Sporty Cars, Racing, Tires, Etc.

[SpaceBus]

Someone suggested a thread, so here it is! Before we moved to Maine and started the "homstead life" I was really into cars, bikes, racing, etc. I've had a few fast cars, and some slow ones that went really fast. These days if I'm spinning tires it's because my tractor lost traction in mud. We still have a sporty car, Fiat 500 Abarth, and it's perfect for me now. Our roads are too rough to go really fast, and I'm an adrenaline junkie and can't seem to drive a fast car/bike very slowly.

Here are some of my favorites over the years. I used to be very active and competitive in SCCA autocross, but I've also taken my cars to "run what you brung" nights at drag strips. (The black S2000 belonged to a friend and we split tires for a season that I unfortunately wasn't able to finish anyway). This isn't all of the cars I've had, I'm bad at taking pictures of things, half of these photos were taken by other people. I traded the Yamaha and Mach 1 for my current dually and sold the Miata for parts after the engine died and I ran out of time to do a fun swap. That Miata deserved a better life, I got better raw times with that car than people driving high spec Mustangs and Camaros. I was pretty competitive locally before life got in the way of racing. When I sold the Mach 1 it had big 18x10" wheels and fat summer tires.

 

[EbS-P]

I have never purchased a set of summer tires let alone performance tires. Sportiest car I ever drove before the X was a 1963 MG midget. I regularly park next to a BMW X7 M competition sitting on nearly bald Michelin Pilot sport (4s maybe) and. Can’t help but think really “probably have never even put the pedal to the floor”.

Now after having to shop for a set of tires for nearly 6000# SUV with lots of power I went with very vanilla tires. Not really fitting of the performance the vehicle is capable of, but neither were the OEM tires. So what am I leaving on the table for a heavy SUV. I get for another 6-800$ I could get more traction and sacrifice tread life. Is does the perfect sport tire exist?

 

[semipro]

One of the most fun, and reasonably priced, cars I've ever driven was a supercharged Miata with better tires and shocks, nothing more. The roughly 50% increase in HP with improved handling made that car a blast on our curvy Virginia mountain roads.
That's saying something too as I've driven a lot of very sporty cars having worked as a mechanic in various european specialty shops.
I used to autocross a woefully underpowered Triumph Spitfire. We also had a car club in college that headed to the Texas back roads for some rather illicit drag racing, and cross-country rallies - great times!

 

[SpaceBus]

One of the most fun, and reasonably priced, cars I've ever driven was a supercharged Miata with better tires and shocks, nothing more. The roughly 50% increase in HP with improved handling made that car a blast on our curvy Virginia mountain roads.
That's saying something too as I've driven a lot of very sporty cars having worked as a mechanic in various european specialty shops.
I used to autocross a woefully underpowered Triumph Spitfire. We also had a car club in college that headed to the Texas back roads for some rather illicit drag racing, and cross-country rallies - great times!

Miatas with more grip and more power are always fun. Some of my friends that thought they were fast had some performance cars, but couldn't keep up with my Miata with no power upgrades in the curvy roads. I put a better suspension, bushings, bracing, engine mounts, diff mounts, larger/lighter aluminum radiator (that still didn't save it from "hot lapping" at the end of an autocross day), 9" wide wheels, and fat tires. I noticed heading to an event that power was down and my crank case was pressurized when I got there. Got a compression tester hooked up and only sad things after that. That's when I started driving the S2K at events, but then life got even crazier. I actually rebuilt the engine during my engine class, but never put it back in the car.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have never purchased a set of summer tires let alone performance tires. Sportiest car I ever drove before the X was a 1963 MG midget. I regularly park next to a BMW X7 M competition sitting on nearly bald Michelin Pilot sport (4s maybe) and. Can’t help but think really “probably have never even put the pedal to the floor”.

Now after having to shop for a set of tires for nearly 6000# SUV with lots of power I went with very vanilla tires. Not really fitting of the performance the vehicle is capable of, but neither were the OEM tires. So what am I leaving on the table for a heavy SUV. I get for another 6-800$ I could get more traction and sacrifice tread life. Is does the perfect sport tire exist?

I'm impressed with the Hankook Ventus V2 "concept" all season tires that I picked for the Abarth. At least as much grip as the original tires and much better in wear. Admittedly we barely drive anymore, so who knows how long these tires will last. We still have the winter tires I bought and mounted in 2018 before we moved up here to Maine. Hankook also used to, or maybe does again, make a competitive race tire. Their performance oriented summer and all season tires are respectable.

While the Tesla is probably more fun with some proper summer tires, I think some sporty all seasons would probably suit you fine. If you don't hear tortured screams from the tires that are on it now, as long as they meet your criteria for wear, comfort, and noise, then you should be good to go. Generally speaking I will not repeat the OEM tire, as they never perform or last as long as equally or lower priced alternatives. I suspect there are other criteria used when selecting an OEM tire, and I don't think tread life and grip are at the top of the priorities for manufacturers/dealers.

When I'm feeling froggy I can get the Firestone winter tires to scream since they are narrower than the summer set, but they hang in there pretty well for a winter tire, at least when it's cold out. They are pretty close to a mid level summer tire in feel and grip when it's 30f.

 

[bholler]

I'm impressed with the Hankook Ventus V2 "concept" all season tires that I picked for the Abarth. At least as much grip as the original tires and much better in wear. Admittedly we barely drive anymore, so who knows how long these tires will last. We still have the winter tires I bought and mounted in 2018 before we moved up here to Maine. Hankook also used to, or maybe does again, make a competitive race tire. Their performance oriented summer and all season tires are respectable.

While the Tesla is probably more fun with some proper summer tires, I think some sporty all seasons would probably suit you fine. If you don't hear tortured screams from the tires that are on it now, as long as they meet your criteria for wear, comfort, and noise, then you should be good to go. Generally speaking I will not repeat the OEM tire, as they never perform or last as long as equally or lower priced alternatives. I suspect there are other criteria used when selecting an OEM tire, and I don't think tread life and grip are at the top of the priorities for manufacturers/dealers.

When I'm feeling froggy I can get the Firestone winter tires to scream since they are narrower than the summer set, but they hang in there pretty well for a winter tire, at least when it's cold out. They are pretty close to a mid level summer tire in feel and grip when it's 30f.

I am running ventus tires on our 2000 Miata same color as yours. It's the special edition with the 6 speed limited slip and strut tower brace. Lots of fun. Not as fast as some other stuff I have had but the most fun

 

[bholler]

Headed to the Miata junkyard near us in the next few weeks for some parts to make it look better. And hopefully a roll bar just because it should have one.

 

[bholler]

My 98 eclipse gsx was almost as fun as the Miata. Definitely faster but there is just something about rear wheel drive that makes it more fun. I had wide sumitomos on that in the summer. Can't remember the make but they were sticky as hell. But because of that wore out really fast. Well that and my driving

 

[SpaceBus]

Headed to the Miata junkyard near us in the next few weeks for some parts to make it look better. And hopefully a roll bar just because it should have one.

Be careful on the roll bar. Most of those hoops are just for show. There used to be only two or three reputable roll bar companies for Miatas. Further you don't want a roll bar without buckets, harnesses, and helmets, or you risk slamming your head into the bar in a fender bender. The NC (06-15) Miatas have an integrated rollover protection, but it's always questionable adding a roll bar to an NA/NB (89-05) street Miata.

Your particular year and package is one of my favorite factory Miatas, and one of the most competitive in stock form. It's almost the same color as mine! Originally my car had a "Camel" tan interior, but the lighter tan on the 2000 SE is so much better. I wouldn't have gone to black carpet and cloth seats if the 95 M edition had that lighter tan.

Next time you need tires, get a set of these: (broken link removed)
You will never stop smiling. I had 225's on my 9" wide wheels and I could take the tightest cloverleaves at 80+ MPH.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Yeah, those Miata's are some great handling cars. Not much for power, but they handled great. They are so small/light with very low center of gravity.

Here are my two, both of which I still have. I don't drive them much anymore though.

'00 Firehawk and '08 Vette

 

[SpaceBus]

Yeah, those Miata's are some great handling cars. Not much for power, but they handled great. They are so small/light with very low center of gravity.

Here are my two, both of which I still have. I don't drive them much anymore though.

'00 Firehawk and '08 Vette


View attachment 296222

That '00 Firehawk is a nice piece! There were not many of those made. Definitely the better looker between it and the Camaro. The C6 is none too shabby either! It looks like the Firehawk has some pretty wide tires.

 

[JRHAWK9]

That '00 Firehawk is a nice piece! There were not many of those made. Definitely the better looker between it and the Camaro.

Thanks. I ordered it in Spring of '99 from Jay Pontiac in Bedford, OH. None of the dealerships around me could guarantee me one due to allocations or something of the like. I was told of Jay Pontiac by someone else who had placed an order for one. I did everything via internet and phone.

In '04 I took a ride back to Jay Pontiac and re-visited the dealership. I pulled up and one of the salesman walks by and asks (as he points to my car), "is this one of ours?" I told him it was and that I was the guy who has yet to meet my salesman (the day I took delivery he had some family thing going on) and did everything over email/phone. He says, "oh, I remember that, you were the internet guy?!". LOL Just so happens my salesman was not working that day either.

Notice the license plate on this photo. Junior has been my nickname since second grade and was given to me by a kid who ended up being killed while we were in HS. My Firehawk is the 9th one made in '00.

It looks like the Firehawk has some pretty wide tires.

295's....

 

[SpaceBus]

Thanks. I ordered it in Spring of '99 from Jay Pontiac in Bedford, OH. None of the dealerships around me could guarantee me one due to allocations or something of the like. I was told of Jay Pontiac by someone else who had placed an order for one. I did everything via internet and phone.

In '04 I took a ride back to Jay Pontiac and re-visited the dealership. I pulled up and one of the salesman walks by and asks (as he points to my car), "is this one of ours?" I told him it was and that I was the guy who has yet to meet my salesman (the day I took delivery he had some family thing going on) and did everything over email/phone. He says, "oh, I remember that, you were the internet guy?!". LOL Just so happens my salesman was not working that day either.

Notice the license plate on this photo. Junior has been my nickname since second grade and was given to me by a kid who ended up being killed while we were in HS. My Firehawk is the 9th one made in '00.

View attachment 296226



295's....

View attachment 296227

Nice, I had 295's on the back of my Challenger and 275's up front. The Firehawk is probably one of my favorite American cars. I may even like it more than a Challenger or Corvette. I mean, the WS6 T/A was nothing to sneeze at, but the Firehawk is another level.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Nice, I had 295's on the back of my Challenger and 275's up front. The Firehawk is probably one of my favorite American cars. I may even like it more than a Challenger or Corvette. I mean, the WS6 T/A was nothing to sneeze at, but the Firehawk is another level.

That's my setup too, 295's on the rear and 275's up front. I've never cared for the WS6 hood....just too bulbous and looks too "afterthought-ish" to me. If one ordered the optional Bilstein suspension with the Firehawk, it lowered the car a bit too over the WS6. It's pretty easy to tell on a Firehawk which one has the Bilstein and which one doesn't. I do have it. I guess they are progressive rate Eibach springs made to SLP specs.

The Vette has CCW wheels and has 305's in the rear and 265's up front. John at CCW is a master of getting wheels to fit. I can run the ZO6 setup (325R/275F) if I wanted to without the wider fenders the ZO6 has.

-HERE'S- a short video a co-worker took of it a few years ago when I took it to work....which I typically don't do. It has American Racing LT headers with high flow cats. The car has the factory NPP option, so I have a remote that I can leave the exhaust open at all times....like it is in this video. This is stock mufflers with the flaps open.

 

[SpaceBus]

That's my setup too, 295's on the rear and 275's up front. I've never cared for the WS6 hood....just too bulbous and looks too "afterthought-ish" to me. If one ordered the optional Bilstein suspension with the Firehawk, it lowered the car a bit too over the WS6. It's pretty easy to tell on a Firehawk which one has the Bilstein and which one doesn't. I do have it. I guess they are progressive rate Eibach springs made to SLP specs.

The Vette has CCW wheels and has 305's in the rear and 265's up front. John at CCW is a master of getting wheels to fit. I can run the ZO6 setup (325R/275F) if I wanted to without the wider fenders the ZO6 has.

-HERE'S- a short video a co-worker took of it a few years ago when I took it to work....which I typically don't do. It has American Racing LT headers with high flow cats. The car has the factory NPP option, so I have a remote that I can leave the exhaust open at all times....like it is in this video. This is stock mufflers with the flaps open.

Nice.

A lot of guys at autocross who drove American cars liked CCW, especially the 'vette and mustang drivers.

Are they both six speeds? Sounds like the C6 has a nice cam.

My SRT8 was a six speed and I installed a catch can, oil cooler, front and rear damper tower braces, stainless brake lines, and I had a shop do the long tubes, high flow cats, and a custom tune. The car already had Mopar branded cold air intake (AFE) and catback exhaust (Corsa) and sounded pretty good when I bought it.

Here are some hoodlum videos I made years ago.

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[SpaceBus]

@Ashful

post some pics of your ride!

 

[JRHAWK9]

Nice.

A lot of guys at autocross who drove American cars liked CCW, especially the 'vette and mustang drivers.

Are they both six speeds? Sounds like the C6 has a nice cam.

My SRT8 was a six speed and I installed a catch can, oil cooler, front and rear damper tower braces, stainless brake lines, and I had a shop do the long tubes, high flow cats, and a custom tune. The car already had Mopar branded cold air intake (AFE) and catback exhaust (Corsa) and sounded pretty good when I bought it.

Here are some hoodlum videos I made years ago.

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freakin sweet!

Yep, both 6 speeds. No cam in the C6, just has a nice cold idle....wish is stayed like that when it warmed up! LOL I have catch cans on both.

I've got quite a bit of stuff done to the Firehawk. I did the long tubes myself on the Vette. It's also tuned.

I could be retired by now if I would have stuck all the $$ into the market vs into cars when I was younger. That was not my mindset when I was younger though.

 

[SpaceBus]

freakin sweet!

Yep, both 6 speeds. No cam in the C6, just has a nice cold idle....wish is stayed like that when it warmed up! LOL I have catch cans on both.

I've got quite a bit of stuff done to the Firehawk.

I could be retired by now if I would have stuck all the $$ into the market vs into cars when I was younger. That was not my mindset when I was younger though.

You aren't kidding, I spent some dough on car parts, entry fees, and fuel over the years! I still put upgraded parts on our current vehicles when they break, but I'm not going out of my way anymore.

 

[bholler]

Be careful on the roll bar. Most of those hoops are just for show. There used to be only two or three reputable roll bar companies for Miatas. Further you don't want a roll bar without buckets, harnesses, and helmets, or you risk slamming your head into the bar in a fender bender. The NC (06-15) Miatas have an integrated rollover protection, but it's always questionable adding a roll bar to an NA/NB (89-05) street Miata.

Your particular year and package is one of my favorite factory Miatas, and one of the most competitive in stock form. It's almost the same color as mine! Originally my car had a "Camel" tan interior, but the lighter tan on the 2000 SE is so much better. I wouldn't have gone to black carpet and cloth seats if the 95 M edition had that lighter tan.

Next time you need tires, get a set of these: (broken link removed)
You will never stop smiling. I had 225's on my 9" wide wheels and I could take the tightest cloverleaves at 80+ MPH.

Yeah I know most of them are "style bars" unless they have the hard dog one I want that is set back a little further to avoid hitting it I won't get one I will just make one. And yes it will have padding.

 

[SpaceBus]

I always wanted the Boss Frogg double hoop, but never got around to it.

 

[EbS-P]

You know the best thing about the roll bar we had in the Midget? Not having to bend over to push it when it wouldn’t start That and I’m not sure all the bondo would have held up to all the pushing.

 

[SpaceBus]

You know the best thing about the roll bar we had in the Midget? Not having to bend over to push it when it wouldn’t start That and I’m not sure all the bondo would have held up to all the pushing.

I know a guy with three B's and a couple of midgets.

 

[EbS-P]

I’m going to have to unsubscribe from this thread. It’s giving me to many ideas for projects I don’t need.

I do wonder where/what all the sports car enthusiasts will end up with in 10 years. A Model three performance that does 0-60 in 3 sec and an 11.5 sec 1/4 mile and is a daily driver with a warranty and one of the most efficient cars available. A sticker price of $63k is steep. But what would it take to get a camery Impreza or accord to a sub 12 sec 1/4.

New model S plaid is sub 10 sec 1/4 for only $140k. I find it Amazing.

 

[SpaceBus]

I’m going to have to unsubscribe from this thread. It’s giving me to many ideas for projects I don’t need.

I do wonder where/what all the sports car enthusiasts will end up with in 10 years. A Model three performance that does 0-60 in 3 sec and an 11.5 sec 1/4 mile and is a daily driver with a warranty and one of the most efficient cars available. A sticker price of $63k is steep. But what would it take to get a camery Impreza or accord to a sub 12 sec 1/4.

New model S plaid is sub 10 sec 1/4 for only $140k. I find it Amazing.

I'm excited for old cars converted to electric drivetrains. Especially cars that were beautiful but unreliable, parts unavailable, etc.

 

[bholler]

I know a guy with three B's and a couple of midgets.

We had an a for a while. I sold that. Still have another one complete without any drive line sitting as a pile of parts in dry storage