my ls will be a track only car. (trailered to and from)
I need your help.
should i tape the front
remove carpet
where to but 5 point harness
what tires and wheels
covers for the seats
suspension set up for the track
any thing you can think of would help
I don't want to cut the car up, just fine tune it.
thanks

 

Steve it really depends on you. I will do some street driving in mine but I also like HPDE. In my Steeda I installed CG locks to keep my butt in the seat. You can put a harness bar in or a full roll bar. If you want to protect the front then yes tape it. I'm not a big time racer but have been on the track with my Steeda many times and only have one tiny nick to show with no tape. As far as the car and suspension, all I would do is tune the shocks for your driving style. I think the LS is ready as is. See you at the track and so good to see someone taking the car and doing what it was meant to do.

 

I would start slowly. The LS already comes with supportive seats and R Compound tires. Until you learn the car, a set of high temp track pads and fluid and maybe a CG Lock for additional support is all you'll need to be faster than 95% of the cars in any given run group with an experienced driver.

I can't imagine you'll be outdriving the stock suspension any time soon. I wouldn't start changing anything until you're extracting every last ounce of grip and lap times out of the car. I could certainly see the need for a proper cage/harness but if you don't want to cut up the car, I think you'll be happier with simply the CG Lock and seat time.

I've been tracking cars for 5 years and never really saw the need for painters tape. I think it's an excessive trend that's largely been propagated by the monkey-see, monkey-do mentality of certain enthusiasts. If you're tracking the car regularly, you have to expect to get a few chips and rubber chunks stuck to the tape.

Best of luck with your new car.

 

My thoughts would be similar to what has been said:

Don't mess with anything mechanical. Leave the suspension alone for now.

I would change brake fluid (600F Motul, Willwood, etc) and front pads (Performance Friction PF01). After you've used up the stock rotors, go to a 2-piece rotor in front. Install Stainless steel brake lines.

By some 18"x9.5" lightweight wheels (Enkei RPF1?) and slicks. I buy used Grand Am Continental tires from some of the Mustang teams, but BFG R1's or Hoosier R6's will be stickier if you have deep pockets.

The last comment I have is strictly my opinion, but a strongly held one. Unless you put in a well designed 4-pt roll bar (at the least) or fully cage the car, DO NOT put a 5-pt harness in it! You can do some searches on the topic on some of the road racing specific forums if you want a more detailed explanation why. It's just not safe.

If you do install a roll bar/cage and harness, then invest in a HANS device too!

Have fun! Be safe! Pass the Vette's!

 

Your opinion in regards to harnesses and cages is echoed by friends, instructors, and racers all of whom have far more experience in the matter than I do. Do it right or don't do it at all. Safety isn't a compromise.

 

I did forget one thing the OP mentioned:

If you want to protect the paint as much as possible on the track, install a clear bra.

But you will STILL get rock chips in places you never thought a rock could land............

 

If all I was going to do was track the car, I would get a real racing seat. The current seat does not have any provisions for a sub belt so a 5 or 6 point belt is not going to work. Although the stock seats are pretty decent, they are nothing like a true race seat.

I agree with everyone else, especially about the brake fluid and pads.

 

thanks for the advice.
your wright about the race harnes with no roll bar. you may have saved a life there. where can I get a cg lock. (not sure what that is)
If I go with smaller wheels, will that throw my computer off or my speedo?

 

It will. I just ordered the first set of track tires this morning. I ended up going 275/40/18 just because the 35s are a full 1.5" shorter than stock. I didn't want to throw everything off that far on its maiden voyage. On track, your speedo doesn't matter and I have a GPS speedometer on my lap timer to log top speed for kicks. I was more concerned with the gearing since the way it's setup with the trans and rear end gearing, I'm afraid that shorter tire will wind up way fast. Ultimately I'm sure I'll end up with a 35 profile, but just wanted to try this first. After all, tires, like fuel and brake pads are a consumable item

 

I've never done the clear bra and when they were doing PDI this morning and getting ready to tint the windows, I contemplated it for just a bit. Then after figuring the cost, plus looking at all the weird places I have gotten little rock chips I said screw it and decided against it since you'd have to saran wrap the whole thing if you were going to worry about it

 

I've been trying to resist saying this, but I can't any more.

"Put gas in it".

 

+1!!

 

 

Which windows, shade & % did you go with?

 

20% on all but the windshield. I can post pics tomorrow.

 

Mine were done today

 

Did you go with the same as cloud9?

 

FWIW, NASA nationally has banned most 4 point harnesses, as they don't provide demonstrable higher levels of safety compared to the stock 3 point belts. They may make you more secure feeling, but are prone to mis-installation or mounting and can end up with problems with submarining that the stock units are specifically designed not to do.

So, unless you're in that tiny minority with acceptable 4 points (a few BMWs, VWs, etc), a 5 or 6 point is the only legal harness you can run, and as mentioned above without a roll bar they're not a good idea. Imagine being strapped in real well so you can't move at all, then having the roof cave in during a roll over -- no place for your head and neck to go except broke.

So, you replace the seat with a 5 or 6 point compatible one (stock Recaro isn't, unfortunately), you need the roll bar, not just the harness bar.

I've heard the other sanctioning bodies are going the same route, so even if you're not with NASA I think everyone's headed this way.

My two cents on the tracking:

See how it does bone stock on the first one or two events, you're unlikely to perform to the car's level yet (unless you're already a bad-*** track driver) and can burn up the stock pieces before you invest in new items. Also can tell the weaknesses of the car and what's needed compared to superfluous.

 

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/st...th=121_126_414


I have the MM setup in my PJ. Check with the sanctioning body you plan to race under and see what if any rules a roll bar/cage must conform to.

 

This thread is useless without pics