First DE . . . I'm hooked!!

[Tut]

Did my first DE last weekend at the Glen with the Allegheny Region of PCA. WOW!!! What an experience. I've never had so much fun. Great people. A wonderful instructor. (He was bummed that the Motons on his 996 GT3 were leaking.) A friend was with me with his C6 'Vette. We've already signed up for another one.

We had both driven a Cayman S and were both considering a purchase. I had so much fun with the 911 that I can't imagine selling it. As Chuck, my instructor, suggested: when the car is no longer giving you what you need that is the time to sell it. Two instructors had concerns about the track-worthiness of a Cayman: they're stable, but when they let go they do it in a big way; strength/durability. There were three Caymans there. One, a 3.8 conversion, was out of commission, with no 3rd and 5th gears.

I need to lower my car, but all the bushings are 20 years old. Have been planning to go the poly-bronze route, but I'd rather spend money going to DEs than on the car. And if I go with the poly-bronze, I might as well do the torsion bars also. "Since you're in there . . ." What are people's thoughts about just having the car lowered to 25"/25.5" with the old bushings, leaving the upgrade for later? I know there would be duplication, but could do the lowering now, as opposed to waiting to gather the money for the upgrades and then doing it.

[pitargue]

Welcome to the slippery slope... :-)

[Don Plumley]

Welcome to the slope.

[Palum6o]

Hopefully I'll be at the Glen next... I just did Pocono last weekend and I still think about it. I'd say if you plan to lower, do it right. Stock is still fun though, as long as you aren't the passenger!

[gchappel]

If the car is safe I would not upgrade it at this point. After only one DE you have so much to learn, and your driving style will change as you become more comfortable, you really don't know what you want or need at this point. Drive the wheels off your car, learn its capabilities and weaknesses- then upgrade if needed. Spend your money now on safety equipment- good helmet. Are the seat belts new? In Scca we need to replace belts every 2 years. I suspect this is overkill, but if your belts are 20 years old think about it. I think a Hans device is worthwhile, if the rest of the car/safety system is setup appropriately. A new seat with 6 or 7 way belts can help your driving a lot- keeps you in the seat. Remember any improvements you do on your side, you also need to do on your instructors side. Improve yourself, not the car at this point. If the car is safe and predictable, it is better than you are right now.
Welcome to the slippery slope. How much money do you have- you will need more than that.
Gary

[onboost]

Oh its down hill from here...

When will the parts start coming off and be available? ;-)

[JeremyD]

Lower your car - invest in some decent tires and pads. When you start working your way up through the run groups = you will be able to gauge when you are outdriving the suspension (when you have to wait for the car to settle before transitioning)

It took me awhile - and I delayed moving up just to get some more instruction. Enjoy the process and try and take away something new from each instructor.



Learn to drive the '87 well - after mastering that car - you will be able to jump into just about anything and do well.

[rmurph]

I second Jeremy's comments. Older 911 is a great car to learn and grow with; no ABS or traction control, just you and the car. Learn to drive it well and it will be rewarding, the smiles never stop. If you get an opportunity do a DE in the rain, good experience with smoothness and control. I just lowered my 87 cab, big difference in handling. Ran my first 5 DE events at stock height and lowered for the last, what an improvement. With lowering, get it corner balanced and aligned.
Welcome to the slope!!

[burgermeister]

I'm a curious - why would lowering the car do much to anything other than looks? If the car's CG height is around 480mm (a reasonable guess IMO), lowering it by 25mm (1 inch) should not make a huge difference in roll during cornering (unless you start using the bump stops). PA roads must be somewhat like Michigan roads - similar character, if not quite as undermaintained - so you might need all the jounce travel you can get. I'd keep the ride height near stock until your driving is good enough to notice that last 5% change ....

[rfn026]

If you think lowering the car makes a huge difference then try some DOT tires. Oppps, then you need a trailer. Ok now a truck to pull the trailer with. Oh, I almost forgot about the new wheels you'll need for DOT tires.

When you're all done you're going to get thumped by a GT3. Ok, buy a GT3 and start all over again.

Crack would make you feel better - and be cheaper.

Richard

[KTL]

Adjusting the ride height down a bit is not a bad idea. Especially since sometimes the height has changed with age- bushing flow, shock absorber wear or replacement.

I'd suggest without hesitation that you get your car aligned. Factory alignment is a compromise and the front camber is such that your car will eat the shoulders of the tires. These cars lean a ton in stock form and you'll beat on the tires for sure. No need for that to be, and the car will drive better.

The best advice is always to leave the car be and learn to drive it. BUT, make sure everything is in good operating condition. When you're pushing the car to the limit, you don't want things to fail on you. Start with:

Tires:
>Be smart and make sure your tires are in good condition. No bulges, no cracked/aged rubber, no overly abnormal wear (besides that caused by track driving),

Brakes:

>Good pads
>Good seals in the calipers, none of them SEIZED!
>Fresh high temp fluid
>check all critical fasteners are properly torqued

Suspension: check the suspension components for wear/fatigue

>flattened bushings which cause torsion bar rubbage or squeaking & binding
>sway bar mountings which tend to break from large amount of body roll
>adjust front wheel bearings and ensure they are properly packed with grease so you don't cook one,
>steering- loose tie rods/sloppy steering should be addressed, as a broken tie rod could be catastrophic
>check all critical fasteners are properly torqued

Drivetrain:
>address all major oil leaks
>fan belt is in good condition and have a spare
>correct amount of oil in both engine and trans. Good quality oil in both- track use beats the life out of mediocre lubricants
>check all critical fasteners are properly torqued- especially the engine mountings, trans mountings and the CV bolts. Loose CV bolts are somewhat common!

Safety:
>Check seat belt attachment points
>Ensure seat is securely fastened

A friend has a 160K miles 87 Carrera that he drives the heck out of in stock form. He's fast and the car takes every bit of punishment and asks for more. Just have to be sure everything is in good operating condition and well adjusted!!

[Jeff Higgins]

I would just drive it as is until you feel, or are told by an instructor, that the car is holding you back. This stuff is an awful lot of fun; no doubt. We want to get in an improve our cars right away, when the car is actually well ahead of us initially. So, resist that urge for now. Follow your instincts and put your money into track days for the rest of the year at least. When the track season is over, crack a cold one, get out your log book, and read your notes and any notes you can get your instructors to add. Your course for improvements on the car will be much clearer then. Don't just start changing things now because you can. Develop a plan and stick to it. And have fun - welcome, as others have said, to the "slippery slope".

[NY65912]

Well that does it. Another one down the slope.

Hold on to your wallet. You know you've got it bad when you start driving the track in your mind as your trying to go to sleep.

I agree with the others. wait until you "need" the upgrades and then do them in the proper succession.

Oh, safety items are a good start.

[Bill Douglas]

I think you should as Todd (nostatic) what NOT to do.

[Dantilla]

I attended a DE a few years ago.

Now I have a car with a roll cage, and big numbers on the door.