getting ready to race

[stefand1234]

Porsche 944 on the track
how should i save some weight and should i get the auto power cage

[RR]

IF you gut all legal stuff you'll be at minimum weight, so dont worry about that. The cage on the other hand concerns me.. an Autopower, are you joking. For not much more money get a welded in cage, make sure of the following things. The rear bars that attach to trunk area are welded where the shock is mounted. IN the front extend 2 more points to they hit (the firewall) where the front control arms are bolted in. Have X's in front of both doors, weld a cross bar under steering wheel, petty bar. This set up will make for a safe car and make you car way stiffer. You'll kiss mhen your done.

[RacerBill]

Stefrand1234 - I know of a cage out of a 944 - located in Cinn. OH. Don't think it was a bolt-in. How close are you?

[924Guy]

I think he's more worried about getting it down to weight? No questions, just gut the interior as allowed per the GCR (you do have one, don't you???), it's where you'll make the most ground.

As for cage, I have to agree, Autopower would be the last on my list!!! #1 is a well-designed custom cage done locally. Post where you're at, most likely someone here can point you in the direction of a good local race shop for a cage. If you MUST mail-order a cage, though there should be no need to, I have to say that OG Racing (www.ogracing.com) has what I believe to be one of the nicest 924/944 cages; designed to go right to the frame rails of the body, not the floor, so much stronger, though admittedly it is designed for a car with a full interior (like PCA Stock classes), which is why you'd be best off with a custom cage.

------------------
Vaughan Scott
Detroit Region #280052
'79 924 #77 ITA/GTS1
www.vaughanscott.com

[stefand1234]

hey RacerBill im in mass but i can drive out just tell me where and how much and 924Guy i still havent got my GCR i sent out the order form like 4 weeks ago maybe this week! so in the mean time what can i gut from the car?

[JLawton]

Carpet and underlayment, interior panels behind doors, speakers, window motors, rear seat, radio are a good start. May want to look at head light motor and the bar that runs across to the other side.

[Knestis]

Read the strand about the rental driver helmet issue and learn from it. Spend every chance you can at SCCA races while you work on the car. Crew, work corners, do registration - whatever - but understand the organization before you go to your first driver school.

Did we mention the rulebook? It is VERY easy to build an illegal car.

k

[Geo]

Originally posted by JLawton:
Carpet and underlayment, interior panels behind doors, speakers, window motors, rear seat, radio are a good start. May want to look at head light motor and the bar that runs across to the other side.

Wow. Lots of advice on building an illegal car. The window motors must stay unless you get the manual regulators. Believe it or not, they only save you about 6 lbs. Headlight motor and bar must stay as well.

The safe things to remove (before getting your GCR/Category Specs) are the carpet and sound deadening material. All interior panels (dash must stay). Door panels can be removed, but they MUST be replaced with 0.060" aluminum. Seats and center console can go (but you'll need to rig up a way to keep the heater controls if you remove the center console). You can even remove the rear hatch release motor since they weren't included in the 83 cars.

This should keep you busy until you get your GCR/Category Specs.


------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[oanglade]

Window motors - Only the driver's door and only if the cage has door bars, right?

Headlight motors?



------------------
Ony Anglade
ITA Miata
Sugar Hill, GA

[RacerBill]

Stefand1234 - send an email to [email protected], and I will send you particulars (price - if any, and pictures) this weekend.

[Knestis]

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">...Headlight motors?</font>

Tech inspectors at VIR were asking SM owners getting annuals to turn on their headlights. There was at least one bystander who told me he was glad that he already had an annual...

K



[This message has been edited by Knestis (edited April 07, 2004).]

[Geo]

Originally posted by Knestis:
Tech inspectors at VIR were asking SM owners getting annuals to turn on their headlights.

Why?

I just glanced through the SMCS and SSS (basis for SMCS) and no where did I see anything saying such components had to function.

If non-working headlight motors or burned out headlights are considered modifications, then somebody is just a wee bit over the top.

I don't know if my headlight motor works or not, but if someone didn't sign off on an annual of mine because the headlights didn't come up and/or on, I'd throw a cow. Let's not get carried away here.


------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[Knestis]

So it follows logically that the motors don't have to be there? His weren't.

K

[Geo]

Originally posted by Knestis:
So it follows logically that the motors don't have to be there? His weren't.

No, I don't agree with that.

I just don't think they should be required to work. OK, I suppose someone could gut the motors. But I think it's needless to require them to actually work.


------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[JeffYoung]

Guys, I think you are saying the same thing. Motors have to be there, but they don't have to work. Mine don't, and at my annual I was asked to manually crank them up. No problem.

[Geo]

Originally posted by JeffYoung:
....at my annual I was asked to manually crank them up.

Why for heaven's sake? I don't see the point.




------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[JLawton]

Sorry to have started this debate......Until the car is dialed in, that much weight isn't going to make a difference.

I had trouble getting my 944 down to weight, so I "might" (I could continue to debate this, but I won't) have taken some rules to the edge. However, I still couldn't keep up with the BMWs and RX7s in NER (not to discourage you stefand1234)

The car is a blast to drive, have fun and good luck!

[joeg]

how should i save some weight?

Maybe the Atkins diet?

[7racing]

Originally posted by Geo:
Why?

I just glanced through the SMCS and SSS (basis for SMCS) and no where did I see anything saying such components had to function.

If a car is "Showroom Stock", wouldn't that mean the headlights work? I think the idea is that if it is not allowed to be modified, then you can't modify it. This would mean that the headlights have to work. Or am I missing something?

Manually crank up the headlights to prove that a headlight lens is there and is taped (meaning that potentially, no light can pass through the duct tape, so how do you prove the light works?).

At an annual tech, yes this is a little much.

Jeremy

[Geo]

Originally posted by 7racing:
If a car is "Showroom Stock", wouldn't that mean the headlights work? I think the idea is that if it is not allowed to be modified, then you can't modify it. This would mean that the headlights have to work. Or am I missing something?

Is something not functioning considered a modification?? Can you be DQ'd if you blow a headlight?? That's what we're effectively talking about here.

Originally posted by 7racing:
Manually crank up the headlights to prove that a headlight lens is there and is taped

Ah, now this makes sense to me. Thanks.


------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com