Lowered PT on Track

[PTGT_Boy]

Thought this web-site was interesting in regards of handling.


http://www.classically-modern.com/pt...er_gallery.htm

[PTGT_Boy]

If you want to save the videos or pics, just right click on the hyperlinks and save target as.

[sakigt]

Thats tight!! Great find! [^]

[Mike-in-Orange]

On another forum I asked the driver of the car in the video about it. He's got a Euro spec 2.0L N/A motor and had no problem hanging with the guys in Caterhams and such (Caterhams are basically Lotus Super 7's) in the twisties, but they pulled away on the long straights. The only suspension mods he's done are lowering springs....that's it! Now imagine a Stage 1 Turbo with coilovers and f/r antisway bars

And those Mini Cooper guys say a PT doesn't handle!! The guys in the Caterhams must have been stunned!

[sakigt]

The best mod you can do for your car for autocrossing is paying $500 or so and going to driving school. [^]

[Mike-in-Orange]

Excellent point SakiGT.....man, I would love to do that someday.

[gamman]

What? I can't believe the car can do that. Has anyone else ever done that? I have a bmw that I was planning on being a dedicated race car, but why bother when this can do almost as well as a srt4 or such.

FWIW, neons have tons of body roll, I followed one on a track day and the guy had a hipo suspension, the trunk was still at a 45' angle while we followed him around a major sweeper. The neon was stock, 150hp?, and my friends bmw had a jackson racing supercharger with a dynoed 192hp at the wheels, and he couldn't lose the car later when he was following (and we passed m3's). Body roll, while it looks & feels bad, isn't necessarily a bad thing (cause the tires are still gripping).

Ger.

[Mike-in-Orange]

gamman, you're spot about body roll vs grip. If a car sticks to the road like it was nailed down, who cares if it leans? The PT in the video was leaning pretty good too, which is no real surprise. But as you know, on a road course the drivers ability has a huge impact on lap times. Power to weight ratio is a huge factor as well. Your friends car has 40 or so extra HP, but how much more weight is he carrying?

The particular Neon in question though - was it really a stock base Neon or was it an SRT-4? If the latter, he's packing 240HP and a limited slip dif if it's an '04. I just can't imagine a stock Neon outpulling an M3! Even the guy with the PT in the video said he couldn't keep up with the lighter, faster cars on the straights.

I so badly want a set of Eibach antisways on my car now I can taste it!

[JPMS GT]

Mike, you and me need to head down to PTTuning to see if we can get a deal on Eibachs! Willow Springs here we come! [8)]

[gamman]

Hey guys,

We passed the M3's, but that was more driver skill (and craziness) related. I don't know if the neon passed them.

It should be known that is was one of those test and tunes where you were only allowed to pass on the straights. The neon only lost out on the end of the straight. It was 3 years ago, so no chance of srt, etc. We talked to the guy afterwards, quite nice, but young. Stock engine. He drove this car as his personal car, and I have seen it on the road, cause he has all those stickers on it.

Oh, now I remember what I was going to say, my friend had Ponzetas, whereas the incredible leaning neon had either pure slicks or very racy rubber, and he changed to them once he got to the track. He did have lightweight wheels, those white 7 spokes Kosei R1's. (I want to get some for the PT now, imagine losing 10lbs on each wheel)

So, a perfectly set-up vehicle (not that expensive) and racy rubber can conquer much superior machinery with stock suspensions and rubber.
[8)]