FD Road Race Car - Feedback Welcome -
12-10-14, 10:18 AM
#26
All out Track Freak!
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The FD is a very economical car to go fast in and it's about as much fun to drive as a cup car once it's modded to race car standards.
If you want to go fast in a modern car (GTR, Vette, VIPER etc...) it takes even more money because you have to buy the 50k plus car then prep it and of course spend lots of money on track time learning to drive it. The faster the car the harder it is to drive. A fast car vs a slow car is the equivalent of playing your vid game in beginner or advanced mode or everything happens twice as fast in the fast car.
Now move from the HPDE setting into either racing and TT and you drop more money.
It's a crazy expensive hobby.
A lot of my expenses this year went into repairs and upgrades:
Truck rep/maint 3,500 (truck broke down on me coming back from VIR)
Trailer maint 250
New cage, body work, paint etc....10k
etc...
And a stock FD can hold it's own with most, at least in the twisties. I gave a lot of pass by's in the staights though. You don't necessrily need to drop a fortune, if you are okay with enjoying improving your technical abilities and aren't concerned about getting passed. I actually like the HP handicap which makes it that much more rewarding when you can take someone on skill vs HP.
The FD even on bad rubber needs 10k plus in reliability mods to run hard for 30 mins at 10 psi on twins.
There is no way to consistently track any turbo car without spending a lot of money.
Again a spec miata is about as cheap as you can get and that's expensive relatively speaking or when comparing this hobby to golf or fishing.
With all that said there is a very good reason people spend outrageous amounts of money tracking their cars and that's because it's an outrageous good time that creates memories of a lifetime.
12-10-14, 11:14 AM
#27
I will say if you are doing it right, you can enjoy tracking in any car.
12-10-14, 11:27 AM
#28
Understood, just turned 50 and actually hurt my back this fall and couldn't even drive my FD for a couple of weeks.
No doubt TT is easier on the car so that will help save some money for sure and that's the approach I take.
However there is no cheap way out if you want to go fast or be on the podium.
Even HPDE events will cost big dollars unless you run slow laps. I went to 7 events this year and dropped over 25k (only 2 events were time trials the rest HPDE) on my car for various things but the track days cost me at least 10k.
I've been driving an FD on track since 2001 and just put the trans cooler in last year or maybe the year before last and the diff cooler in this year. I wouldn't sweat the coolers at this stage I'd get it up and running at 350 max power and sweat the small stuff later. At 350 rwhp you should be as fast as well driven c6 corvettes which are very fast track cars. I'm not a gifted driver so it took me about 5 years to get a decent handle on the FD. It's a great car but it's not an evo, GTR, Audi TT (hehe) etc.... or in other words you have to work a little to go as fast as the Z06s, GT3s, GTRs, Vipers, modded (sti and evos), etc.... it's brutal out there LOL
A well prepped FD with a good driver will completely crush a stock m1 or audi TT as in BLOW it's doors or be 10 seconds a lap faster.
Here's a vid from this years UTCC and there was a really nice heavily modded m1 (probably 50k invested) making 450 plus rwhp driven by the e30 NASA multi year champ (extremely good driver) and my FD was a little quicker with approx 350 rwhp. I think the bimmer was also on larger tires with softer rubber. I'm not going to out drive the E30 champ so I'm simply saying the FD is BADASS and it doesn't need much power.
UTCC VIR Full 07-18-2014 - YouTube
No doubt TT is easier on the car so that will help save some money for sure and that's the approach I take.
However there is no cheap way out if you want to go fast or be on the podium.
Even HPDE events will cost big dollars unless you run slow laps. I went to 7 events this year and dropped over 25k (only 2 events were time trials the rest HPDE) on my car for various things but the track days cost me at least 10k.
I've been driving an FD on track since 2001 and just put the trans cooler in last year or maybe the year before last and the diff cooler in this year. I wouldn't sweat the coolers at this stage I'd get it up and running at 350 max power and sweat the small stuff later. At 350 rwhp you should be as fast as well driven c6 corvettes which are very fast track cars. I'm not a gifted driver so it took me about 5 years to get a decent handle on the FD. It's a great car but it's not an evo, GTR, Audi TT (hehe) etc.... or in other words you have to work a little to go as fast as the Z06s, GT3s, GTRs, Vipers, modded (sti and evos), etc.... it's brutal out there LOL
A well prepped FD with a good driver will completely crush a stock m1 or audi TT as in BLOW it's doors or be 10 seconds a lap faster.
Here's a vid from this years UTCC and there was a really nice heavily modded m1 (probably 50k invested) making 450 plus rwhp driven by the e30 NASA multi year champ (extremely good driver) and my FD was a little quicker with approx 350 rwhp. I think the bimmer was also on larger tires with softer rubber. I'm not going to out drive the E30 champ so I'm simply saying the FD is BADASS and it doesn't need much power.
UTCC VIR Full 07-18-2014 - YouTube
Are you using a gopro? Where and what are you using to mount it? Im having all kinds of vibration issues with my mount on my cage.
12-10-14, 11:35 AM
#29
It's all about how fast and competitive you want to be... You can surely decrease your costs by going slower.. The faster you go, the faster things wear out. There is a reason a Miata is widely tracked.
I will say if you are doing it right, you can enjoy tracking in any car.
I will say if you are doing it right, you can enjoy tracking in any car.
Costs will increase as skill increases. Some people get by spending less.
Point is - Get out there and try it, have some fun and see where your expenses wind up and how it fits your budget. The Miata is definitely cheaper but use what you have.
12-10-14, 12:00 PM
#30
I stick with NT01s because they give consistent performance throughout their life. They are not the fastest tire, but they balance good performance and price very well. I have tried to do that with the entire car. I also wont go above 450 WHP. I am at 400 now and the car is great, I probably should not even touch it.
Overbuilding the car slightly for your intended power and grip level can help. If I am building the car to drive it, you want to get all the time you can when you are at the track. If your car is broken (it happens sometimes) or fails because of lack of preparation, your enjoyment per dollar spent starts to go way down.
12-10-14, 12:39 PM
#31
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You can limit your expenses by limiting power and grip. For HPDE, and the light time attack stuff I do, it has worked really well. I do 10-12 HPDEs a year. I go through a set of NT01 tires every 9 months or so, 3 sets of brake pads, oil filters and fluids.
I stick with NT01s because they give consistent performance throughout their life. They are not the fastest tire, but they balance good performance and price very well. I have tried to do that with the entire car. I also wont go above 450 WHP. I am at 400 now and the car is great, I probably should not even touch it.
Overbuilding the car slightly for your intended power and grip level can help. If I am building the car to drive it, you want to get all the time you can when you are at the track. If your car is broken (it happens sometimes) or fails because of lack of preparation, your enjoyment per dollar spent starts to go way down.
I stick with NT01s because they give consistent performance throughout their life. They are not the fastest tire, but they balance good performance and price very well. I have tried to do that with the entire car. I also wont go above 450 WHP. I am at 400 now and the car is great, I probably should not even touch it.
Overbuilding the car slightly for your intended power and grip level can help. If I am building the car to drive it, you want to get all the time you can when you are at the track. If your car is broken (it happens sometimes) or fails because of lack of preparation, your enjoyment per dollar spent starts to go way down.
I've been tracking the same car with pretty much the same setup for 8 years
You don't have to spend money on building a crazy car to have fun but you do have to get out there and do it to both get better and have fun
PS I just use the IO port camera mount connected to the bar
PS Racing spec miata is fun but tracking one is boring as F#CK compared to even a bone stock FD
12-10-14, 05:34 PM
#32
I'm building my FD with HPDE's in mind but it will still mainly be a street car. I was surprised at the 2k figure for a HPDE but I guess that makes sense with slicks, brake pads, fuel, entry fee etc...I think I will stick to a street tire to keep cost low for a while and continue to mod the car as life permits. The NT01 tire sounds nice. I'll look into it. This thread has had a wealth of info and fun for me?
Can I get your thoughts on tracking the FD with NS twins on stock boost?
Can I get your thoughts on tracking the FD with NS twins on stock boost?
12-10-14, 05:59 PM
#33
For HPDE in my car I am probably around $500 per day.
Entry Fee - $100-$200
Tire wear - $80 (I get 9-10 track days out of NT01s, roughly $800 installed)
Brake pad wear - $50
Other misc wear and maintenance - $60
Fuel - around 20 gallons used, call it $70
Tow vehicle fuel - $50-80
Entry Fee - $100-$200
Tire wear - $80 (I get 9-10 track days out of NT01s, roughly $800 installed)
Brake pad wear - $50
Other misc wear and maintenance - $60
Fuel - around 20 gallons used, call it $70
Tow vehicle fuel - $50-80
12-10-14, 08:17 PM
#35
The one area that absolutely needs upgrading is cooling. Trackking a stock FD is playing with time. It will eventually melt the o-rings.
12-10-14, 08:19 PM
#36
All out Track Freak!
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For HPDE in my car I am probably around $500 per day.
Entry Fee - $100-$200
Tire wear - $80 (I get 9-10 track days out of NT01s, roughly $800 installed)
Brake pad wear - $50
Other misc wear and maintenance - $60
Fuel - around 20 gallons used, call it $70
Tow vehicle fuel - $50-80
Entry Fee - $100-$200
Tire wear - $80 (I get 9-10 track days out of NT01s, roughly $800 installed)
Brake pad wear - $50
Other misc wear and maintenance - $60
Fuel - around 20 gallons used, call it $70
Tow vehicle fuel - $50-80
Then I need an engine about every 7k miles
rotors every 6th weekend (many of my events are 3 day)
a trans about every 2500 (may be better with the cooler)
Turbo manifold, dp, wg or some piece of the turbo system about every 2k miles LOL
etc.........
12-10-14, 08:46 PM
#37
All out Track Freak!
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250HP in the early 90's was a lot, but not now. You will get past by most newer cars, but where the FD really shines is in the suspension. You can really power through the turns and you don't need massive rubber if you are running stock twins. The key is to keep everything balanced. HP-suspension-brakes.
The one area that absolutely needs upgrading is cooling. Trackking a stock FD is playing with time. It will eventually melt the o-rings.
The one area that absolutely needs upgrading is cooling. Trackking a stock FD is playing with time. It will eventually melt the o-rings.
In the 90s it was beast in stock form LOL
Here's a vid where I'm driving one of my DD cars with approx 6k invested in bolt ons. 10 psi on twins probably making about 275 rwhp
It was running 2.10 to 2.13 laps the whole weekend
The FD is still a serious track toy today at just 10 PSI with stock twins and basic bolt ons
It will give heavily modded caymans fits
12-10-14, 09:17 PM
#38
The video was awesome Fritz. Car looks like a lot of fun. I'd like to see what I can do with the car with sub 300whp first and see how the car does. Its hot and dry where I will be tracking, Buttonwillow and Willow springs, I'll make it up to Laguna Seca one of these years I'm sure of it. The Porsche Driving experience is opening up 10 minutes from my house and word is they will have HPDE's eventually. I have dual 25 row oil coolers, and just picked up a killer deal on a petit coolcharge 3 in the classifieds so cooling is under control.
Sorry for the threadjack OP. Good luck on your car. On a side note, what wheels are you running?
Sorry for the threadjack OP. Good luck on your car. On a side note, what wheels are you running?
12-10-14, 09:17 PM
#39
I'm about the same only the tire expense is approx 500 per weekend
Then I need an engine about every 7k miles
rotors every 6th weekend (many of my events are 3 day)
a trans about every 2500 (may be better with the cooler)
Turbo manifold, dp, wg or some piece of the turbo system about every 2k miles LOL
etc.........
Then I need an engine about every 7k miles
rotors every 6th weekend (many of my events are 3 day)
a trans about every 2500 (may be better with the cooler)
Turbo manifold, dp, wg or some piece of the turbo system about every 2k miles LOL
etc.........
Granted I don't have an aero package on the car yet, nor do I run race slicks, just DOT R tires. The car is ran so much I don't have the time or energy to constantly swap tires, brakes and do maintenance.
I'm still optimizing the package I have anyway... So it is still a lot of fun.
12-10-14, 09:20 PM
#40
The video was awesome Fritz. Car looks like a lot of fun. I'd like to see what I can do with the car with sub 300whp first and see how the car does. Its hot and dry where I will be tracking, Buttonwillow and Willow springs, I'll make it up to Laguna Seca one of these years I'm sure of it. The Porsche Driving experience is opening up 10 minutes from my house and word is they will have HPDE's eventually. I have dual 25 row oil coolers, and just picked up a killer deal on a petit coolcharge 3 in the classifieds so cooling is under control.
Sorry for the threadjack OP. Good luck on your car. On a side note, what wheels are you running?
Sorry for the threadjack OP. Good luck on your car. On a side note, what wheels are you running?
I didn't know they would be doing "open" events at the Porsche track. That would be really great!
12-10-14, 09:57 PM
#42
I'm about the same only the tire expense is approx 500 per weekend
Then I need an engine about every 7k miles
rotors every 6th weekend (many of my events are 3 day)
a trans about every 2500 (may be better with the cooler)
Turbo manifold, dp, wg or some piece of the turbo system about every 2k miles LOL
etc.........
Then I need an engine about every 7k miles
rotors every 6th weekend (many of my events are 3 day)
a trans about every 2500 (may be better with the cooler)
Turbo manifold, dp, wg or some piece of the turbo system about every 2k miles LOL
etc.........
12-11-14, 01:19 AM
#44
Senior Member
I get about 50 hours of race hours on my engine and that's when its due for apex seals, side and corner seals , etc. If I am lucky the chatter marks on the housings are minimal, but the last engine needed all new housings. A 7 litre v8 will run for years on the track if revs are kept to 7000 rpm. . My friends roadrace ls7 fd is on his 5th season!
12-11-14, 02:19 AM
#46
Been tracking my FD consistently for 6 years.
Been clocking extremely competitive times in my time attack class and the cost for running my car has been reasonable. Running in classes that require street tires (not R-comp) is the key. Street tires last longer, are easier on brakes, bushings, diff, trans, etc.
With that said, weekends have not cost me anywhere near $2k. My trans has lasted 6 years. My LSD is the carbonetic carbon and it handles heat much better than typical LSD's... Havnt had any overheating LSD issues even with my extremely hot corner exits and occasional tail happy sessions..I dont run longer than 20min sessions at a time though. Brakes, I have run PF 01's which last about 15ish track days however I have had incredible luck finding used race pads on ebay from NASCAR vendors for cheap. (running the M2 BBK).
Keys to having a cost effective FD track car:
-Run street tires. I completely disagree with people who say you need slicks. I run ~400whp and with my 275/35/18 street tires (Dunlop Zii's, Rs3's, RE11's etc) the car grips VERY well.. Not R-comp/Slick well but well enough. 1st gear sticks when tires are warm. I like the Zii's because they maintain a constant level of adhesion all the way till the cords. It will last you a while. (I have run R-comp before btw)
-Keep it @ 400whp or below during track events. Like most ppl said, no need for anything more than that.
-Buy quality and proven products.. No short cuts. May cost more in the beginning but in the long run it will save you money.
My ORIGINAL engine which I tracked for 6 years never blew. That includes drag strips, streets, dyno sessions, etc. I decided to rebuild it last year and the housings,etc all looked good. Build it right, dont be greedy and enjoy it.
Just my .02
Been clocking extremely competitive times in my time attack class and the cost for running my car has been reasonable. Running in classes that require street tires (not R-comp) is the key. Street tires last longer, are easier on brakes, bushings, diff, trans, etc.
With that said, weekends have not cost me anywhere near $2k. My trans has lasted 6 years. My LSD is the carbonetic carbon and it handles heat much better than typical LSD's... Havnt had any overheating LSD issues even with my extremely hot corner exits and occasional tail happy sessions..I dont run longer than 20min sessions at a time though. Brakes, I have run PF 01's which last about 15ish track days however I have had incredible luck finding used race pads on ebay from NASCAR vendors for cheap. (running the M2 BBK).
Keys to having a cost effective FD track car:
-Run street tires. I completely disagree with people who say you need slicks. I run ~400whp and with my 275/35/18 street tires (Dunlop Zii's, Rs3's, RE11's etc) the car grips VERY well.. Not R-comp/Slick well but well enough. 1st gear sticks when tires are warm. I like the Zii's because they maintain a constant level of adhesion all the way till the cords. It will last you a while. (I have run R-comp before btw)
-Keep it @ 400whp or below during track events. Like most ppl said, no need for anything more than that.
-Buy quality and proven products.. No short cuts. May cost more in the beginning but in the long run it will save you money.
My ORIGINAL engine which I tracked for 6 years never blew. That includes drag strips, streets, dyno sessions, etc. I decided to rebuild it last year and the housings,etc all looked good. Build it right, dont be greedy and enjoy it.
Just my .02
12-11-14, 05:32 AM
#47
The FD is still no slouch
In the 90s it was beast in stock form LOL
Here's a vid where I'm driving one of my DD cars with approx 6k invested in bolt ons. 10 psi on twins probably making about 275 rwhp
It was running 2.10 to 2.13 laps the whole weekend
The FD is still a serious track toy today at just 10 PSI with stock twins and basic bolt ons
It will give heavily modded caymans fits
PCA Zone 2 VIR Full Red Group 2nd session Sat 3-15-2014 - YouTube
In the 90s it was beast in stock form LOL
Here's a vid where I'm driving one of my DD cars with approx 6k invested in bolt ons. 10 psi on twins probably making about 275 rwhp
It was running 2.10 to 2.13 laps the whole weekend
The FD is still a serious track toy today at just 10 PSI with stock twins and basic bolt ons
It will give heavily modded caymans fits
PCA Zone 2 VIR Full Red Group 2nd session Sat 3-15-2014 - YouTube
In the long run that ended being quite an expensive weekend though lol, and part of the reason why tracking an FD seems unfathomable unless you make a decent amount of money.
Been tracking my FD consistently for 6 years.
Been clocking extremely competitive times in my time attack class and the cost for running my car has been reasonable. Running in classes that require street tires (not R-comp) is the key. Street tires last longer, are easier on brakes, bushings, diff, trans, etc.
With that said, weekends have not cost me anywhere near $2k. My trans has lasted 6 years. My LSD is the carbonetic carbon and it handles heat much better than typical LSD's... Havnt had any overheating LSD issues even with my extremely hot corner exits and occasional tail happy sessions..I dont run longer than 20min sessions at a time though. Brakes, I have run PF 01's which last about 15ish track days however I have had incredible luck finding used race pads on ebay from NASCAR vendors for cheap. (running the M2 BBK).
Keys to having a cost effective FD track car:
-Run street tires. I completely disagree with people who say you need slicks. I run ~400whp and with my 275/35/18 street tires (Dunlop Zii's, Rs3's, RE11's etc) the car grips VERY well.. Not R-comp/Slick well but well enough. 1st gear sticks when tires are warm. I like the Zii's because they maintain a constant level of adhesion all the way till the cords. It will last you a while. (I have run R-comp before btw)
-Keep it @ 400whp or below during track events. Like most ppl said, no need for anything more than that.
-Buy quality and proven products.. No short cuts. May cost more in the beginning but in the long run it will save you money.
My ORIGINAL engine which I tracked for 6 years never blew. That includes drag strips, streets, dyno sessions, etc. I decided to rebuild it last year and the housings,etc all looked good. Build it right, dont be greedy and enjoy it.
Just my .02
Been clocking extremely competitive times in my time attack class and the cost for running my car has been reasonable. Running in classes that require street tires (not R-comp) is the key. Street tires last longer, are easier on brakes, bushings, diff, trans, etc.
With that said, weekends have not cost me anywhere near $2k. My trans has lasted 6 years. My LSD is the carbonetic carbon and it handles heat much better than typical LSD's... Havnt had any overheating LSD issues even with my extremely hot corner exits and occasional tail happy sessions..I dont run longer than 20min sessions at a time though. Brakes, I have run PF 01's which last about 15ish track days however I have had incredible luck finding used race pads on ebay from NASCAR vendors for cheap. (running the M2 BBK).
Keys to having a cost effective FD track car:
-Run street tires. I completely disagree with people who say you need slicks. I run ~400whp and with my 275/35/18 street tires (Dunlop Zii's, Rs3's, RE11's etc) the car grips VERY well.. Not R-comp/Slick well but well enough. 1st gear sticks when tires are warm. I like the Zii's because they maintain a constant level of adhesion all the way till the cords. It will last you a while. (I have run R-comp before btw)
-Keep it @ 400whp or below during track events. Like most ppl said, no need for anything more than that.
-Buy quality and proven products.. No short cuts. May cost more in the beginning but in the long run it will save you money.
My ORIGINAL engine which I tracked for 6 years never blew. That includes drag strips, streets, dyno sessions, etc. I decided to rebuild it last year and the housings,etc all looked good. Build it right, dont be greedy and enjoy it.
Just my .02
12-11-14, 08:35 AM
#48
All out Track Freak!
iTrader: (263)
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Charlottesville VA 22901
Posts: 10,672
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250 Posts
Been tracking my FD consistently for 6 years.
Been clocking extremely competitive times in my time attack class and the cost for running my car has been reasonable. Running in classes that require street tires (not R-comp) is the key. Street tires last longer, are easier on brakes, bushings, diff, trans, etc.
With that said, weekends have not cost me anywhere near $2k. My trans has lasted 6 years. My LSD is the carbonetic carbon and it handles heat much better than typical LSD's... Havnt had any overheating LSD issues even with my extremely hot corner exits and occasional tail happy sessions..I dont run longer than 20min sessions at a time though. Brakes, I have run PF 01's which last about 15ish track days however I have had incredible luck finding used race pads on ebay from NASCAR vendors for cheap. (running the M2 BBK).
Keys to having a cost effective FD track car:
-Run street tires. I completely disagree with people who say you need slicks. I run ~400whp and with my 275/35/18 street tires (Dunlop Zii's, Rs3's, RE11's etc) the car grips VERY well.. Not R-comp/Slick well but well enough. 1st gear sticks when tires are warm. I like the Zii's because they maintain a constant level of adhesion all the way till the cords. It will last you a while. (I have run R-comp before btw)
-Keep it @ 400whp or below during track events. Like most ppl said, no need for anything more than that.
-Buy quality and proven products.. No short cuts. May cost more in the beginning but in the long run it will save you money.
My ORIGINAL engine which I tracked for 6 years never blew. That includes drag strips, streets, dyno sessions, etc. I decided to rebuild it last year and the housings,etc all looked good. Build it right, dont be greedy and enjoy it.
Just my .02
Been clocking extremely competitive times in my time attack class and the cost for running my car has been reasonable. Running in classes that require street tires (not R-comp) is the key. Street tires last longer, are easier on brakes, bushings, diff, trans, etc.
With that said, weekends have not cost me anywhere near $2k. My trans has lasted 6 years. My LSD is the carbonetic carbon and it handles heat much better than typical LSD's... Havnt had any overheating LSD issues even with my extremely hot corner exits and occasional tail happy sessions..I dont run longer than 20min sessions at a time though. Brakes, I have run PF 01's which last about 15ish track days however I have had incredible luck finding used race pads on ebay from NASCAR vendors for cheap. (running the M2 BBK).
Keys to having a cost effective FD track car:
-Run street tires. I completely disagree with people who say you need slicks. I run ~400whp and with my 275/35/18 street tires (Dunlop Zii's, Rs3's, RE11's etc) the car grips VERY well.. Not R-comp/Slick well but well enough. 1st gear sticks when tires are warm. I like the Zii's because they maintain a constant level of adhesion all the way till the cords. It will last you a while. (I have run R-comp before btw)
-Keep it @ 400whp or below during track events. Like most ppl said, no need for anything more than that.
-Buy quality and proven products.. No short cuts. May cost more in the beginning but in the long run it will save you money.
My ORIGINAL engine which I tracked for 6 years never blew. That includes drag strips, streets, dyno sessions, etc. I decided to rebuild it last year and the housings,etc all looked good. Build it right, dont be greedy and enjoy it.
Just my .02
On the east coast it's hard to find 5 cars for TT2 which is just power and weight limited and the top 3 drivers will absolutely be on fresh fresh hoos usually A6s.
I typically drive with PCA in the instructor group and 90% of the cars are on hoos.
No doubt something like the Dunlops or the NT01s is a smart play if you have some good people to compete against and you are happy driving with less grip.
What turbo kit are you using and how much PSI?
Glad to hear the carbo diff is more durable that's what I currently have but also added a cooler after noticing I break the fluid down in any FD I drive and it starts to leak out of the drain bolt. Stock diff cover typically just tightening the bolt will stop the leak but the current diff has one of those greddy covers and that bitch would not seal.
No doubt the keys for keeping expenses down are running cheap rubber, use quality upgrades and upgrading all things that need cooling and lastly and most importantly keep the power down.
One thing that's really important to consider is that the 1st 5 years of most serious track folks (people who go 10 plus times a year) the driver is still learning to go fast and during that time he or she is on not that hard on the equipment. Once a driver learns to get the most out of his equipment that equipment starts to break apart. Even if it's just 2 seconds a lap faster because those 2 seconds are extremely hard on the car.
12-11-14, 08:39 AM
#49
All out Track Freak!
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So nice to see my car giving all those modded Porsches headaches with a great driver behind the wheel
In the long run that ended being quite an expensive weekend though lol, and part of the reason why tracking an FD seems unfathomable unless you make a decent amount of money.
What is your secret for the engine reliability? I must say that after owning my TII FC for 10 years it is like a honda in reliability compared to my FD. The entire powertrain seems to be made of plastic at times. I honestly would think something would break or leak after every track day, although you could run top times if setup right, your bank account would hate you. The FD powertrain does not seem to age very gracefully and it seems like it will take a lot of money up front in upgrades to even finish one decent track day without getting sidelined prematurely.
In the long run that ended being quite an expensive weekend though lol, and part of the reason why tracking an FD seems unfathomable unless you make a decent amount of money.
What is your secret for the engine reliability? I must say that after owning my TII FC for 10 years it is like a honda in reliability compared to my FD. The entire powertrain seems to be made of plastic at times. I honestly would think something would break or leak after every track day, although you could run top times if setup right, your bank account would hate you. The FD powertrain does not seem to age very gracefully and it seems like it will take a lot of money up front in upgrades to even finish one decent track day without getting sidelined prematurely.
This is why I rarely take my DD cars on track anymore. The abuse the car takes is not worth it.
12-11-14, 08:51 AM
#50
All out Track Freak!
iTrader: (263)
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Charlottesville VA 22901
Posts: 10,672
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250 Posts
I get about 50 hours of race hours on my engine and that's when its due for apex seals, side and corner seals , etc. If I am lucky the chatter marks on the housings are minimal, but the last engine needed all new housings. A 7 litre v8 will run for years on the track if revs are kept to 7000 rpm. . My friends roadrace ls7 fd is on his 5th season!
I bought Rich's upgraded trans with the OS giken gear set and now I have the cooler so I'm hoping I'll get a decent amount of time out this trans.
The video was awesome Fritz. Car looks like a lot of fun. I'd like to see what I can do with the car with sub 300whp first and see how the car does. Its hot and dry where I will be tracking, Buttonwillow and Willow springs, I'll make it up to Laguna Seca one of these years I'm sure of it. The Porsche Driving experience is opening up 10 minutes from my house and word is they will have HPDE's eventually. I have dual 25 row oil coolers, and just picked up a killer deal on a petit coolcharge 3 in the classifieds so cooling is under control.
Sorry for the threadjack OP. Good luck on your car. On a side note, what wheels are you running?
Sorry for the threadjack OP. Good luck on your car. On a side note, what wheels are you running?
Yep most of the p car clubs let other folks in but I instruct which also saves some $$$ and there's more leniency for instructors. So even with out track fees I still spend 2k a weekend all things considered. As I've become older the money saved is less important and there's a tremendous amount of risk especially considering the power and grip that the newer cars have so I will likely instruct less and less.
If and when I have an FD that runs an entire season without any issues this forum will be the 1st to know
In all the time I've been running time trials I don't know of any turbo car that made it all the way through a season with out any issues. It's just not an easy thing to do.
It's actually rare for any high HP car to run a complete season without having to fix something. Again though I'm talking about competitive cars not guys lapping.