To Build A Track Car...

[SomethingElse]

I decided to take a spare (sunroofless) car I have sitting at work. and do my best to make it more track worthy, yet keep it street legal.

Skimming through the SVX gravel rally car thread I learned a lot and stumbled on some new questions. A list needs to be made to make this a more smooth experience ...here's my early brainstorm..

1. Remove interior - I really like the dry ice idea. All of that sound deadening stuff is out.
A. power seatbelts are out. any serious track car needs racing seats/ racing harness. The ones on the gravel car thread look great! but I didnt see any info on type of seat or installation how to.

B. airbag system. depending on state laws, it may not be a good idea to remove it. but think of all those wires and sensors..plus the stock steering wheel has to go

c. Climate control..after removing the a/c there really is no need for the fancy climate module...just install a knob for fan speed and a switch for heat? Im not sure how this would be done..

d. Extra modules and wiring...Is it really a good idea to drop ABS? I didnt get into it while i was at the track but im just a n00b! Im sure it will save 20+ pounds between wiring and soleniods..motor etc..

2. install roll cage. serves a few purposes. harness bolting points, structural rigidity, saftey..I saw pictures but not actual dimensions...I guess that will be left to the people installing it.

3. Weight reduction - its obviously been done..but how? I read about bumpers being "gutted" and hoods being cut into..manual tranny..glove box doors..a few obvious things..but wheres the secret stuff?

4. suspension - I have coil overs for it...not sure how to calculate the proper spring rate...obviously I want the car to be closer to a 50/50 weight split. how much of a difference will ride height make? The spring seats (upper mounts) are starting to crack. What is a good solid upper mount? Swaybars, Im guessing the after market is limited, we have the adjustable end links. any reliability issues with those? Bushings, have to do more research.

5. Drivetrain - not going to jump into anything super expensive yet...ultimatly the car will need to be supercharged to keep up with monster vettes. 6 spd for durability off the bat though. keeping it mainly stock other than that...for now.

6. Brakes - I havent really seen anything concrete yet on the brakes except for the willwood kit. I may be missing something. I have read stock brakes work wayyy better when the car is below the 3k pound threshold.

got a PWR radiator for it...has anyone toyed with creating an oil cooler out of the tranny cooler provisions on these things? where would a good place to tap into engine for oil cooling.

[Trevor]

Eric old man.

I am only 80, but having done quite a bit of motor racing, I can assure you that at 96 years of age, you should have gained more sense. Forget it.

[mikecg]

Be careful with the seat belts. Most racing harnesses are not street legal.

[SomethingElse]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Eric old man.

I am only 80, but having done quite a bit of motor racing, I can assure you that at 96 years of age, you should have gained more sense. Forget it.

sorry I cant forget it...the car i have is too rough of shape to be worth fixing and selling, I wouldnt break even on it...if i sell it on ebay it will surely be parted out..so this is the cars only chance to survive.

not being built for scca or nasa or any specific racing group ...just a track event car ..that will properly represent the SVX.

Thanks for trying to smash my hopes though...and im not really 96

[subbieatnz]

I was planning of asking the same thing on here

Ive wanted to build some kind of odd ball subaru road legal track car and desided on using my spare JDM SVX.
Its tidy but its been played with too. so have desided to go down same route.

Ive partly pulled some crap out of it. all this audio wiring/TV ariels/gps cables came out. A massive pile.
It will be a long term project so not in a rush.

[Mensaf]

You guys should probably look up some of the old VR-4 track cars before they were banned in America. I saw a long article on it's build that I printed out and filed away when I was still in high school. They had one in the JGTC series as well. It shares the similar obesity issues that the SVX does, with a lot of the weight being in the frame and subframe.

[SomethingElse]

Im STILL trying to wrap my brain around a sub 2600# SVX. How on earth is that possible? My 96 mazda MX6 weighed that much.

Not in a rush to get it done either....Ive got a year before going back to the track. The car is at work, so when things slow down here and there ill go pull some stuff out/stare at it...

[subbieatnz]

Originally Posted by Mensaf

You guys should probably look up some of the old VR-4 track cars before they were banned in America. I saw a long article on it's build that I printed out and filed away when I was still in high school. They had one in the JGTC series as well. It shares the similar obesity issues that the SVX does, with a lot of the weight being in the frame and subframe.

Why where they banned?
Do you mean a GTO?

[subbieatnz]

Originally Posted by Mensaf

You guys should probably look up some of the old VR-4 track cars before they were banned in America. I saw a long article on it's build that I printed out and filed away when I was still in high school. They had one in the JGTC series as well. It shares the similar obesity issues that the SVX does, with a lot of the weight being in the frame and subframe.

Ive been trying to look this stuff up but cant seem to find any thing so far?

[dynomatt]

I'll try and answer some of the questions more clearly. I should add, I have no idea what your "street legal" requirements are so make the assumption that everything I suggest renders it illegal, unless you can work out otherwise.

• Dry ice - yep, dead easy, photos are in the rally car thread
• Seats - I used Sparco Evo II seats. They mount using side mounts, and have a strip welded to the floor for them to bolt to. Plenty strong enough.
• Harnesses use the original seat belt mounting points on the floor (either side of the seat) and loop around the roll cage at the back
• Airbags - everything gone (wiring, sensors, bags ECU etc). More dangerous with them if you have seats and harnesses. Helpfully, any wiring to do with the airbags is wrapped in bright yellow tape, so it was very easy to find and remove
• Climate AC - I only use mine for demisting the screen. So it's locked on heat setting (when you pull the heaterbox apart you'll see what I mean). All the solenoids, wiring, ECU etc are gone. One switch remains to turn the blower on and off.
• ABS - all gone...wiring, sensors, modules ECU etc. Not needed.
• roll cages are custom sized. None of the shelf are avaialble, and I would warn against trying to fabricate one based on measurements.
• Weight reduction - ongoing. Bumpers have 3 parts, outside plastic skin, foam padding and massive steel structure. I removed the foam, reduced the steel structure (by cutting with an angle grinder) and reduced the weight a lot. I've also pulled out the second firewall (there's twofor NVH). Once the car is stripped, and you realise its intended purpose, you'll be surprised what you don't need. Glass, electric glass winders, sunroof mechanisms, pointless bracketry
• Suspension - see the rally car thread for the spring rates. Yours will be different if it's for track. Springs will be a lot stiffer, valving a lot firmer. Strut tops, I used generic solid ones and customised to fit.
• Stock brakes with high quality pads are fine. Anything more complicates it.
• Engine oil cooler - can get sandwich plates to go between the filter and the block. WRX's run a water cooled oil cooler that will also fit.

[subbieatnz]

Originally Posted by dynomatt

[*]Climate AC - I only use mine for demisting the screen. So it's locked on heat setting (when you pull the heaterbox apart you'll see what I mean). All the solenoids, wiring, ECU etc are gone. One switch remains to turn the [/LIST]

This is one of the things im up to doing.
How did you go about having the heater setting locked on?

Thanks

[dynomatt]

when you pull the heater box out, you'll notice that it has a few solenoids that drive a few flaps within the box. It's basically one flap for temperature (ie, more heater core exposed makes it hotter, more heater core blocked makes it colder) and then directing air to the face, feet and windscreen. In my case, I removed all the solenoids, and locked them into the "full heat" and "windscreen demist" setting...but then threw away the ecu and controlling rubbish. I locked them by screwing metal screws through the plastic to hold the flap in place...pretty high tech.

I'm not sure I have any photos sorry.

Matt

[subbieatnz]

Originally Posted by dynomatt

when you pull the heater box out, you'll notice that it has a few solenoids that drive a few flaps within the box. It's basically one flap for temperature (ie, more heater core exposed makes it hotter, more heater core blocked makes it colder) and then directing air to the face, feet and windscreen. In my case, I removed all the solenoids, and locked them into the "full heat" and "windscreen demist" setting...but then threw away the ecu and controlling rubbish. I locked them by screwing metal screws through the plastic to hold the flap in place...pretty high tech.

I'm not sure I have any photos sorry.

Matt

I did think of using super screws lol... Did think it was a little bit crude tho
I mite actually do that. It be easy thing to do

[rallyingrob]

heater assembly:

use an assembly from a different vehicle!
scout around salvage yards and see what might work!

i think the best candidate would be from early 70's volvo 142/144
rather hard to find perhaps, but MINISCULE in size/weight!!!!

as for harnesses/belts...
YES use proper competition harnesses when on track, but DON'T use them on the street!!
most arent DOT approved and should u have an incident, the insurance co. can say your injuries were caused by the belts and deny coverage!!

instead, install stock subaru belts! they are cheap at a salvage yard and BOLT RIGHT INTO an svx!!

the one caveat is that depending on which model/year belts you install, the reel assembly may need to be rather vertically oriented (90 deg to the ground)
there is a check-ball inside that will lock the belt (or NOT lock the belt) when u least want it to!!

my belts are out of a 1990 legacy wagon and work fine, mine have the check-ball so i had to do a bit of neanderthal engineering to the area where it bolts in so that it stands vertically...

total weight is probably 3 -4 pounds/belt assembly...small price for comfort, convenience and legality.

oh yes, they "click" properly into the stock svx buckle too !!




i DO have a question though...

i just yanked the a/c out of my car...

if a person "split" the condenser, could you not use 1/2 of it for an oil cooler and the other 1/2 for a trans cooler?(4eat trans of course...)

it saves the weight of adding cooler(s) and its right out front in the air-flow...

seems like a clever idea....but am i missing something?

obviously, the condenser would have to be properly cleaned/flushed out first...

but can it stand the pressures involved...?

just what psi does an a/c condenser face in normal use anyway....?

i figure if a trans cooler's line can be rubber with HOSE CLAMPS...then the line pressure is moderate at best...

but what about engine oil?...if a sandwich plate is used at the oil filter, does that mean a cooler is facing full oil pressure?

just wondering...sorry for rambling on....

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by SomethingElse

...power seatbelts are out. any serious track car needs racing seats/ racing harness. The ones on the gravel car thread look great! but I didnt see any info on type of seat or installation how to.

...install roll cage.

Schroth harnesses are DOT legal, but may not be enough for what you're looking to do.

Either way, I would not be alone in advising against installing a roll cage unless you're going to perpetually be wearing a helmet, or risk bashing your brains out if in an accident.