1 Topic by mk1spyder (edited by mk1spyder 2010-11-09 05:31 PM)

  • Registered: 2010-08-24
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Topic: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Just curious if anyone else built an honest to god $500 race car and then continued to use it as a DD haha?  I picked this 2VZ powered lexus up out of a field in TN for $300 not running.  It sat there for 4 years and some field mice had chewed through the fuel pump wiring on top of the tank.  I cut an access panel through the floor instead of having to drop the tank, fixed the wiring, put some fresh gas in and it fired right up.  An oil change, waterized coolant, tires, brakes, and new stock sized exhaust and thats it.  Left all the power windows, glass, heater, wipers, and lights intact in hopes of keeping it as cheap transportation after.  We ran the south fall race this year and made I think 86 laps with a sad best of 1:10 not pushing it too hard.  I expected the crap 2VZ to throw a rod bearing or blow a headgasket but it performed flawlessly for 3 hours in the 90 degree weather.  The 170k mile clutch finally disentegrated at lap 86.  To change the clutch you have to drop the entire subframe and we didn't bring enough tools/engine hoist to do it, especially not in the grass, and we didn't have another clutch disc.  Ya were a bunch of noobs hah.  The car lives on and gets alot of laughs on my way to work everyday with its 8-bit penis graphics and sharpie instructions all over it.  On a side note if I had known I could bring a JDM VVT-i 1JZ single turbo swapped mk3 supra with an intercooler the size of my hood I would have lol.  I've built 14 of those cars and when I saw it in the tech lane I wanted to call BS on the guy so bad but it wasn't my place to do so.  I would have claimed that shit so fast and sold it the next week for 5 grand.

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  • Registered: 2009-05-04
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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

I hope you use a 5 point harness and wear your helmet if you're driving that on the street.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

I believe the Faster Farms Fury is a daily driver.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Drove the Killer ZomBee to the store yesterday. Removed the goofy antenna balls first though, because you know, you don't want to attract TOO much attention.

It's not exactly a daily driver because at the moment I don't need to drive every day. But it IS my only car that's currently registered. Which.... sounds bad.

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  • Registered: 2010-08-24
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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Haha ya, mine is tagged insured registered etc.. and the only good gas mileage car i've got at the moment. 

I was wondering about the safety aspect.   I wear the 6 point harness tight at all times but I don't wear the helmet.  Is it more dangerous to have a roll cage and 6 point harness in a wreck vs. a regular car with the stock seat belt if you're not wearing a helmet? 

If so why?  I would think the padding on the cage anywhere that my head could hit it would be better than slamming my head into the interior trim of a stock car?

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

mk1spyder wrote:

Is it more dangerous to have a roll cage and 6 point harness in a wreck vs. a regular car with the stock seat belt if you're not wearing a helmet? 

If so why?  I would think the padding on the cage anywhere that my head could hit it would be better than slamming my head into the interior trim of a stock car?

The high-density SFI padding is designed for impact with a helmet, not your head.  The SFI stuff is quite hard actually.  Softer than steel, but still pretty hard.

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7 Reply by mk1spyder (edited by mk1spyder 2010-11-11 07:47 AM)

  • Registered: 2010-08-24
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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Understood but it's gotta be better than one layer of hard plastic over a steel b-pillar in every stock car.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

I drive the celica every now and then, more before a race to check it out.  Indiana has fairly "liberal" rules to register a car, so it's pretty easy.  And it also is the best mileage vehicle out of the fleet.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Our Lemons car was my DD up to 3 weeks before our first race.  It was pretty reliable and well maintained, however with a bunch of things wrong with it (cracked windshield, busted exhaust) that would prevent it from passing NY state inspection and the fact that if I did fix them even myself to "passing" condition it would have far exceeded the $300 I paid for it, made it become a Lemons car. 

It still starts on the first crank every time.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

The Tinyvette gets out now and then.

The cage really close to my head so I usually wear a bike helmet when driving it. I know, but that great, but should be plenty good for surface streets.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

haha yeah, what's to stop you from wearing your racing helmet while driving on the street?

Actually, my friend (former Lemons driver) used his race suit and helmet as his Halloween costume. He said he had a lot of odd looks driving with his helmet on.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

You know, I've been wondering lately about the legality of a 5/6pt harness - aren't stock seat belts DOT approved, and thus aren't seatbelt laws written to require DOT-approved seatbelts (just like they require DOT-approved everything-else)

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

LTDScott wrote:

haha yeah, what's to stop you from wearing your racing helmet while driving on the street?

S rated helmets allow a lot less peripheral vision than M rated ones. That's one of the reasons I use an M rated when autocrossing.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

LTDScott wrote:

haha yeah, what's to stop you from wearing your racing helmet while driving on the street?

Actually, my friend (former Lemons driver) used his race suit and helmet as his Halloween costume. He said he had a lot of odd looks driving with his helmet on.

Actually, my mother-in-law made my kid a "racecar driver" costume for halloween. I got into it too by suiting up. I didn't wear the helmet though.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Zachreligious wrote:
LTDScott wrote:

haha yeah, what's to stop you from wearing your racing helmet while driving on the street?

S rated helmets allow a lot less peripheral vision than M rated ones. That's one of the reasons I use an M rated when autocrossing.

VERY VERY BAD idea. an M-rated helment is designed to abosorb more energy, yes, however it's only designed to take that energy ONCE. Add that to the lack of fire protection in an M-rated helmet and you might as well be wearing a foam hat inside a bucket.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

The Wartburg isn't dailied but its still driven.  Eventually I'll start the teardown so I can convert her into a full fledged street car.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

EyeMWing wrote:

You know, I've been wondering lately about the legality of a 5/6pt harness - aren't stock seat belts DOT approved, and thus aren't seatbelt laws written to require DOT-approved seatbelts (just like they require DOT-approved everything-else)

Most harnesses are not DOT-approved.  I have seen very few that are approved for street use, mainly because it is a real hassle and quite expensive to go through the approval process.

Our car is never driven on the street as it is highly illegal according to the CA DMV and doesn't do  stealth well.

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  • Registered: 2009-09-22
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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Serj wrote:
Zachreligious wrote:
LTDScott wrote:

haha yeah, what's to stop you from wearing your racing helmet while driving on the street?

S rated helmets allow a lot less peripheral vision than M rated ones. That's one of the reasons I use an M rated when autocrossing.

VERY VERY BAD idea. an M-rated helment is designed to abosorb more energy, yes, however it's only designed to take that energy ONCE. Add that to the lack of fire protection in an M-rated helmet and you might as well be wearing a foam hat inside a bucket.

I should point out that I autocross a street car without a cage. Also, I've never seen a car rollover or catch on fire at an autocross. Perhaps I'm going to the wrong events!

I'm not sure what I would do if I had to drive a caged car on the street - probably bite the bullet and wear a proper helmet.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Zachreligious wrote:
Serj wrote:
Zachreligious wrote:

S rated helmets allow a lot less peripheral vision than M rated ones. That's one of the reasons I use an M rated when autocrossing.

VERY VERY BAD idea. an M-rated helment is designed to abosorb more energy, yes, however it's only designed to take that energy ONCE. Add that to the lack of fire protection in an M-rated helmet and you might as well be wearing a foam hat inside a bucket.

I should point out that I autocross a street car without a cage. Also, I've never seen a car rollover or catch on fire at an autocross. Perhaps I'm going to the wrong events!

I'm not sure what I would do if I had to drive a caged car on the street - probably bite the bullet and wear a proper helmet.

Shortly after we purchased our XJ12 we took it to an autocross to see if anything was terribly amiss with it before we spent the money prepping it for the race.  On my last run in the car I came across the finish line to see panicked looking people rushing towards me.  Turns out the car had caught fire from trans fluid (or was it brake fluid?) dripping onto the exhaust. 

It was a little fire and was quickly put out, but yeah, a fire can happen (if you bring a crapcan).

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

mk1spyder wrote:

Understood but it's gotta be better than one layer of hard plastic over a steel b-pillar in every stock car.

Except that your cage is a lot closer to your head than that B-pillar, and whomever made your cage didn't have to jump through all of the safety hoops that OEM carmakers do for passenger safety.

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21 Reply by m610 (edited by m610 2010-11-13 09:31 PM)

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

We put the original, and somewhat rotten, 3-points back in the car after the race.  I hook them up when daily driving, but loose. I still use the 5-points on the street. Obviously they are safer.

I've been "noticed" more than once by local police, but never pulled over yet. I don't think they care that much, but someday they'll want to take a closer look. I'm sure they'll find a few things they don't like but I've tried to make the car as legal as possible, for daylight driving at least. I'm wiring up the head lights now because with the shorter days I can't get the car on the road in time to get to an autox and I have to leave other events early to get it home before dark.

Euro Sunday in W.Sac next week!

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  • Registered: 2010-08-24
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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

Down here in the south the cops just point and laugh.  It's actually legit street legal except for one missing corner light and the 6 point harness (which are not legal for street use).  Same reason a firefighter suit doesn't pass tech for races.  It might actually be safer but its not certified. 

On the padded rollbar vs. stock and not wearing a helmet I still can't make up my mind as to which is safer.  Ya the roll bar is right next to my head.  But that just means I don't have as much room for my head to get up to speed in a whip lash motion before it is stopped.  So wouldn't that really mean it would hit softer?  Either way in a roll over your head is going to hit the B-pillar, its not that far from the seat.  I think i'd rather have my head and neck move 2 in. before hitting vs 5 in?

Then again i'm no engineer, but I actually rest my head on the bar at stop lights and it feels alot softer than the damn dash I keep hitting my knees on haha.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

FraidyCaptain wrote:

blah blah blah "XJ12" blah blah "caught fire" yadda yadda.

Ayup, saw that one coming.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

"Sparky" Pete wrote:
FraidyCaptain wrote:

blah blah blah "XJ12" blah blah "caught fire" yadda yadda.

Ayup, saw that one coming.

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Re: Who else uses their race car as a DD?

I think the Red Rocket SHO is street legal.....they drive it to and from every event I think?

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