mamoroso

After spending a weekend at Carolina Motorsports Park I was wondering how long my 911 will take it before asking for mercy.

For basically 4 hours I beat the crap out of it.... If I wasn't flat out i was either braking hard or cornering at the limits. I was always upshifting at redline and always braking as hard as I could without locking.

My car has 125k on the clock.... how long before I need to rebuild the engine and replace the (original ?!? ) clutch?

I zeroed the odometer before each day.... I put 150 track miles on it on Saturday and 165 on Sunday. My tires are toast.... I wonder about the rest...

This track bug is going to end up costing me a lot of money... isn't it?
Well I save on NO country club/golf club membership, no new clubs every year etc....

I can't wait for the next DE... My wife is tired of listening to me babbling about it...
Thank God for Rennlist

Glen

lol

JackOlsen

Yes.

But I still haven't found a better use for money.

APKhaos

My first year of DE was in a 1985 Carrera that I bought with 134K on the clock. Drove the wheels off it for the first season with nothing but oil, pads, and tires. Had a flat out ball and learned a lot.

By the end of the season I'd heard enough horror stories to decide that it was best to go freshen a few things [engine, trans, brakes etc] before the next season started. If you really want to know, look Here

No telling how long I could have gone without touching the car. At 134K miles the engine had never been touched and was still going strong.

Your car was designed to be driven.
Take good car of the brakes, buy some decent tires [hint=SO3s] and enjoy it. If something breaks.....fix it, then repeat above.

Mark in Baltimore

My gosh, will she ever. Not only will she take it, but she'll end up pulling you into every dark corner, begging for more.

A most willing partner you have under you. Naturally built for this kind of orgiastic experience.

Dave in Chicago

Drove my 944 at 15+ DE's per year from 107k miles until 160k miles. Had to do the PM on rod bearings (specific to that series), everything else was expected and/or normal for age. They are one of the few cars that will tolerate this kind of driving.

Also, is it just me or does everyone notice that the car runs absolutely PERFECT the day after a DE? I think Porsche's just love track time.

Jeff Curtis

Will it cost you $$$$$$??

Oh yeah...recently, I've installed a CC machine right by the ignition switch.

Seriously, there are ways to watch the budget when considering DE, but don't ever sell yourself short on safety equipment...and one doesn't have to start out on GT3 suspension, BIG Reds, etc. you'll always have time to grow into that.

GUMBALL

Your car will like track days if proper pre-event maintainance is done - bleed brakes, check brake pads (maybe replace stock pads with a semi-comp set) check nuts and bolts for tightness, check belts & hoses, changing oil & filters........your normal stuff, just more often, and more carefully.
By the way, welcome to the club (Adrenaline Junkies), and there is no cure.....

Have fun

Z-man

If I may echo the thoughts written above - yes, you car will be able to handle the abuse, as long as you keep up on maintenance. Your car was made for the track! That's where it belongs!

I bought my 944S2 back in 2001 with 115k miles on the clock. Been using it primarily for DE's and autocrosses. Now, it's got 140k on the odo.

In my book, there are three types of expenses you will experience because of DE's:

Wear and tear
You will go through tires, brake pads, oil...etc a lot quicker at DE's than if you drive your car on the street. Regarding tires: at this point in the game, you are probably just fine with street tires - learn to drive your car with a high performance street tire before you get into R-compounds or slicks. That will help keep your costs down a little. If you are going to get into DE's (which it sounds like you already have the 'DE needle' in your vien), you should look into upgrading your brake pads to a 'race' compund. (I use KFP Magnum gold compounds - great intermediate pad - very rotor friendly and they provide excellent stopping power)

Preventative Maintenance
I do spend a lot of money on preventitive maintenance (rod bearings, timing belt, rollers...etc), but IMHO, the money you pay up front in preventative maintenance is a lot cheaper than paying for repair bills. Keep on top of things that need attention, and replace them at regular intervals.

Unforseen expenses
No matter how much PM you do, and how diligent you are with keeping on top of wear and tear expenses, there will eventually be some unexpected expenses you will incur during your DE experience. Don't be surprised by these, and make sure you have a budget to cover such things! There's nothing worse than having to cancel a DE event due to a broken clutch you don't have the $$ to repair!
In my case, I've been fortunate - I've only had two unforseen expenses: my water pump (that's something you don't have to worry about in your 911! ) gave up on me at Watkins Glen back in 2002, and just two weeks ago, it seems I've developed a coolant leak (read: Head Gasket) issue. I had $$ in the budget that allowed me to replace the H2O pump quickly (and not miss any track time). Now, with a looming head gasket job, well, I just hope my mechanic takes payments!

I am not trying discourage you from DE's, in all the hobbies I've been involved in, the activities the Porsche Club offers, especially DE's and autocross have been the most enjoyable and rewarding for me.

Welcome!
-Z-man.

macnewma

IMO, the most unique and best attribute about Porsches is the fact that they are truly built to race. There are alot of good sports cars and lots of fast cars out there...many of which are faster than Porsches...but I am not aware of a marque that builds every one of their cars (that new minivan being the exception ) with the ability to track it.

I think you are doing your 911 an injustice by not tracking it! Some people complain about people that don't drive their fancy show cars. I don't care about that...but if you have a trackable car...especially a Porsche, it is your duty as an owner!!!

Unfortunately, this does not mean that it will be cheap. Preventive maintenance is very important and having an ample "emergency/incident" budget is important as well. I know how much it would cost me if I blew my motor, needed a clutch, kissed a wall, etc. I won't track my car unless I know I can cover it comfortably (not happily).

The mention of safety dollars is exceptionally important in my mind. I try to stay away from perfomance mods until I feel I have adequate safety mods in my car. I currently have what I consider to be the minimum in safety for a track event (rollbar, harnesses, good helmet, racing seats, fire extinguisher). I am pondering a fire system for my car even though it is above and beyond the requirements. After seeing Earnhardt Jr's wreck, $300-400 sounds like pennies. I like my ugly mug too much.

So....have a blast!!!!!

Max

GUMBALL

macnewma:
Check the post "Lesson from Dale Jr" for thoughts on fire systems.

macnewma

Gumball, I am actually thinking about an AFFF system. What do you think about this one:

www.firecharger.com

Sorry about the hijack...if you want I can start another thread.

Max

GUMBALL

That looks like it will work. Some sanctioning bodies require 3 spray nozzles - 1 above the engine, 1 at fuel cell, and 1 in the cockpit. Personally, I never liked 1 in cockpit, if necessary, make sure it doesn't spray in your face.....
Also, an FYI on mounting any fire bottle. After looking at the install photos, I would add a second BIG hose clamp to MAKE SURE the bottle is firmly secured, (and especially for the "handheld extinguishers") a big impact can pop the bracket loose - leaving you with a 12 lb PROJECTILE inside the car.........I've seen the result, and it was frightening.............

87turbo911

Back on topic, user "Brian P" turned in a leased Boxster that had 61 track days on it.

Brian P

And, according to the inspection company, no excess wear and tear. Makes me wonder how many days would be considered "excess"?