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S197 3V Fabman's build; How did we get here? Build Thread

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Amazing what good brakes will do!
 

Fabman

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That is definitely a big part of it.


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Hey Fabman- After putting on the Track Spec Hood Louvers I felt like there was quite a bit less lift at speed and wanted to try it alone without a splitter. What did you think about them?
 

Fabman

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Hey Fabman- After putting on the Track Spec Hood Louvers I felt like there was quite a bit less lift at speed and wanted to try it alone without a splitter. What did you think about them?

I installed them along with a host of other upgrades so I can’t speak to the changes of them alone, but logic tells us that they are a step in the right direction. The tiger hood is a proven advantage and these louvers are in that same vein.


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Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Seat time pays off nicely! Good work on your part and Kevin's coaching. Those 500 fronts look like they're letting your car completely bottom. I'm glad you didn't lose the splitter going that low! How did the car feel compared to the last couple of LS track days?
 

Fabman

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Amazing what good brakes will do!
I'm still a little gunshy so I'm not yet using them to potential.
I still back off too early and coast in more than I should instead of threshold braking.
This is where the next chunk of time is going to come from.
However, with the car more predictable it's easier to run it harder as is evidenced by the improving lap times. I'd rather improve slowly than push too hard and fail.
 

Fabman

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Seat time pays off nicely! Good work on your part and Kevin's coaching. Those 500 fronts look like they're letting your car completely bottom. I'm glad you didn't lose the splitter going that low! How did the car feel compared to the last couple of LS track days?
Better, but weird.
Like the tires were big stretchy balloons if that makes any sense.
Like everything was too soft....tires, springs, everything.
Yet, it was faster, so how can I complain?
I always want everything too stiff....so I am trying this strategy.
 

Fabman

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10.9 metric rating is higher than Grade 8 standard ratings. JS
I ordered the new bolts from Maximum Motorsports last night...thanks everyone for the info.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Better, but weird.
Like the tires were big stretchy balloons if that makes any sense.
Like everything was too soft....tires, springs, everything.
Yet, it was faster, so how can I complain?
I always want everything too stiff....so I am trying this strategy.
That was exactly my experience the first time going to slicks. Ditto for the dragstrip. That's why I (eventually) want to run 305s on the 11" rims and see how much better it gets.

I've gone through a lot of brands of tires since I've had the CorteX suspension on...it's surprising how much difference and tuning is needed just for tires with different spring rates.

I ordered the new bolts from Maximum Motorsports last night...thanks everyone for the info.
Hopefully you never have the loosening problem again! Maybe if you don't reinstall them 50 times! ;)
 

Fabman

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Most of my racing career was on bias ply slicks and stiff springs.
Sunday I got out of the car expecting to see the sidewalls worn down to the rims.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
That's why I was a little surprised to hear you have a similar reaction/impression! I would have thought you'd be used to it. Maybe it's because of the weight of our cars...
 

Fabman

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Look how low this car is:

403839_10150997326438535_316542191_n.jpg
I ran 400# front springs at 1900 pounds with a 6" rear roll center here at Mesa Marin high bank 1/2 Mile. I broke the track record by just over a full second that night.
It was my first time at that track.

This big heavy mustang on rubber bands just doesn't feel right to me.
 
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Fabman

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Here we go...I passed the whole field on lap one in the fast car dash and then sandbagged the rest of the race. The main event was an exact repeat but with more cars.

 
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JDee

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Awesome run there man, that had to be a super high. You had kind of a great Terry Labonte look going on back then too. I still sport the 'stache from back in the day, my bride refuses to let me shave the damn thing off, she doesn't like the fact that there's an upper lip under there!
Great race, you laid a beatin' on those boys for sure!
 

Fabman

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eacd316cd91b8330f9712897b3a301d4.jpg


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Fabman

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Great race, you laid a beatin' on those boys for sure!
That happened a lot. You can see it play out over and over on my YouTube channel.



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JDee

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Cool channel. Dual to the Death, great pass for the win, you killed the exit of the corner and the other guy was way late trying to shut the door on you going into the other end of the track. You can't shut the door when the other guy is fully beside you!

Just love watching short track oval racing, it's kind of racing stripped to the bare bones, so to speak.
 

racer47

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Look how low this car is:

How were you running that low and light? Was it some kind of outlaw class? IIRC my super late was 40" min roof height and 2600 lbs min before the race and with driver.

Just love watching short track oval racing, it's kind of racing stripped to the bare bones, so to speak.

Go see a non wing spring car race and check out the cars. They are really bare bones. They make a late model look complicated and over done. Then compare a late model to a TA1 or GT1 car. Its another step way more complicated. Then for another thousand times more complication, race a real street car. Even stripped down, there is way too much stuff in it.

That's why I don't get the desire to build full out road race street cars that end up never being on the street anymore. At that point just go with a purpose built race car. They are cheaper and faster. I'm not knocking anyone or anyone's car. I just don't want to give up the street usefulness. I'm already at about the limits of my mods. I've given up all the street manners that I care to give up in order to make a faster track car. YRMV.
 

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