18 ZL1 A10 track upgrades
 

My car so far...

- 1LE aero = done
- Aggresive Street / Track alignment = pending
- 19" 1LE reps & SuperCar-R tires

I'm still LEARNING how to drive, with only about 20 hours of seat time total between my S2000 & ZL1 but I'm still a CAR guy and I like to mod and make changes. I'm also, a bit of a Waxer guy..

What could be done next to improve handling but not compromise drivability?

- Adjustable rear sway bar (1LE)
// Not sure if I need this, most people are leaving the bar in the neutral setting on the track, which is where I'd want it with my skill set. What are the options out there?

- Lowering Springs
// What are the market options? I see BMR, Eibach and AFE (formally pfat)

Which Spring is recommended for MY use case? I'm thinking AFE
Is there any type of real track advantage or is it purely looks? (thinking the former)


Open to constructive input and before anyone says #DriverMod, I have acquired a driving Coach as my Laptimes have plateaued on Circuit of the Americas and it's time to dive deeper into the fundamentals this year.

As most of HPDE day instructors would tell you, the best upgrade you can do to your car is 'nut behind the wheel'.
I understand you want to make your car faster, handle better, etc... but since you said you only have 20 hours of seat time, and have wheels/tires/brakes all ready for track (you will have brake fluid flushed, right?), I would suggest that you do at least a few track days with your car with current setup, and "feel" where you want to upgrade.

ZL1s are amazing track car as it is. Instead of spending tons of money on upgrades on it now, I would say learn your car and track first, and when you start noticing things that need to be corrected, that's the time to ask 'how to improve/correct the situation' instead of asking 'what to upgrade' to make your already fast car faster. (e.g. you have mid-corner understeer that you want to dial out, or back end feels too loose, etc....)

I don't mean to be a disrespectful a$$ here at all. My intention is far from it. I give this same advice to my close friends too.
And for the record, I'm not trying to act like 'I know it all' either. After 12 years of having fun on track, I know there is ALWAYS someone faster than I am and someone who know whole lot more than I do.

Go out, have fun, and BE SAFE!! :thumb:

I assume if you are running 1LE 19" replicas you are running the 1LE tire sizes. Any rubbing/fitment issues with the MRC suspension?

I was planning on switching the suspension to the 1LE DSSV components until I saw the threads on the DSC MRC suspension control unit. It is plug n' play easy swap. I now plan on that route.

You will need some sort of telemetry/data recording once you reach a certain skill level to truly improve laptime. 20hrs isn’t much I’m sure you have a lot of skill to work up to (we all do!).

In the mean time, even Harry’s lap timer app for your phone (buy the “expensive” version that’s like $40-50). It’s accurate w/in 0.010 second per lap.....but it will monitor your braking points, min and maximum speeds through each corner/straight etc. it can also sync with an OBD2 scanner to overlap throttle/brake/rpm inputs, and also overlays to go pro.

Once you are ready to spend more there are better units like AIM Solo, and others out there.

While I appreciate the guidance, I guess you didn't fully read my post and went straight to advise mode.

"Open to constructive input and before anyone says #DriverMod, I have acquired a driving Coach as my Laptimes have plateaued on Circuit of the Americas and it's time to dive deeper into the fundamentals this year."

I'm just looking for a bit of input on what springs / sways people go with if they modify. Maybe it's camber plates? However, the fact that I took the time to cover that I have a driving coach and I'm working on my driving...there was no need to point this out again. I agree with you, seat time and coaching is key but then again...why didn't I stay in my S2000 or for that matter sell my S2000 and get a Miata and pour hours and hours and hours into Track time and become a pro? Well I guess I'm just enjoying my life and having fun, getting into this hobby at a sustainable pace so I can enjoy it for Life. However, I'm not willing to compromise myself and stop driving powerful / awesome cars I love in the process...the one thing I don't have is unlimited time to spend on track, in fact..probably like you, I have a lot more MONEY than I do time...so sometimes that manifests itself in upgrades or car upgrades...like going from an S2000 after 6 months to a ZL1.

Right, I am purchasing an AIM Solo from a friend who is upgrading to the latest. Agree, getting clean data is a very important element for my Coach and me to improve my skill set. I have HLT/10hz GPS unit from my S2000 but was going to just move up to AIM now that I'm a bit more serious.

Skim around this guys channel. He has some great videos for utilizing data to reduce lap time:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=BGvw2II80VI

I'd wait for the DSC MRC controller to get the bugs all worked out before purchasing. A friend of mine runs it on his GS and has had nothing but challenges with their software and constant software upgrades.

I'll let you know if I have a fitment issue with an aggressive laser/street alignment and the replica rims. They are .5" thinner and have 5mm of additional positive offset for the very purpose of fitting on the mag ride car...should be fine.

Fastest guys currently in SCCA in 6th Gen are these guys. You want your car setup? Call them. Yes they too will tell you seat time NOT HP!

http://www.phoenixperformance.net/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPg4bJwi9Oc&t=479s

My god...these guys are fast.

My god...I didn't ask for advice on more seat time as I already know that is step one and acknowledge that in my post.

My god...I wasn't looking for added HP guidance and didn't ask for guidance on power mods.

My god...YES, I DID MY TPS reports LUMBERG!

My god...Road Racing people are arrogant AF, a well-known problem, and a huge turn off as you get into the sport.

I did read your post, and what I suggested was not just go get some more seat time. What I suggested was you get to know your car better before changing anything, then find out which area (of the car) YOU want to improve. I know you said you have a driving coach, but he is not going to drive the car for you. You would want to find out the set up that would work best for your driving skill and style.

I guess you didn't like what I told you and felt it was arrogant. Well,, like I said that wasn't my intention at all, but I can't tell you how to feel about it.

Good luck with your mod, and track days.

She (my driving coach) will be helping me learn to drive the car, yes and I am aware she won't be driving for me. Appreciate your attempt to help, I don't think you're wrong on any of it....you don't want to change the equation over and over as you learn the car. The thing is, I'm trying to get the car fully setup the way I think I want it to start there... I've driven the car on COTA with a street tire. I'm going back with more down force, a more aggressive alignment, a colbalt brake pad and a different tire configuration so those two changes alone will change a LOT of the dynamic of the car. So let's make the rest of the changes that most people do NOW vs halfway through 2018.

I'd leave it static after that, well that was my thought.

Probably the main thing I would change is a spring and I'd say 90% of that at my skill level is for looks, but hey I am a nerd I guess.

What wheels did you acquire? Where from?

How do you think you want it? Serious question.

I'll save some time and give you my next reply. What does the car do that you wish it didn't? What does the car not do that you wish it did?