SouthFL.02.SS

I'm torn between doing an F-body buildup and going with a '99 or '00 FRC Vette.

Baseline performance aside, Fbod vs. Vette culture aside, which do you all suggest? An F-bod with your typical tubular redone suspension (I'm talking K-member, redone front, rear suspension, Bilstein HD's with LG G2 Supersprings, SFC's, etc. etc. etc.- not gonna do coil-overs), or a stock FRC?

Just getting ideas.
Car will see lapping days at Sebring, Homestead, Moroso, etc. etc.

Enginewise, I plan on running a Futral F10 or GMPP ASA cam with TEA Stage 1 5.7's (awesome mid lift numbers).

I know my way around the underside of an Fbody decently well. A Vette will involve an entirely new learning curve (if it's worth it, I'll learn).

TIA.

steve-d

iTrader: (7)

Hi,

You indicate your goal is to obtain a "noncompetitive street/roadcourse car." Go w/the C5 FRC. Hands down, its the better of the two. The cost and effort to turn an FBody into a car competitive w/the C5 isn't worth it when the C5 is ready out of the box. The effort will be minimal in getting it to the track and ready for a good time.

Steve

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

I agree, when I was car shopping my first choice was a FRC and I regrette not getting it. As soon as I pay this car off, thats what im going after.

SouthFL.02.SS

Thanks for the input guys. FRC it is!

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

See, I disagree... A Corvette costs more to start with, and for that extra money (actually less), you can have a killer f-body in the handling department.

Let me give you the prime example. An ESP autocross f-body that has things like good limited slip, shocks, springs and bars and r-compound tires can run with Z06's that have shocks (in some cases $3,000 worth) different front bars, R-compound tires. Sure, there is more that needs to be done to the F-body to do that. However, let's look at the other issues...

A Z06 is 400 lbs. or more lighter. They have more power than even a lightly modded LS1. They have 12% shorter gearing, and better weight distribution too. So taking a Camaro and being able to run times close to them (and sometimes faster), shows you how well the car can be made to handle. And bear in mind I'm talking about a Z06. A non-Z06 C5 is heavier, has less power, and taller gearing.

SouthFL.02.SS

Very true, yet;

HP Outputwise, I'd take whatever I'd get my hands on past stock Z06 levels.
Gearingwise, the MN12 tranny of the Z06 is a jewel, but either way, a Z06 is not in my pricerange, so it's moot.
I don't forsee myself dialing in whatever I'm driving, suspensionwise on a track by track basis, so I'm going to just show up and run with a decent street tire (say, NITTO 555 RII's).

An FRC Vette is lighter than a stock C5.

I would think that the final potential of the FRC will be greater than that of a fully modded F-bod (a value statement which I admit to saying without any actual factual data- hence this thread), so as time goes by, I could continue upgrading suspension items.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to show up in an F-bod and show up a Y-bod- I used to love wiping the grins off stock Z06 drivers at the dragstrip in my old SS, but analyzing it logically, I think I'd get a greater return performancewise/handlingwise on my FRC investment than in an F-bod project.

I used to love watching Chevy Levy place in the series he used to run in a few years ago. He'd show up in a Camaro or Firebird and run with the Vettes and place.

For my given situation right now, the Vette seems to be the right choice.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

A hardtop car is not near as light as a Z06 is, it still doesn't have the gearing or the power. Those things are more on par with an f-body than a Z06. It comes down to money spent. You are going to spend more on a Corvette (between the car and the parts) than you making a really fast f-body that can show a lot of them up. You will spend more in parts on a Camaro/Firebird, but much less on the car and the total would likely be less than just a Corvette without the go fast goodies.

And FWIW, a lot of the parts you mentioned for the f-body, you'd not want to do. K-member should stay stock. You'd want better shocks than HD's, but that's the case for either car (and Koni's for a C5 are $950 a set, vs. $705-800 for the F-body).

SouthFL.02.SS

^ Thanks for the tips! I simlpy assumed a K-member would be better for weight reduction, but the stock one is sturdier I guess?
I'm new to RR, so all this is very good info. All I have is 5 days of Skip under my belt and I'd like to do some lapping in my next lsx powered vehicle.
I also simply assumed HD's because that's what LG's site recommends as a match to their G2 springs.
I have a lot to learn.

Sam, I'll be calling you in a few months when I'm actually pull the trigger on this.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I know what they recommend..... I also know how the HD's are valved and that Bilstein themselves leave no doubt that HD's are not intended for lowering springs, let alone springs of that kind of rate.

As a matter of fact, I'd do your research, including calling around and asking a lot of questions as well as listening very closely to what you get for answers. I happen to run a setup that is very different (bigger front bar, lighter rear springs, more shock damping) than what LG does. To each his own, your decision but you should have all the details from anyone you are considering before you buy anything.

SouthFL.02.SS

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

All this talk about handling and power ... better address brakes.

Sebring is a brake eater. A local F-Car ownere was going through Hawk pads and rotors at an alarming rate. He switched to Porsche brakes and then decided he couldn't afford to keep his F-Car running. He bought a Miata and I bought his brakes.

Also cooling ... Florida in July, August and September for a 30 minute session is brutal on equipment.

SouthFL.02.SS

^ No doubt, brakes will be addressed. And cooling.

steve-d

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, man!!! Love them Porsche brakes for the FBody!! Goin' Deeper than anyone (even C5s) expects. Lovin it.

Steve
Pro-Stop Performance
ProStopPerformance.com

V-seriesTech

iTrader: (5)

Frc.

No Question.

LT-4Play

iTrader: (1)

One thing that I really like about the FRC is that you can get it with Heads Up display. I'm always pissed when my Z06 buddies know exactly what speed they are exiting a turn without taking there eyes off the track. For an experianced driver that is not important but for a beginner trying to build up your speed it's awsome. I'm definatly getting a FRC when I'm done with my 96, one thing that may help you in your search it to go the Corvette Forum and look at the C5 for sale section, I would say once a month a good track car will come up for sale with some of the mod's you want already on it. I bought my car with mods and it saved me a ton of $$. You can usually get a modded car for at the most $2k more than a stock car in similar condition. I'm amazed at how much stuff is out there for C5's as far as track parts. Hell brake rotors are only $25 each!

Racehead

For the most part I gotta agree with Sam here. Remember that the gap in suspension quality between a "stock" FRC and a "stock" fbody is HUGE. The stock fbody simply comes with cheap crap for suspension which really serves to mask the underlying excellent design of it's chassis. In other words a little suspension work on an fbody goes a long ways. As you mod both cars the gap that exists between them narrows quickly. Even the great Lou Giglioti said the the differance between a race prepped C5 and a race prepped fbody is at best mear fractions of a second on a road course.

There IS the added benefit of stepping onto a race track in your "drag car" amidst disapproving stares from the usual assortment of Porsche/C5/Viper guys and then showing "the boys" the way around the track too !

SouthFL.02.SS

Thanks all, for your input.
I still have not made up my mind.
The project is still a few months away, so I have plenty of time to analyze what I want to do.

RAACCR

My '99 FRC weighed 3080# on Moroso's scale with ~3/8 tank of gas. (That's VERY close to Z06 territory!) True, FRCs don't have the Z06 power...at least not stock, but you can fix that. As for the transmission...personally, I prefer the MN6's closer ratios over the Z06's wide ratio MN12. The FRCs are selling very cheap, too....since most 'Vette guys are more into styling and profiling, rather than performance, so there isn't much demand for the hardtop Factory Race Cars.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

I will disagree with Sam on his choice of platforms.

Not because of what he posted, but what he left out ... aero.

Aero really doesn't play a huge role in AX, but can be a HUGE factor on a road course.

Racehead

I was gonna disagree on one point also, only it was the importance of the lower weight of the Ybod. It gives you more hp/lb, and because they basically share brake systems, it gives you (affectively ) a "brake upgrade" right out of the box because of the lighter weight, though incremental it might be.

What's your "normal" highest mph you see on your local tracks ?