KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

Who has owned both, which one did you like better, and why?

I've kinda found the fork in the road with my car and I'm not really sure which way to go: Fun to drive ZR1-eating Canyon carver... or "two lane black top" gutted strait line bracket car.

One side of me wants to build a 315 rear, koni/strano, 600rwhp monster... with big brakes and really tuned handling for AutoX meets.

The other side wants 15's with pizza cutters, launch suspension, mini tub, no washer fluid tank, etc... 10 second street car.

Who took their daily driver and turned it into the model of either autox or drag... and what regrets do you have... if any?

LS1W66

I've alway liked cars you can drive and IMO besides being safer an AutoX or corner carver setup with big brakes is just more fun to drive.
Straight line cars are only fun for the few seconds you have the foot planted, and they usually don't handle or stop for ****. Add also that their usually no fun to take on long trips unlike the more balanced autoX setup that can go anywhere and have fun doing it.

BTW great question

sundaydriver

Picked up a pizza 2 miles from home yesterday. All back roads and the cheese and toppings ended up on one side of the pie on the way home.

I guess that makes me a canyon carver.

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

At this point I'm pretty set on welding up my own turbo setup, so that's the kind of power I plan to put down. I'll be getting pieces along the way to support that power between now and whenever I get around to yanking my headers off. Next on the list is a Midwest rear end, then fuel, LQ9... and along the way I hope to have made up my mind on the scheme.

Its too bad that you can't have both! Or can you?

I've always thought Sam Strano's car was bad *** and looked like a lot of fun to drive, but then again, so do the cars yanking the front end off the ground...

Decisions, decisions

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

I like both, I'd build a car that can handle well then find some ways to compromise to put it down the track too.

Seems like you could get a car close to the 10s and still have it handle.

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

What I have been really wondering is what kind of tires would you run in that type of application? The new ZR1 comes with 20" Pilot Sport PS2. While I wouldnt imediately associate traction with 20" wheels, something must be said about the tires... I guess. GM chose to pair up its flagship 640hp supercar (canyon carver) with 20" Michelin tires. My imediate thought was "wtf?", but it must work

Would anyone care to comment on the effectiveness of the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 for a "dual" purpose beast? I just don't see anything in a 17 hooking from a 10mph roll with H/C and 4.10s and being worth a dang in the corners... much less on a turbo car.

Tires will play a large part of this build, for sure

StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

Well said, my thoughts exactly.

Why build a car to only enjoy 10 or so seconds at a time?

406malibu

Just a thought, but why not have 2 sets of wheels (drag set, and street set) and get a set of adjustable shocks that way you can have it setup for either application. Only thing I could think about would be the sway bar since most remove the front sway bar for the strip (I think...) and have the best of both worlds.

Dal1as

The KD's, PS2's, GSD3's are all great tires for such a situation but will still break loose pretty easy with the setup you're talking about. Possibly use Nitto race radials or whatever they are called. Basically a DR with a hard sidewall. Soft compound.

Dirty Dog

iTrader: (2)

While it's true that once you get into either extreme, you have to choose a direction, it's also true that neither of those extremes is particularly streetable. With adjustable shocks, some suspension tweaking and a spare set of tires/wheels you can have a car that is both a ton of fun on the street and also runs respectable times at the track.
I'm just not a fan of trailer queens, in general. Around here, I see cars trailered to the track with 11-12 second dialins on the window. Pfffff. I much prefer driving in, running, and driving home.
Four Wheeler Magazine used to hold the Real Truck Challenge. 20 trucks out of the country. I got invited to compete one year. Drove out. Competed. Drove home. Real truck. Conversations went like this: "You drove here? Oh, you live close by." "No, it's about 1500 miles each way." "How are you going to get home???" "I'll drive..." "What if you break?" "I won't break..."
And the other comptetitors about crapped their pants when, in the 100+ degree heat of Attica Indiana, I sat in my air conditioned truck listening to tunes on the 700W sound system while waiting my turn on the courses.

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

I looked up the tires on the ZR1 and come to find out, its the PS2 "ZP." They designed them alongside the ZR1, and they think they'll be 3 to $400 per corner. lol

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I think the canyon carver would be more fun too.

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

^^^
youre probably thinking of the 555RII

to the OP, how often do you go to the track? and how often do you drive on the street? i see almost no use for a drag car around me. it's all windy roads, very few stop lights. a corner carver is a lot more useful near me. plus i've always just liked turning fast. gets you in a lot less trouble than ripping it in a straight line at every light.

Ice78Transam

iTrader: (1)

Awesome.

black01_WS6

iTrader: (13)

I picked up 2 more ws6 wheels. Have MT DR's on it and couldn't be happier. Just switch them out and it is a whole different car.

ChevSSCamaro67

I rode on the Tail of the Dragon. Took my car last spring and had the most fun in the car I've ever had, made all of my 1/4 track passes look like chess.

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

First off, that's a bad *** picture of your car in your sig!

Its a DD right now, and I live in Knoxville, TN. I am either going back into the Marine Corps or into the Air Force, so my location will most likely be changing a lot. When I lived in Alabama the roads were really big and open. A strait line car would have been a lot of fun there, but in knoxville I've kinda wondered how little tires up front would fair.

I've never taken it to the track, but only because its a DD and I depend on it... and I'm still rockin a 1 bolt with 4.10s. As soon as I have some reliable drivetrain then I hope to actually take it to the track

Another set of wheels might not be a bad idea, like maybe some 15's for the rear. I'll consider that.

I accidentally took the tail of the dragon home one day (in my truck) from rafting in NC. Holy crap! That road is crazy! I think I pulled over to the side to let the bikers go by about 10 times. I could see how that would be really fun. I'd really like to try a real track, like Leguna Seca or something one day.

LS1W66

That's one thing I definetely want to do in the near future.

Also had a friend of mine who drove some aggressive parade laps at a road coarse last fall for the first time. He's a 65 yr old veteran Sreet guy with race sled experience. He said "it was the most fun I've ever had in a car".
Now he's hooked and starting to mod his SS droptop for handling.

ChevSSCamaro67

Definitely do it but do some research before you go. I forget which weekend we went but we had the road all to ourselves, of course it was raining all weekend but it didn't hamper our fun. I wanted to go again this fall but I don't think I have the $$$. Also, if your car is stalled make sure it has a tranny cooler and try to distance yourself.

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

We need to get some strait line guys in here and hear what they have to say. You guys are making me want to make a handler out of it!

Here's a clip from Top Gear where they take the new ZR1, a Challenger, and the CTS-V on a road trip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9nLvvT1HB8

Just listening to him rave about the ZR1s power and handling... plus the awesome powerslides at the end make me want to build a corner monster.

But, movies like Two Lane Blacktop with James Taylor in the '55 Chevy (before american graffiti got them and made bob falfa's hotrod) where he has a strait line car that's just built for the 1/4 and street racing... kinda like that idea too Too difficult to decide!

tavi_ws6

iTrader: (1)

once you drive on a roadcourse and a drag strip your decision will be real easy,
handling cars are much more fun