Notices
Insert BS here A place to discuss anything you want

I did something really stupid this week.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 12:22 PM
  #21  
msydnor's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 827
Total Cats: 0
From: Fayetteville NC
Default

Originally Posted by chucker
My buddy is a car broker. He just lost his shorts on a kickass '02 C5Z, silver on black, stock, $18,800. And it took him a month to get it. Car was **** and a blast to drive. So if you're looking for a Vette, take advantage of our **** economy, because they've been stepped on pretty hard.

But after I drove his car for a day, it was extremely fun but there were a few things I could not shake:
- It's huge. ******* huge. Still light as hell but way too long/wide. 2/3 scale would be nice.
- The shifter felt like absolute crap, as if I was stirring a pot of oatmeal with a wood spoon.
- Way too much attention. In a couple hours of driving, I had 3 people try to race. **** that. It's a pain.
- I can't get around the interior. It sucks. Seems like it was designed by a little kid with a set of crayons.
- I can honestly say the miata is of higher quality. Ironically, the vette just felt cheap by comparison.

But it is indeed fast. Almost too fast.

The C-6 interior is far better than the C-5. People try to race me in my MSM, I ignore them for the most part. Shifter, aftermarket shifter are cheap and fixes that problem.
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 12:38 PM
  #22  
cueball1's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (13)
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,875
Total Cats: 2
From: Tigard, Oregon
Default

Sav,

Tough to argue with your thinking. They are two completely different cars. One is small, light, cheap, reliable and fun. The other was built by the factory to be a track monster. You can dump a ton of money into the Miata and you might be competetive with a stock Z06.

It would be interesting to know if you had both cars for a while which one you would end up driving more. Miata's are great. Obviously they have a big following. They aren't the end all, be all of the automotive world though.
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 12:47 PM
  #23  
Loki047's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,143
Total Cats: -5
From: Chicago
Default

i want your car
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 02:29 PM
  #24  
ray_sir_6's Avatar
Guest
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 714
Total Cats: 0
From: DFW, TX
Default

Originally Posted by Savington
First, a bit of backstory.

.... 9.5:1 Weiscos....
Where were you gonna get them? They don't show them in the Wiseco catalog.
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 04:12 PM
  #25  
msydnor's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 827
Total Cats: 0
From: Fayetteville NC
Default

Originally Posted by cueball1
Sav,

Tough to argue with your thinking. They are two completely different cars. One is small, light, cheap, reliable and fun. The other was built by the factory to be a track monster. You can dump a ton of money into the Miata and you might be competetive with a stock Z06.

It would be interesting to know if you had both cars for a while which one you would end up driving more. Miata's are great. Obviously they have a big following. They aren't the end all, be all of the automotive world though.
Actually, vettes are pretty reliable also.

Last edited by msydnor; Aug 19, 2008 at 07:08 PM.
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 04:23 PM
  #26  
Machismo's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,273
Total Cats: 1
From: Granbury, TX.
Default

/\ That is true.
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 05:11 PM
  #27  
Savington's Avatar
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
iTrader: (31)
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 15,442
Total Cats: 2,106
From: Sunnyvale, CA
Default

Originally Posted by ray_sir_6
Where were you gonna get them? They don't show them in the Wiseco catalog.
It's not at all hard to get Weisco to do a set of custom pistons
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 06:09 PM
  #28  
Arkmage's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,895
Total Cats: 0
From: Houston, TX
Default

same boat... stopping at 250 whp, tossing on some reasonable suspension, and calling it good. then saving up for something a bit different (not going to say what, I'll likely get laughed off the forum).
Old Aug 19, 2008 | 06:10 PM
  #29  
Savington's Avatar
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
iTrader: (31)
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 15,442
Total Cats: 2,106
From: Sunnyvale, CA
Default

Originally Posted by Arkmage
(not going to say what, I'll likely get laughed off the forum).
malibu?
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 09:04 AM
  #30  
hustler's Avatar
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
From: Republic of Dallas
Default

I'd kill you all for the katech clubsport.
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 10:45 AM
  #31  
Arkmage's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,895
Total Cats: 0
From: Houston, TX
Default

Originally Posted by Savington
malibu?
not unless it's pre 1970s... I had something in mind considerably larger and heavier than a malibu, but made in the last 8 years. Keep in mind this vehicle has to tow a sailboat, carry 4 people regularly, and have lots of cargo space....
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 11:51 AM
  #32  
Machismo's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,273
Total Cats: 1
From: Granbury, TX.
Default

SRT Jeep I would presume.....
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 01:48 PM
  #33  
cueball1's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (13)
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,875
Total Cats: 2
From: Tigard, Oregon
Default

Sav,

Driving in this morning I had a thought about this. Basically the issue is, without spending a ton on the Miata it's not going to be as fast as very high end cars can be.

OK, my Miata, which is set up a lot like yours, should be pretty competetive with an Elise. Not the 240 hp models but the base ones since my car is much much heavier (every option and no lightening). My car is likely faster than 98% of the cars driven on the road by the general public. At the track my car was maybe mid pack at my last HPDE event. That's pretty friggin good for a car that's got about 10K into it including buying the car. Can I hang with GT3's? Z06's? GTR's? etc? Hell no. Can I hang with or beat most S2000's, Bimmers, Boxsters, etc. Hell yeah.

It's all a matter of being affordable for the performance and what level of performance you are happy with. If you want a monster that'll beat up on 90% of what show's up at the track, the Zo6 is the car you'll need. Happy running mid pack? You've got the right car already. It's the difference of being pretty damn quick and being outrageous.
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 03:03 PM
  #34  
hrk's Avatar
hrk
Junior Member
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 335
Total Cats: 3
From: Atlanta GA
Default

And this happens when they supercharge those C6Z06:s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbCz9oj83EE

hrk
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 03:37 PM
  #35  
msydnor's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 827
Total Cats: 0
From: Fayetteville NC
Default

Originally Posted by cueball1
Sav,

My car is likely faster than 98% of the cars driven on the road by the general public.
What roads you driving on?
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 07:48 PM
  #36  
18psi's Avatar
VladiTuned
iTrader: (76)
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 35,821
Total Cats: 3,482
Default

Originally Posted by cueball1
Sav,
My car is likely faster than 98% of the cars driven on the road by the general public. .
Originally Posted by msydnor
What roads you driving on?
around here to be faster than 98% of the cars on the road you'd better be running faster than low 12's @ over 110mph at the very LEAST.....
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 09:15 PM
  #37  
Doppelgänger's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (12)
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,850
Total Cats: 71
From: Charlotte, NC
Default

I semi-agree with Chuckster.

The interior and overall build quality of the C5 feels cheap. Hell, the radio is the same one used in a Pontiac Sunfire for crying out loud. I know the car is a performer, but i like to have the complete package in a car. As for people trying to race.... ****, people RARELY try to race me around the Atlanta area... i wish more people would, it would give me something to laugh at.

I did have a track day at Talladega Grand Prix a couple months ago and there was a C5 Z06 there..... and i had little problem chasing him down. It was stock, but the driver was not.
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 09:50 PM
  #38  
hustler's Avatar
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
From: Republic of Dallas
Default

Originally Posted by cueball1
My car is likely faster than 98% of the cars driven on the road by the general public. At the track my car was maybe mid pack at my last HPDE event. That's pretty friggin good for a car that's got about 10K into it including buying the car.
225 r-comps will fix this.
Old Aug 20, 2008 | 11:07 PM
  #39  
cwisenheimer's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 56
Total Cats: 0
Default

Originally Posted by hrk
And this happens when they supercharge those C6Z06:s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbCz9oj83EE

hrk

Holy crap! Did you see the difference in acceleration when he passed a Viper GTS at 4:27? It looked like he was passing a Yugo.
Old Aug 21, 2008 | 05:41 PM
  #40  
AbeFM's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,047
Total Cats: 13
From: San Diego, CA
Default

Edit: That little white toyota was ALSO pulling way on the viper. Perhaps the viper was relaxing, letting the vette pass or giving the white car some lead?


------------
Where is the thrill in racing someone in a bone stock car and beating them, at a stoplight? Freeway pull is the same thing. Yippie, I can stand on the long skinny pedal.

There's something to be said for just having something unexpected and low-key. If you're fast in a vette, well, you haven't really shocked anyone.

Now, a modded vette, obviously, you have to start with something that makes sense. The limits of what's "reasonable" in a miata truely is a moving target, progressing all the time as people get a better handle on what you can and can't do, and what are the accepted weak links.

Certainly the motor stops making sense at a certain point.

The frame is trickier. I *like* a small car myself. A car at all feels too big. I think a vette would **** me off, really, and it's way too nice to park 'just anywhere'. Convertible? Probably not in that league, I'd want the hard top.

I had no idea they were so cheap, though - that certainly is an eye opener. Something I could really look at. My sister is trying to sell a near-mint WS6 convertible, and the blue book is dropping monthly on it! Soon it'll only be worth a couple of hundred Euros.

Anyway, can't argue the logic - though for me it makes me look at motor swap more than it makes me look at new car. If I were to go that route, it would be hard not to look a turbo'd s2000 pretty hard. You hear numbers of 400-600 hp all the time in those, realistic I don't know - and people say they are twitchy and loose. But it should be more up to speed on handling the higher power.

Or an NC if you can put a real motor in it. :-P



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:24 AM.