Duane Black
Curbs go brrrppp
Hey gang! I couldn't decide if this should go here or "the Paddock" - I didn't put much thought into it and since it involves my decisions concerning the future of my Mustang... well... here we are...
My 2013 V6 auto has 130,000 miles on it now. My long term plans when I bought it involved keeping it until 2023 and... well, we're getting closer.... close enough to think about this sort of thing....
I think I've "topped out" in my driving career - I'm going to be a top level DE driver and an instructor for the foreseeable future. I can run 8-10 events a year at this rate on a good year, and racing would mean going back to 4 events a year I think, which is where I was before free entry fees were a thing for me. While I respect that a dedicated track car is the proper way, I can't really justify it, more on that next.
So I currently live in a 2 car garage in an HOA. Basically, I don't see a trailer, a truck, and all that in my future - I've considered it - and I think the extra costs associated iwth that aren't worth it to just keep driivng my car to the track and if it breaks or I crash it, then I deal with that with rentals that are ultimately cheaper to rent once and deal with a problem than own the solution to a problem I may not even have.
Here's what I'm ruling out.
An S550 - in any form - the Gt is expensive - my job allows me to drive a fast car, or drive a slow car fast. The 4 cyl turbos have too many heat soak issues to me and I'd rather keep the V6. Also, they're heavy. For brakes, tires, and other wear, I'm thinking an S197 is the heaviest thing I want.
Here's what I'm considering.
Option 1 - But Another S197/sell my V6 - I could buy a lower mile coyote - say, a 2013-2014 ~50k mile car for ~$25k. Faster of course - and I have a lot of mods for it I could theoretically transfer from my V6. K members, sway bars, wheels, spacers, my brembo brake kit if necessary, my radiator, my Torsen T2R.... probably some stuff I'm forgetting can move over and I could sell my car as a street car. This would help me keep my cars down to two cars while essentially "trading up" to a better condition car... I'd hope.
Option 2 - Buy a new BRZ/GT86 - a lighter car, the new engine coming looks like hte power to weight is going to be very, very similar to the V6 Mustang I drive now. Being a BRAND NEW car, I don't think I'd want to to start tracking it immediatley - I'm thinking this becomes my autocross car (which I'd run 5-15 events a year easily), and my daily driver until the warranty runs out, and I'd keep my Mustang. The Mustang would possibly then be stripped of excess weight - things like seats, carpet, air conditioning, radio, all that nonsense could start to go and it could become a stripped yet street legal HPDE machine that would continue serving as a track car for a few years. The disadvantages of this option is me cramming 3 cars into my 2 car garage scenario.
Option 3 - Buy a Corvette - probably the wildest of the options. Sell my Mustang, sell my parts, and for roughly what a brand new BRZ costs, I buy a 2010-ish Corvette with 50-80k miles for the same price. The Car becomes a daily driver/track car since it's out of warranty. It's lighter than a Mustang, it has a lot of power, but I also hear base models having oil starve issues and some things that basically make a Z06 or GS your only trackable options. I know the expendables on Mustangs are high, and I'm sure they're higher on a Corvette. But I also hear pound for pound, a Corvette is pretty tough to beat, and theres a few "buy it once and cry" options like the track brakes and cooling - after that, you're pretty golden in terms of dealing with expendables as they become much cheaper going forward.
In any events, what do you see the value of a V6 Mustang being, with various HPDE things to make it a good trackable car? Do you foresee it having any value, having an automatic, to be an easy car to learn in? It has a good power to weight ratio, I've fixed a lot of the engine and brake cooling issues, it's fun and easy to drive, and if I gut it, it gets a little better yet in terms of speed, brake wear, and tire wear.... ideally. However, that would be hte "no turning back" option and it's a track car for life at some point.
So I'm now looking for the wisdom of my elders to tell me what to do.
My 2013 V6 auto has 130,000 miles on it now. My long term plans when I bought it involved keeping it until 2023 and... well, we're getting closer.... close enough to think about this sort of thing....
I think I've "topped out" in my driving career - I'm going to be a top level DE driver and an instructor for the foreseeable future. I can run 8-10 events a year at this rate on a good year, and racing would mean going back to 4 events a year I think, which is where I was before free entry fees were a thing for me. While I respect that a dedicated track car is the proper way, I can't really justify it, more on that next.
So I currently live in a 2 car garage in an HOA. Basically, I don't see a trailer, a truck, and all that in my future - I've considered it - and I think the extra costs associated iwth that aren't worth it to just keep driivng my car to the track and if it breaks or I crash it, then I deal with that with rentals that are ultimately cheaper to rent once and deal with a problem than own the solution to a problem I may not even have.
Here's what I'm ruling out.
An S550 - in any form - the Gt is expensive - my job allows me to drive a fast car, or drive a slow car fast. The 4 cyl turbos have too many heat soak issues to me and I'd rather keep the V6. Also, they're heavy. For brakes, tires, and other wear, I'm thinking an S197 is the heaviest thing I want.
Here's what I'm considering.
Option 1 - But Another S197/sell my V6 - I could buy a lower mile coyote - say, a 2013-2014 ~50k mile car for ~$25k. Faster of course - and I have a lot of mods for it I could theoretically transfer from my V6. K members, sway bars, wheels, spacers, my brembo brake kit if necessary, my radiator, my Torsen T2R.... probably some stuff I'm forgetting can move over and I could sell my car as a street car. This would help me keep my cars down to two cars while essentially "trading up" to a better condition car... I'd hope.
Option 2 - Buy a new BRZ/GT86 - a lighter car, the new engine coming looks like hte power to weight is going to be very, very similar to the V6 Mustang I drive now. Being a BRAND NEW car, I don't think I'd want to to start tracking it immediatley - I'm thinking this becomes my autocross car (which I'd run 5-15 events a year easily), and my daily driver until the warranty runs out, and I'd keep my Mustang. The Mustang would possibly then be stripped of excess weight - things like seats, carpet, air conditioning, radio, all that nonsense could start to go and it could become a stripped yet street legal HPDE machine that would continue serving as a track car for a few years. The disadvantages of this option is me cramming 3 cars into my 2 car garage scenario.
Option 3 - Buy a Corvette - probably the wildest of the options. Sell my Mustang, sell my parts, and for roughly what a brand new BRZ costs, I buy a 2010-ish Corvette with 50-80k miles for the same price. The Car becomes a daily driver/track car since it's out of warranty. It's lighter than a Mustang, it has a lot of power, but I also hear base models having oil starve issues and some things that basically make a Z06 or GS your only trackable options. I know the expendables on Mustangs are high, and I'm sure they're higher on a Corvette. But I also hear pound for pound, a Corvette is pretty tough to beat, and theres a few "buy it once and cry" options like the track brakes and cooling - after that, you're pretty golden in terms of dealing with expendables as they become much cheaper going forward.
In any events, what do you see the value of a V6 Mustang being, with various HPDE things to make it a good trackable car? Do you foresee it having any value, having an automatic, to be an easy car to learn in? It has a good power to weight ratio, I've fixed a lot of the engine and brake cooling issues, it's fun and easy to drive, and if I gut it, it gets a little better yet in terms of speed, brake wear, and tire wear.... ideally. However, that would be hte "no turning back" option and it's a track car for life at some point.
So I'm now looking for the wisdom of my elders to tell me what to do.