So I have this idea I keep going back to, and seeing more and more people doing things along the same lines doesn't help. I always see used late model stock cars up for sale at the end of the season, or mid-winter, for next to nothing. They typically have a fairly adjustable suspension with OK geometry, coilover shocks, rack and pinion steering, 9 inch rear, mounts for a small block, etc, all for a pretty cheap package.
I know there are some SCCA-type classes that allow some more high dollar nascar-style cars to run (TA2?), but is there any reason not to scoop one up, do some hacking, add some cool vintage tin for a body, and have a track-day beast?
OR - build up something using cast-off circle track parts?
I know I can't be alone on this.
they are usually set up to do one thing- turn left. so i think there is a lot of reworking that needs to be done to make them also turn right..
Find a cheap one. The older cars are usually perimeter framed, as opposed to the newer ones that are extremely left weight biased. I intend someday to build a car using cast off late model suspension parts. Massivly adjustable, strong and light.
you can find one set up for the couple of road courses they do with a little more effort, it won't be setup as an offset chassis, should be set up fairly centered.
I'd love to have one as a starting point to a hillclimb or track day beast.
The full tube chassis are made by some of the best in the industry, they are suuuuuuuper simple to do set up changes, etc etc etc
I'd definitely say mooresville/charlotte area is the place to go shopping, though you guys up in the va do have a good bunch of shops up there too.
corytate wrote:
you can find one set up for the couple of road courses they do with a little more effort, it won't be setup as an offset chassis, should be set up fairly centered.
I'd love to have one as a starting point to a hillclimb or track day beast.
The full tube chassis are made by some of the best in the industry, they are suuuuuuuper simple to do set up changes, etc etc etc
I'd definitely say mooresville/charlotte area is the place to go shopping, though you guys up in the va do have a good bunch of shops up there too.
i interpreted the intent of this thread to be to discuss the viability of buying up some local dirt tracker and making it into a road racer..
In reply to novaderrik:
And they are not that hard to be symetrical. Finding the right class car is key- and old Cup chassis generally has just the front suspension arms that are not the same- and since the pick up points are identical, you can find spare parts at a swap meet, and all of a sudden, you have a fully framed road race car.
Using the parts for parts is also a good idea- they make good stuff. If you got to a swap meet to find parts for your special- say a Locost- they will be top quality, especially for the price.
Funny- one of they set suggestions for the 105/115 chassis Alfas uses parts from "stock cars". I can price them brand new from one of the suppliers for $40/spring. Amazing price.
PHeller
UltraDork
10/10/12 8:21 a.m.
The mag should do an article on this.
PHeller wrote:
The mag should do an article on this.
Yeah they should. I'm always trolling EBay looking for road race NASCAR frames or whatever. Saw a couple of them a while back for $5k and they had everything but the engine, transmission, and body. Even had the dry sump lines and tank. I'd love to get one and throw something badass over the top of it like a 67-69 Camaro, 69 Mustang Fastback, 69 Charger and make it into a Daytona, something like that.
Most circle track racecars have either offset frames and ot suspension.
Not insurmountabel on a road course. Has been done.
Just takes some work. The basics are there.
Most NASCAR types would be the easiest since rules don't allow much offset if any.
e_pie
HalfDork
10/10/12 9:16 a.m.
novaderrik wrote:
they are usually set up to do one thing- turn left. so i think there is a lot of reworking that needs to be done to make them also turn right..
Guy at the local race shop here said the same thing, it can be hard to make them turn right.
This is one he was tuning/building for a guy that just wanted a ridiculous plaything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXhF6ENwzsE
At least it sounds ridiculous. 
I guess it all depends on the car. A lot of the frames are built based off of G-body/Metric geometry, and all the offset is done in the suspension with different control arms and such, which is fairly easy to overcome if that's the case, especially since made-to-length control arms can be had for as low as $40 each.
There are a number of cars built off a Stock Car Products chassis around this area that are pretty symmetrical, and nice rollers can be had for around $2k.
The trick, in my mind, is to stay away from the dirt track cars. They run the really high banks with the weird J-bar in the back and crap. Stick to stuff that is mostly NASCAR-ish and there seems to be some awesome deals to be had.
Something like this maybe:
http://www.racingjunk.com/Sportsman/2687665/2001-Pontiac-Asphalt-racecar.html
You find non-offset chassis pretty easily, then it's just a matter of getting equal length suspension arms on both sides.
I also like this idea.
Working in TransAm back at the turn of the century, some of the cars were "late model" type circle track cars with SCCA-legal TranAm bodies on them. Easy to spot by the round tubing everywhere.
When I worked in Club Racing, the team owner had ammassed a couple-or-three old circle track cars (Might have been ARCA or some other national-but-not-"Cup" spec.). They were a side/pet project of his to eventually (have me) square up (as in...not Left Turn Only). I looked into them a bit and the main offset was in the suspension arms.
This is a Cup chassis, but good for inspiration: http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46268
The link above was found in this thread, right here on GRM: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/i-know-im-not-the-only-one/53610/page1/
Jaynen
HalfDork
10/10/12 10:43 a.m.
Those chevelles are awesome
PHeller
UltraDork
10/10/12 11:24 a.m.
I would really like to see if its possible to "drop" a street body onto a roundy round chassis. Say, a C10, or a Mustang, or anything from the 70's.
Anybody have any links to such a task?
see the corner carvers link above...
I have a friend that races in SCCA-GT1 with a Port City chassis. It has a slight offset frame and it came with shorter links on one side vrs the other but that is an easy fix. The body is also offset or I should say the upper body (Roof) is offset in relation to the lower body as the upper cage IS offset on the chassis. He wins his share of regional races with it and is competitive at some National level SCCA races as he is one dam good driver but the car is not a race winning car at say the June Sprints or at the runoffs.
ClemSparks wrote:
I also like this idea.
Working in TransAm back at the turn of the century, some of the cars were "late model" type circle track cars with SCCA-legal TranAm bodies on them. Easy to spot by the round tubing everywhere.
When I worked in Club Racing, the team owner had ammassed a couple-or-three old circle track cars (Might have been ARCA or some other national-but-not-"Cup" spec.). They were a side/pet project of his to eventually (have me) square up (as in...not Left Turn Only). I looked into them a bit and the main offset was in the suspension arms.
This is a Cup chassis, but good for inspiration: http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46268
The link above was found in this thread, right here on GRM: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/i-know-im-not-the-only-one/53610/page1/
That corner carver thread is a good one. Will be a fun car.
And I've wondered about how small some of those cars have been....
Thanks for posting that.
ClemSparks wrote:
I also like this idea.
Working in TransAm back at the turn of the century, some of the cars were "late model" type circle track cars with SCCA-legal TranAm bodies on them. Easy to spot by the round tubing everywhere.
When I worked in Club Racing, the team owner had ammassed a couple-or-three old circle track cars (Might have been ARCA or some other national-but-not-"Cup" spec.). They were a side/pet project of his to eventually (have me) square up (as in...not Left Turn Only). I looked into them a bit and the main offset was in the suspension arms.
This is a Cup chassis, but good for inspiration: http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46268
The link above was found in this thread, right here on GRM: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/i-know-im-not-the-only-one/53610/page1/
Stuff like that Chevelle thread really makes me a bit jealous of the circle track and domestic muscle guys. The circle stuff is so well-sorted, relatively cheap, parts are everywhere, and tons of knowledge on how to run and work on them. The muscle guys have a kind of similar situation, as seen when he just orders a new roof and has it welded onto his shell. If only it were so straightforward with our weird little Japanese and Euro cars and road race/AutoX builds.
Vintage body on late model race car.
ClemSparks wrote:
This is a Cup chassis, but good for inspiration: http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46268
The link above was found in this thread, right here on GRM: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/i-know-im-not-the-only-one/53610/page1/
BAM! That Chevelle nailed it! Although I'd be a little less show......more function over form, hopefully resulting in a little more rugged look.
Somebody tell me how to do this with a Sprint car (not a Spring CUP car) and I'm all ears.
In reply to stroker:
there is a street legal sprint car and several dirt modifieds near my inlaws in Albany. It mostly involves adding the needed lighting and adjusting the suspension square, or equal on the left and right.
stroker wrote:
Somebody tell me how to do this with a Sprint car (not a Spring CUP car) and I'm all ears.
a sprint car chassis would probably fit really nice under a Smart body..
and of course you'd have to keep the wing..
