The 65 will have its maiden voyage on a road course in a few months and I would just like to get any advice from the vets in here.

So far the car has a 351W with a T5 and a locking at 8inch rear end with pitiful 3.00:1 gears.
It has:
620lbs up front
5 1/2 leafs with 1 inch blocks out back
front and rear sway bar 1 1/8th inch and 1 inch respectively
subframe connectors
stock front disc brakes with SSBS slotted vented rotors
power steering
power brakes
and a 4 point roll cage

Hopefully before the track day i will have a set of wilwood 12.19inch rear rotors with 4 piston calipers, along with some roller perches. In addition to that some nice 4 points harnesses will be in order.

I am going to take out the inch blocks on the back and also add some grab-a-track race wheels and some nice tires.

Is there anything in your mind that you think would be benefitial to my setup, I have some money to spend but I'll be going into college this summer so I'd like to keep it to a minimum.

Thanks guys
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...9/100_6554.jpg

 

car looks great.
A couple of questions and comments...
5 1/2 leaf with inch blocks? Lowering blocks?
I have 5 leaf rears and in the process of taking 1/2 a leaf out. Ok if your track is pool table smooth, otherwise I'm finding them too unforgiving on the rear.
If you remove the blocks, you will obviously have a different stance....might be something you need to look at. Very stiff rear end raised may be a little tail happy which sounds fun but wont be!

Stock front brakes and 4spot big willwoods on the rear??? Do you mean other way round?

What do you have for shock absorbers? I'd suggest Spax or Koni adjustables.

What have you got for guages? I would suggest good aftermarket water and oil temp, oil pressure and both a low oil pressure and a low water warning system.

what have you got for a radiator?
Do you have an overflow bottle?

Do you have someone who can do a "performance" wheel alingment?
HAve you done the Arning (shelby) drop and do you have adjustable strut rods?
Ball joints etc in good condition?

what are your local track regulations as far as things like hood latches (additional), oil catch cans, harness locations and mounting points, battery kill switchesetc etc...nothing worse than arriving and finding out they wont let you run

What have you got for a sump? If its stock, you run the risk of losing oil pressure on hard cornering especially if you use a track tyre. A baffled sump designed for road racing (not drag strip) would be a good investment.

A lot of guys prefer not to have the rear sway bar...you can always pull it off at the track and see how you like it.

Other than that, I prefer 6 point harness (crotch strap) but thats personal preference.
Best thing to do is get out there and try...you'll find plenty of things to change as you get into it.

good luck!

 

Just take a nice slow toke - Oh man, are you going to have fun!

Your car looks great! What tires do you have on now? You might want to run on them, do not run on race compound tires your first time out;they will grip to the limit, then let go.

As for your car here are the three things that I would do before the track day:
- take off the rear sway bar
- get good brake pads for the front discs that you already have (I like Porterfield R4-S pads)
- add a harness bar to your roll bar and install two (2) 4-point harnesses (the instructor must have an equal level of protection to the driver).

Also, try to attend a couple of autocross events prior to your track day. They are very helpful in setting up your tire pressures and alignment.

Here's a couple of other tips that you might find useful for the day of your event:

- Take a good assortment of tools
- Take a torque wrench, extention and lug nut socket - retorque your wheels after each session.
- Take a good air pressure gauge and check your air pressure after each session.
Try to check the tires hot, as soon as you come off the track and adjust them to around 42 psi hot.
- Take extra coolant, oil and brake fluid - Check your fluids after each session.
- Fill up your gas tank before the event, you will go through more gas then you think
and it will suck to run out and miss a session.
- I, also, take an extra fan belt and Z-bar.


Tim

 

You have extra weight up front from the 351 and stiff suspension all the way around, even the rear with large sway bars....in the rear. Adjustable shocks would be great since you're most likely going to have some decent understeer. Removing the rear sway bar may help, or it may make it oversteer worse than it understeers. Adjustable shocks may help to balance everything out. With such stiff rear suspension and a larger engine up front it will most likely go around a road course better without the rear sway bar. and definately get some better brakes if you're going to push it on a road course. Wilwoods up front would be a great idea, with a streetable high temp pad like the E or BP-20.

 

.....

 

Thanks for all the help! and please if you see something feel free to tell me.

A couple things, it is a Open Track Day/School so i won't be going crazy the first lap

it seems as though i should take off the rear sway bar

i would run the wheels and tires i have now but i have one inch aluminum spacers to correct for b/s so i don't want to run those for obvious reasons

i am so excited though hanks again guys

 

Couple other things i left out

Front Brakes: stock 4 piston calipers, SSBC venter slotted rotors, SSBC street/track pads

Rears: stock drums (atm) thinkin about wilwood pro series with parking brake

also have a scott drake brake booster

i don't want to get adjustable strut rods because i want to worry about the drivin not so much the setup, this is my first time so i just want to get the feel of a track day, later i will start adjusting

i have a 3 row rad with a 180 thermo

i have a cable clutch so that cuts down on spare parts

i do not have a catch can so i will add one (thank you)

i am going to contact the tech inspector and just talk to him so tech won't be to "scary"

 

Where are you going for the road course? I was thinking of doing one this spring or summer in the Midwest somewhere near Minnesota.