Bobzilla wrote:
There's an even easier/cheaper option. The 04-06 CCSB/ECSB trucks used 13" x 1.25" rotors and dual piston calipers on the fronts. Using those brakes on a RCSB that's 1k+lbs lighter would be perfect.
The SSBC kit reuses the GMT900 calipers/pads with a new rotor and caliper bracket. The old GMT800 chassis is upgraded to the 13" rotor by just putting GMT900 stuff on it.
Also, 4wd's have vented rotors and 5mm increase in overall diameter over the solid ones on the 2wd's.
HiTempguy wrote:
As to the discussion, as others have said, there MUST be something that can unseat the godzirra for way cheaper. The question is what is it?
I believe it's definitely possible, but I can't see beating Godzilla at its own faster-for-cheaper game, thanks to the power of all that technology. Basically, starting with any production based chassis is going a 50/50 gamble at best.
In my opinion, the best chance to unseat Godzilla without just bringing a bigger checkbook is a builder with the ability and vision to rewrite the rules entirely, with a car purpose built from the ground up to compete for the overall win in the Cannonball. Not a small checkbook, mind you, and the bigger the better, but I definitely think it's possible for far less than a fully prepped GTR. Prodigious amounts of aerodynamic downforce will be critical.
However, if successfully executed the victory would likely be short lived, as either the rules would literally be rewritten to prohibit such a car from entering again or the big-spenders would follow suit and eventually once again beat you at your own game thus forever altering the face of the Cannonball...Which I suppose is pretty much the normal life cycle of racing innovation anyway.
Driven5 wrote:
HiTempguy wrote:
As to the discussion, as others have said, there MUST be something that can unseat the godzirra for way cheaper. The question is what is it?
I believe it's definitely possible, but I can't see beating Godzilla at its own faster-for-cheaper game, thanks to the power of all that technology. Basically, starting with any production based chassis is going a 50/50 gamble at best.
In my opinion, the best chance to unseat Godzilla without just bringing a bigger checkbook is a builder with the ability and vision to rewrite the rules entirely, with a car purpose built from the ground up to compete for the overall win in the Cannonball. Not a small checkbook, mind you, and the bigger the better, but I definitely think it's possible for far less than a fully prepped GTR. Prodigious amounts of aerodynamic downforce will be critical.
However, if successfully executed the victory would likely be short lived, as either the rules would literally be rewritten to prohibit such a car from entering again or the big-spenders would follow suit and eventually once again beat you at your own game thus forever altering the face of the Cannonball...Which I suppose is pretty much the normal life cycle of racing innovation anyway.
You would have to be Mark Stielow to accomplish something like that.
While I don't doubt that Mr. Stielow could build such a car if he so desired, I'm not entirely certain as to what makes him (or anybody else for that matter) the end-all-be-all of innovative car design/engineering/fabrication. While admittedly I don't know all that much of his background in race cars, doesn't most of his work and expertise even still fall within the limitations of production car based chassis/bodies?
In reply to Driven5:
He is just the example I used. Are you saying the only way to beat the GTR's is an amorphous teardrop egg shaped blob "clean sheet" project?
The thing with GTR is the fact it is so easy to drive the car fast is what makes it so good at the Open Lap. I mean I am sure a car that is faster could be built but I don't know that it would as predictable (since you have a limited number of laps at each track) or livable enough on the road to be able to compete. When you have those small number of laps to learn the track having a car that is easy to drive right up to the limits is important and to engineer a car from scratch that can do that might be possible for less then the GTR but it seems unlikely.
Swank Force One wrote:
z31maniac wrote:
dculberson wrote:
Race prepped LS400?
I'm listening.....
I perked at that one as well.
I had thought about it, but wasn't quite so confident in posting it.
The motor in them can make TONS of power with gratuitous use of turbo. Then it's just a matter of adapting a trans to it. There's a surprising amount of suspension options out there, and you could probably drop 800lbs out of the damn thing without half trying.
Add tons of aero, and make bank on the high speed sections.
All while looking classy as a motherberkeleyer.
I have driven a well prepped - for Lemons - LS400 on track and it was a monster. It had zero power adds, just a mild strip (no cutting, still looked 100% the part outside, just bare interior, etc), suspension work, and an LSD. Later model 4-piston caliper and 12.5" disc brake swap. I'm sure it was nothing compared to a GTR but it had a fraction of a percent of the money spent on a full prep GTR. Still easy to drive and made me look like a hero, till I carried just a little too much speed around a hairpin. hehehe
The suspension design is good, and they start out not that heavy for a massive luxury car (3600 pounds?). You can get them under 3000 pounds prior to cage add with only the simplest of unbolting parts. More aggressive cutting would probably get it well under 3k. 260 - 300hp stock, with almost limitless upgrade potential. 98-2000 has the push button shift, prior years you can add it. Still a torque converter auto but at least you've got control over what gear it's in.
And you can get them all day long almost anywhere in the country for cheap.
Actually, berkeley it, dream big. I'll take an LF-A Nurburgring Edition please and thanks.
In reply to Ranger50:
There is almost always more than one solution. However there is only one way to find out just what would or would not beat the GTR's, and how much it could or could not be done for. It seems to me though that the conventional methods of increasing performance currently being used simply can't surpass the capabilities of the GTR by enough to overcome the Computer Aided Driving advantage. Thus something a bit less conventional might just be the ticket, provided a suitable 'steering wheel actuator' is available and that the build is insourced to take advantage of the 'free' labor rate.
Or a lowered Caravan, 2.4, t70-t76, A2W IC, etc.....
Plus I found a place that has 1.5" thick front sway bar and 1 1/8" rear bar. 
