Thanks one and all for the input!
To answer some questions ...
- The car is intended for street driving, not racing ... so even in the stock configuration, the car will be faster than the driver
. Now, if I did this 20 years ago ... probably a different story
, I would be interested in auto cross and racing.
- I will be running the 15" wheels, I like the look of the 60 series tire. The 17" wheels do allow for a much better choice of more modern rubber, which is important for high performance driving.
- For exhaust, I'll go with the modified street exhaust that exits in front of the rear wheel, so the choice of rear suspension is not a factor. Want something a little bit quieter than the standard FIA exhaust, but louder than the full street exhaust system.
I have had a ride in Larry D's car with the standard rear suspension and in Doug's (DD) with the 'optional' rear suspension and from my recollection, both were comfortable. While they seemed about the same, the only way to get a better feel for the ride quality aspect, would be a back to back comparison. I did see the optional rear suspension assembly both in and out of Doug's car, and it is a work of art.
Seems like for my application, the standard setup would be more than adequate. The cost difference of $800 while not insignificant, relative to the whole project, is not a deal breaker. So, either way looks like I have (2) good options ... let's see if we get any more input.
- Tim