How much time to keep a 944-spec car up?
03-06-2012, 11:08 PM
#31
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
You have plenty of $$ set aside. Shop all the racers sources and get a honest shop,some are not.
Wrecking it will strain the budget.
Wrecking it will strain the budget.
03-07-2012, 12:24 AM
#32
Drifting
I have been shopping for a car I can say many of the 944 spec guys have reached out with pointers and advice. I am looking forward to going door to door with them, they all seem like great guys.
Phil
Phil
03-09-2012, 08:40 PM
#34
Rennlist Member
Ed's advice (911racer) is spot on. The cost to run a 944 Spec car, in our experience in the Midwest and Great Lakes, is pretty similar to running a mid pack Spec Miata. If you want to run at the pointy end of the field, the Spec Miata can get more expensive. SRF is a bit pricier from what I've seen, although you'd really have to connect with someone who runs one to say for sure. All three are more similar cost-wise than they are different.
SRFs are very sensitive to setup, which requires more prep, pro wrench time, etc. 944 Spec cars are not (at least by the stop watch, although a nicely set up car is more easy to drive consistently than a mediocre one) and the engines seem to be throttled pretty well by the AFM. They're just not very sensitive to power adders (e.g., exhaust modifications) and the cars, IMO, end up being pretty equal. There are more options to spend lots of money at the front of the SM field (Sunbelt motors, etc.).
Getting back to Ed's comment, the biggest difference between SRF, SM, and 944 Spec that you might find is among the folks that you'll race with. Every sanctioning body and every part of the country has its own scene. In NASA Midwest 944 Spec, we put a lot of effort into coaching drivers, sharing TraqMate data, and getting people out of the "wandering around at the back of the field" stage and up to mid pack or the front of the pack quickly. We also make an effort to secure enough paddock space for everyone to park together, which facilitates camraderie and improves the likelihood that any fixable mechanical issues get fixed. Spare parts and knowledge are generally on hand and ready to go if needed.
We do this because we like the environment that it breeds and, as Ed points out, we want more people race with. Eric (SterlingDoc) and I will always have each other to beat up on, but it's more fun for us when it's a multi-way dog fight for each podium position.
Your local scene in the various spec classes might be similar or different. It's worth checking it out before deciding to invest. It's very important, IMO, to make sure that you end up in a situation where you will have some mentoring available. Otherwise, it's very common to end up getting frusterated as you wander around out there wondering how to do better.
One other thing to consider is how much track time you'll get with your chosen sanctioning body. SCCA regions often have lots of legacy classes that are populated with very few cars. This can lead to lots of race groups and a weekend schedule in which you only qualify on Saturday and race on Sunday, with a brief warm up each day. I ended up in NASA because they host more events and we get more track time and multiple races per weekend.
The posters above have nailed the key point on 944 Spec reliability: it depends what you start with. A well prepared car that starts with all of the key wear items (CV joints, suspension, motor) fresh will be very reliable. Eric and I won the E3 endurance championship in 2010 (primarily competing against Spec Miatas) and the E2 endurance championship in 2011 (competing against a random grab bag of PT cars). Our mechanical woes have been rare and always self inflicted. Start with a tired car and you'll suffer the death of 1000 cuts.
If I can ever be of any help, please feel free to PM me, email at 944spec@nasamidwest.com, or call NASA Midwest HQ (847-574-9090) and ask for me -- they have a high tech new phone system that will forward you to my cell.
SRFs are very sensitive to setup, which requires more prep, pro wrench time, etc. 944 Spec cars are not (at least by the stop watch, although a nicely set up car is more easy to drive consistently than a mediocre one) and the engines seem to be throttled pretty well by the AFM. They're just not very sensitive to power adders (e.g., exhaust modifications) and the cars, IMO, end up being pretty equal. There are more options to spend lots of money at the front of the SM field (Sunbelt motors, etc.).
Getting back to Ed's comment, the biggest difference between SRF, SM, and 944 Spec that you might find is among the folks that you'll race with. Every sanctioning body and every part of the country has its own scene. In NASA Midwest 944 Spec, we put a lot of effort into coaching drivers, sharing TraqMate data, and getting people out of the "wandering around at the back of the field" stage and up to mid pack or the front of the pack quickly. We also make an effort to secure enough paddock space for everyone to park together, which facilitates camraderie and improves the likelihood that any fixable mechanical issues get fixed. Spare parts and knowledge are generally on hand and ready to go if needed.
We do this because we like the environment that it breeds and, as Ed points out, we want more people race with. Eric (SterlingDoc) and I will always have each other to beat up on, but it's more fun for us when it's a multi-way dog fight for each podium position.
Your local scene in the various spec classes might be similar or different. It's worth checking it out before deciding to invest. It's very important, IMO, to make sure that you end up in a situation where you will have some mentoring available. Otherwise, it's very common to end up getting frusterated as you wander around out there wondering how to do better.
One other thing to consider is how much track time you'll get with your chosen sanctioning body. SCCA regions often have lots of legacy classes that are populated with very few cars. This can lead to lots of race groups and a weekend schedule in which you only qualify on Saturday and race on Sunday, with a brief warm up each day. I ended up in NASA because they host more events and we get more track time and multiple races per weekend.
The posters above have nailed the key point on 944 Spec reliability: it depends what you start with. A well prepared car that starts with all of the key wear items (CV joints, suspension, motor) fresh will be very reliable. Eric and I won the E3 endurance championship in 2010 (primarily competing against Spec Miatas) and the E2 endurance championship in 2011 (competing against a random grab bag of PT cars). Our mechanical woes have been rare and always self inflicted. Start with a tired car and you'll suffer the death of 1000 cuts.
If I can ever be of any help, please feel free to PM me, email at 944spec@nasamidwest.com, or call NASA Midwest HQ (847-574-9090) and ask for me -- they have a high tech new phone system that will forward you to my cell.
