View Poll Results: Would you buy a well sorted streetable race car?
Absolutely, sign me up!
73
50.69%
Never, race car and groceries don't mix.
71
49.31%
Voters: 144. You may not vote on this poll
Would you want a streetable race car?
#61
For half the price to build your m240 or whatever into a race car, you can buy a serviceable truck, trailer and na spec miata to have an absolute blast in WRL. That and keep your bmw completely streetable...
#62
Rennlist Member
I am currently working with my shop about converting my BMW M240i into a race car. But, based on extensive conversation with my wife, we want to be able to use it as a street car as well. I spoke with the shop about this and they thought I was kidding. Personally, I am surprised that this hasn't been done by more people. No more having to trailer the car and no more car that can only be used off road. Am I the only one that thinks a fast, well sorted streetable race car would be marketable?
Yes, it can be done, or it could be done in 1991. Not so much now. The real "sticky wicket" is the roll cage; the one that came factory installed in the 944S2 Club Sport isn't acceptable under current race rules unless the chassis is a true COA provable factory Club Sport. Simply re-creating the bolt in Matter roll cage and installing it in a "street" S2 of the same era won't allow it to be raced. The cage is only acceptable in vintage racing and then only when installed in one of the three remaining 7.
But the general answer is yes. It's both possible and desirable. You probably won't be able to do much more than HPDE and maybe other limited track events. True racing without a FIA cage isn't going to happen and you wouldn't really be able to drive a fully caged car on the street regardless of legality. No one wants to wear a helmet to the supermarket. If it was possible to build an FIA approved bolt in cage that could be installed/removed quickly and easily, we might resurrect the art of safely racing street cars.
Take a look at the Sparco Ergo removable wing HALO seats. The idea behind them is to let you build a car with HALO safety on the track, but with removable wings so you can safely drive on the street. We need to promote innovations like that.
Can you drive a fully caged car to and from the track while wearing a helmet? Probably not. Most states don't allow helmets on auto drivers, they claim it obstructs hearing approaching emergency vehicles. How they reconcile this with motorcycle helmet laws is a debate that escapes me personally.
Nevertheless, this hasn't yet deterred me from the adventure. I'm trying to build a car I can drive to and from the track, and still qualify to race it safely in some class. I chose the 944 S2 platform because it was, to the best of my knowledge, the last factory Motorsports car built for that purpose, and it's a true kick in the pants to drive
Last edited by Otto Mechanic; 11-23-2018 at 04:15 PM.
#63
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#64
Rennlist Member
But the IMSA Firehawk series was really built around the idea of racing street cars. No fuel cells needed, no really major suspension mods allowed, stock interior but you could delete creature comforts like A/C, radio, power windows and locks, sunroofs, etc. I believe you still had to meet emissions regulations.
Until someone creates a class like the IMSA class Firehawks raced in, you won't really be able to build a competitive street/race car again. I, for one, will miss it.
#65
RL Community Team
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That's the attractor; class racing that discourages street legal cars. Why handicap yourself keeping a car street legal when the class you race in doesn't support it? Makes no sense.
But the IMSA Firehawk series was really built around the idea of racing street cars. No fuel cells needed, no really major suspension mods allowed, stock interior but you could delete creature comforts like A/C, radio, power windows and locks, sunroofs, etc. I believe you still had to meet emissions regulations.
Until someone creates a class like the IMSA class Firehawks raced in, you won't really be able to build a competitive street/race car again. I, for one, will miss it.
But the IMSA Firehawk series was really built around the idea of racing street cars. No fuel cells needed, no really major suspension mods allowed, stock interior but you could delete creature comforts like A/C, radio, power windows and locks, sunroofs, etc. I believe you still had to meet emissions regulations.
Until someone creates a class like the IMSA class Firehawks raced in, you won't really be able to build a competitive street/race car again. I, for one, will miss it.
#66
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I tried SPC, where the car is as close to stock, and it was not my kind of racing as I knew what my car could do before I changed it to SPC. If I had bought a new SPC car, or gone from a slower car up to SPC, it may have been different for me. Going the opposite direction with a full-fledged GTB1 car for 2019.
#67
Rennlist Member
Remember what a NASCAR "stock" car was originally supposed to be? A lightly modified stock car. Not a tube frame fiberglass lookalike, a real stock car. Those days are long gone. I remember when we called the cars raced as "stock" these days "funny cars". It seems, as a community, we sort of shot ourselves in the foot somewhere along the line, keeping in mind that we did this to ourselves.
#68
RL Community Team
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Now that there is a vintage class, Spec classes for pretty much every model, lots of GT classes... it'd sure be nice if PCA Club Racing went back to its roots with a more streetable stock class. Maybe it's possible now with all the racers running elsewhere!
#69
RL Community Team
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Yes, the club certainly did, but now can be a good time to try to bring it back if there is interest. I dream of a day with the current stock class rules that do not allow tires with less than 100 DOT UTQG rating (one set of tires over a couple/few weekends... nice!), no triple adjustable shocks, pump gas only... arrive and race, baby! And you can still afford to educate the kids when the weekend is over...
#70
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Yes, the club certainly did, but now can be a good time to try to bring it back if there is interest. I dream of a day with the current stock class rules that do not allow tires with less than 100 DOT UTQG rating (one set of tires over a couple/few weekends... nice!), no triple adjustable shocks, pump gas only... arrive and race, baby! And you can still afford to educate the kids when the weekend is over...
There are still a few of us who'd like to buy a car off the option list and race it, then drive it home. I'd think that market would be much larger than the $35K/day self-funded pro racers. No need to shut them down, but it seems that's pretty much the only audience the clubs are playing to now. I can't see how that benefits folks like me, or even benefits the car manufacturers. Club racing should be for club members, not the elite semi-pro folks, at least not exclusively.
#71
Rennlist Member
#72
Rennlist Member
We all do a lot of things that are not a good idea. I live in a state without helmet laws, almost nobody wears a helmet around here on bikes. My replica cobra is a deathtrap with a V8 strapped to the nose, and my 79 928 has a rollbar, Recaro pole positions, and a 6-point...mostly driven on the street.
Mowing my ditch with a riding mower along a grade greater than 10 degrees is considering very dangerous, I do it anyway.
How far are we going to take this before we start living everyday covered up in bubble wrap afraid to leave the house?
Life is all about risk and choosing which ones to take.
If I ever get into racing it will most likely be with a Factory Five Spec racer and you better be darn sure I'm driving it on the street.
Deep enough pockets, buy a Glickenhaus SCG003:
https://www.automoblog.net/2017/08/0...n-glickenhaus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWh0yOKHCgk
Mowing my ditch with a riding mower along a grade greater than 10 degrees is considering very dangerous, I do it anyway.
How far are we going to take this before we start living everyday covered up in bubble wrap afraid to leave the house?
Life is all about risk and choosing which ones to take.
If I ever get into racing it will most likely be with a Factory Five Spec racer and you better be darn sure I'm driving it on the street.
Deep enough pockets, buy a Glickenhaus SCG003:
https://www.automoblog.net/2017/08/0...n-glickenhaus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWh0yOKHCgk
#73
Rennlist Member
I am currently working with my shop about converting my BMW M240i into a race car. But, based on extensive conversation with my wife, we want to be able to use it as a street car as well. I spoke with the shop about this and they thought I was kidding. Personally, I am surprised that this hasn't been done by more people. No more having to trailer the car and no more car that can only be used off road. Am I the only one that thinks a fast, well sorted streetable race car would be marketable?
The car would still have all of its daily luxuries like gps, stereo, and a/c but would also have the proper safety equipment and well tuned suspension/performance bits. Of course, there would be no compromise in safety on the street and track.
The car would still have all of its daily luxuries like gps, stereo, and a/c but would also have the proper safety equipment and well tuned suspension/performance bits. Of course, there would be no compromise in safety on the street and track.
hmmmmmmm
maybe someone can convince Porsche to market a car as you describe, they might call it a Gt2 / GT3 / GT4............................
all it takes is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
#74
Drifting
Buy a 997 gt3, add rear toe links, full cage, race seat, fire extinguisher, electrical cut off, 6 point harness and you are good to go. You can run on RA1/NT01 street legal tires. Drive to and from the track with windows up, a/c and listen to Sirius radio. You can buy a race legal bolt in cage. Easy peasy.