My GTO at a Porsche Driving School!

[Doc GTO]

I usually take my Alfa Romeo GTV to the racing schools I help instruct for but my head gasket is bad so I figured that I would take the goat and go easy on her. The only thing I did to prep for the track was replace the stock brake fluid with AP 551 (I flushed the system and the stock fluid was nasty) and adjust my tire pressures. My goat did great. Before I new it I was passing 130 mph on the front straight. I was running down 911s and M3s like it was my job. The car did great but with the way I drive on the track I would need to step up to at least 13 inch brakes in the front with track pads. I never got any fade but the stock brakes didn't really like hauling this thing from 130 mph to 80 mph REAL fast so I could enter turn 1 without going off. I had a lot of people check the car out and they were impressed with the performance and some of the other instructors that I ran down on the track were pissed that I was doing this on stock tires! A set of Kumho V700s will be on the list along with lowering springs!!! I'm going back for round two on Sunday and I'll see if I can get some video of thr car in action!

[MLTTASK]

This is very encouraging news, as I plan on tracking my GTO when I get it. I'd be very interested in seeing any video you shoot!

[GTWhoa]

Nice, I do a track event usually about once a month in my turbo Saab Viggen during the track season. Can't wait to get the GTO on the track. I hear ya on the brakes, I will have bigger brakes before I take it to the track. NASA has an event at VIR on February I plan on brining the GTO to.

[TSpeed]

Thats awesome! Great driving and way to intro the GTO to the road racing world! can't wait to do some road racing with the goat.

[MLTTASK]

I hear ya on the brakes, I will have bigger brakes before I take it to the track. NASA has an event at VIR on February I plan on brining the GTO to. When (if) I get an '05, I'm going to try the stock brakes once at least. I always like to take it to the track totally stock the first time to get a feel for what needs improving the most.

I talked to Wilwood a few weeks ago and they said my F-Body Wilwoods wouln't transfer to a GTO. :(

[phobos512]

When (if) I get an '05, I'm going to try the stock brakes once at least. I always like to take it to the track totally stock the first time to get a feel for what needs improving the most.

I talked to Wilwood a few weeks ago and they said my F-Body Wilwoods wouln't transfer to a GTO. :(

You ought to see if they'll give you a trade-up discount. :)

[MLTTASK]

You ought to see if they'll give you a trade-up discount. :)Ideas like that are why I hang out on this board! :gr_jest:

Hmmm, they said $2200 for the GTO Wilwood kit without trade.... with trade it'd be $2200 :)

[Doc GTO]

Nice, I do a track event usually about once a month in my turbo Saab Viggen during the track season. Can't wait to get the GTO on the track. I hear ya on the brakes, I will have bigger brakes before I take it to the track. NASA has an event at VIR on February I plan on brining the GTO to.


You will need better brakes for VIR!!! North and South course can be hard on brakes and with the speeds the GTO can gererate on the straights you will need brakes!!!!!!

[Doc GTO]

Ideas like that are why I hang out on this board! :gr_jest:

Hmmm, they said $2200 for the GTO Wilwood kit without trade.... with trade it'd be $2200 :)

I think that the Baer 13 inch front kit with the Hawk pads, Hawks pads for the stock rears, and AP551 fluid would be all you need. The front brakes do most of the work (75-80%). This would be about $1250 worth of parts compared to the Wilwood setup!

[Doc GTO]

I went back for the 2nd day of instruction and had even more fun. The stock tires suck for this type of driving but they still held their own on the track. I was out pacing this Dinan modded E36 M3 with all the suspension mods, track rubber, big time negitive camber, ect. He would pull me a little in the tight stuff but not enough to put any significant distance on me. I would make it back up on the straight and pass him (every session)! I gave three other instructors rides and they all were impressed on how the car handled with no suspension/tire mods and liked the LS1 power! I gobbled up 2 911s, an M3, a 1998 Mustang Cobra with a 5.8 liter (he said they made this car only one year with the 5.8). I can't wait until I do springs, brakes, and track rubber. People will be fearing the goat!!! :eek2:

[MIGoat]

I went back for the 2nd day of instruction and had even more fun. The stock tires suck for this type of driving but they still held their own on the track. I was out pacing this Dinan modded E36 M3 with all the suspension mods, track rubber, big time negitive camber, ect. He would pull me a little in the tight stuff but not enough to put any significant distance on me. I would make it back up on the straight and pass him (every session)! I gave three other instructors rides and they all were impressed on how the car handled with no suspension/tire mods and liked the LS1 power! I gobbled up 2 911s, an M3, a 1998 Mustang Cobra with a 5.8 liter (he said they made this car only one year with the 5.8). I can't wait until I do springs, brakes, and track rubber. People will be fearing the goat!!! :eek2:
:hail:

[VelodromeRacer]

Great job!

I have attached 2 photos from Me at Putnam Park in Indianapolis. I am staying ahead as we exit turn 11 and I am about to unleash the 350 horses along the main straight...creating distance from the anchors behind me!

The car will get upgraded sway bars..waiting on someone to to a matching pair, and I am putting some 255's on another set of stock rims. I am hoping to get by with an upgraded set of C5 Ceramic pads...perhaps new rotors.

I drove it without changing the brake fluid and on stock tires...but I was careful to not raise the tire temps much. I walked on the 350z's that day, but they were on my arse thru the center set of turns!

[mistermike]

We need to put this in the kill section :D Spanking a Dinan E36 with a $33K stocker. You gotta love it!

[VelodromeRacer]

Also,
For those of you who are looking at the Kuhmo V700 tires...here is a response from Tirerack.com I received today..Gonna have to look for something else...
I am looking for the Kumho V700 series of tire.
Size: 245/45ZR17 Shaved 4/32nds
Unfortunately no, those tires are not coming soon. You should make another selection if you need racing tires this year.

[pinski]

I went back for the 2nd day of instruction and had even more fun. The stock tires suck for this type of driving but they still held their own on the track. I was out pacing this Dinan modded E36 M3 with all the suspension mods, track rubber, big time negitive camber, ect. He would pull me a little in the tight stuff but not enough to put any significant distance on me. I would make it back up on the straight and pass him (every session)! I gave three other instructors rides and they all were impressed on how the car handled with no suspension/tire mods and liked the LS1 power! I gobbled up 2 911s, an M3, a 1998 Mustang Cobra with a 5.8 liter (he said they made this car only one year with the 5.8). I can't wait until I do springs, brakes, and track rubber. People will be fearing the goat!!! :eek2:

The ONLY Cobra ever made with a 5.8L from Ford would be the 1995 Cobra R, which is uber-rare. Kudos on a job obviously well done, because that was all stiff competition that you mentioned!

I'm just kinda curious as to whether it's the car that's significantly better, or the driver? We all know the best mod to a car is a good driver, and since you're the instructor, I'd be willing to bet that's why you did so well in the corners.

[MLTTASK]

I think that the Baer 13 inch front kit with the Hawk pads, Hawks pads for the stock rears, and AP551 fluid would be all you need. The front brakes do most of the work (75-80%). This would be about $1250 worth of parts compared to the Wilwood setup!
That's an OK system, but it only has 2 pot calipers. My Wilwoods are 6 pot. Also the Baers are cast calipers while the Wilwoods are alumnium.

The Wilwood system is just a much nicer kit, if this is the Baer system you're talking about
http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PFYC&Product_Code=GT4007&Product_Count=11&Category_Code=GTSUSP

[Doc GTO]

The ONLY Cobra ever made with a 5.8L from Ford would be the 1995 Cobra R, which is uber-rare. Kudos on a job obviously well done, because that was all stiff competition that you mentioned!

I'm just kinda curious as to whether it's the car that's significantly better, or the driver? We all know the best mod to a car is a good driver, and since you're the instructor, I'd be willing to bet that's why you did so well in the corners.

About the Mustang-the owner said this was very limited and they used the un-supercharged Lightning motor in it. I do know Ford made an older style Mustang with the 5.8 for the Speed GT series with either EFI or carb but that was a race only car.

About me being an instructor. I only go out in the instructor sessions so the other cars I go against are driven by other instructors. Now, I may have more seat time then them and know the track better then them since it is my home track. You never know . . . The guy in the Dinan E36 was a little upset to find out that I was using street tires and not track rubber :-punch:. What can you do??? Practice makes perfect . . .LOL :hail:

[Doc GTO]

That's an OK system, but it only has 2 pot calipers. My Wilwoods are 6 pot. Also the Baers are cast calipers while the Wilwoods are alumnium.

The Wilwood system is just a much nicer kit, if this is the Baer system you're talking about
http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PFYC&Product_Code=GT4007&Product_Count=11&Category_Code=GTSUSP

The latest info I have read on brake research was for the new 5 liter 10 cylinder M5. They said after a lot of research was done, that the amount of pistons in the caliper didn't have as much affect as did the size of the rotor and cooling ability. Basically they say the clamping effect of 2 larger pistons or 4 or 6 smaller ones is about the same but a 14 or 15 inch rotor is a lot better then a 11 or 12 inch. They are installing 15 inch vented rotors with 2 piston floating calipers on their $90K new M5. I was suprised about this info but they have a lot of $$$ and they have a 500hp car so they must know something . . .

I look at it this way, unless you are going for a SCCA national championship save the $2K and use that on another part of the car. The PBR upgrade or the Baer upgrade is plenty for what we would use it for! JMHO :cool:

[MLTTASK]

The latest info I have read on brake research was for the new 5 liter 10 cylinder M5. They said after a lot of research was done, that the amount of pistons in the caliper didn't have as much affect as did the size of the rotor and cooling ability. Basically they say the clamping effect of 2 larger pistons or 4 or 6 smaller ones is about the same but a 14 or 15 inch rotor is a lot better then a 11 or 12 inch. They are installing 15 inch vented rotors with 2 piston floating calipers on their $90K new M5. I was suprised about this info but they have a lot of $$$ and they have a 500hp car so they must know something . . . Yeah I read that about the Bimmer, but I can tell you most stock brakes are underpowered, even on the M's. Number of pistons doesn't make AS MUCH differentce as they things you mentioned, but all things equal, 6 > 2 ;) None of that even mentions the difference between the caliper material used in the two sets either, however. The Baer system looks like it has forged calipers, am I right in thinking that?

I love my Wilwoods and intend to buy another set unless I can find same or better for cheaper. Then, of course, I'd be silly to spend the extra $$$

I look at it this way, unless you are going for a SCCA national championship save the $2K and use that on another part of the car. The PBR upgrade or the Baer upgrade is plenty for what we would use it for! JMHO :cool:This is easy to say right up until the point where you cook off your brakes and end up 100 yards into the pea gravel off turn 1 at Summit Point (that'd be me). At that point, you buy the best you can find. Brakes are cheaper than body work!

[Doc GTO]

[QUOTE=MLTTASK
This is easy to say right up until the point where you cook off your brakes and end up 100 yards into the pea gravel off turn 1 at Summit Point (that'd be me). At that point, you buy the best you can find. Brakes are cheaper than body work![/QUOTE]




Yeah, I bet that would make it an easy choice to get some serious brakes. I have been lucky to not have that happen on any road course. I have had them fade to where I had to use run off to get stopped (like at VIR and Moroso in the dead of summer) but I came in and did a fluid change and off I went with no more problems! Of course that was in my Alfa . . .

[kbaba]

Nice road work Doc! Keep us informed of your modding progress - with what you're talking about for your car, the Goat and you will make a helluva team.