Reply With Quote865 (Skip) has an STR prepped NC. General consensus is 2009+ are better...forged internals, higher redline, etc.
Anybody have a modded NC?
I'm thinking about making the move to an NC finally... I'd like to look at one that has been set up as a street/track car in person... just to get an idea of what possible issues there may be, what years are better than others, etc. Anyone? Thanks.
865 (Skip) has an STR prepped NC. General consensus is 2009+ are better...forged internals, higher redline, etc.
Like sammm said, mine is prepped for STR and for track. It makes an excellent track car. Come to the NTAXS autocross at Texas Motor Speedway bus lot this Saturday and you can examine mine and we can talk about it. It's looking like it's going to be a wet day, so bring an umbrella.
Last edited by 865; 04-19-2018 at 11:54 PM.
I'm no longer in the area (just moved to Denver), but while I haven't been as active for the past 3 years as many, I have, arguably, the most modded NC and the most experience doing so (owned one since new in 2006, was my DD as a dual-purpose car until 2013, now on 3rd engine, 4th suspension setup, 2nd transmission (both 6- and 5-speed), autocrossed since 2007, a few track days, 1 SCCA Solo National Championship [Juliann Pokorny, CSPL in 2009], and 2 more Solo Nats trophies [Jason Saini, CSP, 7th in 2009, and me, 4th in CSP in 2011, after leading Day 1 in the rain]).
Depending on the class you choose, you can have a blast in the NC as a daily driver and regionally-competitive autocross/track day car. The "best" years are 2009 or later with the better engine internals, but earlier cars are readily available and relatively cheap. And parts for every year and model are plentiful, well researched/designed/developed (NOW - I was the early adopter that spent WAY too much money and time trying new things!), and not terribly expensive.
IMHO, the NC is (1) a GREAT daily driver - fun, economical, roomy and relatively comfortable; (2) a very good, reliable and COMPETITIVE STR and CSP autocross car, especially locally/regionally with the right prep and talented driver; and (3) an expensive, too heavy, and NOT consistently nationally competitive CSP autocross car, at least with this driver.
Ask any NC owner, and they'll tell you to find and buy a car you like and can afford, and spend some money on suspension, wheels/tires, and seat time, and enjoy the crap out of it!
I have an nc with a 2.5 swap, stock other than that. I love it so far.
Parts seem more expensive than na/nb's , but for daily driving it is much better.
Roll bar options are much more limited for the nc. And the 100% scca legal ones without the bar going into the footwell are over 1k. Removable hardtops are hard to come by for the softtop models.
@Vissi, have you taken your 2.5 to the track? Should be a very welcome power boost over the stock 2.0L. Not as much as as a forced induction setup, but with lower cost and complexity. Seems like a good compromise.
To extend on what Vissi said about roll bars, Blackbird Fabworx has two models that are fully compliant with SCCA and NASA roll bar requirements. The NC RZ bar retains the soft top. That is what I have. About $1400 with shipping and custom paint color. The GT3 is much beefier, with a lot more cross bracing in the rear, but it requires permanent removal of the soft top. So if you go that route, you'll need to source a factory or aftermarket hard top to go along with it.
Hard Dog makes a popular bar for the NC that has been available for a lot longer than the BBFW bar, and is also less expensive. It is the M3 Sport bar. They say "Meets NASA HPDE and SCCA Solo and Time Trials requirements when equipped with diagonal braces." But I don't think it is 100% compliant with the SCCA guidelines because the rear support braces do not join the main hoop in the top 1/3rd of the bar. Also they don't say it meets NASA TT requirements. Something to research if you are interested in that.
There are no SCCA or NASA compliant roll bars for the PRHT version of the NC. In fact, there are no PRHT-compatible roll bars that are taller than the factory hoops (i.e., that will be higher than your helmeted head). So if greater safety on track is an important consideration, you will want a soft top. But if your car will be used primarily on the street with occasional casual track use (e.g., Miatas at Hallett, Track Night in America), and you don't mind the lack of a roll bar, the PRHT is the better street car. That is just my opinion, but it is based on my experience since I have one of each type, a 2013 Club soft top and a 2015 PRHT.
Another thing to consider for track use, where you want the top of your helmet to be below the top of your roll bar, is seat height. The stock NC seats are pretty high. There are seat lowering mods you can do to stock seats to make them 1 to 2 inches lower, but that still might not be enough to get the top of your helmet below the top of your roll bar, depending on how tall you are. Fixed mount race seats (not on sliders) will get most people under about 6'1" low enough, but that greatly compromises the streetability of the car due to comfort and lack of adjustability, plus it means only people who are about your size will be able to drive it at all.
@865
I have not taken it to the track yet. I sold my na6 and bought my nc with a blown motor in october. I just got the 2.5 running before I had my first kid. Last few months have been spent taking care of her. ( a ton of work)
I want to get it out to autox or tnia soon.
I have never driven a 2.0, but its a ton more power than my 1.6 was.
Thanks for all the info - been out of town for a few days. @865 - let me know where you'll be next .. I'd like to come out and see your car and talk a little if you don't mind. Thanks.
Happy to. Here are the next few events I'll be at.
Sunday May 6th, SCCA Autocross #3, Texas Motor Speedway
Tuesday May 8th, TNiA, MSR-Cresson (Tentative at this point)
Saturday May 12th, SCCA TT, MSR-Cresson
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