Giving an old SC an unfair advantage: Track tires/wheel question

[Deschodt]

Guys,

My SC-> 73 clone is getting closer to getting out of the paint booth, presumably a bit lighter (FG hood and bumpers, sport seats, no rear seat, no A/C) and I am really eager to get back on the track (Sebring) with the local PCA...



Still, as she'll replace a 3.6L 996, I think she'll need a lot more help than the weight savings so that I don't have to drive my mirrors all the friggin' time ( a little is Okay, I'm not dreaming, 180hp is 180hp)... I was thinking serious track tires might be fun - not wide, just grippy ;-)

I'm on a budget after all the work and paint, so I was wondering if it is reasonnable to mount 205+225x16 Yoko A048S or Pilotsport cups on my stock 6 and 7 fuchs and still drive the car on the road ocasionally (to the track mostly, to work occasionally), trying to avoid the wet.

With 6+7s I thought 225&245 might be pushing it, if they rub and I have to roll the fenders I may damage the brand new paint job. Opinions ?

Victoracers and others recommend pretty drastic shaving, seems to me that would halve the life of the tire, and the michelin sport cups - while more expensive - don't HAVE to be shaved apparently, is that correct ?

Finally, is this a real stupid idea (to drive occasionally on the road and to-from the track with R-tires) or am I better off having them dismounted and remounted before each event) ?

I'd like a second set of wheels but I'm seriously out of space and money for that. The Rota in RSR look very nice but I am yet to find any data on their weight relative to a fuchs, and at $1300, well...

Are there other things I have not thought of ? I also like the minilite style, does someone make an affordable track wheel in that style fitting a backdated SC ?

Thanks for reading the deluge of questions !

[David in VA]

I drive to and from the track on Toyo RA-1's and like them a lot. I actually prefer driving the '87 on them than the '00 on street tires, it's much more fun and not that much slower.

[Deschodt]

Those were also on my list, but involved shaving... Did you have them shaved like they recommend ?

[David in VA]

I don't get them shaved. They are a bit squirmy, especially under hard braking but not too bad in my opinion. Toyo is phasing them out for the R-888's, from what I hear they have very similar performance. For the money they're great, I've heard the Michelins take a while to heat up, especially on lighter cars.

[Bill Verburg]

I drive to/from track on MPSC, they could be used for ocasional dd use too. They are oem fitment for GT3RS. They do throw stones a lot more than a street tire will

I urge you to rethink the 6 & 7 thing though. You want 7 or 8 front and 8 or 9 rear. Whether you go 15, 16, 17 or 18 is another decision, for track use 18 > 17 > 16 >15

in 15 you would use 205/50 & 225/50 on 7 & 8
in 16 you would use 225/50 & 245/45 on 7 or 8 & 8 or 9
in 17 you would use 225/45 & 255/40 on 8 & 9
in 18 you would use 225/40 & 265/35 on 8 & 9

widest possible wheel for a given tire is always better.

Toyos are good too

[Mark Morrissey]

I haven't tried them yet but have heard rave reviews from other folks who have for the Falken AZENIS RT-615

[Flieger]

I like Yokohama Advan A048. I use them unshaved for agressive street driving on weekends. No rain experience- if you saw the car's setup, you would chuckle at the thought

[FPB111]

I used Hoosier R compond 225- 45 or -50 front, 245-50 on my 7 & 8 x 15s on a 2400lb 1972 "RS" positraction equipped coupe with .75 neg front 1.5 neg rear. start 32 psi front 35 psi rear. I liked them alot. I would get two sets of fronts to one set rears. They will be a rough ride on the street and after they get about 1/2 worn (no shaving) they would start to hydroplane in heavy rain @ 60mph.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

widest possible wheel for a given tire is always better.

One does not see that advice often and most don't buy tires in accordance. That is excellent advice, IMHO. So, rather than trying to fit the biggest tire (or widest, as it were), one should start with the wheel. You won't get all the tread you can get on the tarmac, but you will get sidewall performance that may result in better lap times.

Think excellent suspension settling on corner entry and less movement in braking. This should result in getting you on your line faster and easier enabling you to get back on the gas sooner. I don't think what BV is saying is a well kept secret as much as it is a well kept theory.

[JeremyD]

FS FORGED 3 PC BBS 7&9x16 911 OFFSET

[Deschodt]

i agree, which is why I said I may not buy the widest tires money can buy... But if I could go 7+9 or 9 with today's fuchs price, I would... Not an option right now though, so I think I have to stick (ha) with something that fits my 6 and 7s, hence 205/225 or 215/225.... Although the RSR rotas sound really good if not too heavy - Tyson has not broken them yet, has he ? ;-)

[Bill Verburg]

If you are stuck w/ 6 & 7, then use 205 & 225 tires. As long as you have Carrera body work they will fiot w/ lots of clearance. 245 is too wide a tire for 7

The original '73 2.7 RS used 6 & 7 x16 w/ 185/70 & 215/60 tires

[911st]

Here is a couple of minilite style suppliers.

http://www.minilitewheels.us/

My favorite:

http://www.packracingproducts.com/

Check out there Supperlite GTR Race wheels.

They weigh very close to Fuchs, are new, and under $1k a set delivered.

I am thinking of getting a set in 7&8x15's with 225/50's front(29mm offset) and rear that with tires are close to 24 total lbs lighter than my 16's.

Here is the Porsche wheel weights:

http://members.rennlist.com/911pcars/WheelWts.html

[JeremyD]

Or take your 7's and put them up front. Send your 6"s to Jim at True Design and either have them made into 16 x 9's or 17 x 9's (for more wheel choices) you can probably do this for ~1K and still have fuchs (cause I love the look of fuchs on early cars and impact bumper cars)

[Trotskyite]

I use the Azenis RT-615s on a set of the Rotas for the street and love them, but for the track I am running GeForce R1s on a set of 7&8" fuchs. I have two track days on them so far and have realized they are beyond my abilities to exploit fully. +1 on Jeremy D's advice. You really only need two more wheels.