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Justinp71
I am curious as to if a v8 914 is a good track car.

Will they handle the courses well? Are they vette killers? Are there classes that they are competitive to race in? biggrin.gif

Thinking about possibly making/buying a v8 track car, but I am trying to find out if they are a good option or more of a toy???
6freak
QUOTE(Justinp71 @ May 12 2008, 10:56 AM) *

I am curious as to if a v8 914 is a good track car.

Will they handle the courses well? Are they vette killers? Are there classes that they are competitive to race in? biggrin.gif

Thinking about possibly making/buying a v8 track car, but I am trying to find out if they are a good option or more of a toy???


My1970 914-6(slight suspention mods) will out run most street Vettes through the corners at Portland Raceway but they catch back up down the straits...If you go v8 you have to go with body stiffners and bigger brakes just too get the thing to work proper at higher speeds ..I say work with what you got .But yes they (if set up correct) are good track cars ......Hell my Grandma can go fast in a strait line...Hope that helped flag.gif
Justinp71
Well thats the thing... wouldn't it be awesome to follow a vette through the turn and then smoke him through the straight away...


He would be like WTF.gif ...

av-943.gif
Crazyhippy
For track day fun, HELL Yeah, they can be rockets.

For competitive wheel to wheel racing, not so much. You will get lumped in w/ the Uber $$ stuff, and unless you are using the same amount of cubic $ they are, you will get smoked.

BJH
6freak
QUOTE(Justinp71 @ May 12 2008, 01:14 PM) *

Well thats the thing... wouldn't it be awesome to follow a vette through the turn and then smoke him through the straight away...


He would be like WTF.gif ...

av-943.gif


follow hell They tend to stay behind me and try to figure out how i get throught the turns so fast its a real gas.i did the Corvette Club in Portland last year and the challenge for them wasnt the straits !but try`n to keep up with me at both ends of the track.they always catch me on the straits but wouldnt go by ......it was a blast driving.gif good luck whatever you do
byndbad914
question of money as mentioned, but keep things relative to what you are talking about. A new Z06 is a MACHINE but you'll have $75K in it with a good set of Hoosiers for the track and then the wheel will probably fail apparently (Bird Board post showed a new Z06 with the center broken out of it). So with a good set of wheels at another $3K roughly, closer to $78K.

I have around $10K-$15K less than that in my car and it is fast by most standards and getting faster as I get the suspension tuning coming together.

I am also in a much safer car at 160mph than a stock Z06 IMO so I would have even more money in the Z06 by adding cage and so forth.

But if you are chewing Vettes up in the corners then they have a bad driver behind the wheel cuz the new Vettes (including the C5s) are just unbelievable to me. I rode in a C5 Z06 at Buttonwillow with a guy I knew was a great driver. I think he was running Kumhos or similar DOT race radial and we went into the bus stop and I swore we weren't going to make it, but then found myself absolutely amazed at what a stock C5 Z06 could do with only a tire upgrade. The C6 Z06 with the other 100HP... just staggering.

A bone stock tub with a simple cage and a V8 that will compete with the new Z06 ain't gonna happen IMO. The chassis flex is nuts in the stock setup without an extensive cage tying all points together. My car was a flexi-flyer with the 525HP cranking out of corners into straights.

Take a -6 and get it comparable to a C6 Z06 on the track and you will have $40K-$60K in it as well if you build it safe (the high HP -6 will be a chunk of that change and a full cage front to rear tied into the tub will be another chunk). If you go cheap on a 350HP 3.4L engine, it won't hold together for long and if you skimp on the chassis and run it stock it will work, but if you hit 150mph+ on the front straight at WSIR for instance to keep up with the Vette... don't hit the wall or you won't be walking away from that one.

I like all the sound and fury of the V8 so I chose that combo.
J P Stein
My 914 is roughly comparable with a GT3 or ZO6 (pre 07) power to weight wise.....maybe a tad better. They don't scare me much on any AX course. Their ABS does impress me tho...
6freak
QUOTE(byndbad914 @ May 12 2008, 04:06 PM) *

question of money as mentioned, but keep things relative to what you are talking about. A new Z06 is a MACHINE but you'll have $75K in it with a good set of Hoosiers for the track and then the wheel will probably fail apparently (Bird Board post showed a new Z06 with the center broken out of it). So with a good set of wheels at another $3K roughly, closer to $78K.

I have around $10K-$15K less than that in my car and it is fast by most standards and getting faster as I get the suspension tuning coming together.

I am also in a much safer car at 160mph than a stock Z06 IMO so I would have even more money in the Z06 by adding cage and so forth.

But if you are chewing Vettes up in the corners then they have a bad driver behind the wheel cuz the new Vettes (including the C5s) are just unbelievable to me. I rode in a C5 Z06 at Buttonwillow with a guy I knew was a great driver. I think he was running Kumhos or similar DOT race radial and we went into the bus stop and I swore we weren't going to make it, but then found myself absolutely amazed at what a stock C5 Z06 could do with only a tire upgrade. The C6 Z06 with the other 100HP... just staggering.

A bone stock tub with a simple cage and a V8 that will compete with the new Z06 ain't gonna happen IMO. The chassis flex is nuts in the stock setup without an extensive cage tying all points together. My car was a flexi-flyer with the 525HP cranking out of corners into straights.

Take a -6 and get it comparable to a C6 Z06 on the track and you will have $40K-$60K in it as well if you build it safe (the high HP -6 will be a chunk of that change and a full cage front to rear tied into the tub will be another chunk). If you go cheap on a 350HP 3.4L engine, it won't hold together for long and if you skimp on the chassis and run it stock it will work, but if you hit 150mph+ on the front straight at WSIR for instance to keep up with the Vette... don't hit the wall or you won't be walking away from that one.

I like all the sound and fury of the V8 so I chose that combo.

My car being what it is( street legal) heavy spring and torsion bars and set up they way it is on Kummo 710`s and the stock Vette is what i`m talkn no matter what year .Im just faster through the corners ..point blank...and they smoke me down the straits. confused24.gif
6freak
QUOTE(J P Stein @ May 12 2008, 05:18 PM) *

My 914 is roughly comparable with a GT3 or ZO6 (pre 07) power to weight wise.....maybe a tad better. They don't scare me much on any AX course. Their ABS does impress me tho...

I bought me car from a guy that owned an 05 Z51 Vette( Superb driver) and he agrees with me.A properly driven (914-6 street car slite mods)kummo 710`s not much can touch it at the corners......O yah he will be at the track day with me on 5-18 in Portland with hes brand new 08 Z06....bad fast. awsome brakes and i think it will pull about 1.2g`s in the corners not sure about the #s Just street cars guys bye1.gif
J P Stein
I'll be up in Packwood on 5/18 for an SCCA autocross. Plenty of Z06s there.....tho I have yet to see the new version.
TROJANMAN
QUOTE(byndbad914 @ May 12 2008, 03:06 PM) *

question of money as mentioned, but keep things relative to what you are talking about. A new Z06 is a MACHINE but you'll have $75K in it with a good set of Hoosiers for the track and then the wheel will probably fail apparently (Bird Board post showed a new Z06 with the center broken out of it). So with a good set of wheels at another $3K roughly, closer to $78K.

I have around $10K-$15K less than that in my car and it is fast by most standards and getting faster as I get the suspension tuning coming together.

I am also in a much safer car at 160mph than a stock Z06 IMO so I would have even more money in the Z06 by adding cage and so forth.


Tim,
Have you met Dave Harris yet, or seen his car?
biosurfer1
because thats what you need Justin...another car:)

FYI, for those who do not know Justin, he goes through cars like toilet paper. something like 20 since I've known him (~4 years) he has them stacked 3 high all over his yard:D
6freak
QUOTE(J P Stein @ May 13 2008, 12:00 PM) *

I'll be up in Packwood on 5/18 for an SCCA autocross. Plenty of Z06s there.....tho I have yet to see the new version.


Im do`n the July 4th thing at packwood ..I had know idea there was one on the may 18 date or i would have done that instead of the Portland thing DAMN IT ! headbang.gif
J P Stein
QUOTE(6freak @ May 13 2008, 02:17 PM) *

QUOTE(J P Stein @ May 13 2008, 12:00 PM) *

I'll be up in Packwood on 5/18 for an SCCA autocross. Plenty of Z06s there.....tho I have yet to see the new version.


Im do`n the July 4th thing at packwood ..I had know idea there was one on the may 18 date or i would have done that instead of the Portland thing DAMN IT ! headbang.gif


Oregon region SCCA has several AXs at Packwood this year.
Next are July 19 & 20 then Oct 4 & 5 and, of course, the NT event for 2 days in August which is put on by NW region.

http://www.oregonscca.com/content/view/1286/288/

NW region has events at Packwood on 6/8 & 6/29.

I'll be at the PCA deal there on the 7/5.

I can't wait to see my gas bill for those...... headbang.gif
byndbad914
QUOTE(TROJANMAN @ May 13 2008, 11:32 AM) *

Tim,
Have you met Dave Harris yet, or seen his car?

I have met Dave, have not seen his car yet. Apparently we are similar even down to both having 5-link rear suspensions.

I saw some SCCA stats that listed him at 1:44-something or 1:45 at Pueblo, so we also appear to run similar times there. Mine felt really good last Thurs but I had no timing setup so I dunno what I was running... knowing my luck it was still 1:45s hahaha.
6freak
QUOTE(J P Stein @ May 13 2008, 05:56 PM) *

QUOTE(6freak @ May 13 2008, 02:17 PM) *

QUOTE(J P Stein @ May 13 2008, 12:00 PM) *

I'll be up in Packwood on 5/18 for an SCCA autocross. Plenty of Z06s there.....tho I have yet to see the new version.


Im do`n the July 4th thing at packwood ..I had know idea there was one on the may 18 date or i would have done that instead of the Portland thing DAMN IT ! headbang.gif


Oregon region SCCA has several AXs at Packwood this year.
Next are July 19 & 20 then Oct 4 & 5 and, of course, the NT event for 2 days in August which is put on by NW region.

http://www.oregonscca.com/content/view/1286/288/

NW region has events at Packwood on 6/8 & 6/29.

I'll be at the PCA deal there on the 7/5.

I can't wait to see my gas bill for those...... headbang.gif

Im do`n the july thing there as well seeya there
grantsfo
If you have tons of money to throw at a V8 they can be competitive in some classes. I dont think you will find many classes where a stockish V8 conversion would be competitive. However having said that most club racing isnt too competive at a local levl so if your a good driver you might be able to do OK.

I love to compare my laptimes to classes where people have said my car wouldnt be competitive on a local level and I'd be in top 3 based on lap times.
Andyrew
Do an oil cooler upgrade before you hit the track...

FYI.

BTDT
andys
I'm thinking you're going to need some chassis underneath that V8 if you want it to behave well on the track. HP will never make up for an ill handing chassis, so I would recommend you concentrate on the elements necessary to make the handling work. Remember too, that you'll need to go through a track testing program in order to get the chassis sorted out.

I helped my friend out at Willow Springs to try to get his V8 car to handle (383" SBC, 930 trans). He has a full cage tied into the suspension points, adjustable Koni's, and great big DOT tires. After a day of methodical changes we got down to 1:35's, but the car did not look to be handling very well at all, and the driver reported that it was real twitchy in T-8 and T-9. I think there's a few seconds to be had in that car after some more suspension work to settle the chassis down a bit. Motor was down on power too, as the secondaries were only opening 1/4. At least we got it to keep from pushing so much.

Andys
Justinp71
QUOTE(biosurfer1 @ May 13 2008, 01:38 PM) *

because thats what you need Justin...another car:)

FYI, for those who do not know Justin, he goes through cars like toilet paper. something like 20 since I've known him (~4 years) he has them stacked 3 high all over his yard:D



Oh come on thats not fair, I only stacked them three once!!!


Like toilet paper... lol... thats funny.

av-943.gif

I was just curious, b/c they have similiar stats to a cobra with a v-8, but after autocrossing my six last weekend all I need are some damn carbs!!!

Btw I ran some Kumho slicks (for the first time) and it was awesome... driving.gif
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