to your MM plates and then max them out. When you're done put the plates back to the previously marked settings.

 

[dly]

More would be pushing the strut top forward in the plate? Toward the front of the car?

dly

 

[fun4me]

More would be pushing the strut top forward in the plate? Toward the front of the car?

dly

Toward the engine. Sideways.

 

[sheizasosay]

Yeah towards the engine. Follow MM's instructions for adjusting them also. Instructions should be on the website. Basically don't adjust the plates without jacking the car up. Those plates you got do caster also.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dly]

All right towards the engine. Thanks a bunch guys. I remember last year running with it all the way to the fender (wrong way).

dly