SSB Pontiac Solstice

[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!!!

[seckerich]

Ben a good friend of mine is selling his SS Z4 and it is flawless. Just classed in ITR and has good potential. Already caged and fast. Drop me a PM if you have any interest. Price is very fair for the car. I sold my ITS RX7 and only made it a year. Bought a "project" like you and will have it full tilt by spring.

[shwah]

Vaughan. I have three letters for you.

D
S
R

Loshack had his new (to him) Stohr out at BHF last weekend. 2nd time he had driven it, nowhere close to optimized aero and chassis setup, ebay motor - new lap record at 1:05. I figure sub 60s will happen next year. Compared to 1:24.x ITB record...

I was looking seriously at Prod in the future, but now am smitten with the fastest class in SCCA - though not so thrilled with the budget required.

[924Guy]

Vaughan. I have three letters for you.

D
S
R

Loshack had his new (to him) Stohr out at BHF last weekend. 2nd time he had driven it, nowhere close to optimized aero and chassis setup, ebay motor - new lap record at 1:05. I figure sub 60s will happen next year. Compared to 1:24.x ITB record...

I was looking seriously at Prod in the future, but now am smitten with the fastest class in SCCA - though not so thrilled with the budget required.

SSSSSHHH!! Don't let the secret out!

Yeah, I saw that video... not bad!

I think the whole budget thing is a bit of a red herring... you can buy a Speedsource RX7 too, but it doesn't take that to win in ITS either!!!

[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.