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building a road course car .what would be the best??
#532099
11/20/09 10:41 PM
11/20/09 10:41 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,407
northeast ohio
hulmule
OP
pro stock
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OP
pro stock
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,407
northeast ohio
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My brother keeps trying to talk me into racing with him on a road course. well i have a AAR but hate to put it on the track, cost to much if i wreck it.I do own GTS big block 4 spd.car but hate to race it also .what can i build for a good road course car.like the old Trans Am series. anyone race road courses?? thanks
1969 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible
1979 LiL Red x2
2012 Yellow Jacket
2006 mega cab
1977 Trailduster
1979 Trailduster
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: 71Dusterdan]
#532104
11/20/09 11:36 PM
11/20/09 11:36 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,467
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,467
So Cal
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A 70-76 Duster Demon would be the easiest dollar wise. They've got a little more room in the rear for wide tires, decent front tire room, The 73-76 V-8's have the best K-member and sway bar setup.
No one ran a Duster/Demon/Dart Sport in Trans Am though. A-bodies that I know that ran in Trans Am: 66 Dart, 67 and 68 Dart, 68 Barracuda, 66 Barracuda. I believe there are some 65 Darts and Barracudas that have run SCCA A-Sedan.
You could run your AAR with bolt on stuff. Tom's stuff is all bolt on I think. Same ideas transer to on an A-body. But I wouldn't run the 383 Dart GTS just because the front's so heavy.
The question is what you are looking to do with it. Occassional track day, SCCA classed autocross, heavy track days, VARA vintage Trans Am legal, NASA vintage iron class ?...
Do you want to buy a kit or rather piece it together?
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: jcc]
#532106
11/21/09 01:57 AM
11/21/09 01:57 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,122
Auburn WA
Dave_J
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,122
Auburn WA
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For the easyst build, a 67 up A body. There is about 10,000 different parts for the A bodys to make then go and corner. That said, a 65 Barracuda can take a 275/60 HR 15 tire inside the wheelwell.
Retired, US ARMY 1973-1994
ASE mechanic, Electrical 1994-1997
Retired GTE/VERIZON/FRONTIER 1997-2015
Posting cheap tech help (CRAP) here since Nov 97, 1000's of posts, some may be good.
03 Suzuki Burgman 650(Burger King) Scooter
65 Formula S Cuda
78 Little Red Express Truck
98 Buick Regal (wifes car)
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: ThermoQuad]
#532108
11/21/09 10:26 AM
11/21/09 10:26 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
67autocross
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
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Do the A body, you can't build a 60's or 70's car that could be made handle as good for the money. If you took a $1500 4 door dart and about $3500 in parts you could put together one great car for cheap if you do the work yourself.
The M body is a lot more trickey to get to work, when I did mine the I could never get the front to work really good, at the time no one made bigger t-bars, the factory ones just did not have enough spring rate. Plus it a lot of work to get rid of all the rubber that holds the rear springs and axle in place. The A boby also has a 300lb weight advantage.
Now if you just want to have fun a truck can be a blast and you can use it for halling stuff when your not racing it.
A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: PowerWagonDude]
#532110
11/21/09 09:22 PM
11/21/09 09:22 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,407
northeast ohio
hulmule
OP
pro stock
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OP
pro stock
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,407
northeast ohio
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well guys thanks for the great tips. had to post then leave. back again tonight for awhile off on while son does home work. just for fun mostly maybe more if i really like it. maybe my LIL RED with alot of weight in the back so it doesnt come around on me LOL . but i do want to get ready for next season here at nelson ledges.hate to spin out the AAR and crash!! to much money sitting. well lets see what parts i need to do this !!I'll check back in a little bit phil
1969 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible
1979 LiL Red x2
2012 Yellow Jacket
2006 mega cab
1977 Trailduster
1979 Trailduster
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: hulmule]
#532111
11/21/09 11:14 PM
11/21/09 11:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,467
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,467
So Cal
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Quote:
well guys thanks for the great tips. had to post then leave. back again tonight for awhile off on while son does home work. just for fun mostly maybe more if i really like it. maybe my LIL RED with alot of weight in the back so it doesnt come around on me LOL . but i do want to get ready for next season here at nelson ledges.hate to spin out the AAR and crash!! to much money sitting. well lets see what parts i need to do this !! I'll check back in a little bit phil
What are you trying to achieve? Do you want to vintage race or just occasional track day. Or a lot of track days?
This list Tom Quad had on his car is really good: https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...part=4&vc=1
There have been some new items released since then... Like, I think starting with AREngineering Brembo front disk swap would be a better starting point nowadays. That way if you wanted to do to 13" rotors, you'd already have the calipers.
Might want to think about 17" rims nowadays because that is the minimum rim for 13" rotors and there's a little more tire selection.
IHMO, the adjustable hollow rear sway bars that Hotchkis and Hellwig just came out with are an advantage to the Firm Feel style even though the Firm Feel has better routing. They really give you an oppurtunity to adjust the balance of the car.
Other new products to consider: Hotchkis improved geometry upper A-arms, XV engine compartment reinforcing/bracing. Also frame connectors of some sort.
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: autoxcuda]
#532112
11/21/09 11:25 PM
11/21/09 11:25 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,180
upstate western ny
sogtx
master
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master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,180
upstate western ny
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Im giving it a whack with a 71 bbody  xv body mods alterkation But i ran outta money
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: autoxcuda]
#532116
11/23/09 02:15 PM
11/23/09 02:15 PM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,545
Seattle, WA
375inStroke
Special needs person
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Special needs person
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,545
Seattle, WA
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A guy at work used to race his Viper till he crashed it. After repairing it, he was too conservative to be competitive, so he got a dedicated open wheel race car and never looked back. Another guy races in the Hornet class. The cars are 4 cylinders, 70 series tires, and if you win, your car can be claimed for $400. Race junk, spend nothing, and have fun every weekend. Everyone's under the same rules. Those guys actually race. I don't, so that's just my 
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Re: building a road course car .what would be the best??
[Re: topside]
#532118
11/23/09 11:01 PM
11/23/09 11:01 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,467
So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,467
So Cal
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Quote:
I'd be tempted to build a '63-'66 Valiant, basically an early SCCA A Sedan car, with the best suspension & brakes I could afford, and some modern sticky tires. For really weirding out the status guys, a '60-'62 Valiant or Lancer body with a SB swap would have to be an absolute riot, especially if it had 4 doors. If it weren't for the added weight high & at the rear, a wagon would make heads spin...
That would make a very neat car. I've got a picture of one with that look from Fall Fling. I'll try to find it.
They are the lightest and smallest A-bodies and have a 106" wheelbase for the Plymouths. The 60-62's have weird front suspension.
The car would definitely need some fender flares. But make the gradual so they don't stand out to much; like the 70 race T/A and AAR's had. I'd want to run at least 245 wide tires.
Those cars look pretty good without front bumpers too.
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