Where should i start? Need some help..

[79TA97TT]

Hello,
Ok Well i just got a 79 T/A 6.6. I'm not going to lie when i say i know nothing about V8's. I think i wanna get into some Autocross and a lil drag too. Motor is rebuilt and i don't have all the spec. right now. But what should i start on if i wanna start Auto crossing? Don't know a lot about what people are doing these days for suspension on the older v8's. If you could just point me in the right direction that would be great!

[79TA97TT]

Also i don't mind spending a lil money to get the right stuff!
Thanks again everyone!

[MyFriendScott]

Hey 79TA, start by reading through 3 years back on the suspension section here to see what people are doing for suspensions. That'll give you a good introduction into what's going on. Many people will say if you want to autocross, start by making the car reliable and safe. Then work on your driving skills. After that, it's your choice where you put your money. Since you mentioned the motor is rebuilt, then you can probably look into lowering the car and upgrading the brakes next. Just keep in mind, the dollars spent gain you back less and less improvement for the price once you get past the basics.

[NOT A TA]

Hello,
I think i wanna get into some Autocross and a lil drag too. But what should i start on if i wanna start Auto crossing? If you could just point me in the right direction that would be great!

I would start with driver training. Find out where and when the local Auto X and dragstrips are. Go there and check it out. You can do both with a stock car. Whether it's your TA or another car. You bought the car to drive and have fun right? So go do it, upgrade as you learn.

[ROBS6T8]

I agree with everyone else. But to point you in a direction start with the suspension goodies. Shocks will play a big one in handling and ride comfort. One of the cheaper suspension goodies. Then comes the control arms and springs. Getting a lil' pricier. Then the tire and wheel package. Some bigger meat with more tire on the pavement will help also. It depends on your goals. Have a list of what you want to do and stick with it. Did I say make a list? It will save you some money in the long run. Most of all, get out and enjoy it.

[Vicinity]

You can autocross a stock car.

Bang for buck factor, shocks/springs, UCA, balljoints, p/s (if you don't have it) and probably SFC with solid mounts.

Brakes and wheels should probably be done, eventually as well.

[SLO_Z28]

Tire control how much grip potential your car ultimately has, and are the single most important thing on a car. Get good tires and go out and use the car, take some driver courses and get some experience. Pay attention to what the fast guys are doing, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

The biggest improvement to any car is the nut behind the wheel!

[MuscleRodz]

All points above are great. Parts choices can be just as confusing to a new guy. Level of abilities and or pocket book will play into your choice of parts will be. One of the companies at the top of the food chain for performance musclecar suspensions is Detroit Speed. They are always at the top of the list at every event they attend. This is a 79 Formula we just completed with all their top of line suspension parts. Handling is very predictable, and the ride is as good or better than a C6 Corvette.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Speedtech, Ridetech, Hotchkis, etc, also have great choices depending on what your goals are. More questions you ask the better. Also do a search on this forum, many of your questions have probably already been answered. Good luck

[79TA97TT]

Well Thanks for all the info! I guess you all are right and just do it!

[srh3trinity]

This question has slowed me down on my project. I am of the mindset that you should spend cash on your toys and until my money situation turns around that is what I am doing. I am trying to do projects one at a time and build a nice car system by system. Now I have started to think that if I am going to tear into the front brakes, I might as well do the suspension, and then I might as well do the new master cylinder, and then I might as well go ahead and pull the sheetmetal off and do the engine swap. I am thinking about pulling back the reins and focusing on the body again and invest some sweat equity into getting that cleaned up, finish the interior, and get it running with the ole Pontiac 350 that is in there. Then I will drive it and see where I want to start spending my money. If you want my original punch list for my 74 Firebird, it goes as follows:
Subframe connectors and G-braces and body bushings
Tubular Uppers and new Bushings for the lowers
New springs/shocks vs. coilovers
IROC steering box/Steering system rebuild
C5 Master Cylinder and C6 Z51 brakes (sitting in the basement)
LQ4/LS3 head Motor swap w/ 4L60E (sitting in the basement)
Then I am going to make the best decision about which rear end setup to go with. Each year there seems to be a new setup or two coming out for the Second Gen. DSE, G-bar, Heidts, Hotchkis TVS, etc. and now the Torque Arm setups from BMR, Speed Tech, Jakes and now Hotchkis has a new system coming out. That is going to be my biggest investment other than the engine swap, so I am going to see which system comes out on top in the next 12-18 months.
Maybe that will help you plan out your build. I don't want to do things over and over again or take things apart more than once. I also don't want to settle on a part here or there now knowing that my money situation will change dramatically in the next year or two when I finish residency.
When I do have a little extra cash, I follow ebay and the boards for the best deals I can find on the next piece. Right now, the bottle neck is the tubular uppers, if I had those, then I would really get interested in going through that punch list above.

[79TA97TT]

Thanks and i'll let you know.
Ya i understand where ur coming from. B/c really if your going to do one thing you might wanna just wait and do other things as well. Some many lil choices to make. I think 1st off i'm going to do a nice set of wheels then move to Front brakes and suspension. I love all types of cars just don't know enough about the older classic's..So that's why i made quick Thread to kinda see if other people have done and if it's worth it. So i guess i'm just going to go step by step and see where i'll end up. It's just going to be hard b/c i'm going to be upgrading both of my cars and they are completely different. So a lot of overtime and car parts soon on there way :)
Thanks again everyone for the info!

[MrQuick]

Great points from everyone.

I would say get a game plan together. Do some research like you are. Try to choose add ons that will compliment and address problem areas. For instance, you know you will have inadequate braking. So keep that in mind when choosing your rims and tires. Plan it right and you will not spend money twice.

One point I would like to make is your car already has a great foundation. You have a nice ratio box, tall spindles, beefy control arms and I assume big swar bars front and rear. Putting a front end overhaul and a good quality shock replacment should be first on the list. Followed by rims, tires and big brakes. Little things like better seats and seat belts can make a huge difference in how you drive your car. Also, don't take on a large project that will keep you out of driving for very long. Do little jobs and keep it going.

I know you mentioned a rebuilt engine but how are your motor and transmission mounts? Auto x and drag racing will put them through thier paces in a fast way.

Start getting the car safe and tight then put some tracks under your belt. Not sure where you are in CA but getting to a road course for a drivers class would be a good thing.

Hope to see you out on the track.

[MuscleRodz]

before you choose wheels, choose your brakes. some wheels won't fit over some brakes

[79TA97TT]

The wheels i'm going to buy are the Newer Snowflake wheels from Year One. But ya i'm going to check into the brakes as well. Might just do both at the same time. Would you happen to have any good brake choice ideas?

[79TA97TT]

I'm thinking about running Yr One Snowflakes in Gold to match the car. 17x9 Fronts and the 18x10 rears? Do you guys think that will look nice?

[Trevon]

I have a '78 that I would like to get more into auto-x'ing and future track days... I'm starting with the suspension (www.pro-touringf-body.com is where I will be getting pretty much everything -- real good prices and everything for f-bodies). Going with pretty much their entire suspension and wilwood brakes, and as of now Rushforth Night Trains. Some is probably overkill for my current application, but I want to get to some RTT* events in the future. After doing my (only 1...) autocross with a basically stock T/A (olds 455 is pretty much the only "mod"), it is still great fun and I learned quite a bit about how my car acts. There is always room for improvement when it comes to driving (I am learning quickly) and everyone on here will tell you that.

As MuscleRodz said a few posts ago, I originally wanted 17 in the front and 18 in the rear till I learned that when my brakes are upgraded they will not likely fit in a 17" rim (I know they won't fit in the night trains). You might be luckier with those snowflakes, but I would find someone that already has upgraded brakes and 17" snowflakes to check clearance.

General consensus I've found (and what I'm doing) is working from the ground up to the engine. I was going to do brakes and wheels first, but I am going to get all my suspension stuff first and get the wheels and tires as soon as the money comes in, then I'm going to put it all together at once (current time frame is to have this all done by next May). That's just me but I think it is what most would say as well; but I'm very new to the PT scene, there is much much more experience here.

[79TA97TT]

Thanks! That was very helpful you have not idea! I'll start calling around and figure out a starting point and start from there. I'll keep everyone updated to let you know what i'm going to do. I'll start a building thread and thanks for all the great info guys!

[MrQuick]

I'm thinking about running Yr One Snowflakes in Gold to match the car. 17x9 Fronts and the 18x10 rears? Do you guys think that will look nice?

i would stick with 18's all the way around. I ran a 17/18 combo and it didn't look or feel right. too much of a difference

[79TA97TT]

Ok i'm thanks for the heads up!

[79TA97TT]

i would stick with 18's all the way around. I ran a 17/18 combo and it didn't look or feel right. too much of a difference

Ya Just ordered a set From Yr. One! 18's all round..Now i have to wait 3+week's

[Hotchkis]

This question has slowed me down on my project. I am of the mindset that you should spend cash on your toys and until my money situation turns around that is what I am doing. I am trying to do projects one at a time and build a nice car system by system. Now I have started to think that if I am going to tear into the front brakes, I might as well do the suspension, and then I might as well do the new master cylinder, and then I might as well go ahead and pull the sheetmetal off and do the engine swap. I am thinking about pulling back the reins and focusing on the body again and invest some sweat equity into getting that cleaned up, finish the interior, and get it running with the ole Pontiac 350 that is in there. Then I will drive it and see where I want to start spending my money. If you want my original punch list for my 74 Firebird, it goes as follows:
Subframe connectors and G-braces and body bushings
Tubular Uppers and new Bushings for the lowers
New springs/shocks vs. coilovers
IROC steering box/Steering system rebuild
C5 Master Cylinder and C6 Z51 brakes (sitting in the basement)
LQ4/LS3 head Motor swap w/ 4L60E (sitting in the basement)
Then I am going to make the best decision about which rear end setup to go with. Each year there seems to be a new setup or two coming out for the Second Gen. DSE, G-bar, Heidts, Hotchkis TVS, etc. and now the Torque Arm setups from BMR, Speed Tech, Jakes and now Hotchkis has a new system coming out. That is going to be my biggest investment other than the engine swap, so I am going to see which system comes out on top in the next 12-18 months.
Maybe that will help you plan out your build. I don't want to do things over and over again or take things apart more than once. I also don't want to settle on a part here or there now knowing that my money situation will change dramatically in the next year or two when I finish residency.
When I do have a little extra cash, I follow ebay and the boards for the best deals I can find on the next piece. Right now, the bottle neck is the tubular uppers, if I had those, then I would really get interested in going through that punch list above.


SRH3Trinity – MrQuick is right. Get a plan and stick to it. Once you deviate from a plan, you start spending money 2 or 3 times and the cost of your project goes up exponentially. That’s where the hard part comes in…making a plan you can stick to. We feel your pain. Been there, done that. Every aspect seems to affect another. :)

[srh3trinity]

SRH3Trinity – MrQuick is right. Get a plan and stick to it. Once you deviate from a plan, you start spending money 2 or 3 times and the cost of your project goes up exponentially. That’s where the hard part comes in…making a plan you can stick to. We feel your pain. Been there, done that. Every aspect seems to affect another. :)
That is why I am going slow and doing things that I can do for now that won't have to be re-done later. That is also why I am buying my rear suspension setup up last when I can afford what I want/need. I am really interested in seeing what you guys came up with that Mary has on her car. When will pricing be available?