The car you want? Or, the class you want?, Had this conversation today... Options

[jhadler]

I couldn't care any less about classification for myself. But my car goes on the street. And that's probably the biggest difference. If you car isn't street legal, then you're more likely to build for a class.

Actually, I feel it's more likely that you start with a street car, build for a class, and the car becomes unstreetable as a result.

Two ways to look at it I guess.

I bought my 914 from the start with the plan to build it into a Street Prepared autox car. For a time at served as a daily driver as well, and I compromised the development of the car to stay streetable. The car has now gone past that stage, and is for the most part a dedicated racer that still hapens to be street legal. Street legal? Yes. Streetable? I guess, but not the most comfortable in the world.

-Josh2

[anthony]

It seems like a lot of 914 owners just upgrade and improve left and right without a solid plan or class in mind. Maybe they just aren't serious AXers or they don't care. It's like they are always looking at the TTOD cars and measuring their performance against the top dogs.

In a sense I've mostly done the same the thing with my 911SC. I've autocrossed it more than the 914. It's fun because it's harder and more challenging to drive on an AX coure. Also, at least a few stock SCs show up and I can benchmark myself against them. I also usually tally up how many higher classed Carreras and Boxsters I beat (usually more than half of those cars that show up).

I'm improving my 914 for the street and don't give a crap how well it does in AX. It's going to get a 2270 engine this spring and then eventually a nice street suspension and maybe a 5 lug conversion.

[grantsfo]

While new GGR points system is kookie, it does give one ability to run in fairly competive classes regardless of your build. At least for AX. TT sucks for poor stockish 914 guys.

[DanT]

While new GGR points system is kookie, it does give one ability to run in fairly competive classes regardless of your build. At least for AX. TT sucks for poor stockish 914 guys.

tell me about it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[grantsfo]

While new GGR points system is kookie, it does give one ability to run in fairly competive classes regardless of your build. At least for AX. TT sucks for poor stockish 914 guys.

tell me about it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

You can always bring a cheerleading squad to TT events for moral support. GGR TT classing for 914's still has me perplexed. Only thing I have going for me is low weight and 2.4 that is tuned to screaming output.

[DanT]

when we used to run the old rules where 914s competed against 914s that is what happened. when you buddies (direct competitors) were running for time we would be at the wall cheering them on for each of their 3 laps.
it was all good clean fun.
now almost no one does it since a lot of the time you really don't know who your competitors are just by looking at the cars (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I think that is part of the current problem why not many folks run for times.

[Trekkor]

Like to return to the cheering.

I think the first TT at TH this year will be wonderful.


KT

[orcadigital]

Brant knows, i have spent a lot of time trying to build a car for a specific class. I can put flares on my car, say wow it looks nice, and now i am running against full carbon body purpose built race cars. Takes a lot of fun out of it.

I think the difference isnt as much between street and not, but autocross and racing. Just my personal opinion of course, but there seems to be a difference when comparing not only times, but having that car blow by you on the track. I run in the second slowest class in PCA club racing (which usually makes me on paper, the slowest car there, havent seen a 1.7/1.8 class K car yet). I know i get frustrated sometimes because of that, but at least in PCA, you find some people about your speed, and you race. Since there are no prizes for winning, it is more building a car that runs in a run group with cars about your speed, not so much a class.

I am competitive enough that class matters to me. I also know that to do one little change that would put me in I, means a lot more money (and skill) that i dont have, to be competitive, so i happily stay where i am.

Just my thoughts..

[naro914]

I think you should build to class, unless you have an unlimited budget.

I race in PCA class GT-5. When we went with a new engine in our car, from the 2.4/4 to a 6, we had to make decisions on the size. My ego and testoserone said a 3.4. But...that would put me in GT3. I'd been watching club racing for a while, and the GT3 class cars are always in the back of the run group with the Cup cars....and not looking like they were having a lot of fun. Oh, there was one GT3 class car that normally competitive in the group....he had over $150k in the car!

GT4 is amazingly competitive and I'd be spending years getting good at it.

So, we backed off and built a 2.2. Puts me in the top of GT5, I run with a lot of stock class cars on the same group, and have an absolute blast. I'm middle of the pack in the group, but I've won my 2 races so far in my class. That's not what matters most; it's the dicing it up with other cars, the racing, the passing.

Trust me, I love speed. And maybe some day I'll step up the engine to bigger and better. But for now, we built the PCA race car for class.

We did that too for the Targa Newfoundland/HSR car. There is a limit in which you can do mods, and we pushed the car to the limit. We did pretty well in Targa (11th place overall), but have more ideas how to do better next year. And we're still working on the specs for HSR....should be running the Walter Mitty this year...hopefully.

So it just depends what you want....the question you have to ask yourself:

Do you want to be FAST, or do you want to be COMPETITIVE.....