Originally Posted by JHM2K
Again, I beg to differ that the Crossie is a true sports car… grand-touring coupe is where it has its niche in the auto world… I’d rather work with the car’s attributes than against it. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to enhance certain areas (braking, handling, acceleration) but it does mean I’m not going to go nuts about it. As you pointed out, a Miata can do the same for MUCH less $$$ and effort.
And I see you’re still picking on my tires, LOL…As I said earlier, different goals altogether. I previously had Michelin PS2 tires on my car and while the grip was rewarding, the life was horrible. And let’s face it – the amount of time I spend in traffic and on the highway (in – wait for it – ALL seasons
), versus the amount of time I spend on the track -- is staggering. So, while you may think I’m “on the fence” by running a lowered suspension, lighter wheels, and eventually lighter brakes on all-season tires, keep in mind that by doing so, my daily drive is rewarding at all times... not just if I’m trying to keep up with the cone-dodging Bimmers on Saturday.
And while I applaud the concept of rotating between OEM wheels/boring rubber and lightweight wheels/grippy tires, it’s not at all practical for me for a host of reasons. First, I don’t have a garage. Second, I don’t have the inclement weather for the same duration that you do… we don’t have months of snow, we have days of it. I simply don’t have the time OR interest to constantly be rotating between summer/snow tires every time the weather gets moody down here. Therefore, the mileage and practicality of all season tires means that they get a permanent place on my car. The lighter wheels and better-performing suspension components guarantee that the “boring” tires can perform at their top potential. I never have a dull drive to work. I simply can’t justify the cost of being equipped with two sets to drive 15% faster 1% of the time. I also don’t have to wrestle with multiple sets of tires all the time. Win-win.
As for road-courses, within a short drive we have TGPR, VIR, Road Atlanta, to name a few. And Indy is a great city for racing, not sure why you took offense. The Brickyard has a wonderful road course. The SCCA lot-racing has never been my cup of tea, but that’s simply my personal choice. Many folks eat it up with a spoon. And you don’t have to be going super fast to have a catastrophic failure… I won’t state the obvious so as not to step on any toes.
In the end, it appears our goals are much more similar than you’d expect, only we use a different way of describing the goal. I plan to make the car accelerate faster, stop harder, look better, and last longer than your average Crossfire. If it sees track time, it’s a cherry on top, but not the whole cake. The cake for me is driving a vehicle every day that turns heads and earns respect, all while keeping me comfy with as few rattles and squeaks as possible.
I love the direction you’ve taken yours, and I’m excited to watch it further develop.
I did not take offense to the Indy comment, and we do have wonderful racing here, but that is why I specifically asked if you had a track
you can get out on regularly. There are quite a few high profile nice tracks around, but unless you have $30K to rent them for the day, you are SOL. I have never been on any of the high end Indy tracks, but at the end of our season, we get to use the old F1 course at Indy for an event, I am looking
very forward to that.
I think the main difference between our diractions is I am trying to make mine a track car that I can also show and drive on a regular basis, but not my daily driver. Money on tires, changing wheels, increased maintenance schedule, etc is alright with me, as long as I keep this grin on my face. If I can not make the daily driver truck purchase within the next few months, I may drive her one more winter, but trying to avoid it.
That miata I was talking about has more in it than both our cars put together and its over 10 years old. I know you think little parking lot racers must be dodgy, inexpensive, and light but I see more race engineering and high end parts out there than at many events I have attended. Not to mention there is a GTR, CTS-V, Vette, Viper, etc all in our regular local group, lots of fun, even the ride alongs.
The more I modify the car, the more I enjoy it, and lets not lie, it will have a V8 in the next few years and I am trying to keep the miles off her. I bought it with the full intention of driving it just like I did the last one - all the time and not worrying too terribly much about 1HP here or there, but the way this one is turning out, I am going to try and take her out of full time service.
I always have and will enjoy your style and what you do with your car, no doubt. I am not sure, but I
think you may change somewhat when you get your garage. I bought my house and as soon as the ground thawed, I went from a measly one car with a **** gravel driveway to a 2.5 car with a nice poured concrete driveway and my priorities have shifted now that there is plenty of room to properly keep her safe....