Purchasing a 951 for auto-cross and open tracking.
10-06-2011, 07:55 PM
#31
jakeM, i would like to be your new best buddy. so jealous of the shop 
alot of the headaches i've seen happening around is the first one thing something else breaks a month later. but a from-scratch clean build, u should see a very reliable car.
alot of the headaches i've seen happening around is the first one thing something else breaks a month later. but a from-scratch clean build, u should see a very reliable car.
10-06-2011, 08:07 PM
#32
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Nice!! I love the idea. Just a little leary on the "kit's". Not sure if I could get the swap done on my budget. I know I could get a LS1 or a LT1 for cheap, but the kit's appear kind of pricey.. Especially considering it looks like the kit's available are missing stuff...
10-06-2011, 09:26 PM
#33
Race Director
The questions: Should I be able to buy and prepare a 951 for such a cause on a $7500 budget? ...
Will a 951 with the kind of mileage I'm going to be looking at be realiable enough to race at least one season without worry?
The goal: In the end I would like to have a 300RWHP car that looks ok, handles great and is dead reliable. I'm budgeting $1000 a season for consumables including brake pads, rotors, fluids and the like.
Thanks in advance, any and all advice is appreciated.
Jake
Will a 951 with the kind of mileage I'm going to be looking at be realiable enough to race at least one season without worry?
The goal: In the end I would like to have a 300RWHP car that looks ok, handles great and is dead reliable. I'm budgeting $1000 a season for consumables including brake pads, rotors, fluids and the like.
Thanks in advance, any and all advice is appreciated.
Jake
You can almost get a 2.5L 944 8 valve for this price. Even so a fully prepped car comes in a 6k on the low end to 10k on the high end. Fully prepped = cage suspension, and mechanical freshing. A car like this is track worth. As for operation costs. Tires are the big expense. R-tires will cost you about 1200-1600 a seaon given that even with 15" RA-1 or Nitto NT01's you will still burn through two sets. 951 tires will cost 20% more due to the larger size.
Oh... once you get to 300 hp you are looking at a 20k car given the suspension needed and all mods to make it reliable and probabyl 2000 a year in tires.
Plus turbos are nto great at autocross due to powerband. The non turbo cars are better. Of coure turbo's are great on the track, but do cost more to run. I used to track my stock 944 Turbo S, but decided to keep that stock and track my 944 NA instead. Cheaper to build, run and operate. 11 years later I still know I made the right decision.
10-07-2011, 01:07 AM
#34
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Let me tell you this right now. You can't do it with a 951. Just can't. A cheap 951 will need alot of money to return to track worthy condition. Plust it cost alot more than $1000 to operate.
You can almost get a 2.5L 944 8 valve for this price. Even so a fully prepped car comes in a 6k on the low end to 10k on the high end. Fully prepped = cage suspension, and mechanical freshing. A car like this is track worth. As for operation costs. Tires are the big expense. R-tires will cost you about 1200-1600 a seaon given that even with 15" RA-1 or Nitto NT01's you will still burn through two sets. 951 tires will cost 20% more due to the larger size.
Oh... once you get to 300 hp you are looking at a 20k car given the suspension needed and all mods to make it reliable and probabyl 2000 a year in tires.
Plus turbos are nto great at autocross due to powerband. The non turbo cars are better. Of coure turbo's are great on the track, but do cost more to run. I used to track my stock 944 Turbo S, but decided to keep that stock and track my 944 NA instead. Cheaper to build, run and operate. 11 years later I still know I made the right decision.
You can almost get a 2.5L 944 8 valve for this price. Even so a fully prepped car comes in a 6k on the low end to 10k on the high end. Fully prepped = cage suspension, and mechanical freshing. A car like this is track worth. As for operation costs. Tires are the big expense. R-tires will cost you about 1200-1600 a seaon given that even with 15" RA-1 or Nitto NT01's you will still burn through two sets. 951 tires will cost 20% more due to the larger size.
Oh... once you get to 300 hp you are looking at a 20k car given the suspension needed and all mods to make it reliable and probabyl 2000 a year in tires.
Plus turbos are nto great at autocross due to powerband. The non turbo cars are better. Of coure turbo's are great on the track, but do cost more to run. I used to track my stock 944 Turbo S, but decided to keep that stock and track my 944 NA instead. Cheaper to build, run and operate. 11 years later I still know I made the right decision.
Much appreciated everyone. I will let you know how things turn out. Going to meet the local PCA guys, but now it sounds like the Mustang will be gone too. I have a line on a REAL nice F150 that would be perfect for a baby hauler (and car hauler
) that I'm going to look at and possibly trade for tomorrow. So I probably won't go on the cruise with them. But I will meet them and chat for a while and see what I can see.
10-07-2011, 01:08 AM
#35
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Ha! I only wish it was mine alone. But it is actually owned by my uncle. I just so happen to have a key and all my tools there. :P
10-07-2011, 10:28 AM
#36
Race Director
10-4. Thanks for the advice. After doing my own research and listening to you guys I think a 944 may be more up my ally, so to speak.
Much appreciated everyone. I will let you know how things turn out. Going to meet the local PCA guys, but now it sounds like the Mustang will be gone too. I have a line on a REAL nice F150 that would be perfect for a baby hauler (and car hauler ) that I'm going to look at and possibly trade for tomorrow. So I probably won't go on the cruise with them. But I will meet them and chat for a while and see what I can see.
Much appreciated everyone. I will let you know how things turn out. Going to meet the local PCA guys, but now it sounds like the Mustang will be gone too. I have a line on a REAL nice F150 that would be perfect for a baby hauler (and car hauler
) that I'm going to look at and possibly trade for tomorrow. So I probably won't go on the cruise with them. But I will meet them and chat for a while and see what I can see.BTW... a 944 spec can be build for 6k ot 7k including roll cage, and all the safety gear including donor car, suspension upgrades and mechanical.
10-07-2011, 10:45 AM
#38
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10-07-2011, 03:48 PM
#39
Race Director
For some reason the spacing between first and second on a Turbo is a little wide and often in autocross you spend time in the 2nd gear dead spot just below where it build boost. Too high for first and not low for 2nd. So you sort need to lug it out of corners.
On a track you get up to enough speed to that this makes not difference as the slowest corerns tend to be faster than dead spot in 2nd.
10-07-2011, 06:15 PM
#41
Three Wheelin'
Take it it will be fun... However is not ideal. The issue about gearing and turbo. Most of the time you will be running around out of the boost so it will not feel fast. As soon as you build enough speed to get in the boost you will be slowing down again. First gear sort of works, but you redline first quickly and then just shift. Plus with all the power and torque to the wheels in first it is easy to break the rear wheels loose LSD or not.
For some reason the spacing between first and second on a Turbo is a little wide and often in autocross you spend time in the 2nd gear dead spot just below where it build boost. Too high for first and not low for 2nd. So you sort need to lug it out of corners.
On a track you get up to enough speed to that this makes not difference as the slowest corerns tend to be faster than dead spot in 2nd.
For some reason the spacing between first and second on a Turbo is a little wide and often in autocross you spend time in the 2nd gear dead spot just below where it build boost. Too high for first and not low for 2nd. So you sort need to lug it out of corners.
On a track you get up to enough speed to that this makes not difference as the slowest corerns tend to be faster than dead spot in 2nd.
10-07-2011, 07:30 PM
#42
Rennlist Member
951 is not an auto-x car. As mentioned it's tall gearing and old school turbo lag don't work well in a venue that's mostly run in 2nd gear.
Honestly a BMW E30 or E36 325is would be so much better for your stated goals...
Honestly a BMW E30 or E36 325is would be so much better for your stated goals...
