That time just after you decide but before you know what you want

That's where I'm at. I've decided I want to do this but I still need to figure out what the heck I want and how I'm going to do it. Kind of the pre-planning before the serious planning happens.

I wanted to piece together a post to introduce myself a little as I hope to become more active in the coming months (years?). I plan to start an SLC in earnest starting in January 2017. So now I've mentally committed to doing this and I've started to piece together "the build". I have a lot of thoughts and questions for the more seasoned folks so I figured what better way than to post! I figured this would be a good way to get my thoughts out "on paper" as well so bare with me as I can be verbose.

First off - huge thanks to everyone who's contributed to the forum. I've read and re-read multiple build threads. I'm sure once my own car progresses there will be some eerily similar looking bits. "Copying is the highest form of flattery"? There's just been a wealth of awesome stuff that folks have come up with and with certain things I struggle to come up with a better/different idea. So there's going to be some copying - hope people don't mind.

Goal: Put an extreme amount of sweat equity into the coolest car I'll own. For me, this is going to be all about the journey. The end result, from what I've read, is going to be one of the most capable cars available. I plan to build the car side by side with my father-in-law. Cherries on top.

Use: Fair weather car, 50% daily driver if possible, unlikely to see a track day. I was heavily into motorcycle track days in my younger years and I tried some time in the car (94 mustang). I just could never get into the groove on 4 wheels but loved everything on 2. I am an avid "driving enthusiast" but I'm not going to kid myself by saying I've got the chops for anything approaching talent. My brother-in-law is a fan of HPDEs so maybe he'll twist my arm into doing a few. Probably the right place to shake the car down without the worry of traffic. I'm in the Southern California area so weather year round is generally good.

In college I was on the Formula SAE team so scratch built cars aren't unknown to me but the scale and refinement are magnitudes greater for an SLC. So I'll say that I'm a relative noob when it comes to fabrication though I've built several motors and am very comfortable turning a wrench. In my professional life my design goals are purely function over form so I'm likely to struggle somewhat with creating something both functional and pleasing to the eye.

Basic thoughts on configuration so far:

The kit:
- Order full kit in one go, I want to get started quickly. Based on posts it seems Fran is willing to "hold" shipment for some period but floor space = $$ and I'm still working through the optimum order time. Since I'm still dabbling and not fully committed I'm holding off on contacting RCR until I get serious enough for funds transfer.
- Carbon exterior accents (rear wing, fender vents, rear window exhaust). I have to admit to some vanity and a love for things carbon. However, I do believe there's such thing as "too much". One of the things that attracts me to this car is the functional aero aspect. "To go fast, you have to go fast". I'm really interested in driving a car that actually responds/handles favorably at speed.
- Front splitter - leaning toward race. Based on an old post it seems ground clearance is ~4 inches but I've seen photos of some cars with less than 2! Since this is going to be a 99% street car I'm planning on the lift kit but is that going to be sufficient with a race splitter? If ground clearance is too much of an issue the standard front splitter with optional tunnel upgrade would do - got to preserve the functional aero aspect.
- Race tail - love the race car look and the rear diffuser has me pumped.
- Wheels - leaning toward Forgestar CF5 in titanium at this time.
- Gelcoat color - probably orange; I'm normally a very laid back person in my normal life but I want this car to look the part. I plan to paint the car myself and I like the thought of a bright metallic orange w/pearl because it's not something you'd think I would do.
- Interior tub - carbon fiber, I feel this is one of those must haves for a street driven car. I know I don't/won't have the ability to fabricate anything that's aesthetically tied together as well as the interior tub option. I feel the carbon upgrade gives it that little nudge toward super car look.
- Lift kit - speed bumps. ungh.
- Standard mirrors - I'm not a fan of the hippo look. I have some ideas on what I'd like to do with mirrors but if they don't pan out the standard mirrors would be just as great.
- Adjustable pedals - I'm short, my father in law is ~6'. No way I could build this and not make it so he could drive it too!
- Inner fender kit - I've seen folks construct their own fender liners/inners but that's outside of my skillset.
- Factory body fitment - I plan to go with the motorized door actuators. Other than that, I think it may be best to leave this work to the pros if I want a car that's got reasonably good fit. I'm sure this is something I'd likely mess up and my OCD would berate me endlessly. One of the things that pushed me way from the GTM and toward the SLC is the body fit issues expressed by many GTM builders.

Options for which I have additional questions
- Wing mount - I'm a bit torn on how high the rear wing should be fixed. Looking at the car from head on and from 3/4 I tend to like it somewhere between above the rear deck height and below the roof scoop. From the rear, I find the very tall stanchions distract from the rear diffuser because it stands so far above it all - just looks disconnected. Putting the rear wing just above the rear deck ties it all together when viewed from the rear. Not to mention having it closer to the body makes it easier to open the rear clam without first having to drop the wing. Aerodynamically will it make an appreciable difference? Is this option in the configurator the same as the hinging mount system mentioned in the details section?
- Windows - 2 pc or single? I've struggled to come up with a good way to have the 2 pc articulate/removable while being able to form a weather-tight seal when needed. I'm also not familiar with working with plastics so I don't even know how I would bond hinges/seals to the lower piece without it looking like a 10 year old did it. Leaning toward the single-piece to keep the look clean and to maintain cabin integrity. Makes cabin sealing/heat management/AC critical.
- Seats - my original plan was to go with the standard seat for me (I'm 5'4", 140lbs) and the gentleman's seat for the passenger side. I think I read in a different thread that the wider option is too wide for the passenger side due to biasing of the floor space for the driver. My vanity is fighting me here a bit and I'm leaning toward deleting the factory seats and going with one of the two Tillett options which seem to be popular (B4 or B5). It's a hefty price add-on so I'm trying to quiet down that little fella hanging off my right shoulder. Can someone confirm that the gentleman's seat option is too wide for the passenger side? For those who have the factory option and Tilletts, are they really worth the cost?
- Sway bars - doesn't seem like anyone really runs these. Not planning to include in the initial order, will evaluate once car is under its own power. Has anyone driven their car and decided this was a worthwhile upgrade? If I wan to protect for this option later it'll dictate where I need to lay stuff out.
- Assembly to rolling kit stage - what does this entail? Is this even an option? I thought all kits were delivered loosely "assembled" so the chassis is a roller.
- Track day side bars - Who am I kidding? This thing is going to find its way on a track eventually. If I go with the track day side bars, what does that do to the attach points in the cabin when the bars aren't in use? Does it leave large ears exposed at the fore/aft areas by the door?
- Hand brake - I like the idea of using the E-Stopp electrically actuated parking brake but need to verify whether that would be acceptable to the DMV.

My concerns:
- Almost no experience working with composites. I did some work with pre-preg CF in school but that was relatively easy to work with. Working with fiberglass sheet and epoxy is going to be a learning experience for me. I'll need to hit up Youtube and the interwebz for some tutorials. I'm not likely to fabricate much but I have seen in builds where folks are building up or securing items with fiberglass. I think at a minimum I'll need to do some of that. I like the way Bill (Rumbles) cut his rear vents, the thought of cutting into the body still has me worried but I'm sure with some practice cuts and the right tools I should be able to achieve a nice finish - getting a visually acceptable edge at cut locations is going to bother me if I don't get it right.
- Fabrication - I'm good with light fabrication; most of what I've seen in other people's builds look doable. My father in law is pretty good but the part that concerns me most is making my own exhaust system. I'm likely to cut/spot weld the parts together and take it out to a fabrication shop for final weld.
- Interior finish - My plan is follow Bill's advice and get the car in a drivable state asap. I need to maintain momentum on the project so I don't plateau and having a functionally operational car is going to be huge for motivation. Once the wiring and mechanical stuff gets sorted I can devote the time to cleaning up the interior. It would be a pain to constantly pull up the dash to chase electrical gremlins. Make it work, then make it great. I know nothing about working on the interior of a car but examples I've seen with either the rubberized paint (AllanSLC) or alcantera/suede coverings look doable. And my wife likes to sew! I know I'll have to approach this carefully as my OCD is going to kick me in the shins if I execute this poorly.
- Noise - I plan to use as much sound deadening and close-out panels as I've seen other folks use. In a past life I trained myself to hunt down BSR (buzz, squeaks, rattles) and it's something that's ingrained in me now. It's very difficult for me to drive a car and not pick up on noises. I suspect the powertrain is going to produce so much noise that it's going to kill this part of my brain.

Powertrain:
- LS3 525hp - I've read the 525 vs 480 idle quality is negligible. There's also something about being able to say you've got 500+hp. Vanity strikes again.
- Graz V10 transaxle - I've struggled with this one. I've bounced back and forth between the Graz and the Mendeola 4.11 option but at highway cruising speed of 80 mph it's about a 300 RPM difference. Seems relatively negligible to me.
- LS7 headers - I really like the video Allan put together on how he constructed his exhaust system for an LS7 header. I've also heard the LS7 headers are a nice power bump (vanity) and are better for heat management (hey, something practical)

It's been a while since I've driven a large displacement motor; my current car is a blown 3.0L with about the same redline. Listening to videos it doesn't seem the idle quality/lope on the LS3/525 is too rough - will be an interesting experience without damping engine mounts! With my current motor at 3kRPM it doesn't sound/feel like it's being beaten. Does the LS3 "feel" like it's too frenetic at that speed, or is this something I'm going to be able to live with? Living in LA it's not often I get to cruise at 80 mph on the freeway so I suppose it's going to be a small fraction of the driving I'll be doing. Mostly canyon and stop-light excitement for me. In the canyons (with my current car) I'm generally in the 60-80mph range for a good majority of it. I don't think with the SLC that I'll be pushing it any more than that which puts me at 3rd if I want to really ride the engine or 4th comfortably. Going back to the Graz selection - getting stuck in bumper to bumper for 5 miles would likely kill my leg or the clutch by the time we got out of it. Hence my leaning toward the Graz though I know there's a decently sized contingent of folks who think the gearing's wrong for an american V8.

OK - thanks for letting me put this up and if you've made it this far another thanks :) Looking forward to reading more about this awesome car and hoping I can add to the discussion/learnings as I progress through my own build. Appreciate any words of advice/input as I gear up for this project!
 
Over the past several weeks I've been reading through these posts in reverse chronological order - I'm back to may 2012 now and just came across Troy's post where there's good discussion of some of the body fitment questions I had. Settles it for me that I should opt for the fitment and body prep to be done by the pros.

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/slc-clubhouse/37345-decisions-help-when-ordering-slc.html

I've been considering trying to locate some take-offs to use as the delivery tires so I don't "dry" the tires out while I'm building the car. I've decided against doing this instead going with whatever tires I plan to use on the car at the outset as a motivator to push me towards completing the car sooner. I typically put about 5000 miles on my DD as it is so I suspect with the SLC mileage will be very low on a yearly basis. What are people doing with regard to tire selection and is long term life/rubber health something that's been discussed? I figure an ultra high performance summer type tire is good for about 3-4 seasons before being dried out becomes an issue which puts mileage at about 8-10k expected. Seems like you could go with super sticky tires and not really need to worry about life/replacement costs unless you're doing track events.
 
Very cool! Im still a couple years out, probably 2017 or 18 order time. I've had an SL-Razor from Fran, and it was easily one of the most fun cars I've ever had. It was a blast, and it really got a LOT of attention. I'll go for either the GT-R or possibly the Jag or something else front engine based (coming soon). Anyways, good luck with everything and keep us up to date. Some of us live "vicariously" through your posts.
 
You've got a great start on an SLC!

Re the tires, most people are using the Nitto Invos, as they are reasonably sticky, inexpensive and available in the sizes suitable for the car. There's a good discussion of tires (and wheels) on the wiki- have you read those?

There's really not much need for "composites" per se, unless you are making big changes like Mesa did, though if you are cutting in vents, etc, it's good to have a familiarity with bondo and it's use.

The track splitter looks great, and opens up the rad opening a bit, but is really low. I have it on my street-driven car and there is damage from debris on the road. I'll probably trim mine a bit.

Wing mount is provided by the factory, and is at or near the optimum height. You can change it if you really need to, but personally I think the now-stock height looks perfect. Mounting it too low makes the wing much less effective. Higher is better, but too high and it looks odd to me, anyway.

Windows are a personal thing. The two-piece windows are harder to seal, and offer less security, if that matters.

I really like my Tillett B5s. They are a perfect seat for the SLCs, if you fit in them. But the stock seats can be made to look pretty good.

Talk to the factory about the track bars. There is now a removable option from them that does a good job of hiding the ends when they are out of the car.

Have fun with the car!
 
Hey Will - yes I've read those sections in the wiki. I've jumped back and forth throughout the wiki but I've read most of it by now. Some of the sections I put off on focusing on until I got further into the process. I've been leaning toward trying out the pilot super sports for my DD but I imagine in the sizes for the SLC it won't be cheap.

Is the current factory height of the rear wing set at the higher position (about the same plane as the roof scoop)? Does the manual have recommended wing angles based on expected speeds? I imagine you would want it set for a more aggressive angle for lower expected speeds but if going for a top speed run or if running on a fast track you would want to flatten it out somewhat.

Yes - since this will be frequently driven security will be a concern so I'm shying away from the 2 pc Windows. Wrt to security, in Allan's video where he installs the door actuators he states the resistance in the motor is enough to keep the door in the closed position without the need for locks (hope I'm remembering that right). What are people doing to ensure they don't accidentally open the door while the car is in motion? Or just don't do it ;). Also, what are people doing for a fail safe to protect against a dead battery/electrical issue? From the outside I can see maybe adding some leads somewhere that you could put jumper cables to but if you're inside ... You're stuck. Probably a low probability of this scenario and maybe not worth doing anything about.

Something that's been at the back of my mind - for those who have had to take off the spider after the windshield has been installed. Is it really risky to do so? I recall reading about cracked windshields if lifting the spider after glass is installed. Also, what's the consensus - paint before windshield install or after? I was thinking I would leave it at the gel coat stage and wait until the car got sorted to do final paint. But if I do that I'm concerned about installing the windshield and having to mask before painting. You'll never get the paint line right up to the edge of the glass. I'm sure I'm getting too far ahead of myself here.

Actually - one thing I recall reading in the wiki recently is the Graz v10 was described as "significantly" more expensive than the v8. Anyone know what that delta is? I've notionally got $10k set aside for the transaxle. The v8 puts operating speed about 500rpm higher than the v10 which may make it just a hair more than comfortable for daily use. I'm a fan of the Graz because it's got the oem durability testing behind it, not sure how I feel about rebuilds or something like the mendeola/griffin who don't have a lot of samples on the road (at least that I'm aware of).

I've been scouring the web for steering wheels. Anyone know what the factory steering wheel diameter is so I can get an idea for what size I should be staying with?
 
First post here from a long time lurker:

My understanding is that the interior tub and track day side bars are not compatible? I don't have an SLC (yet!) but I've been reading this forum, RCR's site and the wiki for more hours than I would admit in public.
 
First post here from a long time lurker:

My understanding is that the interior tub and track day side bars are not compatible?

They didn't used to be. But recently Superlite has developed a removeable track-day side bar option for cars with the tub. The new Superlite website, coming out soon, will have this option, with pricing.
 
Hey Will - yes I've read those sections in the wiki. I've jumped back and forth throughout the wiki but I've read most of it by now. Some of the sections I put off on focusing on until I got further into the process. I've been leaning toward trying out the pilot super sports for my DD but I imagine in the sizes for the SLC it won't be cheap.

The PSS is a great tire. But Michelin really thinks a lot of it as well.

Is the current factory height of the rear wing set at the higher position (about the same plane as the roof scoop)? Does the manual have recommended wing angles based on expected speeds? I imagine you would want it set for a more aggressive angle for lower expected speeds but if going for a top speed run or if running on a fast track you would want to flatten it out somewhat.

The current mounts put the wing about level with the roof. The manual doesn't address wing angles, but from CFD data I've seen, there is comparatively little downforce at 0 degrees (which is where I run mine) and max downforce is at about 15 degrees. The CF wing (as opposed to the FG wing) is a great example of a high-lift, low Reynolds number profile that works really well for the SL-C or GT-R. For our cars, you should tune aero balance with the wing. The first step is to maximize front end downforce, then tune with the rear wing to get the balance desired. Just cranking up the wing without consideration of the situation at the front will usually make the car worse.

Yes - since this will be frequently driven security will be a concern so I'm shying away from the 2 pc Windows. Wrt to security, in Allan's video where he installs the door actuators he states the resistance in the motor is enough to keep the door in the closed position without the need for locks (hope I'm remembering that right). What are people doing to ensure they don't accidentally open the door while the car is in motion? Or just don't do it ;). Also, what are people doing for a fail safe to protect against a dead battery/electrical issue? From the outside I can see maybe adding some leads somewhere that you could put jumper cables to but if you're inside ... You're stuck. Probably a low probability of this scenario and maybe not worth doing anything about.

The door actuators do a good job of holding the door closed, so locks are not needed, and would normally interfere with the linear actuators anyway.

The risk of being locked in or out of the car with electric doors is a non-trivial one. My car has a port on the outside AND on the inside where a specific harness can be plugged in to open the door, in a way that doesn't require the rest of the car to be powered. I think, based on experience, that any car with electric doors needs a backup strategy, or two. PM me if you want to discuss this more offline.

Something that's been at the back of my mind - for those who have had to take off the spider after the windshield has been installed. Is it really risky to do so? I recall reading about cracked windshields if lifting the spider after glass is installed. Also, what's the consensus - paint before windshield install or after? I was thinking I would leave it at the gel coat stage and wait until the car got sorted to do final paint. But if I do that I'm concerned about installing the windshield and having to mask before painting. You'll never get the paint line right up to the edge of the glass. I'm sure I'm getting too far ahead of myself here.

The safest approach is to tape the windshield in when aligning the body, carefully checking it all along the process. It's easy to un-tape and remove when you need it off as the car is being built. It can be permanently installed after paint. Unlike most cars, it really doesn't need to be out to do the interior.

Actually - one thing I recall reading in the wiki recently is the Graz v10 was described as "significantly" more expensive than the v8. Anyone know what that delta is? I've notionally got $10k set aside for the transaxle. The v8 puts operating speed about 500rpm higher than the v10 which may make it just a hair more than comfortable for daily use. I'm a fan of the Graz because it's got the oem durability testing behind it, not sure how I feel about rebuilds or something like the mendeola/griffin who don't have a lot of samples on the road (at least that I'm aware of).

The delta is ~$3K, as far as I know. If you've read the wiki, you know there are drop gears available for the Graz to make it geared more like the Ricardo. IMO, that's the road to take for people who want a tall overdrive, especially with engines like the LS series which make torque everywhere and don't need to rev to get it. The Graz is a great base, given the cost, and its OEM design for a high-powered, heavy car in a mid-engined configuration. There really isn't another readily available option like it.

I've been scouring the web for steering wheels. Anyone know what the factory steering wheel diameter is so I can get an idea for what size I should be staying with?

The old wheels were a bit more than 13.5". I've seen the new wheels but haven't measured one. My car has a 14" wheel, with a flatter bottom, and feels great.
 
Cam, The data I have on Graz gearsets shows little difference in top gear. V8 6th, 0.928, R&P, 3.46; V10 6th, 1.04, R&P, 3.08. Final drive V8, 3.21; V10, 3.20.
Will, last conversation I had involving Reynolds number was involving sub-scale wind tunnel data, a long time ago in a ga....
 
Thanks for clarifying on some points Will.

I know I had seen an old post which stated the tub was not compatible with track day bars but I also recall reading a more recent post by someone who had just placed an order for a kit which included both options. I figured the factory wouldn't let them order mutually exclusive options so it makes sense that the tub would have been updated to reflect this. Does anyone have a photo that shows what this would look like?

The front splitter appears to be fixed so it doesn't seem like there's much you can do to further optimize it. As much as I would like to construct a front trunk I believe it will create a high pressure zone in front of the car which would really cause downforce to suffer without the appropriate reliefs. Seems like having the nose opened so air can flow through the front end and above the windshield is the best method to avoiding front end lift. This is also one of the reasons why I prefer the race splitter but the website states the street splitter with tunnel option performs nearly as well. Seems like the best setting for the rear would be to balance it with what the front is already designed for given the "factory" setup where the radiators are place up front and the cutout in front of the windshield is used for hot air exit.

I was wanting to shy away from the drop gears as I haven't read much about it with respect to durability. Given the cost delta a closer review of my intended use and expected driving speeds is in order. The V8 Graz just seems like it might keep the engine at too high a speed for comfortable day to day use. I like the Mendeola/Griffin options but the very tall first gear concerns me. I also haven't read of anyone who's received and operated a griffin yet. You are correct - I've not driven a high torque/light car like this before. Closest thing would be a third gen rx7 but that motor has zero torque until you got into boost. It was terrible off the line.

The Graz v8 vs v10 have nearly identical ratio at 6th gear but they do differ in the middle gears. That 40-60 zone puts the v8 variant on the higher end and pushes you into one more shift than maybe the v10 would have you doing. Just seems like a lot of shifting even for those low speeds to keep the experience more sedate for around town puttering. If getting heavy on the throttle those rpm are going to go by so quickly there's likely not much of a difference between the two.

I don't need a gear box that will let me run 200 but I want one that's going to let me drive in a parking lot (aka the LA freeway system) without needing to constantly ride the clutch. I'm also of the mind that 4 shifts to get to a comfortable cruising speed is reasonable with a 5th shift for overdrive (rare) in day to day use. Truth be told I haven't looked closely at the Porsche options as it seemed the 500hp level was near the threshold for standard offerings before stepping into high dollar options. I like to have a lot of margin at the transaxle in case I should go down the path of very sticky tires in the future. I expect my engine will stop at ls3 525 + ls7 header + some off the shelf tune as I've heard the factory crate tunes are not very good.

Based on threads I haven't seen too much feedback from Graz owners who've streeted their cars. I've done the math and the expected engine rpm are just on the edge of what I think would be comfortable. I'll need to see if I can find someone with one of these motors to see what it's like to sit at 3krpm for extended periods. It might just be too fatiguing ultimately. I haven't done the math to see what the drop gears will do just yet so that's also on the to do list. For those who have sourced the Graz with the drop gear option, who are you going through and what does that do to lead time? I believe the lead time on a standard unit is 16 weeks which just about lines up with timing for a kit from the factory.

Will - I'll hit you up for more details on your fail safe strategy for the doors as I get closer to pulling the trigger and getting into actual planning. Thanks!

Thanks for all the feedback so far everyone!
 
Thanks for clarifying on some points Will.

I know I had seen an old post which stated the tub was not compatible with track day bars but I also recall reading a more recent post by someone who had just placed an order for a kit which included both options. I figured the factory wouldn't let them order mutually exclusive options so it makes sense that the tub would have been updated to reflect this. Does anyone have a photo that shows what this would look like?



Will - I'll hit you up for more details on your fail safe strategy for the doors as I get closer to pulling the trigger and getting into actual planning. Thanks!

Thanks for all the feedback so far everyone!

The tub didn't change- the design for the side impact bars did. I expect the new design would cost more, as it has some relatively expensive joints that facilitate removal. When the new Superlite site comes online, the prices should be there.

Good luck with the car!
 
Have punched the numbers in for the Graz V8 with drop gear modification. This keeps the first gear still at a reasonable ratio while making the other gears significantly taller. 6th drops engine speed at 80mph to about 2500 RPM. Definitely an improvement! However, the gear spacing strikes me as a bit odd. It's fairly tight between 4-5 and 5-6 but more widely spaced in the lower gears. Makes 6th a "sort of" overdrive. Maybe this is done so you can actually get into the really high vehicle speeds.

That 60-80mph zone for canyon drives forces 3rd gear but based on published engine torque curve that shouldn't be an issue. Let's me focus on the road I guess if I'm not hunting for gears.

The V8 Graz + drop gear seems like it could be the right choice. Need to do more digging into cost and availability. Thanks for turning me onto this. I had read about the drop gears but didn't do the math to see where it would fall. To be honest I'm still not 100% as I'm unfamiliar with the drop gears and prefer the confidence of not messing with an oem component. However, given the choices it's definitely a contender!
 
FYI, My car with LS-7, Graz, PS2s (real street tires) and w/o wing will spin the tires coming out of a 3rd gear corner even after the car is straight. With the wing it's not an issue. But for canyon carving with loose gravel and other unknowns, you probably want to keep the RPMs down (i.e. use 4th or 5th).

This car is light, you don't need full throttle at 6000 rpm in lower gears, and the spread in the lower gears is fine as you don't need to keep it right in the power peak - you probably won't have enough grip to use 500hp in 1st-3rd.

If you are not used to rolling on the throttle, this car will teach you how - else it will bite back real quick.

Of course if you have the factory CF wing mounted reasonably high, it will fix any 3rd gear traction issues... 1st and 2nd are still a foot feed issue unless you have electronic traction control to take the fun out of it.
 
Awesome information Frank! Appreciate the feedback. I've got a moderately well behaved right foot and I was planning to set the throttle to DBW actuator to its least sensitive so there would be plenty of throw before hitting WOT. Thanks for the feedback regarding the gear spread. On paper it's not how I would design a transmission but again, I'm not familiar with high hp low weight cars, at least not at these power/weight ratios.

Another vote for keeping the wing at the higher configuration. Ultimately I think this is the right thing to do, direct feedback like this is very helpful.
 
Race splitter or street splitter with tunnels? Anyone running the race splitter and REGRET that option? I've seen photos of cars running the race splitter and sitting at essentially the same clearance as street splitters. I'm partial to race splitter with lift kit but I can probably be talked into street with tunnel option as well. Can anyone with the race splitter measure their ground clearance for me? I believe the lift kit provides an additional 1-1.5"?
 

Fran Hall RCR

GT40s Sponsor
Cam
You mean track splitter not race splitter I presume
The full race splitter is not street able
The lift kit gives approx 3 inches more clearance
 

Scott

Lifetime Supporter
Cam, I understand why you’re confused. The current SL-C configutor lists a ‘Street’ splitter and a ‘Race’ splitter on the ‘Other Options’ tab and a ‘Carbon fiber wing/splitter; front; race only’ under the ‘Wings’ option on the ‘Exterior’ tab. The new site will clarify this, but until then here is the old/new site name mapping:

Old --> New
Street --> Street
Race --> Track
Carbon fiber wing/splitter; front; race only --> Race

Using the new terminology: you can’t run the race splitter on the street and the track splitter is marginal on the street. If you want to run the track splitter on the street you need to think about road conditions. The hydraulic lift is great for speed bumps driveways etc., but unless you drive with the car lifted it’s not going to help you when driving. WillC (pnut) runs the track splitter on the street. It looks cool, but it’s really good at scraping leaves and gum off the street. He lives in the DC area and the roads are noticeably better than the roads in Boston so I went with the street splitter, tunnels and the front lift.

Will, if you had to do it again would you order the street splitter? Would you run the track splitter up north?
 
Thanks for the clarification - yes, street versus track. Is anyone running a street with the tunnel option and has a photo showing what that looks like in their build thread? I'm not sure I've seen this combination.
 
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