GT3 Race car - Conversion to road legal

[Juzza_02]

Looking for some advice please. If you bought a GT3 race car, (say £45k for a LHD GT3RS) how much work (cost etc) would be involved in converting to be road legal (if this is actually possible).
I am trying to work out whether buying a GT3 and putting some track day mods/carbon body-kit on it, would be cheaper then getting a car purely built for the track and getting it to be road legal.
It would purely be for pleasure, not for competitive racing.
Any thoughts ? Have any of you folks converted a race-car to road legal ?
Thanks
Juzza

Migration info. Legacy thread was 99728

 

[poon]

not sure a "cup car" has type approval for the street?

Migration info. Legacy thread was 99730

 

[PolarExpress]

Worth giving Paul McLean at GTClassics a call as he has dealt with race cars converted to road spec before.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 99741

 

[Used Porsche]

Main Lights, Dashboard instruments, stop lights, fog lights ,seats carpets. approved body parts, as above - euro type rating.
Tyres, spare. Suspension change to street hight and comfort.

MOT.

Why bother?

Migration info. Legacy thread was 99781

 

[Stuart Martin]

It is not type approved for road use, so you would need a Special Vehicle Something (SVA I think) test, same as if you import a Jap car or build a kit car.

I thought I saw somewhere that carbon doors are not allowed for road use, but not sure if this is true.

Bear in mind the race cars do not have a proper road legal exhaust, and may have emissions issues. Plus they are tuned for race conditions and maybe for air restrictors.
You may have to completely remap it.

I'm not sure it is all really worth the effort.
I would think it is better to get the road version and mod it for the track.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 99814

 

[Tiptop Topcat]

There are road legal race cars out there. Articles about 924's and 944's spring to mind and there are probably some 911's around although I'm not sure what code they would be built for. Wouldn't a Club Sport , RS or a LHD GT3 do the same job without the aggravation. Source a LHD from Europe?

Or what about a cheap 4x4 (V8LR for 3.5K) and a trailer? Would probably be cheaper....


Migration info. Legacy thread was 99820

 

[Juzza_02]

/images/migration/UploadedForumImages/GL20050903CroftIMG_0659%20(Medium).JPG

Thanks for your comments.
My last car, which I managed to write off
, was a 996 but it was an early Carrera Cup car, with carbon everything, plumbed-in fire extinguisher, full rollcage, no interior except two seats and dashboard, Penske suspension etc, but passed its MOT and could be driven to and from the track. I wanted to have the same car, but a GT3 basis.
Sounds like, because I want road use as well, it would be easier to get a normal GT3 and mod if necessary.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 99824

 

[pmjt]

Juzza - it was a GREAT car - sorry to hear it's gone to Porsche Heaven
It was Mark Sumpter's old car from the Carrera Cup back in 1998 - before they ran the GT3 Cup's - the body kit was made by a guy called Tony Bianchi down in London - great fun car - bad luck mate - it will be missed by many who loved it

Philip

Migration info. Legacy thread was 100225

 

[pmjt]

A GT3 Cup car is, as others have said, not homologated for road use.

It's missing - I know I'm repeating others
a handbrake, and would fail an MOT on the basis of emissions.

Fog lights and front headlights are stock road car.

There has been for sale in Germany (appeared on eBay a couple of times) - just checked - still for sale:

http://tinyurl.com/upatq

It claims to have a 'Wagenpass' - in otherwords, be road registered.

I've often thought about making my Cup car road registered - but it's too much hassle - exhaust, cats, air intake etc would all have to be changed just to get noise down - then the ECU would need to be changed for emissions. Then you'd have to sort the centre console for a handbrake mechanism - then you'd have a valuable car with no door locks!

As others have said - buy an RS and get the closest thing, genetically, to a Cup :wink:

Just a thought - the sister car to R170 JPN was sold to PCT Cars in Birmingham - don't know what they did with it - it was run by Steve Tranter in the Cup - new engine fitted and in really good condition - still road registered R??? VEY from memory - was sold for £18,000 - Tony Bianchi could do the arches and rear PU - I have a spare fibreglass front PU for these cars to make them RSR look anyway - just a thought.

Philip

Migration info. Legacy thread was 100231

 

[Porsche]

Juzza, that looks like a great car, how was it to drive....



pmjt, an MOT failure on emission ? you've clearly not seen half the cars on the roads in some parts London !


Migration info. Legacy thread was 100364

 

[pmjt]

Quote: pmjt, an MOT failure on emission ? you've clearly not seen half the cars on the roads in some parts London !

Nope - I try and stay well away from the smoke :wink:
But seriously - I had to move the cup car around in the garage and it was throwing it down and blowing a gale - so I stupidly left the door partly closed.

After 90 seconds of the engine running my eyes were stinging! And she's running ordinary super at the moment - not proper race fuel

Philip

Migration info. Legacy thread was 100444

 

[Porsche]

let us know when it's TD season up there and i'll 3 it up to take in that moon shine !

Migration info. Legacy thread was 100457

 

[Used Porsche]

First define the problem...

"It would purely be for pleasure, not for competitive racing. "

Define Pleasure = mainly road touring with the odd track day

or pleasure = mainly track days with the occasional continental trip??

Migration info. Legacy thread was 100472