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The Build...

48K views 208 replies 50 participants last post by  CTS-VR 
#1 · (Edited)
As some of you guys know, I've been bouncing around the idea of converting the V into a dedicated track car.
Main use will be to run NASA's ST2 class with the possibility of running in other SCCA classes as well.
Today, I'm happy to report that the first step in the build process has begun.
I hope to provide a step by step process that will detail all of the changes from start to finish...

Vehicle as it stands today road ready is:

2005 CTS-V
Light Platinum w/ Black interior
LS6/6 speed tremec
11,771 miles

Current Mods:

Magnaflow Cat-Back exhaust
Diablo Predator tune
Ron Davis Racing radiator
FG2 Shocks
UUC Poly motor mounts, tranny mount, and diff bushing
UUC short shifter
Spectre Werkes delrin cradle bushings
Rear Strut tower brace
UUC Braided brake lines
GM Performance/Brembo cross drilled rotors
Motul 600 fluid
Michelin Pilot SuperSport Tires

12/4/11: Conversion

All Fab work for the rollcage as well as complete gut of the interior and removal of all non-necessary parts is being done by Phoenix Performance*
Last year at the V Performance Lab @ MMC, I met John Heinricy who recommended I get in touch with the owner, Joe Aquilante, who happens to build and maintain some of the Vettes that HeinRocket has had much success with running in the SCCA ranks. It also didn't hurt that Phoenix had built the V that John Buttermore has had his success in T2 so I know they have experience working with V's

First order of business is to completely remove the interior and begin fabrication on the SCCA/NASA legal rollcage, as well as remove all of the non-essential parts such as the air conditioning and other heavyweight items.
(BTW, please contact me if you should need any stock interior parts)

Pictures to follow soon...


*About Phoenix Performance: Phoenix Performance, LLC owned by Joe Aquilante, is based in a 32,000 sq ft race shop in Phoenixville, PA. Since 1999, Phoenix Performance-prepared cars have won 21 SCCA National Championship Runoffs in Touring and Showroom Stock classes, 2 professional series Driver and Manufacturer Championships, and the GM Motorsports Winner's Circle Award
 
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#192 ·
Unfortunately not yet. The GoPro wasn't charged the only day I went to the track. Then hurricane Sandy came and washed out the rest of the track days.
I'll have it all set up by the spring and hopefully the data acquisition/loggers too...
 
#194 ·
*** UPDATE 8/15/2013 ***

All is going well with the shakedown, some minor changes mostly for driver comfort.

- In keeping the overall silver scheme, the closeout panel for the trunk was originally painted silver to match the cage along with the windshield/rear glass supports. This proved to be a mistake as the afternoon sun created way too much glare for my liking. Also the windshield supports had too much flex for high speeds and turbulence off of other cars. So we basically pulled the glass and painted the rear deck portion flat black along with all the other window supports. The windshield supports were also redone in an angled aluminium to add more strength and rigidity.

-Changed the rear tow hook to a folding Rennline type with a GoPro mount. The original one was fixed and my shins were killing me.

-Added on an APR Front Splitter in carbon fiber. I'm also looking into a rear wing to balance the car. Unfortunately it comes with a price as any non factory aero is assessed a small penalty.



 
#196 ·
They took the rubber wicker off and then trimmed the little strip off the bottom of the cover so it would mount flush. They used the existing holes in the cover from the wicker and fabbed up mounts on the frame. They pulled the whole bumper off and made a plate for the supports on the underside of the cover. Its mounted up pretty solid. We'll see how it holds up...
 
#199 ·
I had planned on sending a cardboard template to them at some point. D3 and Sean Southland have already had them done and now Sean@TrinityTEK has them for sale on eBay so I picked it up. Apparently they fit both the V1 and V2...
 
#204 ·
Just reread through this whole thread again. Awesome stuff.
 
#207 ·
Well, Junior1 ran the car until about 2016, after that he had to park the car due to things in his personal life. However, he still took great care of it by running it every so often. I was talking to him via Facebook in an ATS-V group back in 2021 (we both have owned ATS-V's) and he mentioned he had some spare parts he was needing to sell, as well as the car. So, we started talking about the car and a week later I was driving to New York to pick it up. I then sold my other CTS-V track car.

After getting the car home, I changed the fluids, swapped the 6-year-old Hoosiers for some fresh Falken 200TW, and headed to VIR for my first event in the car in August '21 about two weeks after picking it up. My plan was to drive the car in "as-received" form, then develop from there. Immediately after that event, I put the wing on the car, as it had an APR splitter and the rear of the car really wanted to wander in braking zones. That alone improved the car tenfold. Otherwise, I made no major changes for a while. I had the Penske shocks rebuilt in January '22 since they had not been touched since they were installed in 2011. I built a new splitter for the car in March, then the stock LS6 failed (rather spectacularly) at VIR in April, with around 14,700 miles on the odometer.

After the engine failure, I replaced the windowed LS6 with a crate LS376/525 hp long block from GM, which made about 454 whp, and 388 whp in NASA ST3/TT3 trim. Then after a couple of events in July '22, I proceeded to five lug swap the car, as well as put an AP Racing big brake kit on the front. As of November '22 I have run four NASA competitions this year with the car, all in TT3, with two wins, one third, and one fourth. Never finishing in the bottom half of any field.

I plan to run ST3 for most of next year. Maybe American Iron at the NASA Championships at Pitt Race in September. Overall, the goal is to keep the car together, continue to upgrade it, and spend less money than I did this year.

I don't plan to sell any of the carbon bits, I plan to get the doors wrapped next spring and lay down a couple glory laps at Road Atlanta and VIR on full power with minimum weight.

If anyone any particular questions about the car, feel free to ask in the thread or reach out. If you'd like to see more pictures, I am on instagram @ CTSVR

Until next time,

-Chris
 
#208 ·
#209 ·
Thanks for the update! Is the AP Racing setup you're using this kit for the V2 - AP Racing by Essex Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kit (Front 9668/372mm)- Cadillac CTS-V 2009-2015 (V2) | Essex Parts Services, Inc. - or some other setup?

What wing are you running?

I have another car sitting in my driveway that is supposed to become the dedicated track car, so I really don't need to be thinking about CF parts for my CTS-V. Couldn't help but ask, though! :)
So, when I planned on doing the AP Racing setup, I was talking to them back in August of '21, and explaining the similarity of braking components for V1s, V2s, and 5th gen Camaros. They did not offer a single Cadillac kit at the time, but I told them their 5th gen Camaro kit should bolt right up to a V2 with no modification, and a V1 with minor modification. I bought a used 5th gen kit from a friend, just in case it did not work out I was only out a few thousand dollars, instead of six thousand. However, with the engine failure, I did not get around to installing it until September of '22. The only modifications needed (as predicted) was enlarging the spindle mounting holes to accept the M14 bolts for the 5th gen/V2 setup, and increasing the hub bore of the rotors from 66.9 mm to 70.3 mm to fit my C5/C6 Corvette SKF Race Hubs.

I am currently running a Nine Lives Racing wing, it is an aluminum extruded element, with a universal pylon to mount to the trunk. I plan to eventually change it for a carbon one, potentially an Aj Hartman unit, but that is low on the priority list. It works fine for the moment, but with the splitter changes I plan to make over the winter, I think I will exceed the efficient operating range of the wing.
 
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