Transition to W2W

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:14 am

Now that the car is back home, all of the necessary items for racing are being added: cutoff switch, final HVAC system removal, remounting everything in and around the dash, install the nets, install side and rear view mirrors, padding, reinstall the seats, reinstall the harnesses, reinstall the fire extinguisher, filling holes in the firewall, homemade door handles etc. etc. etc.

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:18 am

I am also taking the opportunity to wrap the mid-pipe and intall heat shield in the tunnel to reduce cabin temps and transmission temps.

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:20 am

Next on the docket are:

- Prototype oil cooler install by PCMforLess
- (another) setup by David Farmer
- refresh on the brake pads and rear rotors
- etc etc etc

I am attending NASA SE Competition School in February at CMP. Wish me luck!!!!!!

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:43 pm

Great thread! I am quite envious!

There is an article in the most recent issue of "Excellence" (a Porsche magazine) about how to track your Porsche. They had a small sidebar in the article that was mostly tongue in cheek about the progression. It had phases in which you start out driving your car to track, you start spending $1000 to drop a second, then $2000 to drop another second and so on. At some point your start to worry about your marriage and then you realize that divorce costs will impact your budget to track your car so you have to spend time with your wife and you also use the "I spend time with cars, would you rather I be out chasing other women?" strategy. Eventually you end up with a tow rig and covered trailer large enough that you can live in it and all of your stories that you talk to your friends about is related to cars and you decorate your home with twisted metal from on track incidents!

Richard

JohnByers · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:12 pm

x 2, great thread! Thanks for sharing and good luck

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:20 pm

Thanks, gents.

Richard -- Holy crap! I am farther down that rabbit hole than I thought. I have broken parts all over my garage as decorations.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:03 pm

and you are still a "sexy bitch" too. :lol:

so does this mean no more ChumpCar?

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:41 pm

Steve,

Ha! I still plan on ChumpCar. Out of the events the Wreckless Abandon Racing team is planning for 2012, I am in for North Course and Charlotte. I have scheduling conflicts (mostly family stuff) with the rest.

ChumpCar is actually what finally lit the fire to do this. I had always wanted to w2w my own car and that was always my end goal from the time I started Time Trialing with THSCC in 2009. The good, clean w2w racing with Chump in 2010 and 2011 and then watching the NASA Championship races this year put the nail in the coffin and I went into the final couple of months with a definite plan of action.

All it takes is money!!! Anyone want to buy a 48,000 mile one-owner triple black 2001 Cobra Convertible?

-Kevin

clinehall · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:02 pm

Got to find more money.

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

Kevin Harvey wrote:

All it takes is money!!! Anyone want to buy a 48,000 mile one-owner triple black 2001 Cobra Convertible?

-Kevin

How much? No offense, and I'm way jealous of what you've down/are doing here, sounds like a blast but it does pain me a bit that you started with such a pristine and low mileage example.

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:19 pm

Les,

I can understand the sentiments. I feel the same way about our 01 Cobra. That is why it is nice to be a Ford guy and use a Chevrolet as a race car. Or vice versa. I love the Z06 for what it is: a great, bang-for-your-buck sportscar. But I have zero emotional attachment to the vehicle. It killed me to switch from the 99 Cobra to the C5Z06, but it was the best decision I have ever made for my track enjoyment.

As for the 01 vert, I had it sold two years ago for right at $14,000 and backed out of the deal at the last minute because I couldn't stand to part with it. Fast forward two years and I have one daughter about to turn 16, another not too far behind, and my wife has been driving the same car for 9 years and deserves something else. We still love the car, but it just is not practical as a daily driver for us because it is too nice and a two door. Kelly Blue Book shows $15,500 for an excellent condition private-party sale, but in reality they still compete for sales with the 03/04 Terminators and the newer V6s have almost as much hp as the 99/01 Cobras. I am thinking of asking $13,500 and entertaining offers from there.

-Kevin

clinehall · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:33 pm

Kevin Harvey wrote:

Les,

I can understand the sentiments. I feel the same way about our 01 Cobra. That is why it is nice to be a Ford guy and use a Chevrolet as a race car. Or vice versa. I love the Z06 for what it is: a great, bang-for-your-buck sportscar. But I have zero emotional attachment to the vehicle. It killed me to switch from the 99 Cobra to the C5Z06, but it was the best decision I have ever made for my track enjoyment.

As for the 01 vert, I had it sold two years ago for right at $14,000 and backed out of the deal at the last minute because I couldn't stand to part with it. Fast forward two years and I have one daughter about to turn 16, another not too far behind, and my wife has been driving the same car for 9 years and deserves something else. We still love the car, but it just is not practical as a daily driver for us because it is too nice and a two door. Kelly Blue Book shows $15,500 for an excellent condition private-party sale, but in reality they still compete for sales with the 03/04 Terminators and the newer V6s have almost as much hp as the 99/01 Cobras. I am thinking of asking $13,500 and entertaining offers from there.

-Kevin

I thought Les meant how much to go racing!

steve remchak · **Posted:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:11 pm

clinehall wrote:

Kevin Harvey wrote:

Les,

I can understand the sentiments. I feel the same way about our 01 Cobra. That is why it is nice to be a Ford guy and use a Chevrolet as a race car. Or vice versa. I love the Z06 for what it is: a great, bang-for-your-buck sportscar. But I have zero emotional attachment to the vehicle. It killed me to switch from the 99 Cobra to the C5Z06, but it was the best decision I have ever made for my track enjoyment.

As for the 01 vert, I had it sold two years ago for right at $14,000 and backed out of the deal at the last minute because I couldn't stand to part with it. Fast forward two years and I have one daughter about to turn 16, another not too far behind, and my wife has been driving the same car for 9 years and deserves something else. We still love the car, but it just is not practical as a daily driver for us because it is too nice and a two door. Kelly Blue Book shows $15,500 for an excellent condition private-party sale, but in reality they still compete for sales with the 03/04 Terminators and the newer V6s have almost as much hp as the 99/01 Cobras. I am thinking of asking $13,500 and entertaining offers from there.

-Kevin

I thought Les meant how much to go racing!

yeh cause Les is chomping at the bit to go racing................ :stick:

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:40 am

To build a competitive NASA TTA/PTA car, you are going to spend between 30-40k. If you want to consistently be on the podium in the SE and MA, you also need to be one heck of a driver.

I have right at 35k in mine, actually a bit less if you don't count the passenger seat (800), passenger harness (350), and borrowed sways (2000). I would need to spend at least another 6,000 on mine to have it to the same level of prep of the top podium cars. (eg, poly bushings, lightweight clutch, lexan, race wheel, two piece rotors, aero or BBK, etc, etc)

Higher mileage 01 and 02 Z06s can be had in the mid to high teens and many guys start with those cars to save costs. So knock another 5-8k off of the starting price.

-Kevin

clinehall · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:47 pm

Kevin Harvey wrote:

To build a competitive NASA TTA/PTA car, you are going to spend between 30-40k. If you want to consistently be on the podium in the SE and MA, you also need to be one heck of a driver.

-Kevin

Thanks, that helped me not be so envious!

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