ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

a 9 inch or 12 bolt will run you a few grand unless you can find a used one in good condition.

murphinator

iTrader: (2)

Alex , here is an example from ls1tech eastern section ( linked on ls1tech to CL) 120k mile car for $3500 asking

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/5200114244.html

my $2k car is box stock and was a no winters car when I bought it , a couple panels were in primer due to a fender bender , car had 130k spent a grand getting it all one color and its got 148k now with no repairs over a couple hundred dollars in 2 years of ownership , I might have $3500 total in it at this point , I have been very fortunate with the cars I have chosen...

RPMWS6 I have read enough of your posts to know you put great effort into helping people make informed decisions around here so thanks for your comments on my post as for the bolded area to put my opinion in perspective I owned a bunch of w body regal gs's previous to 4th gens same vintage , 98-02 and the interior/exterior quality to me is better than the f bodies

Firebrian

Might be the case for the 1993-1997 LT1. And that might be underrated as well.

RPMWS6, what do you consider a "sticky" tire? Would a max performance summer tire like Michelin Pilots qualify? Or are we only talking street/strip R compounds with a rating of 140-200, or outright drag tires (strip) with ratings of 100 or less?

SouthernRex

Everyone with the M6 is scared of blowing their back end out, I'm scared of putting a stall and a few bolt-ons the A4 and blowing the transmission up.

Alex Kaminski

Good question ! What is considered a "sticky" tire. Haha. I just wanna buy something that will not only be fun. But will last awhile.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I did own a W-body as well, an '02 Monte Carlo SS bought when it had only 20k miles, IMO it was no better or worse in this regard than my four LS1 F-bodies; however it was dreadfully slow in comparison. A supercharged Regal GS is much quicker, but with a higher MSRP and still not as fast as a stock LS1 F-body. I can't think of a single car from said era that offered significantly better build quality with equal or better performance at a similar price.

Not all "max performance" summer tires are created equal. The old BFG KDs were basically as sticky as a drag raidal, much stickier than Goodyear GS-D3s for example, yet both were (are) rated as "max performance". I don't know exactly where the Michelin Pilots fall within this range as I have no experience with them.

Any tire that allows a full traction launch from an aggressive rpm is likely to cause issues with the rear when speaking of M6 cars (unless the clutch is slipping and providing some relief to the rear.) Any sort of drag radial (or stickier) is going to be a gamble depending on how you drive it.

That all depends on how well cared for your transmission is (fluid changes, average operational temps), how many miles are on it, and how it has been (and will be) used (cruising vs. tons of WOT up/down shifts, raised shift points, increased power/torque, towing, etc.)

Alex Kaminski

So basically any tire thats cheap. Will minimize the rear end tension ?

Firebrian

That's close to being 100% right. Though, there may be some sticky and cheap tires out there that could give you a problem. Here's a list of all the Tire Rack choices for a stock 1998-2002 F body LS-1 with 275-40-17. I ended up going with a fairly inexpensive tire (BFG Comp 2) but still providing some reasonable tread life as well as wet handling if I ever get caught in the rain (hasn't happened yet in 3 years). The Pilot Sport PS2 is probably the best overall street tire in this size but at over $300 per tire it ain't cheap. It's 220 tread wear rating almost puts it into the class of "sticky" tires. And a "cheap" tire will probably almost be accompanied with a harsher ride, poor handling, and other quirks. It's hard to get something for nothing in a quality tire. I've had numerous muscle cars over the past 25 years including 3 1993-2002 F bodies. Have yet to damage anything in the drive train on street tires + moderate to occasionally spirited driving. When I wanted another best bang-for-the-buck muscle car again in 2011, my search took me right back to the '98-'02 F bodies. Where else can you find a stock 350 hp platform in mint/low mileage condition in the $10K to $14K range?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...40&diameter=17

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/review...surveyComments

Alex Kaminski

I have a Monte carlo right now. LS. So nothing even remotely fast. And I bought the cheapest tires i could cuz the one before were shot. Ride isnt bad at all. With mediocre cheap tires though, will I just shread them in like a year of driving if I occasionslly floor it ? Haha

98CayenneT/A

If you want street tires put nt555's all the way around. Don't get cheap tires, you will spin to all hell.
You looking at getting a m6 or a4?

Alex Kaminski

Will the nt555's be super sticky though.? Increasing the chance of blowing the rear end out ? And I really wanna stick. So the m6 is sounding really appealing to me. But if I find a great condition a4 that is priced nicely. I'll probably get it.

98CayenneT/A

You will have no problem spinning them but will recover a lot better once you get going than some hard cheap *** tire. You can put a radial on a m6..... Just slip the clutch when launching and you will be fine.

Alex Kaminski

Ahh alright ! what's the price on the nt's

Firebrian

When I priced the NT 555 at Town Fair Tire 2 years ago they were in the $113-$120 per tire range as I recall. I'd have bought them if they offered a $50-$70 mfg coupon like BFG, Michelin, and others do. I think the BFG Comp 2's are slightly better overall tires than the NT 555 and I was able to get them at the same price after discounts. But, I'd have been happy with either one. Neither is probably sticky but have excellent dry grip for street purposes. Short of spending $200-$300 per tire, you're not going to get much better grip than those 2. I don't know how NT 555's do in the rain. The Comp 2's have good wet grip too.

Tire Rack surveys don't have the Nitto 555 but I suspect they'd show up in the top half dozen or so of the Ultra Performance summer tire list. This group of tires tend to be in the $85-$140/tire range.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...y.jsp?type=UHP

Alex Kaminski

Sweet. Thanks ! That's not too bad. I just wish I could get one now. Cuz my tranny in my Monte is going.

murphinator

iTrader: (2)

I have a4 stock ,a4 w/bolt ons , and m6 w/bolt ons and prefer driving my m6 car but in your mission to beat your buddy cheaply and not blow up a 10 bolt the a4 car is more durable and easier to get predictable results out of especially if your not someone with a lot of experience racing manual cars

Alex Kaminski

Just so tempting to get a stick ! Haha. Cuz I don't plan to be on the track all that much or at all really. Just for some fun summer driving and occasional racing. That being said. Would you still suggest the a4 ?

98CayenneT/A

If you get a a4 and put a converter in there and sticky tire you will murder a lot of cars......

Alex Kaminski

And putting the converter and sticky tires won't snap the rear end of the a4???

98CayenneT/A

Short answer..... No, the 10 bolt will last. I run mickey Thompson et's on the street and go to the track a lot and I'm not worried about it