NB vs NC
#21
Another thing to consider. Should the worst happen and you ball up the car. the NB can be stretched, pulled, and massaged back into shape even if its REALLY bad. The NC, gets "lightly" tapped and you need a new tub. According to a local shop that rents both out for for road racing (and s2ks and RX7s).
robert
#23
Admittedly, I don't have a ton of experiences, but we have 2 customers who use their NC's for DD purposes, auto-x, and track day events. One also does hill climbs.
One gentleman has an '06. He had Ohlins installed here, corner weighted, a little axle back just for some noise (Racing Beat, I think), and swaps out pads and rotors between track duty and street use (He uses Hawks on track). We also set-up a Kirky bucket to swap in and out with his stock seat, so he can have a 6-point harness during track events.
The other gentleman also has an '06. He came here for Progress springs installed over what were the stock Bilsteins (If I recall correctly), along with Racing Beat sway bars. He also swaps pads and rotors back and forth. He runs a harness of some kind around his stock seat, but we didn't install that.
Driving both, the suspension help, with a good alignment, really woke both cars up. They feel great, even with just the little bit they have done to them performance wise. Obviously the Ohlins are fantastic, but I was pleased with the results the other car saw with it's additions. Both owners come in for general maintenance, inspections, fluid changes and have been tracking the cars for at least two-three years now with no reliability issues. Maybe they're the exception, and not the rule, but their 2006's have served them well, and are really enjoyable even if they aren't modified to the teeth.
One gentleman has an '06. He had Ohlins installed here, corner weighted, a little axle back just for some noise (Racing Beat, I think), and swaps out pads and rotors between track duty and street use (He uses Hawks on track). We also set-up a Kirky bucket to swap in and out with his stock seat, so he can have a 6-point harness during track events.
The other gentleman also has an '06. He came here for Progress springs installed over what were the stock Bilsteins (If I recall correctly), along with Racing Beat sway bars. He also swaps pads and rotors back and forth. He runs a harness of some kind around his stock seat, but we didn't install that.
Driving both, the suspension help, with a good alignment, really woke both cars up. They feel great, even with just the little bit they have done to them performance wise. Obviously the Ohlins are fantastic, but I was pleased with the results the other car saw with it's additions. Both owners come in for general maintenance, inspections, fluid changes and have been tracking the cars for at least two-three years now with no reliability issues. Maybe they're the exception, and not the rule, but their 2006's have served them well, and are really enjoyable even if they aren't modified to the teeth.
#25
Elite Member
iTrader: (13)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Taos, New mexico
Posts: 6,781
Total Cats: 642
I agree about the NC, super nice car and I'd love one. I would keep mine N/A for a long time too with basic bolt ons, even as a street car.
However, you cant discount the cost of a replacement NB shell if you put it into the wall, performance parts, replacement OEM parts, etc. A wise man once told me to never track a car that you are not prepared to write off entirely.
However, you cant discount the cost of a replacement NB shell if you put it into the wall, performance parts, replacement OEM parts, etc. A wise man once told me to never track a car that you are not prepared to write off entirely.
#26
^I'm well aware of that last bit. That's why I have an NA now.
It's also why I decided against taking the '13 Mustang GT Track Pack car to the track before I got rid of it. Even though I would have put insurance on it (Lockton Affinity offers HPDE insurance), it wasn't something I wanted to deal with.
It's also why I decided against taking the '13 Mustang GT Track Pack car to the track before I got rid of it. Even though I would have put insurance on it (Lockton Affinity offers HPDE insurance), it wasn't something I wanted to deal with.
#32
HEY that's my NC build! I work for a Grand-Am team and we race NC's. I can tell you that they can take more than a hit and still be saved..... This car is getting saved even.
The NC is quite a leap to a better car from the NB. Bigger wheel bearings, better susp, and the trans/diff are much stronger. The 6 speed is MUCH stronger than 5speed. If you're going to track it get a 6speed car! With a few bolt ons you can have a porsche,bmw eater.
#34
I have my 99 PT/SPM race car for sale. When it sells, I plan to buy an NC and make it into a fun street / track day car.
#35
I thought TDR had an NC get 163whp on Dynojet running a Goodwin racing header and exhaust with a TDR tune of the stock ECU. They were shooting for an estimated 200bhp. Using a catted mid pipe dropped it down to 160whp.
I have my 99 PT/SPM race car for sale. When it sells, I plan to buy an NC and make it into a fun street / track day car.
I have my 99 PT/SPM race car for sale. When it sells, I plan to buy an NC and make it into a fun street / track day car.
#38
The big benefits of running an NC are the suspension geometry, tub stiffness, and the tyre choices. Apart from that, they are heavier and the MRZ has shown fragility at high levels of tune (though these issues have mostly been solved by the Playboy teams and later model engines), and the gearboxes (esp. pre 09 models) had some issues too (shift forks IIRC). When they're sorted though, they're damn quick.
I still think the earlier cars can be developed to compensate for their shortcomings. Custom control arms, drop spindles, etc can all be had now off the shelf to improve the geometry on NA/NB cars, and the bolt on options and weight reduction potential of the earlier cars mean they will always have the weight advantage over the NCs. The engines are cheaper and easier to tune, and sure is nice being able to pick an ECU off the shelf, plug it in, tune and go. Try that with an NC.
So yeah, NCs are quicker... But not by much, and bang for buck is still firmly with the NA/NB cars.
I still think the earlier cars can be developed to compensate for their shortcomings. Custom control arms, drop spindles, etc can all be had now off the shelf to improve the geometry on NA/NB cars, and the bolt on options and weight reduction potential of the earlier cars mean they will always have the weight advantage over the NCs. The engines are cheaper and easier to tune, and sure is nice being able to pick an ECU off the shelf, plug it in, tune and go. Try that with an NC.
So yeah, NCs are quicker... But not by much, and bang for buck is still firmly with the NA/NB cars.
#39
The NCs kind of have the tuning even easier than plug and play standalones, order a cable, plug the cable into your obdii port, use tablet to tune stock ecu. And then if you need something more serious than a flash tuned factory ecu you can turn off all the codes in the stock ecu an just leave it hooked up to the obdii port to pass emissions.
#40
Maybe for a basic flash tune - but serious tuning seems to be a bit tricky from what I've observed. I watched one of my mates struggle all weekend a few weeks ago with his race-tuned NC while his ECU continually reset itself into "limp home mode" on track, and did other choice things like reset and disable his ABS in the middle of a hard braking zone.
I'm sure these things aren't all that common but I am thankful for how simple my car is!
I'm sure these things aren't all that common but I am thankful for how simple my car is!
The NCs kind of have the tuning even easier than plug and play standalones, order a cable, plug the cable into your obdii port, use tablet to tune stock ecu. And then if you need something more serious than a flash tuned factory ecu you can turn off all the codes in the stock ecu an just leave it hooked up to the obdii port to pass emissions.