SSB Pontiac Solstice

[Andy Bettencourt]

I know I'm missing some..... 944, RX7, stocker...........Hmmmmm

3 RX-7's....

[benspeed]

I think I owe Laughton at least SOME beer - he remembered my 944. The Fiero abortion was the other car and that never made it to the track - thankfully John Wiesberg talked some sense into me on that misbegotten project, sold it and recoverd nearly all cash.

Being a total psycho I'm looking for something to play with this winter. It won't be a Solstice - Mr. Bettencourt gave me the lowdown on that car.

Back to the Porsches - ITR car for development. Boxster, 968 or 944 S2? I think the Boxster is more of an S car at the weight it's classed. I have one but it's too nice to tear up. 968 with 236HP at the crank - mmmmmmm. Too bad none of the maniacs on this board live close - I can offer a great shop and unlimited beer to a talented person who could rip apart a Porsche, cage it and have some fun next year.

How has the Blethen S2 faired?

Fear not Flatout - I will still bring my RX7 to you guys for optimization in the cold months. The beater has shown enough potential.

One problem - my wife grabbed the check for the stock car out of the mail...."what's this honey?"

[Butch Kummer]

Ben,

While pursuing your other "options", I really think you need to work with Phoenix to build GTA there in NEDIV. You already know the cars are the best bang for the buck out there and Phoenix has the wherewithal to promote the class to "whine and cheese" crowd of the Great Northeast.

BTW - I'm lobbying heavily with Todd to include GTA in the 2009 IT-Fest. He said something about putting us in with ITC...

You're on your own as far as explaining the check, however.

[benspeed]

Hey Butch - I've been pulled back into the IT fold by the great racing - but I'll sure lobby Pheonix to do GTA - it is the hands down best bang for the buck anywhere. Unfortunately the "gentry" of the North doesn't seem to get it. I saw a total of three stock cars all year north of Summit Point. Two of those cars were running ITS times.....

IT Fest with ITC - you guys will need some cow catchers on the front valance :-)

[lateapex911]

Ben- I bought and sold a perfect 944S2 candidate for ITR. It IS a great car for the class, but when I really dug into what was needed the answer came up: Cash, and lots of it, and deep knowledge. Take a look in that engine compartment. Remind you of a boat? It should, it's another hole in which to throw money...

John Millege ballparked me $15K as a start on the motor, then there's the ECu. A trip to Chuck Morelands Elephant Racing website yeilded the suspension component costs, then there's sets of wheels, and a good cage, and it was looking like a build would easily clean out $30K of my favorite dollars. And that's fine and all, but you know it' will never come back to you, AND, one missed shift can be catastrophic. Rotaries are good that way.

Too bad the RX-8 is so heavy in R.

[benspeed]

No kidding Jake - the RX8 would be a sweet ride.

I've also looked at buying some of the Spec Boxsters that have been built and sorted - $40K was the going price - I wonder how much quicker it would be than my RX7...which was $5K.

I'm still hallucinating over running a Porsche in IT. Remembering how much $$ Kip had in his 944S is a great snap to reality.

The ultimate would be a 968 Club Sport style ITR ride - base cars can be had for $6500 - but sheesh what $$ applies to the S2 goes higher for the 968.

There was a guy with a white 968 racing at Pocono this year. Anybody know that guy?

[924Guy]

Ray (Blethen) was doing OK at the IT-Fest this summer, chasing me around in Quali, but then had a small electrical fire (never heard back on the resolution on that, I was guessing a ref sensor cooked after a wire got pinched maybe?) and was parked for the rest of the weekend.

I was looking long and hard at an S2 for ITR - cheaper, lighter, and easier to play with the motor than a 968 - but then something faster and (hopefully) about the same pricetag caught my eye... now all I gotta do is get a decent seed fund for this car. Suffice to say I've been talked out of the (relative) safety of a tin-top, for something far more challenging...

Ben - too bad you're too far away, I could definitely make an S2 or '68 fast for ya... even withouth resorting to shelling out money at Milledge! BTW, seriously, if you intend to build on: Diamond Pistons now has a pattern for new stock pistons, as we had 'em cut some for my buddy's S2, and they should be able to scale them up real easy for an overbore. Added bonus, they come with two sets of rings! Well, really, it's only one... just for a 928.

Oh, yeah - I wouldn't shell out the money for a 968 CS for an IT build any more than I would for an M030 car... the only thing worthwhile is a factory LSD, everything else that makes them lovely is gonna get replaced anyway, with proper race parts... M030 suspension is DEFINITELY NOT up to racing!!!

[Z3_GoCar]

Ben- I bought and sold a perfect 944S2 candidate for ITR. It IS a great car for the class, but when I really dug into what was needed the answer came up: Cash, and lots of it, and deep knowledge. Take a look in that engine compartment. Remind you of a boat? It should, it's another hole in which to throw money...

John Millege ballparked me $15K as a start on the motor, then there's the ECu. A trip to Chuck Morelands Elephant Racing website yeilded the suspension component costs, then there's sets of wheels, and a good cage, and it was looking like a build would easily clean out $30K of my favorite dollars. And that's fine and all, but you know it' will never come back to you, AND, one missed shift can be catastrophic. Rotaries are good that way.

Too bad the RX-8 is so heavy in R.

Jake,

I double-dog dare you to build an Rx-8

[lateapex911]

Back in the day, I was way more apt to tilt at windmills. Now after years of trying to make a lizard swim, (RX-7 in ITA against the top dogs doesn't seem to be yielding a lot of fruit), I have discovered that, if you're going to pour money into a hole, pour it into a hole that performs.

Read that anyway you like, LOL. But the bottom line is the next car isn't going to be a "I think it can", it going to be a "I'm sure it can".

The RX-8 just won't make the power needed, and the spec weight is too high to be competitive. Trust me, I want to, but....

I'm researching other ideas, but for now, I'm just trying to wring the last second out of my old RX-7. I think there's more, and I KNOW the driver could be more well rounded, have better racecraft, be more consistent, and a better development driver.

[esuvee]

...It won't be a Solstice - Mr. Bettencourt gave me the lowdown on that car.

What's the 'low down on that car'? Tin foil hat guy in me doesn't like that statement. This thread got sidetracked off the Solstice quickly but I think it sounds pretty fantastic. The car shouldn't be that heavy, 173hp and an A-arm adder? We also know it carries weight well for some reason. Tons of room for tires and alignment, good brakes, a cam that makes power up top and a completely stout drivetrain and suspension. So, what's the 'low down'?

Alex

[Knestis]

Pontiac's check to the ITAC benevolent fund was returned NSF.



K

[esuvee]

Pontiac's check to the ITAC benevolent fund was returned NSF.



K

Well, that explains it. I was worried you hadn't even been visited by Heinricy and friends yet

[Knestis]

They only play with the big kids in the National classes.

K

[Dave Burchfield]

I remember a white Porsche 944 in Central Division some years ago. It was a for real factory Playboy Cup car, ran in ITE and was faster than stink. If memory serves, it blew up a couple of times in a season or so and I never saw the car at Mid-O or IRP after that. The owner/driver was Dale Fazekus(hope I spelled that correct) and he was a multiple runoffs winner in SS back in the day. I was told that he owned the car from new, ran it in the Playboy series, and is now just doing vintage events.