What to do?

[NXcoupe]

Well, as some of you might have seen, it's looking like R/S is gone from NMRA. It's not been removed yet, but it's not looking good. So, that leaves me with two engines and a race car that won't fit into any other class well. My wife would like me to get a coyote engine and toss it in there and run coyote stock, others have said run 8.5, others have said put it back on the street, others have said leave it alone and get it to go as fast as you can as is. I am just in a funk because I was finally making progress with the combo and getting used to the car again and now they pull the rug out from under all of us.
Just want some input, and help a brother out of his funk. I absolutely despise auto's so racing most classes isn't an option because they don't allow manuals and at the power level of the 8.5's I would be replacing a proshifted trans every race. Thanks in advance...:cool1:

[Rich]

Leave it as is and run UMTR...simple!

[cstreu1026]

Moving up to Renegade is an option. They are talking about allowing manuals in the class but you would probably be looking at a high dollar clutchless piece on top a completely new engine set up and the chasis work to be legal to run low 8's. At that point you would probably be better off buynig a complete car or at least a roller that better fits the class.

Coyote stock would kep the cost down at least initially. If the engine package proves to be reliable it could be a fairly affordable way to race heads up. The flip side to that is if something goes wrong with the engine you are buying a whole new sealed engine rather than replacing the defective part which could make repairs more costly.

The cheapest alternative is to leave it the way it is, race UMTR or an index class somewhere. You wouldn't be spending nearly as much on traveling to races and you wouldn't have to work on figuring out an entirely new setup. The downside is that you don't get the thrill of heads up racing and you still worry about breaking parts that are already on the edge of what is possible (like the transmission).

Putting it back on the street....well that is an interesting proposition too. You really wouldn't have to change much at all to do that. The rules you have lived with in Real Street make it a much more streetable combination that what most people consider to be street cars days.

[Maximus]

Put it back on the Street, UMTR and if Charlie starts a Stick class @KK, run that as well.:bigthumb

[RIXXX93GT]

UMTR, run a full schedule. Take the bottle out and have some fun. Maybe stick a cam in it. Either way the races are close plus allot of DSB and SBZ racers will be running UMTR in 2012, you know its allot better for your customer base also. You dont have to be gone all weekend, the people are all very nice and its a shit ton cheaper to race. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN FRICKIN DINNER. I really have always said for your business you need to be racing local, that puts you at the track in the areas where your customers are at.

[blown96cobra]

I like the coyote class idea. that would definitely be sweet and it would be chance for you to learn that new platform.

[cstreu1026]

Put it back on the Street, UMTR and if Charlie starts a Stick class @KK, run that as well.:bigthumb


UMTR, run a full schedule. Take the bottle out and have some fun. Maybe stick a cam in it. Either way the races are close plus allot of DSB and SBZ racers will be running UMTR in 2012, you know its allot better for your customer base also. You dont have to be gone all weekend, the people are all very nice and its a shit ton cheaper to race. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN FRICKIN DINNER. I really have always said for your business you need to be racing local, that puts you at the track in the areas where your customers are at.

I think these guys are on to something...

[Jeff88coupe]

All things considered...I do think UMTR would be your best bet. Cheaper, closer to race, less breakage, more exposure for your shop. Still I would love to see ya try the 8.5's out next season also.

[Goober]

Coyote Stock would be awesome, but like Cam said, you'd have to learn a whole new setup. Moving up to Renegade would be costly along with the continued expense of maintaining it. And we all know you love heads up racing...

You're a smart cookie, Mike. If you have the funds to go C/S, then do it. You've raced at how many different power levels now? I'm sure what you've learned with experience will shorten the curve considerably. And run UMTR between the NMRA outings.

[Ranger50]

Coyote stock would kep the cost down at least initially. If the engine package proves to be reliable it could be a fairly affordable way to race heads up. The flip side to that is if something goes wrong with the engine you are buying a whole new sealed engine rather than replacing the defective part which could make repairs more costly.

The cheapest alternative is to leave it the way it is, race UMTR or an index class somewhere. You wouldn't be spending nearly as much on traveling to races and you wouldn't have to work on figuring out an entirely new setup. The downside is that you don't get the thrill of heads up racing and you still worry about breaking parts that are already on the edge of what is possible (like the transmission).

Putting it back on the street....well that is an interesting proposition too. You really wouldn't have to change much at all to do that. The rules you have lived with in Real Street make it a much more streetable combination that what most people consider to be street cars days.

I believe if you have an engine problem, you have the option to send it back for repair and reseal from Ford. That way you aren't out yet another 8k unless you are a week before a race out testing and break it.

I agree to staying local. It is really nice to see your own pillow in your own bed every night.

Street? Put some plates on it and try it. :bigthumb

[Maximus]

C/S is all about the Chassis and driver as the Tune and Engine will be Factory sealed. I see guys spending big $$$ on Titainum Rotating parts. :(

[cstreu1026]

I believe if you have an engine problem, you have the option to send it back for repair and reseal from Ford. That way you aren't out yet another 8k unless you are a week before a race out testing and break it.

I agree to staying local. It is really nice to see your own pillow in your own bed every night.

Street? Put some plates on it and try it. :bigthumb

I think it still has a valid plate on it. So it would really only need a 5th gear for the highway. :D

I think the Coyote Stock route would be the cheapest way to still go heads up racing if you wanted to and it would still allow you run UMTR.

[Gene]

C/S is all about the Chassis and driver as the Tune and Engine will be Factory sealed.

Which is what makes it appealing.


I see guys spending big $$$ on Titainum Rotating parts. :(

You mean for the drivetrain and rear end? They're already doing that as it is for F/S and P/S. You're always going to have an arms race, even in a "spec" class, but taking the engine out of the equation is huge for cost reduction.

C/S is going to save NMRA heads-up racing, IMO.


I think the Coyote Stock route would be the cheapest way to still go heads up racing if you wanted to and it would still allow you run UMTR.

Agree 100%

[NXcoupe]

All great input and ideas, thanks, and keep it coming. I think C/S also would make for a cool street car as well. And it could always allow me to build the 5.0 up if I ever tire of c/s. There has also been a rumor of C/S having a power adder class like R/S was, limited what you can do but still heads up. I don't know if we'll see that and I guess it depends on turn out for c/s class. The engine being sealed is a downside, but on the upswing, how many folks break one running all motor in stock trim? I mean it will have headers and exhaust, but the intake side is stock as well as the engine itself.
As for renegade, I had one, and let it go, so doing that is out of the question. I'm going to help Jason get that thing into the low 8's and will be at the races with him this season anyway.
I am just at a crossroads that I was not prepared to come to. I had no forewarning really, always thought it would just keep going.

[05yellowgt]

I'd be a lot more excited about Coyote stock if they allowed tuning. How are different header and exhaust combinations accounted for without tuning? I know the Coyote ECU having widebands should be more tolerant, but it would be nice to be able to optimize the tune.

[adragon72]

Just come park it here in Fairfield then no more worries ;-) the C/S sounds cool to me, every thing is moving in that direction any way you might as well get a head start. Good luck either way buddy.

[Dirtyd0g]

I think you are eliminating yourself keeping it manual. If you really have to keep it manual make it a street car because fun factor is all it really has to offer. To really compete you need to go auto.
Alan

[9cobra4]

I'd be a lot more excited about Coyote stock if they allowed tuning. How are different header and exhaust combinations accounted for without tuning? I know the Coyote ECU having widebands should be more tolerant, but it would be nice to be able to optimize the tune.

Ford Racing is going to do the tuning. They won't be factory 5.0 tunes.

[Gene]

I'd be a lot more excited about Coyote stock if they allowed tuning. How are different header and exhaust combinations accounted for without tuning? I know the Coyote ECU having widebands should be more tolerant, but it would be nice to be able to optimize the tune.

That's the point. By making the computer standardized, you make the class about chassis tuning and the driver.

Roadracing has been doing this for years (look at Spec Miata and Grand Am), and it results in some of the best racing out there.

[NXcoupe]

I agree, I think my car is already dialed in suspension wise and all I have to do is get me back to my previous driving level and I'd be in the mix. The coyote would also allow me to run all motor easily for UMTR, and it could also make a sweet street car.
tuning is the only thing that really kind of sours me on the whole c/s thing, as I would like to be able to experiment with it.
I dunno, if it was a 3500 buck investment, I could sell off some stuff and recoup a lot of it, but 10k? That's a tall stack of cash.
More input is good. Getting me out of my funk.

[flyin2jz]

Pull the motor and set up a purestreet combo. You most likely have the skill to set up a all out 310 cube motor. YOu can drive a stick with the best of them. Id think with the money from the old setup you could easily put together a complete pure street combo and really have some fun with small cube motors and the stick. Just get it close to 500 rwhp and it will be competitive. Motor swap and your done and you still have a low 10 sec car that could really be driven on the street if you wanted.

[Goober]

You could make it a pro touring car... LOL!

[Steves LX]

I think you need to come over to QS in UMTR. Great bunch of guys and gals and you would fit in just fine and do well. The farthest we travel south is Ohio Valley and Bluegrass. And other than indy, columbus, and Muncie everything else is at home. Its a hell of a lot cheaper to race with us than most other organizations.

[rmracing]

Pull the motor and set up a purestreet combo. You most likely have the skill to set up a all out 310 cube motor. YOu can drive a stick with the best of them. Id think with the money from the old setup you could easily put together a complete pure street combo and really have some fun with small cube motors and the stick. Just get it close to 500 rwhp and it will be competitive. Motor swap and your done and you still have a low 10 sec car that could really be driven on the street if you wanted.

Pure street is gone also Kevin. The only way we can run now is to go over to NMCA and run mean street.

[beefcake]

keep us posted.

[Timido]

Coyote Stock would be fun. Depends on how fast you want to go. 8.5 Racing is going to be at KilKare this year. It is nice to race local

[NXcoupe]

Thanks everyone for the input. However, I don't think my shifting is anywhere near the level it was in 08, I have just gotten too rusty and it will take a full couple seasons to get back into it again.
I have so may options its just crazy. I could keep the 393 I have and put my nitrous setup on it and go stupid fast, I could keep it as is and just dial in the combo to see how fast I can make it go, I could sell it all and put a coyote engine in it, or I could sell it all and put a modular in it, and I could build a large cube 8.2 deck and go with that. Just too many options and need time to think. Thanks for all the input, keep it coming.
The all motor deal is intriguing as well, but I have a bad taste in my mouth from NMRA right now. Mean street is a very fast class, have to look over the rules and see how much it would cost to change the combo over.

[Byrd Man]

.. or.... you could sell everything and buy my drag radial car before I prostreet it!!! A win, win situation. :bigthumb

[Byrd Man]

.. or.... you could sell everything and buy my drag radial car before I prostreet it!!! A win, win situation. :bigthumb

[NXcoupe]

.. or.... you could sell everything and buy my drag radial car before I prostreet it!!! A win, win situation. :bigthumb

Lol. Not gonna happen, sorry!

[Drivermod]

Go C/S. You are going to be at the races anyway. That class should be a ton of fun. Very close competition and I expect good sized fields once it gets off the ground. Plus you could play around in UMTR between races for practice. Your looking at 2X engine cost over the C/S engine to go to Mean Street and be any where near competative, not to mention the parts carnage.

[Goober]

What are the C/S rules regarding weight breaks per chassis, transmission ect? How much of the car would have to be changed? I'd look it up on my own, but NMRA is blocked from work.

[NXcoupe]

Weight is 3200 no matter chassis. I agree Ian.
I have made a decision. A coyote it is! I am going to start gathering the other things I will need, and watch for tons of my parts for sale adds. I'm leaning towards using a G force T5, probably keep the Tremec's for now, and try both to see which is faster. I am doing this because it will give me first hand experience with the new platform and tuning it, because I only have to have the stock tune on it when I race, not when I am testing or on the dyno. Since you have to use a programmer, I'll just flash the stock tune when I go to an nmra race and play around with the tune locally. I'll get to race in UMTR, NMRA, and if I decide to put a power adder on it down the road I could race in 8.5. Seems like a win win.

[mad max]

:bigthumb^ Me like this idea.

[Goober]

Weight is 3200 no matter chassis. I agree Ian.
I have made a decision. A coyote it is! I am going to start gathering the other things I will need, and watch for tons of my parts for sale adds. I'm leaning towards using a G force T5, probably keep the Tremec's for now, and try both to see which is faster. I am doing this because it will give me first hand experience with the new platform and tuning it, because I only have to have the stock tune on it when I race, not when I am testing or on the dyno. Since you have to use a programmer, I'll just flash the stock tune when I go to an nmra race and play around with the tune locally. I'll get to race in UMTR, NMRA, and if I decide to put a power adder on it down the road I could race in 8.5. Seems like a win win.

This right here made my night!

[05yellowgt]

Mike, Do you know if they will be checking the ECU's to see if they have been flashed? I know they should be able to check and see if that is the case and if the ecu currently has a flash on it. An easy work around is to have a seperate ECU to swap in when not running CS. Just something to think about.

[beefcake]

Mike, Do you know if they will be checking the ECU's to see if they have been flashed? I know they should be able to check and see if that is the case and if the ecu currently has a flash on it. An easy work around is to have a seperate ECU to swap in when not running CS. Just something to think about.

i agree with john, i would have a different ecu for sure, i would take no chances

[NXcoupe]

i agree with john, i would have a different ecu for sure, i would take no chances

they have the ecu swap in the rules. If thwy think somethings up, they swap ecus

[beefcake]

they have the ecu swap in the rules. If thwy think somethings up, they swap ecus

i'd get the pc just so people aren't looking at you

[NXcoupe]

But I like it when people look at me, that's why I'm funny looking.

[Drivermod]

Good deal. Go get em Mike!