basically im brand spankin new to the sport. im so new i havent even ran my first event but ive been to a coupls events spectating trying to pick up whatever i could. ill be running my first HPDE in 4 weeks in a NA car. i defininetly want to be in it for the long haul though.

i currently have a built 2.4 on the stand with HKS 272's ready to be dropped in sometime b4 next season and i was thinking of pairing it with a PTE 50 trim non-bb. from all the re-search ive done it seems to be a good compromise between street and track even though this car isnt a dd and would mostly be used for road racing but will still see street use.

i understand there alot things to consider when choosing a turbo for R.R. so i want to keep it simple and not be overpowered so i can focus on learning.

oh the car also have JIC's if that makes any difference

thanks

 

The standard response you'll get is that before you spend money and effort on making your car accelrate faster you need to learn to drive first (I know you think you already can, but...). It is an accurate and meaningful response. Not being a jerk or anything, just saying...

I would hoard money for brake improvements, once you've learned the basics of driving. You'll see high straightaway speeds and evo's (being heavy) demand much of their brakes.

 

Put a stock turbo on it and save the extra cash for brakes, tires and fees for events.

I know its not the answer you want but the driver upgrade is the best investment you can make and it works in any car you ever drive.

 

Yep, agree 150% with dsycks.

And learning on slicks isn't wise either.

So in a nut shell. Street tires, track pads, and lots of seat time.

 

1st get the book "Going Faster" by Skip Barber, 2nd Practice on GT 5 Prologue(It really works), 3rd local kart track with rental karts to hone your skills (I did this for years and still do.) Karting has kept me out more snafu's on the road corse, because techniques become 2nd nature. Brakes as stated above are top priority, your 1st brake fade will wake you up I promise. More power is last for sure, but if you're preparing for the future, it was posted to me that, the FP Red is the turbo of choice. There is way more to it, but that should get you going and you'll learn more along the way. Good Luck

 

Funny thing about Gran Tourismo... I was always a big fan of the games and enjoyed them a great deal. I was pretty fair at it but got worlds better after learning to drive in real life. You just do not get the feel for the line and how the car acts when its "right" when you are playing a game.

As for the turbo... if you want to splurge find a lightly used IX turbo and put that on. You will still be making a lot more power than you can use but hey... enjoy.

 

You will probably start in HPDE1 or 2 , so be prepared to race with a lot of SLOW cars, and 99% of the time you will be stuck in traffic, since there are few designated spots where overtaking is allowed AND the car ahead of you will give you sign to overtake.

That said, start with suspension and tires, or just keep your car stock and run it. I wouldn't upgrade turbo until HPDE3.

And yes, Red would be my turbo of choice for road racing.

 

To answer the question and not continue the lecture - I'd say red or the hybrid 50 trims out there...good for around 450ish on a mild tune. So once you go through the hoops listed above, you'll have quite the cheating car on your hands that prolly won't get passed much in HPDE's

 

the road courses I run on a 20g 5 works pretty well on a stock block. There is always the long straight where I could use a bit more, but that is about 10% of the course. So 90% of the time I am powered about right or over. By that I mean I'm at the top of my comfort level.
In a nut shell I'd stick with a stock like configuration ie a green, a red etc.

Like the guys have said, even with a stock block a nine turbo would be more than enough for several years. You'd be miles ahead with a little turbo getting to know your car and saving the money. Two years might be the life of your turbo anyway. In other words know that a turbo will go out, a head will cook, a bumper will bend. When they do that is when you upgrade.
you prolly know this.

as an example, one w. rabbit turbo went out when something ran through the hot side (?) and another one's shaft let go. That was over a three year cycle, then a head went critical when a pinhole opened on a coolant line (I think because of a lazy mechanic scraped it) Car ran fine right up to when it was to late.
So far this year everything is still working (knock on wood)

You do need to concentrate on the brakes, maybe a two piece set when the stock rotors wear down, good pads and switch them out when your off the track. The stock rotors get HOT so at the least use the cooling diverters or better, the ducting. With the two piece you may be able to go ductless depending on your braking style.

Listen to your instructor!

 

amen

 

great advice

 

thanks for all the good input,

to give you little bit more info i have an 01 Galant that ive been working on for the past five years its been a real slow build but im in no rush. it has JICS, Evo brakes up front very simple looking car but thats how i like it. ive also been collecting parts for the 2.4/ evo hrybrid build and the short block has been out of the machine shop for several months now.

it isnt until this past summer that ive been going to summit point watching the events and now im hooked. i believe its something want to get into for the long haul, so its not like i was building this car for RR purposes and had no idea it would probaly overpower my skill level on the track, it was supposed to be a fun street car.

well the car as is only runs around 100hp which is fine for hpde1 but im just a little worried about holding up traffic on the straights your allowed to pass in

so im gonna focus on brakes, suspension, and tires and most importantly learning to drive. but in the mean time i still need to finish the car over the winter. i like the idea of keeping the motor in stock configuration i think im gonna go with that

thanks

 

I think you are on the right track. I've run my Evo at less than stock trim for years now, and it goes plenty fast, and the original engine/turbo/trans is still running strong, though I take it out every year and go through it to keep it that way.

I totally agree with spending money on suspension, etc., as you spend the money once and get to enjoy it forever...engines are a wear item, especially when you hammer it with a big turbo and lots of boost.

The driving factor cannot be ignored as well, as most racers take a few years before they can really utilize anything over 200hp...its not a coincidence that the best drivers usually start in 100hp cars like miatas, 7s, legends, etc.

 

...and karts.