Rx7thHeaven

Here is the story... I got the car started up and running properly tuesday of last week and just drove it around the block to see how things were. It set in the garrage till friday when I took it to get exhaust and a front end alignment. Basically straight from there I drove the 1 hour 15 min drive to Danville Virginia for a track event that I was doing at VIR this weekend. The event lasted sat and sun and was on the newly opened Grand Course East which is 4.2 miles long. There are 2 sections of track where speeds can aproach and exceed 140mph and 33 turns. All I can say is that the car was phenomenal. I have been to several events at VIR (just not the grand course) so I was in the second to fastest group and the pace was very quick so I was hammering the car pretty good. The handeling and overall feel of the car remain completely unchanged and the torque out of the low speed corners made all the difference in the world. The only problem I had out of the car the entire weekend was a rubber cap that I capped off a nipple on the radiator with, sprung a leak and I had to put a better one on... And that happened before I ever got the car on the track. This weekend was as tough of a maden voyage as I think any car could have and it went off without a hitch. I feel very good about the swap as I am more into road racing than drag so I needed the car to feel good on the track and all I can say is that I couldent be happier with the way things turned out.


Jonathan

TracyRX7

For "weekend warrior" fun racing what sort of class does the car end up in after the swap? Right now I just autocross my car (I won't track drive it until I've got a cage and I'm still debating on doing one) and the only "drawback" I can see from the swap is the classing issues (You go straight to a modified class that allows complete interior gutting, tubbing, race slicks, etc in autocross).

It is one thing to measure your times against previous times to measure your own growth but it is another (and most of us racing cars are competitive) to track your times against others in your class. You can then look at your car and your skill versus others following the same rules as you.

Rx7thHeaven

I do not compete in races with my car. They track events that I do are the Driver Education schools like the MADS events and events with BMW and Porsche clubs. So I do not know how the classes would work for racing.

Jonathan

wingsfan

Tracy, you go right to EM. That's what i've run at the SCCA events I've been to.

Well, EM is such a small class (the last couple events I went to it was just me). If you're that competitive you'll be comparing your times to TTOD.

wingsfan

Glad the car worked out for you Jonathan. Here's hoping you get many more pleasant weekends beating on the car with no fear of losing the engine.

7777 Nepok 7777 -rx-

cheers for the pistons!!!
(delete this post if it creates a war)

TracyRX7

Yeah, TTOD PAX, I know that I can compare my time to a '03 Z06 if I was running a LS1 FD and that probably gives me a decent benchmark of my skills but if you follow rules and look at PAX if you are great in your car you probably end up OA in the top 10% of your region in that car and you'll probably PAX in the top 25%. I don't believe it would be possible to PAX consistantly in EM unless you take advantage of the other things the rules allow (and my FD will be staying a street usable car for the forseeable future).

wingsfan

Yup, I don't worry about it. I'm out there to drive my car fast, and get the best time I can. I don't worry about where it PAXes me. Hell, I'm running around in EM on street tires.

If I wanted to be super competitive I'd be in a different platform anyways. You're pretty much screwed on the classes for the FD any way you look at it. SS, ASP, SM2, and EM are all going to be super competitive, or ridiculously restrictive.

Mdessouki

iTrader: (7)

sounds good. I cant wait to get mine up and running so I can head to VIR. I think its the only thing that motivates me on this project.

<^>(-_-)<^>

im also a very road racing type of person over drag. Im doing everything possible for my fc to handle well once the engine is in finished.. But im glad that your ls1 swap held up fine for that driving. Cause ive seen many rotary turbo rx7's come home from the track with lots of smoking or towed.

JustinStrife

iTrader: (2)

Nice to see it's working out for you. Be worth a flight out there just to feel how she handles.

Rx7thHeaven

Beleive me... When my car was rotary powered it left the track smoking once. After a wastegate line blew off on my T78. It really was a nice feeling to know that I wasnt going to hurt the engine. --JustinStrife-- I beleive that there a some guys out your way that have some V8 7's. Do a search on here and on www.torquecentral.com and I am sure you can find one that is convinient for you to catch a ride in.

Jonathan

DSM Turbos

Nice job bitch... When you comming back down to wilmington with that beast to drag me again?

Rx7thHeaven

I will race you pump gas to pump gas!!! I am thinking about putting on a 150shot then you can put your race gas in and crank the boost up!

DSM Turbos

be careful with a 150 shot on that, its a lot of nitrous for even that car, i would do head cam before nitrous, or just do a 100 shot. bring it down here sometime so we can all check it out. Hopefully my car will be out again soon.

GsrSol

Good luck hooking up if you spray on street tires!

Rx7thHeaven

you say that like you have some experience with it!!!

RX-Heven

iTrader: (1)

Wow, your username is as lame as mine....

GsrSol

I have a very hard time hooking up without it. I spin these 275s til atleast the middle of 3rd. It's kicked out shifting to 4th before, it's just flat out scary sometimes. I don't want to but I'm going to have to run around on drag radials

A while back I was racing a Cobra and had to completely let off at the top of 3rd and then nail it again just so it would hook. Feathering the gas doesn't do crap. Eventually I do want to spray but it'll be for the strip only.

Rx7thHeaven

So that is what is so weird... With this engine, and even when I had the single turbo rotary, I do not have NEAR the trouble hooking up that I have heard of other people having... With the LS1 I can most of the time go full throttle in 2nd gear and have no traction problems, unless I try to make it spin. I am running 18x9.5's on the back with 275 Yokohama Avs sports. I think it may have something to do with the amount of squat my car has... It really puts some weight on the rear.

GsrSol

Well my suspension setup probably has alot to do with it then. When I had the stock twins and switched to a TII diff I noticed a big loss in traction. Plus I have the M2 TA and TL, all the bushings in the rear are new, and my coilovers are set pretty stiff.

wingsfan

Gotta be a combination of the suspension and tire compound.

My cam and intake motor was making 20-30 more rwhp than your stock LS6 (if you're in the 350rwhp range you thought you'd be in), and I'm running full on coilovers, jimlab bushings, etc. (no TII unit though)

I'm running Nitto 555R2s at 275/17/40, and I could bark the tires through the 3/4 upshift, but can't blow them away like you're describing. 1st was pretty useless, and 2nd would hook well once I'm over 4000 rpm or so at WOT. 2nd to 3rd would chirp, and so would 3rd to 4th. There's definitely something you need to iron out in the suspension then, unless you like the car getting squirly (nothing wrong with that).

JustinStrife

iTrader: (2)

you know these are mean swaps, when you show your dad(a domestic nut who's owned a dozen corvettes in 35+ years) and he says it looks killer. If i ever get the cash to do an ls1/fd, i want to race my dad's C4.

Rx7thHeaven

I rode through a dennys parking lot the other day with mine and they were having a hot rod drive in... I reved the engine once and it looked like they all were confused!!!


Jonathan

GsrSol

It's great! People always double take with the wierdest look on their faces.