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[PORSCHEV]

Since I have always driven my car slow on dirt roads and NEVER in the winter I don't know how the car would handle on a loose dirt track.

There is a dirt track that has been running for the past 3 years about 5 km from my home and I was thinking it would be fun to gear up a 924 for the 4 cyl class. The compitetion would be sad tho...mostly VW rabbit, Jetta's and the odd Tempo or Cavilere. There used to be an MR2 that destroyed everyone....he even ran in the V8 class and ruled...but new rules came in outlawing DOHC...single cams only and no turbo either..so it has to be a 924 not a 931.

The idea of this has been nagging at me for the past while...if I should bite the bullet and start building a car or not..what do you guys think??
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1976 924
5 lug conversion, 17'C2 wheels,custom body work,327 vette engine.

1978-#53 "D" track racer.

[Neil924]

It would be great fun if you were in the running. I think the weight dist. is a plus as well as the rwd. It shouldn't cost much to find out. How big is the track? Oval?

[924RACR]

Yeah, fun, could be cheap, and relatively easy to do. The car would be great IMO on a dirt track; all the neutral handling of the MR2, but without the snap-spin charactaristics - very easy to hang the tail on these cars, and hold it there. They're very forgiving at the limit, IMO.

Could probably run with stock spring rates or close to it, and fresh stock motor... just open the clearances on the bearings slightly and put in one of those crank scrapers... Probably would be fine using the 4-bolt brakes... Even the 4-speed would probably work well on a short track, and just weld up the diff; that'd be trouble on an asphalt track, but wouldn't allow things to get stressed on the dirt. Take an early car, to get the lightweight, and just maybe put the money into building a good solid motor and shocks, IMO. I'd go for Bilstein, sure, you can even get very nice racing units for the rear to bolt in. Heck, their motorsport catalog even has dirt track stuff! But stock HD would probably work OK.

You could even pass up on fancy bushings, just get fresh stock ones, cheap and compliant for the dirt. Perhaps use the NEW KLA solid upper strut mount, though stock rubber might work well enough. KISS

What sort of substantial rules?
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

[emoore924]

Dirt trackin a p-car? Woohoo!! I hope you have a garage full of fenders. You'll need them.

Most of the folks around here will buy an old $500 camaro or something and take out the glass, weld the doors shut, cage it, cut the holes in the hood for to stick the fire extinguisher in, put on the nerf bars and run that in the dirt. USA V8 parts are easy to come by and cheap. Make decent power too. Handling ain't that important when you're using whomever's on the outside to help you through the turn. Running dirt ovals can be pretty rough so be prepared for a scene a little differnt than them ol' stringie-backed gloved girlie men types that run them porches on them thar roadie courses. Oh, and be sure your helmet has a good face shield with tear-offs.

I'd leave the p-car out unless you want to trash it. But overall it sounds like GREAT FUN to me

[PORSCHEV]

The track is 1/2 mile I believe?? The rules for the 4 cylinder stock class are pretty easy going.......

4-Cylinder Street

Must have original body

No rub rails

Can use sheet metal but not ¼ inch plate

Steel plating no thicker than then 1/8 inch is allowed from wheel well to wheel well but no higher than 1 foot from the bottom of the rocker panel on the outside.

You can close in your back window with Lexan

No added weights in the car but you can add extra pipes for weight

No checker plate or diamond plating

Bumpers

Have to be capped and no sharp edges

Must have factory suspension but you can reinforce it

Engines

Single cams

No super chargers

No turbo

They have to be stock

Mix matching parts is allowed

Radiators

Can use as many as you want as long as they are out of danger of the driver

I have raced on a dirt track before..although it didn't last long...I was pushed of the main track into the center infield...where the 4 wheelers raced in between main events.....cars are NOT made to go over mogoals!! That was the end of the old dodge Aspen.lol

The idea would be to find an already damaged 924 in the eastern US/Canada that I could pick up cheap...tube it up etc. Freshen the motor and go.... I live close enough I could hual it home between races if I wanted. I wouldn't worry about the points like some guys are..I just want to go have fun every once in awhile.

Here is a link to the tracks website.

http://www.ldmspeedway.com/index.htm
_________________
1976 924
5 lug conversion, 17'C2 wheels,custom body work,327 vette engine.

1978-#53 "D" track racer.

[Bart]

The dirt tracks in my area don't allow independent rear suspension.....Everytime a track decides to allow the indy rear suspesion someone shows up with the indy rear suspension and blows away the field and it's outlawed once again.

Thanks
Bart
'87 924S
'92 968
'71 G-production Datsun 510 #61