[John Boelte]

Hi folks! I was recently bitten by the "Let's build a race car" bug. I'm looking at a 3rd gen that's already gutted. I'm thinking about using a mild 350 (read inexpensive), TH350 trans, stock 9 bolt rear, and focus on suspension and brakes. Since it's already gutted, I was thinking about putting in a weld in roll cage and race seats. It's a T-Top car, would a cage help there? Would there be other issues related to T-Tops I should be concerned about?

It looks like this is the type of forum I was looking for. Are there any links to other build sites or forums where I can find more information on building up a race car? Thanks!

[Rob Hood]

Hi John, welcome aboard and Merry Christmas!

Your buildup plans sound ok overall, but if it were me, I'd swap in a manual trans for better performance and durability. Automatics are OK, but are not the preferred choice of transmissions for roadracing or autocrossing.

Also, if you plan to race in a specific classification or category, you may want to read the class rules first before buying some components. That may save you some headaches later on. Most people on this board race under SCCA or NASA guidelines. Even if you don't plan on racing in a specific category, the safety section in either sanctioning body's rulebook would be a great reference to use for your buildup so you won't get turned away at your first event.

Take some time and read through the various sections of this site. Most of the sections contain permanent threads ("stickies") that have commonly used or requested info. That will help you when you start posting with requests for more specific information or topic discussion.

Enjoy! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)