Would I be crazy to track my stock 135K mile Z?

BettyZ

Agreed. Definitely the wall that was the problem.

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'14 MB Nismo | Boost Lab 6870 1.32 AR 553 HP / 471 ft.-lbs.
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Rusty

My first time. The track was Pittsburgh International. I had a guy in front of me. It was his first time on the track, and it was his cars first time on the track. The car. It was a 2009 Viper ACR with 4,000 miles on it. He had an instructor with him. About the 8th lap, I watched him go through Turn 1 and rejoin the track at Turn 4. He went straight through the grass. I followed him back to the pits. My windshield was covered in PS fluid, and coolant. His whole front end had damage. His day was done. We all got around him with the instructors and had a debrief. It wasn't the cars fault. He was in over his head. The first couple of laps. He was using the same brake marker. With each lap, he was going faster. The last lap, he was going even faster, but used the same brake marker as before. He didn't adjust for the extra speed. And it cost him. Novice mistake. He was driving a car that was WAY more capable then him.

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OptionZero

a Viper is probably very high on the list of "worst cars" for a novice to start with

a Civic Si or something is probably safe

an EVO or STI is pretty much impossible to spin, right?

i had a KA24DE powered S14 when i went to the track. That thing made no power, it forced you to learn how to drive properly

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Shoeshear

I can tell you from unfortunate first-hand experience that AWD cars can be spun if the idiot at the wheel I dumb enough, i.e. I nearly spun an Audi on track lol.

Eagle

Gotta hate it when those walls just jump out at you

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Eagle

I'm surprised the instructor didn't get him to calm down and adjust his driving, it's very easy for a car like a Viper to get away from anyone especially a noob.

That said im in agreement with the others, that's probably not the best car to pop your track cherry with. It's got a bad enough rep for being a hand full on the street let alone on a race track.

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nismo| EVO-R High Wing | Stillen Gen 3 CAI | SEIBON TS Hood | Z1 34 Row Oil Cooler | VMR 810 Wheels | Endless MX72 Pads |Sabelt GT-140 Seat |Fly1Motorsports RS1 Fenders | Hotchkis Front Sway Bar | Berk HFC |

OptionZero

those damned STI and EVOs come with super sticky tires stock, don't they?

I recall some really n00b drivers driving pretty quickly and i was thinking the whole time . . . the car is doing so much of the work bc even without the best line, they just have so much grip they maintain speed

meanwhile my 155 hp n/a 240sx has to be driven like a damned miata to keep momentum up

FYI this was on Thunder Hill and Infineon

i really love infineon, those elevation changes are something when you first start

back in high school i heard of a dude that switched from a 300ZX TT to an MR2 turbo. he drove it the same way and crashed the damned thing immediately, lmao. Going from a 3800 lb RWD car to a 2800 lb MR car . . . yeah

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Rusty

Indeed a Viper is. I've driven a couple of them on the track. It's a car that can be very rewarding or down right frightening. In the right hands, a stock ACR will break lap records, or kill a noob.

The Z is a good car to learn in. It's well balance, has enough power to get you in trouble, will reward you with a good lap. And it WILL suck you down the rabbit hole.


I've seen the Civic Si, EVO, STI have their moments going off the track. You can spin anything on the track if you try hard enough. Nothing like feeling when you spin 180. And you are looking eyeball to eyeball with the guy behind you. The look on both your faces. His eyes and your eyes are big as dinner plates. Back in the pits. You ask the guy if he got it on video. He says no, he forgot to turn on his GoPro. I said I got it. Only to find out that the battery died about 5 minutes before.

A good handling slow car will teach you more things than a fast car will. What you learn with the slow car will help you later in the fast car.

I road raced 1000cc motorcycles back in the late '70's and early '80's. Then started doing trackdays with motorcycles in early 2000. When I got my Z. I started doing trackdays with it. Had no trouble switching from 2 wheels to 4 wheels.

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Rusty

Yeah, bad combination of noob driver, and noob instructor. It was the first trackday of the year too. Everyone was green and rusty.

I was using that as an example. The car got great brakes stock. But if you don't adjust your driving for the greater speed from learning and getting more confidence . Chit happens, and not for the best. The best mod is to the nut behind the steering wheel. Face time with the windshield.

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OptionZero

i have to confess i spun the S14 myself. just way too fast into the hairpin area

thank goodness i didn't catch any wall (which they had put tires in front whew)

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OptionZero Build Thread

Shoeshear

Yeah, I had terrible tires haha. Interestingly it was at T-hill too. I think the stock tires on the STI and EVOs are indeed pretty sticky, but the average person running all seasons who is getting into tracking will be surprised to find the ability to spin I'm sure.

markesc

Everything he said...

Heck just a few minutes on public roads and mine experiences the detrimental affects of lacking an oil + trans cooler, and need more aggressive pads than these ebc redstuff.

I would get that front swaybar replaced immediately with a hotchkis ($150)

Otherwise, you're playing with fire running stock brakes...

Eagle

Like we said earlier, we are talking about his first time out. Fluids and brake pads should be more than enough for a beginner. Not sure why some people make it sound like his first time out on the racetrack he's going to be putting in a 3 hour stint at Le Mans or the Nordschleife or that he's going to be capable of driving 10/10s right out the gate.

Once the driver figures out this is what they want to do long term, then they can start to plan out how best to sabotage themselves financially. I say that completely tongue in cheek and as a self deprecating joke, but I'm sure my financial advisor isn't laughing right now

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nismo| EVO-R High Wing | Stillen Gen 3 CAI | SEIBON TS Hood | Z1 34 Row Oil Cooler | VMR 810 Wheels | Endless MX72 Pads |Sabelt GT-140 Seat |Fly1Motorsports RS1 Fenders | Hotchkis Front Sway Bar | Berk HFC |

Rusty

100%

These knuckle heads don't see it that way.

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"The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only"
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BettyZ

I was creeping your build thread and saw the video. Moral of the story is, as always, best mod = Nut. Behind. The wheel.

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'14 MB Nismo | Boost Lab 6870 1.32 AR 553 HP / 471 ft.-lbs.
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