Looking for advice for the following question from those who have many years of track experience and hold a track car past warranty and those who trade in cars repeatedly.

Question: Trade in (car is 3yr old GT350) at the end of 2019 season where it should have some good residual value or hold on and ride out issues that pop up as they come along including potential motor replacements?

I figure a new performance car in the $60-70k range is depreciating nearly $7k/year but what I can't figure is the rate at which parts, excluding brakes, fluids and tires, need to be replaced as I've only been in the hobby for 3 years. I run about 40 track hours per season plus the highway drive to and from each event.

Great question and I’ve had a similar situation with a twist. After blowing the engine in my Boss 302 with a year left on the drive train warranty my wife suggested I buy a new car. So I sold it and bought a GT350. Then about two years into ownership I blew the engine in it. At that time I decided that I no longer wanted to track my nice street driven cars and sold it with the intention of buying a race car. If you blow the engine or crash a race car it’s no big deal you fix it and move on without compromising the value. But as I’ve been out of tracking a car 10-12 days a year for the past year I don’t think I’m going to buy a race car and the necessary things needed like tow vehicle, trailer and a place to store it.

I think much of your maintenance question is answered by maintaining your car as you have and deal with issues as they pop up. Things like wheel bearings are a yearly replacement item especially if you’re running slicks. Timing chain maintenance is another item to consider. You might consider upgrading the OPG as well.

Have had my Boss on the track for about the same amount of hours per season for the last five years.. I calculated it would be cheaper to just keep upgrading the car then switching to a newer model. I know a S550 is a better platform but am too emotionally attached to my car and I know we can still get faster together... Still driving it to the track! the car has actually helped inspire a new series here in Chile for next season.... The Mustang/Camaro Challenge. The cars have to arrive to the track on the road to qualify... SHould be fun!! Now thats if we can fined any Camaros willing to hit the track.....

Sorry got off point.... In your case, having a GT350 means you can keep competitive for a long time! Even a new engine is doable and maybe soon a Cobrajet 5.2 might be more affordable....

It's hard to annualize costs going forward from here. You've just used the three most reliable years for the car. I suggest just considering a number like $5k to $10k that you budget over the next 2-3 years for any major problems, incidents or mishaps. Bump that number up a bit if you have more of a tendency to replace than rebuild. If you're trying to get to more detail, make a list/schedule of the short and long term replacement items and go from there.

Really depends a lot on how much work you do yourself and if the experience is only about driving or the fun of modifying the car to suit your desires. I've bought my last few track cars used with no warranty but I do all my own work and research and tuning. I start looking to trade cars when I've gotten the one I track to the point I won't go beyond. I.e. making it unpleasant or illegal to drive on the street.

If you bought a car completely capable of bangin' out lap after lap from the factory with little more than a good set of tires and your local Ford dealer handles the maintenance and repairs, I'd say changing cars close to the warranty end or a bit sooner is a reasonable use of your money.

Keep in mind, tracking a car is HARD on stuff normal service techs ignore. Ignore! You aren't going to get a Ford tech to crack-check hubs, or torque check every undercar bolt or look for broken welds at a 30K mile checkup because those things are NEVER an issue on street cars.

All very good points, thanks for the feedback.
For basic items I tend to do the work myself and replace all fluids religiously but any electrical gremlins or full motor trans/clutch replacements I tend to use a shop. Very torn on this one. Big concerns are the motor reliability and the advanced electronics going wonky.
For a short list of replacement items after 4 years of track use (puts me at the end of season 2019) I figure the following; comment as needed:
- Suspension bushings
- Wheel bearings/hubs
- Mag ride shocks?
- Possibly clutch
- Caliper rebuild

TDC said:

All very good points, thanks for the feedback.
For basic items I tend to do the work myself and replace all fluids religiously but any electrical gremlins or full motor trans/clutch replacements I tend to use a shop. Very torn on this one. Big concerns are the motor reliability and the advanced electronics going wonky.
For a short list of replacement items after 4 years of track use (puts me at the end of season 2019) I figure the following; comment as needed:
- Suspension bushings
- Wheel bearings/hubs
- Mag ride shocks?
- Possibly clutch
- Caliper rebuild

Click to expand...

Wheel bearings and caliper rebuild for sure, IMHO. Shocks - only if leaking - looks like black mud running down the tubes. Clutch - I never wore a race clutch out but I sure stressed the center-hub springs so badly they nearly fell out!

That's a good start at the list. I'd also add a list of spares to take to the track. Hubs, alternator, hoses, etc. Anything you can do yourself at the track that would otherwise waste your day if you didn't have it.

I agree that the shocks only need to be inspected. Suspension bushings could also be inspected. Don't forget to check the rubber bushings mounting the IRS, they can fail too.

Minimum replacement items:

rebuild or replace calipers
inner and outer tie rods
Wheel Bearings / hubs
ball joints (I have seen both factory and Howe ball joints shear on S197s)
Nut, bolt, and paint mark entire suspension


I would suggest opening up the motor and installing a new oil pump with billet gears. My personal observation is that this is a leading cause of blown GT350 engines on the track. If you are doing the OPG, you should consider all new timing components, seals, and possibly a damper. The parts are relatively cheap considering you will have to remove most of these to address the oil pump.

If you decide to replace the clutch you should install a new slave cylinder while the transmission is out. I am not familiar with clutches available for the GT350, so I cannot make any recommendations.

I would also add that part of your decision should include how much of the work you will do yourself. If you can not do most of the work and have to pay someone, then then idea of a new track car every few years with a warranty starts to make more economic sense.

^Agreed. Forgot to mention the steering components that should now be on an annual replacement for your level of use. And maybe on the spares list, even if they are the old take-off parts.