LS1 V8 in 951 Racecar - pics, video and impressions
03-10-2005, 05:00 AM
#46
Race Director
"hey danno, thanks for the help on my wheel spacers btw"
You're most welcome!
"Can anyone confirm that the bulk of the weight is actually lower or if its just my eyes playing tricks on me?"
It would appear that you save the weight of the cam-tower sitting on top the engine. But you also have the left-bank of the V8 where you have empty air in the stock intake-manifold. Would really be tough to figure out the overall CG change of the car with engines installed. Best bet is to compare the CG of the engines themselves when you have them out of the car using the crank as the common refrence point.
You're most welcome!
"Can anyone confirm that the bulk of the weight is actually lower or if its just my eyes playing tricks on me?"
It would appear that you save the weight of the cam-tower sitting on top the engine. But you also have the left-bank of the V8 where you have empty air in the stock intake-manifold. Would really be tough to figure out the overall CG change of the car with engines installed. Best bet is to compare the CG of the engines themselves when you have them out of the car using the crank as the common refrence point.
03-10-2005, 04:42 PM
#47
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Yep, I don't really know about lowering the CG with the LS1. I'm just stoked on the front/rear balance, and will try to lower the CG of the car by putting in the fiberglass roof panel when I do the rollcage. In addition, the high weight of the windshield and rear hatch can be lightened with lexan.
From my research it sounds like that's all worth:
rear hatch lexan - 65 lbs. savings
windshield lexan - 20lbs ??
roof panel fiberglass - 20lbs ??
Not sure on the windshield and roof panel, but I figure that 20lbs saving is probably pretty close.
So that totals another 105lbs of high weight that can be taken off for the racecar. Sounds fun, eh?!
s
From my research it sounds like that's all worth:
rear hatch lexan - 65 lbs. savings
windshield lexan - 20lbs ??
roof panel fiberglass - 20lbs ??
Not sure on the windshield and roof panel, but I figure that 20lbs saving is probably pretty close.
So that totals another 105lbs of high weight that can be taken off for the racecar. Sounds fun, eh?!
s
03-10-2005, 06:00 PM
#48
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Steve, you might want to think twice about switching the front glass to Lexan. Even if you go with the mar resistant type consider the relative softness of the material. On the hardness scale where glass is (1) LexanMR10 is (6). For racing its probably a good idea but for the street you'll find wiper marks and the grit will sandblast it pretty fast. Now you could put a layer of peel offs on it. The film used is called anti graffiti film.
03-10-2005, 06:51 PM
#49
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Originally Posted by Steve Rea
After racing a spec-944 and feeling how great the handling was, I was just dying to put some more NA power under the hood, without hurting the sweet 944 balance. Since the LS1 is an all aluminum block and weighs at about the same as the 951 engine/turbo/intercooler etc., it looked like it would be a killer race car.
What sanctioning org and class is your car going to run in? I've considered building a spec 944, but as yourself, I would prefer a bit more power under the hood than the early NAs provide.
03-11-2005, 02:00 AM
#50
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I like the car in the second picture better from your initial post. I have a 1 1/2 years experience in my 944S and I have not yet learned to push its limits. Someday when I do this might be an alternative for me.
I have been looking at the LS 1 engine and trying to figure out what the gizmos on the valve covers are. Sorry, I don't read the auto mags and only have time for Porsche engines these days. So why after 50 years arey the putting those things on the valve covers?
I have been looking at the LS 1 engine and trying to figure out what the gizmos on the valve covers are. Sorry, I don't read the auto mags and only have time for Porsche engines these days. So why after 50 years arey the putting those things on the valve covers?
03-11-2005, 03:29 AM
#51
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Originally Posted by jonnybgood
I have been looking at the LS 1 engine and trying to figure out what the gizmos on the valve covers are. Sorry, I don't read the auto mags and only have time for Porsche engines these days. So why after 50 years arey the putting those things on the valve covers?
03-11-2005, 12:05 PM
#52
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Thanks Kevin, yeah I can see the wire going down to the spark plug and another wire coming into the device so that must be what it is. No more distributor, rotor or coil? That sounds like a good idea.
03-12-2005, 01:05 PM
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Jim - Thanks for the tip. This car will be a strictly race car (no street use) although I do want to campaign it in Enduros, so I will likely need to put back some windshield wipers at some point.
In NASA, I can run in the super unlimited class (ES I believe), in which the competition is 911RS', Radicals, a local Ferrari Challenge car, 911 big turbo etc.. It seems like with the Chevy engine, and it's reputed reliability, this car could be an excellent long distance runner. While the big turbos would kill me in a sprint race, extend that over 25 hours and it'll be hard to make it last.
If the car comes together as hoped, and performs as planned, then I will likely shoot for competing in the 25 hours of Thunderhill in it. It might be a bit too much of a stretch though, to compete this year for the Overall Win, as we may need a bit more development time to dial the car and driver(s) in. The 911RSR (maybe just RS??) team won this last year, so I figure that the 911 RSR's are my rabbits to chase throughout the year. By comparing how I am doing against them in the sprint races with the POC, should give me a pretty good idea how competetive or non-competetive we can be against them in the enduros.
I will run throughout the year with the POC, simply in the exhibition class, but I'll still be out there with my buddies, in an awesomely fun car, so it'll still be a blast. Not having a specific class to run in was the big factor for me not to do the conversion, especially coming from the highly competetive spec-944 class. This car just sounded like too much fun to drive to pass up though.
There's a number of people expressing interest in building a LS1 racecar as well, so who knows, maybe we can get a bunch of us out there on the track to dice it up together. Could be a blast...
Steve
In NASA, I can run in the super unlimited class (ES I believe), in which the competition is 911RS', Radicals, a local Ferrari Challenge car, 911 big turbo etc.. It seems like with the Chevy engine, and it's reputed reliability, this car could be an excellent long distance runner. While the big turbos would kill me in a sprint race, extend that over 25 hours and it'll be hard to make it last.
If the car comes together as hoped, and performs as planned, then I will likely shoot for competing in the 25 hours of Thunderhill in it. It might be a bit too much of a stretch though, to compete this year for the Overall Win, as we may need a bit more development time to dial the car and driver(s) in. The 911RSR (maybe just RS??) team won this last year, so I figure that the 911 RSR's are my rabbits to chase throughout the year. By comparing how I am doing against them in the sprint races with the POC, should give me a pretty good idea how competetive or non-competetive we can be against them in the enduros.
I will run throughout the year with the POC, simply in the exhibition class, but I'll still be out there with my buddies, in an awesomely fun car, so it'll still be a blast. Not having a specific class to run in was the big factor for me not to do the conversion, especially coming from the highly competetive spec-944 class. This car just sounded like too much fun to drive to pass up though.
There's a number of people expressing interest in building a LS1 racecar as well, so who knows, maybe we can get a bunch of us out there on the track to dice it up together. Could be a blast...
Steve
03-12-2005, 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Steve Rea
Jim - Thanks for the tip. This car will be a strictly race car (no street use) although I do want to campaign it in Enduros, so I will likely need to put back some windshield wipers at some point.
In NASA, I can run in the super unlimited class (ES I believe), in which the competition is 911RS', Radicals, a local Ferrari Challenge car, 911 big turbo etc.. It seems like with the Chevy engine, and it's reputed reliability, this car could be an excellent long distance runner. While the big turbos would kill me in a sprint race, extend that over 25 hours and it'll be hard to make it last.
If the car comes together as hoped, and performs as planned, then I will likely shoot for competing in the 25 hours of Thunderhill in it. It might be a bit too much of a stretch though, to compete this year for the Overall Win, as we may need a bit more development time to dial the car and driver(s) in. The 911RSR (maybe just RS??) team won this last year, so I figure that the 911 RSR's are my rabbits to chase throughout the year. By comparing how I am doing against them in the sprint races with the POC, should give me a pretty good idea how competetive or non-competetive we can be against them in the enduros.
I will run throughout the year with the POC, simply in the exhibition class, but I'll still be out there with my buddies, in an awesomely fun car, so it'll still be a blast. Not having a specific class to run in was the big factor for me not to do the conversion, especially coming from the highly competetive spec-944 class. This car just sounded like too much fun to drive to pass up though.
There's a number of people expressing interest in building a LS1 racecar as well, so who knows, maybe we can get a bunch of us out there on the track to dice it up together. Could be a blast...
Steve
In NASA, I can run in the super unlimited class (ES I believe), in which the competition is 911RS', Radicals, a local Ferrari Challenge car, 911 big turbo etc.. It seems like with the Chevy engine, and it's reputed reliability, this car could be an excellent long distance runner. While the big turbos would kill me in a sprint race, extend that over 25 hours and it'll be hard to make it last.
If the car comes together as hoped, and performs as planned, then I will likely shoot for competing in the 25 hours of Thunderhill in it. It might be a bit too much of a stretch though, to compete this year for the Overall Win, as we may need a bit more development time to dial the car and driver(s) in. The 911RSR (maybe just RS??) team won this last year, so I figure that the 911 RSR's are my rabbits to chase throughout the year. By comparing how I am doing against them in the sprint races with the POC, should give me a pretty good idea how competetive or non-competetive we can be against them in the enduros.
I will run throughout the year with the POC, simply in the exhibition class, but I'll still be out there with my buddies, in an awesomely fun car, so it'll still be a blast. Not having a specific class to run in was the big factor for me not to do the conversion, especially coming from the highly competetive spec-944 class. This car just sounded like too much fun to drive to pass up though.
There's a number of people expressing interest in building a LS1 racecar as well, so who knows, maybe we can get a bunch of us out there on the track to dice it up together. Could be a blast...
Steve
You just need that corvette twin turbo kit I've been reading about, or a SC kit from magnacharger.
03-13-2005, 08:38 AM
#55
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yeah, that would be very sweet, but power is easy with the LS1. My thinking is that with 500rwhp, the car should be a very strong contender. With a402 stroked LS2 crate engine, they are getting this much horseppower.
As we go, over the next few months, we'll find out how the car hangs in there.
Talk to you soon,
Steve
As we go, over the next few months, we'll find out how the car hangs in there.
Talk to you soon,
Steve
Last edited by Steve Rea; 03-13-2005 at 11:00 PM.
