Going LeMons racing in a 6GC! Options

[slavie]

Hey ya'all!

A series of questionable decisions have led me to getting accepted to my first LeMons race coming up at Thompson, CT in August. Not much time left, lots to do.
If anybody is seriously interested, I'm still looking for the 4th driver. Hit me up.

The car came from 6gc community - I picked up Rymaster's 96 GT (his FS thread)
Car has an issue with the gearbox - makes really funny noises. I suspect something off with the diff. Drivetrain is already out of the car, gearbox separated, waiting for me to get wrenching on.

Cage installation is lined up for a week from now.
Need to completely redo the brakes - rebuild rears, replace fronts with dual-piston calipers, new rotors and pads.
Replace wheel bearings as a precaution.
Figure out what tires I'll use.
Finally, all the safety bs - kill switch is a must, and I'd like to plumb fire extinguisher and cool suit in if funds and time allows. If not, hand held extinguisher and sweaty balls will have to do.
Tons more crap I'm sure will come up.

Interior is getting completely gutted, so feel free to inquire if you need parts (I'll be posting a FS thread, will put the link in here). Any money I make back on selling parts I can use towards "performance mods", and I'm looking to get some decent lowering springs (no thanks to noname crap). If you have a set of such springs collecting dust - talk to me.

If you've done LeMons before and have suggestions, fire away.

[Tobz]

Hello from Australia!

Me and a group of mates also have a 6gc and are in the process of getting it ready for lemons in April 2018!

Any tips and tricks would be awesome. At this stage we are doing

Double thick radiator
Oil cooler
Timing belt, water pump cam seals oil pump seal and crankshaft seals
Fuel filter, oil filter air filter, gearbox oil, diff oil and engine (usual stuff)
Rotors and pads
If money allows we will do springs and shocks

Let me know what issues you guys have so we can try and avoid them

[slavie]

Hello from Australia!

Me and a group of mates also have a 6gc and are in the process of getting it ready for lemons in April 2018!

Any tips and tricks would be awesome. At this stage we are doing

Double thick radiator
Oil cooler
Timing belt, water pump cam seals oil pump seal and crankshaft seals
Fuel filter, oil filter air filter, gearbox oil, diff oil and engine (usual stuff)
Rotors and pads
If money allows we will do springs and shocks

Let me know what issues you guys have so we can try and avoid them

Sounds like you're doing the same thing I did. I'm assuming you also have the 2.2l 5SFE, so here's what I'll recommend beyond what you have listed:
- These engines are known to blow HGs, Mine did. If you can, replace the HG if you don't know of it being replaced and if the engine is higher mileage.
- Again, I was dealing with a higher mileage engine, so I replaced all the bottom end bearings. They were certainly worn. Because the engine did not spin any bearings, the crank was not damaged and did not need any work.
- If you can't do HG, at least test the cooling system for pressure to make sure there are no leaks. Fill the engine and make sure to burp the system. Best would be to get a vacuum coolant fill setup (under $100 USD)
- Do not do ANY engine performance modifications, NONE, esp if this is your first race. You're not winning any awards on your first race (unless you have a team of experienced fast drivers, which you do not or you would not be asking questions here). They will not increase your chances of winning by any amount (because you have no chance - sorry if I sound harsh, but I've talked to dozens of teams to get their experience, and this is the reality). All you will do is decrease the reliability on an unknown, not proven motor.
- Suspension mods are great - go for it. Good tires never hurt anybody either, but don't go too crazy there. Decent street legal summer tires will do you well.
- Brakes: do get better pads. You'll get faster as the weekend progresses and will cook the brakes on your second day if you have not upgraded to pads that can handle it. I'd say EBC yellowstuff is the minimum, and are pretty cheap as far as track pads go. Extra points if you do anything to help with brake cooling. Don't need to have a complicated setup - even an air deflector that will direct some air towards the rotors will make a difference (porsche style - look it up)
- Friday test and tune (if that's offered in Australia) is great to learn the track, esp if you have drivers who've never been to that track, or a track at all. There's still plenty of passing on a Friday, but there are far fewer cars allowing you to get familiar with the car and the track.

On safety: do have ALL drivers practice getting in and out of the car. Make sure there's enough seat and belt adjustment to cover all drivers. Make sure all drivers know how to strap the harness properly.

Finally, if this is your first race, the best you can hope for is to finish the race with minimal down time. If you do that, you will have won as far as new teams go. Good luck, and have fun out there.