Saloons (Read 10,141 times)

[hermo]

Phils car is an enigma, like the driver really, but it has got to where it is over several decades (lol) of the owner experimenting with it and making it handle the way he wants it. When I first met Phil he claimed to have a fairly average engine but last season when I spoke to him he said it had a lot more horsepower now. This is what I was trying to get at, A good handling car is easier to drive and you can concentrate on racing other cars and having fun, not spending the whole race trying to make a pig go around the corners. Once you have some experience and have built up some funds you can buy some better bits for your engine and make use of the hosepower gains. When I drove my first professionally built car I couldn't believe how easy it was and how much time I could spend racing other guys because I wasn't either fighting with the car on the track or fixing it in the pits from excursions caused by a bad handling car.
Mate you do what you think is best but that's just how I see it from my decades of racing. Cheers

[Murray Guy (Grandad)]

Sept 28, 2009 16:39:23 GMT 12 hermo said:

... When I drove my first professionally built car I couldn't believe how easy it was and how much time I could spend racing other guys because I wasn't either fighting with the car on the track or fixing it in the pits from excursions caused by a bad handling car.
Cheers

Right on Mike - Kyle took my car out at Baypark and was amazed at how effortless it handled, how much more he enjoyed the drive. others have commented likewise.
He has, however, now managed to achieve similar in 13m, and the experience in my car gave him something to compare with, to aim for.

[Deleted]

Thanks for all that info, are there second hand tyres for sale some where and what type of shocks do you run flash affco ones or some monroe ones over the counter at repco type. With what info i have gotten from this thread it looks like a class i could and will get into, enjoy and matain the car myself.
Below are some photos of some of the cars we are looking at










Codi 91H

[bikeboy]

go talk to a few of the saloon guys in the pits, or even offer to help out one night as crew, thats what i did to learn a bit more before i brought a car, made life a bit easier,

[Brett85p]

How about this one here?
speedwayads.co.nz/Saloons/Supersaloon62h/Supersaloon62h.html
Price has been reduced a lot, should be able to sell the 406 and buy a 355.
I don't know the history but at a quick glance it seems like a reasonable buy.
Kevin moore Chassis and on the trailer at $15k

[BarryB]

Go for one with a chequered flag as opposed to one stuck in the mud.....

[Deleted]

I have seen that 88K the one stuck in the mud at a few northen track but can't rember how it went and haven't seen any of the other or haven't seen them racing much.

Codi 91H

[imasinnr]

Well you do have a selection there ,
I have worked on 3 of them and driven 2 of them....

I'm gonna keep a lid on my thoughts on all ... as not to offend any or all owners ....

but I will say they have all (the ones i know that is) have had checkered flags in there blood !

Again I stand by my quote tho!

The engine is the heart , the rest can be changed (steel is still cheep compared to an engine up grade!)

Try to keep in mind $40-60 thousand dollar engines are not as uncommon as you may think in this budget class! few are prepared to admit the price of their engines they are running!

hence why the price of a front running car can be said to be above the $70k mark !...even more. ( depending on how much tax you need to declare!)

as granddad has said his engine is around the $25k mark ...yet still not overly worked "yet"..lol

Spend what will put a smile on your face !,

when you bought your first road car ? was it a Limbo with tinted windows, sporting 650hp ?

Mine was a 56 vauxhall with suicide doors..lol ,had a diff that was moving on the u bolts and steering that wandered all over the road! but nuts i can still remember to this day the smile i had on my maiden voyage home ( priceless)

Its Good to hear your going forward to this class ....go out and have fun...dont be put off about $$$cars....

PS. whenever i drive on to my trailer at the end of the night with no damage i feel I'm a winner! I even smile on my way home if Ive witnessed a $$$car thats been tractored on....Hey Imasinnr and I'm not afraid to admit it !

[98wsaloon]

best bet..buy a good car from an old retiring racer and just make it handle better..... ;D see ya at practise m8 ah yeh and go faster....

[chris13w]

Hey Codi,

that 22R used to be a rocket ship, don't know if it still has the same Marsh Motorsport engine, but if it does I expect the POA might be quite a bit!

Not knowing all the costs, on the face of it I would say Brent McLymont's old car would be a pretty good buy at $18K - always went well and he was well on the pace right up to when he sold it.

Other than that, Bret85P's suggestion of the Moore Super and change the engine would be a good bet.

Oh, and you asked earlier on about the difference between racing shocks and some OEM Monroe's - biggest difference I ever noticed on a saloon was changing it from OEM shocks to Carrera's - its night and day how the car feels on proper shocks - and not that much dearer.

Cheers

[porry41]

arr the memories .why do i still miss this contact class opps that should read (non) as i said right at the begining codi most of those cars are over 20 year old 88k monza would have to rebodied etc .i say again get a super there around all the trick gear & remove motor & that would pay for your car .that moore car has been around & there is a tread on it further back in the arcives .why are these cars not selling what does that tell you .woof .

[Deleted]

where do you buy slaoon bodys from and where do you guys buy your shocks and other parts from.

Codi 91H

[chris13w]

General rule of thumb - any amount you work out to build/complete something - double it...

Any amount of time you think it will take - double it...

Then double both again...

I bet its just about always cheaper to buy an existing package with everything there than it is to build something similar - plus you know exactly what you're getting - and you've got it straight away.

AND - cash usually talks pretty loud when negotiating!

[Deleted]

ok think we will go with existing car and would putting four road tyres and rims on the car would i be able to drive it onto our trailer.

Codi 91H

[chris13w]

Guess that depends on the width of the trailer - and if there are road wheels to fit the hubs on the car you buy?

For instance - pretty hard to find a standard road wheel that fits a wide 5... (I think a 1950's VW rim might be similar)

You would have the same problem with some commercial diffs as well, think the one I used to have was 5 studs on a 6.5" PCD - don't know what road wheel would fit that?

So you would just need to do some homework first on the car and its hubs.

Or just borrow a wider trailer off someone to get it home?

So which cars are on your short list now?

[Deleted]

As it will be my first saloon ever we have decide not to go and buy an expensive one will buy one of those for my second season the cars at the mo that would make it onto our short list would be the
69K Corvette
88K Monza
56M Camaro.

Codi 91H

[Deleted]

Also what are pros and cons of things like wide 5 and winters quick change diffs.

Codi 91H

[chris13w]

Nov 12, 2009 9:03:19 GMT 12 @91h said:

As it will be my first saloon ever we have decide not to go and buy an expensive one will buy one of those for my second season the cars at the mo that would make it onto our short list would be the
69K Corvette
88K Monza
56M Camaro.

Codi 91H

Well the 88K Monza definitely has the big PCD Commercial diff that I mentioned, so best of luck finding road wheels to go on that - fronts look like they are probably something like Holden HQ? (Says it comes with a trailer though, so just tow it on that).

Problem with that car is its old - there is a dispensation this year to run Monza bodies, but your probably going to have to change it to a Corvette or something next year...

Can't see pictures of the others, but from memory doesn't the 69K have a quick change and wide 5's??

[chris13w]

Nov 12, 2009 9:46:36 GMT 12 @91h said:

Also what are pros and cons of things like wide 5 and winters quick change diffs.

Codi 91H

Better, stronger, lighter, you can change the gearing - definitely get one with a Q/C if you can

[dontpanic]

I run a ford 9" diff in my saloon with the usual 6.5-1 gearing.
a lot of the cars are still running ford or morris com diffs.
I see the main advantage of the modern Quick change diffs as being able to get off the shelf parts when required as opposed to fixing, welding, making parts to fit.
Being able to fine tune gearing is a nice luxury but doesnt seem to bother most of us. I dont see many guys changing their gearing at the track between races anyway.
Reducing unspung weight should be a bonus but again I dont think most really care.
If you are on a Club racer on a budget and you can deal with the hasle of fixing a broken axle or birdcage then I wouldnt worry to much about a quickchange untill you get to a national level.
Cheers Brendon