PaladiNSX

Hey everyone, I did some brief searching and didnt find anything particularly relevant, and i figured this would be an interesting conversation to bring up around here.

I just picked up an 85 5.0 High Output for use in the 24 hours of LeMons (www.24hoursoflemons.com)
Brief overview. Buy a car and race prep it for no more than 500 Smackaroos.
Safety equipment, Brakes, and Tires are unlimited and dont factor into the budget. The race is a small road course, and doesnt have a ton of straightaway sections, so handling is at a premium.

I was able to pick up a backyard special 5.0 that i can probably massage back to life without too much effort. It has an aftermarket intake manifold and a cam of some sort, but thats about it. The interior is clean, and can probably be sold (anything you sell goes back towards that $500).

1. What other parts on this car are not needed for racing, but have some value on the used parts market? glass? seats? dash?
2. Given a budget of around 500 bucks for parts, what kind of go-fast ideas do you guys have? Know of any like-equipment i could find in a junkyard on the cheap?
3. Handling is going to be the biggest hurdle. Those annoying little Sentras and Civics do pretty well as long as they stay running, so i'd like to address that with the cash we have. What setups seem to work best?

I look forward to hearing some ideas!

.boB

Your best investment is tires. Second to that is brakes. The track temps will be fairly high, so try and fit brake cooling ducts in your budget.

Except for a good tune up, leave the engine alone.Your budget won't allow enough to make much differance.

Pick a good synthetic oil, like Royal Purple. You won't get any more power out of it, but it provides better protection. You'll be more likely to finish.

Also, spend some time with air management. A front air dam to keep the air out from under the car. Cut some holes in the rear outer edges of the hood to allow hot air to escape.

PaladiNSX

Brakes and Tires are somewhat unlimited, so upgrading those components doesnt count against our total 500 dollar limit.

I like the idea of going synthetic, that was already in the plans. Overheating is my biggest worry, as all cars have to run H20 in lieu of radiator fluid (they dont want any on the track).

My current idea is to get creative with some ducting to the radiator to maximize airflow to compensate for both the increased workload and lack of cooling by running water.

.boB

Pure water is a better heat conducter than antifreeze. On the track I run a 20% solution. Just enough antifreeze to not worry about winter, and enough to lube the water pump and prevent corrosion. If allowed, I would also recommend a surfactent like Blue Ice or Water Wetter.

To improve air flow, tunnel in the radiator opening so that no air gets around the radiator. Be sure and seal the hood in that area. Again, I would cut some small holes in the hood to let air out. You could also cut some slots in the top of the front wheel wells to allow the high pressure air to escape.

Use some sheet alum to fab a front air dam. That will clean up the air under the car, and give you a little down force on the front tires.

Since brakes and tires are unlimited, spend the bux and time there. I use Kumho V710's on the track, which I think is an excellent tire. Others use the Nitto track tire with good results.

Work on the brakes. If you have good solid brakes you'll really pick up some lap time. Brake hard and brake late. Be sure and duct them for cooling.

Pay carefull attention to front end alignment. I run 1.25* neg camber, 2.5* caster, and 1/16" toe out. Based on tire temps, that's perfect for my car. A little toe out will improve your turn in.

Spend the time cutting everything out of the car that you don't need. 1# makes a differance.

CMC#11

First off, which Lemons event are you planning to race? I'm shooting for the Houston event in October.

Make sure on tires you stay above the minimum 190 treadwear. Brakes are going to be a big factor. I have no clue what you can do about the rear drums on that car, that will be a challenge. For the fronts I would run a mild race pad. I have previously run EBC yellow-stuff pads on the front of my Mustang that I road race and they lasted 6 weekend events. They are much more agressive than street pads but won't wear out near as quick as expensive race pads. They should be around $90 for the front set.
Like many people have mentioned definitely rig up some sort of brake duct cooling!! Even though you run on a short track the brakes are going to take a major beating.
Also, run a good brake fluid with a high boiling point. I would suggest ATE super-blue. You should be able to flush the system with 1 liter and it is about $13 / bottle.

You next need to figure out how to keep the car from pushing like a dump truck. I would get "almost" as much negative camber out of the front as possible. Try to fabricate a set of camber/caster plates (or find an old cheap set if it fits into your budget). The most negative camber you will be able to get out of the stock set-up is about 1.75*. This is not near enough and you will massively wear the outer-edge of your tires.
Try searching for people who have switched to aftermarket front control arms that still have their stock ones laying around. Be sure to get 94-04 arms b/c they are .75" wider / side and will allow for more negative camber adjustment. I picked up my set for $20. With the newer style control arms you will be able to get up to 4* of negative camber. Tune to your preference but I run mine around 3.5*. Find out what direction they will be racing the track and set camber accordingly.

Last, strip out everything possible in the car. All interior, A/C, heater, sound insulation, door impact beams, all interior metal, under hood bracing, etc. You should be able to get the car down to 2700 lbs w/o driver if you are creative.

Everyone I have talked to that has run the Lemons race has absolutely loved it!!!
Keep us posted on your car status.

PaladiNSX

I'm shooting for the December LeMons race at Thunder Hill in Willows, CA.

I'm having trouble in my search for the perfect tire. Tire-Rack doesnt seem to have treadwear ratings for any of the rubber i've seen.
What car are you planning on running, and have you chosen a tire yet?

So far, The engine compartment is all cleaned up. This weekend's mission is to swap out all of the fluid, get a new starter solenoid, and see if we can get her back to life.

CMC#11

I just picked up an 87 Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS hatchback. It is a DOHC, 5-speed, 4 wheel disc car that weighs 2300#. It will be a completely different feel than what I'm used to but should be a blast.
I haven't even thought about tires yet. Most likely something like the Falken 512's. They are cheap, have decent traction, and will hopefully last the whole race.

My goal is to get the car in good mechanical condition first and then start tearing into it once we get the confirmation that we got picked to race. I can't wait!!!