Track day or garage

lee fulford · May 13, 2004

Melv

It has in deed been very exhausting and just when you thought it was over.

After attending the Club night last evening, members have been reporting horror stories to me about events that could happen and that have happened on track days.

Question... Is it possible for me to perhaps take a foreign car on a Porsche track day and put an end to my sleepless nights.

I fancied seeing a Labrador in the back of an E55 estate going past a 996 on the start finish straight. This I reckon would be a giggle...

lee

Guest · May 13, 2004

Lee, pull yourself together man, all those stories you were hearing were from garage queens who are envious of your fine tool![

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RSR · May 13, 2004

Just got back from a day at the Nordschliefe ('Ring) and 2 days at Spa. Fantastic weather and loads of great cars. 3 Porsche 956 (962's) and loads of RS and GT3's. Now I'm on a high I'll book for the Brands day on the 27th if places are still available.

Guest · May 13, 2004

Allegedly fully booked for the 27th August but would suggest you speak to Club Office asap and send a cheque off now![

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Chris Davenport · May 13, 2004

all those stories you were hearing were from garage queens who are envious of your fine tool!

Who are you reffering too Desmond?

Guest · May 13, 2004

Obviously not you Chris, as you also have a very fine tool! Which I believe is going on track soon.........another Concours track car...Dr.P would be very proud...[

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Guest · May 25, 2004

Did you get booked RSR?

Also looking to book Track Day Brands Indy 1st July. Do you fancy some practice Lee?

lee fulford · May 25, 2004

des

If I told you once I've told you a hundred times...Me no likey de girley circuit, only likey de big boys circuit.

You are lucky that I agreed to do it in Aug.

lee

Guest · May 25, 2004

Well book the GP Circuit with RMA coming up early June full detials on GT3 Forum, Gary Bullen is trying to organise some interest, unfortunately I shall be away, but not being a big boy the Indy will do me for the moment...........your lucky matey that I take an interest grasshopper........hope you got back from Canterbury OK....

Andy Tims · May 26, 2004

ORIGINAL: Kevin Cooke

Des,

I'd suggest that a Boxster S is quicker than a standrard 964RS in the hands of the average track day nut. I know mine was.

Mine too

Guest · May 26, 2004

The operative word here is AVERAGE DRIVER, makes sense Boxster easier car to drive, but in the hands of an experienced/pro driver the RS as the name suggests comes into it's own as ably demonstrated to me at Spa last year. The 964RS is probably the hardest 911 ever to drive to it's full potential by virtue of the beast...........However I have yet to be passed by a Boxster on a track day indeed they seem to get in the way a lot....that's as a very average driver.....[

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Guest · May 28, 2004

Yeah, my mum would be quicker in the Boxster S, yet I'd be quicker in the RS (in the dry). And I'm not that good a wheelman by any stretch. There's average and then there's average.

In the wet, I'd rather be in a Boxster, or a Kia Pride or something, hehe. I'd defo go quicker ;-)

lee fulford · Aug 28, 2004

Just to finish this imotive thread...

Track day succesfully completed yesterday at Brands...No damage no pimples oldtimer...just wicked fun.

Rained all morning so took it relatively easy on those new Pilot cup sports just trying to find the limit.

Only spun the once after going over the rumble strips on the left going into the chicane bit before clearways. Kept it on the track though.

Dry in the afternoon and managed to get some heat into the tyres...Awesome grip.....GT3-RS spun trying to keep up, rear tyre pressures went up from 30 to 41 psi.....Mags off, big boys wheels back on..Car now cleaned and back in the garage....

see you Sunday chaps.

lee

Guest · Aug 28, 2004

LEE was awesome what a driver![

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Guest · Aug 29, 2004

Lee...."mags off....big boys wheels back on..".....apart from impressing Des (well done leading the GT3 astray) am I to take it from this that you swapped between 17" and 18" with no side effects that you noticed?

38F3E1 · Aug 29, 2004

When you find yourself thinking about the value of the car as you go around the circuit then it's time to stop using it for the track.

This will probably happen to an increasing number of 964RS drivers who have mint cars over the next five years if values keep increasing. I am sure 2.7RS owners went through the same process.

If you do reach that point then the good news is there are plenty of other options. For example take a cheap early 993 with the shorter ratio gearbox, replace the suspension with a decent setup and strip out all the crap (seats, sound proofing, etc) and you can have a car that would out perform a 964RS (for the same or less than the cost of a 964RS) and not have to worry about it bending it. Or a 3.2 Carrera, or a 968, or a ......... An earlier statement said "In the hands of a professional driver a well driven and set up RS will sit with anything". It could as easily have said "In the hands of a professional driver a well driven and set up porsche will sit with anything".

Ian.

lee fulford · Aug 30, 2004

Ian

I've driven plenty of saucey cars in my time fast around circuits and many Porsches included. The RS I feel totally at one with...a car that is totally sorted straight out of the box.....perfectly balanced.

Though the point you make about values does go through my mind and at 360 degrees at one point and I have to admit does take the edge off it although it may be more down to chips and damage etc. I dont think I would have the same problem if the car was a donkey.

Strangely enough I was thinking exactly the same with regards the 993 solution and was tracking a white LHD car on Ebay that made too much...Trouble is too get it fully sorted would end up owing me too much I feel.

Jimbers...I put the 17's on for the track day and it was probably the tyres that made the marked difference leaving it impossible to make a comparison between 17 and 18" though the Cup race cars ran 18's... That should tell you something.

lee

Yoda · Aug 31, 2004

Hi lee. Why don't you buy another 964 RS for track days - that way you get to keep your white car in the garage and can do whatever mods you want to the track car to optimise perfomance

Easy enough?

lee fulford · Aug 31, 2004

Strangely enough it had passed thropugh my mind but didn't stick there for too long...

Would be kinda crazy having two rs's...Think I would probably buy a GT-3 for doing the shopping and a bit of fun on the circuit too.

Trouble is the good lady wife has her eye on a 996 Turbo...Bout time I spose.

Lee

Guest · Sep 6, 2004

ORIGINAL: lee fulford

Chaps

During a Track day yesterday with Mercedes it sudenly dawnwed on me the reason why I bought an RS.

5 years ago I went to Germany with the view to buying a 964 RS. It wasnt till I returned with the car and cleaned it etc that I realised the car was actually a bit of a find. I knew extremely little about RS's except that I have always preferred the stripped out basic approach to motoring.

To date I've only managed two track days in the car. The first time at Brands the wheels came loose after the doughnuts that refurbed them painted the hub facings which subsequently melted. The second time at Donnington with rather too much red mist spun and just hit the gravel.

The car is a genuine 17000 mile car in lovely condition having had no previous accident damage furthermore Des keeps reminding us all they are going up nicely in value. (and the wife knows it too)

So there you are I need HELP. Do I track it and use it for what it was built for with the prospect of breaking it and more importantly not being able to replace it?
Or
Do I keep it immaculate put it in the garage and just use to go to the Club nights and Porsche events?

If its the answer I think you're all going to give me then I need to know what tyres I put on my spare set of wheels. Not slicks as I would want to drive it to the circuit and back if I'm lucky.

Lee

Garage..........that is where my beautiful RS will stay from now on...WHY? well having spent the afternoon polishing and admiring my lovely lightweight and playing back in my tortured mind all those hairy and scarry moments I have gone through over the last two years thought it is time to wake up and smell the coffee. She is a good car and will stay that way while I own her. The answer will be a cheaper track day car probably a 3.2 or similar which I will be more relaxed and probably enjoy the track more without that hidden fear.......just got to face up to the truth I do not have the skills to maximise the real potential of the 964RS on the limit.....oh and investing in more driving lessons....or buy a LHD MK1 GT3 clubsport ....shoot me I'm talking boll***s again......[&o]