Stevo just hit it on the head. I may be selling mine to do just that...

My car is at the shop gettnig the final items buttoned up from a list of things needing addressed for this season, one of which is a corner balance/alignment.

Some issues you'll run into over time with the 996TT:

Brakes are woefully underdeveloped for this 3500# pig. You'll develop brake boiling issues which will require higher temp fluid, more aggressive pads, and brake cooling ducts.

Suspension is also undersprung with a ride height that is to tall. Plan to upgrade to a decent coil over setup with adjustable swaybars and aftermarket drop links.

Wheels and tires are another issue. If you eventually plan to get quicker, you'll eventually not want to kill your street tires. Think 10-20 events down the road on that one...

Safety is the biggest issue. You're in a car that will do 190mph. It'll go very quick on a road course, and once you get the hang of it, you'll be developing some serious "kill you" speed. Plan to upgrade to driving seats/rollbar/harnesses over time.

If I rated all these items top to bottom most to least important I'd say:

Brakes
Safety
Suspension
Wheels/tires

You certainly won't have to do any of these items for your first event. Just bleed the brakes and change your oil/filter/tranny/diff fluids and go have fun. But you will want to address all of this over time, and within the first 10-20 events, guaranteed.

Someone else mentioned autoX. I won a regional championship many moons ago chasing cones around a parking lot... I'd rather watch paint dry these days. Standing around in a parking lot waiting for hours just to get 4 or 5 50 second runs in is the most painful motorsport event ever created... Road course HPDE is the best bang for your buck with this car. Get out there with PCA and prepare for the drive of your life!

Hope you find some use in this...
Mike

 

Thanks all for the advice. I'm going to start off with a pss9 setup next week. From there i will try out a track session out at Willow and see where i go from there. I went by Vision Motorsports today and they gave me some good advice. They are also 10 minutes from my house so i figure a good relationship with a mechanical facility is a good thing especialy when they are in your backyard.

What should i expect to pay for PSS9's installed? I was quoted $3400 with balance and alignment...Is this ballpark?

CAA

 

You can get PSS9's for around $2370 (tirerack and others). Corner balance and alignment around $300 (Johnson's Alignment in Torrance). That leaves installation. I'll PM you on that.

 

http://www.buttonwillowraceway.com/clinic.htm

 

GMG quoted 6 hours labor plus alignment = $1100 plus parts....

 

Vision is a great crew, they use to be an account of mine in another business.

 

Everyone's advice is pretty dead on. At the track, driver skill out weighs horsepower. A skilled driver in a spec miata will likely pass me in the TT.
Instead of spending a fortune tuning the TT for the track, it was easier/cheaper to get a dedicated track car. But do yourself a favor and take a couple DE events before tapping into your retirement for this hobbie.

 

I think the POC has pretty well run events. Some of the older guys are not exactly the friendliest to newbies, but you can learn a lot from them and they are very FAST.

CAA, are you an agent?

 

We have a couple local tracks that have open track days. Willow Springs and Buttonwillow. Both are fun and challenging, but I prefer Buttonwillow for a few reasons.

1 - They don't require mods to the car to run on a regular open track day. Last i checked, Willow required a rollbar and a fuel cell as minimum requirements. I understand if you go with a club then this isn't needed, but I'm talking about normal open track days.

2 - Buttonwillow has more run-off area if you go off the track, and less places to really get into trouble to start with. There are only a few configs at Buttonwillow that will get you over the 115mph mark.


3 - Buttonwillow never has many people on open track day. Most I've ever seen was maybe 8, and they aren't all on the track simultaneously.

4 - Buttonwillow has a cool skidpad area for practicing slides and stuff. There is no limit to the amount of fun you can have on a 1000 foot square chunk of asphalt.


It's been a while since I was there, but open track days used to be every Friday. All you need is a helmet when you bring a normal street car.

 

Post of the year!!!!!!




Tracking can take however much money you want or have to throw at it, and eat it like popcorn.

 

You have got to try the "Streets of Willow" in Rosamond, CA. You can then graduate to "Big Willow" which is also known as the "Fastest Track in the West". I would definitely recommend the Streets a few times before attempting BW. It's a lot of fun!

 

i instruct. 11 years ago i signed up for my first pca de event. that is all you have to do to get started....just sign up. it has been the best hobby i have ever had.

 

The first thing you have to do is go to an event to watch the mechanics of the event. Call you PCA chapter and show at you next event.

Check rules and regulation and get the proper helmet, gloves and shoes. If you feel like a baller get a nomex suit while at it.

At the event also check shops that support participants. GMG already offered help.

Most likely you will have to through a safety check at independent shop you might as well have some thing done before this.

1.- Brake fluid go to ATE Blue Racing.
2.- Aligment check.
3.- Check brakes and everything in the rule book.

Once you are at the track, get help from instructor and do some slow laps. From there you will get on by just fine.

You will have fun with the Turbo.

 

I just started attending independently put together track events. First in a miata, then in a TT RX7, then an E46 M3 and finally the TT.

Start with a nice, slow track like the streets of willow (willow springs), then button willow, then the "big track" the main track at willow springs. The big track will pucker you pretty good. I hit 150 MPH on the main straight.

Prepare to use up tires. The slower the track, the faster your tires will wear.

IMO the TT is great car. The fact that PSM will turn on under braking, even when you turn it off, can definitely save your a$$ if you overcook it. That said, it is one of the fastest, most powerful cars a beginner can start with, so don't be a hero.

It's pretty evident once you hit the track that the majority of the people are there to have fun. The track is not a RACE track for fender racing. I got passed by a guy in a Boxster S and another guy in a newer ///M Z4.

Frissen! That 997 Is bad ***! Do you have any more pictures of it?