Spec7 to ITA

[JeffW]

Hi there. I' ve been lurking about for several months but I come to you for advice.
I currently run a '83 Spec7 which is still faster than its 44yo rookie driver. I am considering moving it to ITA and would like some input on the best places to spend my money first. I would like Good-Better-Best options on carb and fuel delivery, ignition, header/exhaust, suspension, rear gear, brakes, tires/wheels, etc. Current weight is 2625# with 210# driver, so weight reduction tricks for the car are greatly needed.

Thanks,

Jeff

[CaptainWho]

For the carbs, the stock ones seem to work the best, since none of the SEDiv ITA/IT7 guys I know bother with the aftermarket ones. Racing Beat headers are popular, but the rest of the exhaust seems to be all over the map. Brakes are mostly Hawk Blues up front and Blues or Blacks in the rear. Hoosiers are the tire of choice, probably more of them on Panasports than any other single wheel choice. Hoosier Dirt Stockers for wets.

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Doug "Lefty" Franklin
NutDriver Racing (http://www.nutdriver.org)

[GEO46]

Suspension!!! IMHO, get ahold of Jim Susko at GForce engineering.

As to carburation, check out Yaw's site. Lot's of good info there. Yaw does sell a good-legal- product. However, I still have concerns about his customer support. ISC and SDJ also offer carbs, I believe. Plus, there are at least one company that is trying to make inroads. We have not tested thier product, so I cannot offer any feedback on it, but they seem really interested in working "with" the racers.

Hoosier's are the hot ticket here in my neck of the woods, and you are way over weight. Does Spec 7 allow you to lose the AC etc? Try comparing the spec 7 rules to the ITA rules in the GCR, I'll bet there's lot's of areas where you can lose weight.

Just my .02 cents worth

[miketrier]

Save yourself some time, money and headaches. Just check the classifieds and buy a good prepared car with a successful track history and sell the spec car.

[Scott Nutter]

I believe that going to coil overs/camber plates in the front will pay for themselves. I say this because the stock springs are too big and won't allow enough negative camber, thus going thru tires much faster.

[itaracer]

I agree with Mike. Buy a good well prepped ITA or IT7 car and sell the Spec7.

Mike, would you know where someone might buy such a car?

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Mark Jeffery
IT7 #92 '85 RX7
MiDiv - Arkansas Region

[jake7140]

Gut it! (per it rules of course)
- I would also sell and by already prepped. There is a lot of work and $ to get it competitive. But if you just like to get out there and run, piecemeal is ok.

Dew - is it a worthwhile adventure? You runnin yet?


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Steve
[email protected]
<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/jake7140" TARGET=_blank>My racing page
</A><A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/elrss" TARGET=_blank>Elkhart Lake Racing_&_Sipping Society
</A>

[ddewhurst]

Steve, Oct at the Farm will be the baptism outing. Other than practice session at a Midwestern Counsel race where it stuck in between 3rd & 4th. Partial coversion complete.

Buy would be the smartest, quickest & most cost effective method of completing a switch from Spec-7 to ITA/7. (if ya know what your buying) But then I ain't all that smart so I am converting my Spec-7 to ITA/7. Partial last winter & partial this winter.

Have Fun http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
David

[JeffW]

All of your advice is pretty much the same as when I started looking into getting involved in racing, "Buy, don't build." Bought a car that was generally mid-pack with a couple wins. As with any used car, there will be unexpected problems arise. Now that I have a season behind me, I find the tinkering as enjoyable as the driving. I would like to know what I have when I get out there and not have to diagnose the previous owner's problems.

To quote Joe Friday (Dragnet)- "Just the facts ma'am." I appreciate the input, but I would like your recommendations for parts for the buildup. (If you flood me with info it might scare me when I add up the $$$). Having driven through Missouri a few times, some of the 'SHOW ME' attitude has found its way into my personality.

In the end, this may be more than I want to tackle. But I want to investigate it with some good info in my pocket.

Besides, all of the used racers had to start as new builds at one time, right? Just trying to keep the gene pool fresh.

Jeff

[lateapex911]

OK, that said, here you go.

One: Get a predictable suspension under you. Call Jim Susko. Listen. Send him $75, and read what he sends you. Knowledge is king. You'll know what to do after that. (But don't try to be frugal, or you will spend the money twice...which isn't frugal)

Two: Strip the car to an inch of its life ...gut the drivers door, go NASCAR bars, and read the GCR with weight in mind. Now build a custom cage and stop when you weigh enough to ballast up to legal. Use fire bottles and coolers, etc as movable ballast (Call SCCA to make sure the car will stay in ITA before you get too crazy. Good luck on this step)

Three: Make sure the brakes are good, (many use Hawk Blues up front and Hawk Blacks in the back with a lever style proportioning valve.) Make sure that other safety gear is top notch.

Four: Power. Make sure the engine is sound with good sealing and proper ignition. Some guys run MSD 6Als. I haven't yet, but doubt that there would be much hp gain up top as the effect ceases much lower than the 7-8K rev range we use. The basic exhaust is an ISC header, twim primaries going back 123" to a collector then into a 3" straight thru muffler. Some guys are fooling with expansion designs, collectors up front and stepped systems, but a system as described above will be close. Carb. The guru is Paul Yaw. Read his site, Yawpower.com. I am not sure his carbs make huge power, but they are a great carb that is legal and drivable. And he is a great guy, very responsive. A great guy to have the cel phone number of. I consider his carbs cheap. I use a Carter fuel pump, with a built in 7lb regulator going to a 0-4.5psi Holley regulator in front of the carb.

Air cleaner. there is talk of extra power being available thru harmonics in the intake tract, but I can't tell you more, as I have only heard the rumours.

Five: Cooling. I just got lectured by Mike VanSteenburg at ISC for not adequatley protecting my stuff with good cooling. So, a new double pass aluminum (less weight, better heat transfer) rad is going in. The under radiator oil cooler is considered the defacto standard. Plug the water pump bypass after the therm is out. Bigger pullies up top, samller on the E shaft.

Six: Drive. You need a posi if possible. Welding is cheap, but not ideal. 4.88s are popular gears, and I know guys who are running 5.12s. Do the math for the tracks you run on.

That said, I would sell your Spec 7 as it has value, and begin afresh. Build from a fresh chassis. This way you ADD to the gene pool.

I think that covers it.



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[Marcus Miller]

I am going through this a well, but decided to keep my pro7 car as is, and picked up a new 83 chassis to start on as an ITA car...

ISC Vs. Gforce for third links- Is the g-force going to be a better product or do the reommendations come from it being a legacy factor in that G-force was 1st ot market? Being here in Norcal, I've never met Jim nor Mike....

I was thinking of one stop shopping with Mike, for a lot of "stuff" Front control arms, struts, springs, Front sway bar kit ($$$$?!?!?) turn in spacers, rear 3rd link, trailing arms, rear gear, rear shocks. springs, front camber plates, sturb bar, exhaust, cooling, etc.

My thought process was that it should get me close to to where I need to be. Am I way out of whack?


thanks!
MM

[miketrier]

Mark, my silver car is listed in the classifieds. I have a complete list of upgrades and photos if you know of anyone who is interested.