best suspension for rally (Tess McMillan)

[Brett Dikeman]

On Dec 11, 2007, at 12:01 PM, Rebecca Ruston wrote:

> But in the end this is just a HOBBY, and I don't make enough money  
> to build it how I wish I could

Best advice I ever heard about building race cars was from Greg Amy, a  
friend and experienced SCCA racer (SSB in the 90's, ITS and Spec Miata  
recently.)  "Never build a race car.  BUY a race car."

Basically- let someone else go through the "adventure"...which is a  
lot of time, headaches, and money.  Y'know, all those things that SAY  
"bolt on", when "bolt on" means "take a die grinder to the car and  
part"? :).  Buy a car that has already been largely built but whose  
owner has already moved on. There's ALWAYS something to tinker with  
for adventure and things to do to make it your own...but you're  
refining, not starting from scratch.

Based on witnessing the trials and tribulations of my father's efforts  
at racing a stock 951 in PCA, he's gone through a lot of aggravation  
to get the car where he liked.  A perfect example of the hassles of  
building a race car: he purchased a Fuel Safe fuel cell which was  
claimed to be 'bolt in' for 951's, and was just about the ONLY fuel  
cell that was available for the car.  Except the bump stops on the  
rear suspension interfered.  Lips of the tank would have crushed the  
factory wiring harness.  It took a die grinder, file, and hours of in 
+out test-fitting.  He managed to get it in and added a gallon of gas-  
and watched it leak it out all over the ground floor; it was shipped  
defective from the factory (you'd think "does it leak" would be an  
important test for a fuel cell manufacturer to do.  Apparently not.)

For not much more than what you'll spend on a coilover suspension, I  
had the chance a year or two ago to buy a 4000 with turbo conversion,  
race rubber, snow tires, and street rubber.  Fancy coilover  
suspension.  Race cage, seats+belts, wheel, etc.  All sorts of things  
that would have cost me far more if I went out and assembled it on my  
own, and taken months to do so.  Didn't go for it, and a wise choice,  
but for other reasons :-)

Anyway- food for thought.  If you want to get lost in some great  
stories about racing cars, finding them years later and making them  
track ready and racing them again, stuff like that- Greg's got some  
great stuff.  For extra fun, read in chronological order.  http://www.kakashiracing.com/news.html

Brett