Caprice PPV Track Rat / LeChump Enduro car?

So, the Caprice PPV.  Behind the bowtie, it's a Holden sedan that is, as best I can tell, a Gen 5 Camaro with extra doors and wheelbase and a 6.0 LS motor.  And available for fairly cheap.  I'm trying to decide why it's a dumb idea to get one of these and turn it into a track rat.  The best I've come up with is that they were only available with an auto, but even then it's a 6L80E and I hear good things about them.  Apparently it's NBD to adapt the paddle shifters from the G8 / SS and it will behave nicely, holding a gear and not being too much of a PITA auto, though I still want to hear some kind of evidence that they hold up to track duty.  

I mean, it's big. And long. And doesn't have a lot of room for really big tires that it needs. But I think this is a perfect plan.

How cheap are they?  From what I have seen they start at about $8500 for a V6 one.

I was a bit surprised to see that the curb weight of the V8 is under 4200lbs per Chevy. There's not likely a lot of sound deadening or interior luxuries in most of them to save weight, but with some gutting and lighter wheels you might be able to tickle 4000lbs which is almost not terrible for such a massive car.

This is a completely stupid and ill advised idea..........................you have no choice but to do it.

It would be an awful lot of fun.

We have one at local autocross events regularly. Looks ponderous, slow, but fun if you like to slide around. Of course, that's autocross, and I don't know what tires he's running or if the suspension is stock. Might be quite fun on a road course.

You better bring gas by the truck loads for endurance racing. You probably won't be able to do a 2 hour stint without a bigger tank.

From my experience, a long wide heavy car is actually a fair amount of fun to flog on track. One with decent power and rear wheel drive can only be better, right?

Yep, ill-advised it is. But I'd still do it just for the heck of it (if the price is right). Besides, you'll have a good excuse if you end up running mid or towards the back of the pack. And if you do better than that you'll be the talk of the track. Those things were fairly aero as well. Nail the start and I'd think that the size of the thing might deter others from getting around you.

They only imported 9,000 of them. Parts that aren't engine or transmission are and will be hard or expensive to find, now and in the future. Huge aftermarket if you are willing to ship from down under. My brother is actively searching for a black low mileage in at auction.  

I think it's a terrible idea and getting replacement parts is going to suck... etc etc etc...

but you should buy one and track it anyway..

What Bob said, where are these things?  I think I've seen two of them in my life. If there's a cheap one I might be interested. 

In reply to Wally (Forum Supporter) :

Illinois State Police is a good place to start. 

In reply to Appleseed :

Do the cigarette lighters work?

The first car that came up by searching for "PPV"....Marketplace - 2014 Chevrolet Caprice | Facebook

Marketplace - 2015 Chevrolet Caprice Police | Facebook

bobzilla said:

 And doesn't have a lot of room for really big tires that it needs.

I think Dave has a sawzall.

Criswell Chevrolet here in Maryland actually got in trouble with Chevrolet due to selling them with the detective package(cloth instead of the rinse out interior) to regular old customers. I think they sold a few hundred before Chevrolet shut down the order form/banks.

One of my neighbors bought a light blue one to replace her Grand Marquis and loved the thing. Some guy ended up buying it off her for a ridiculous amount of money a few years back since it was a V8, low mileage and had the nicer pedestrian interior instead of the "hose the piss out of the back" vinyl.

 

As of right now, that is not legal for champcar.   It's not on the list of approved vehicles, and probably won't be due to that engine.

Also, champcar doesn't currently allow the adaptation of paddle shifters.

wvumtnbkr said:

As of right now, that is not legal for champcar.   It's not on the list of approved vehicles, and probably won't be due to that engine.

 

Also, champcar doesn't currently allow the adaptation of paddle shifters.

I figured that since the G8 is allowed, it would be an easy push to add the PPV, since it's basically the same car.

Yeah, I could see the v6, but not the v8. 

I don't believe the g8 gt is on the list.

Hmmm.  I'm gonna go look again...

Well, the gto and trans am are on there now, so I guess a few lsx engines are already legal!

Nevermind!

We built a Lemons car out of a 98 Buick Lesabre, with the reportedly indestructable GM 3800 V6.  Ran it twice, never made it more than 40 laps- oil starvation and spun bearings.  The 2nd time we tried to baffle the oil pan, which obviously wasn't successful.  At the 2nd race there was another much more experienced team there with a 90's Buick, you could have built an entire other car from the spares they carried in their trailer.  They died two laps after we did.  It remains one of my stupidest ideas, and that's really saying something.

wvumtnbkr said:

Yeah, I could see the v6, but not the v8. 

 

I don't believe the g8 gt is on the list.

Hmmm.  I'm gonna go look again...

 

 

Well, the gto and trans am are on there now, so I guess a few lsx engines are already legal!

 

Nevermind!

Even then wouldnt it just be run in EC?

I'm just here for the stealth mode, who doesn't want a car that almost has a cloaking device.

In reply to NOT A TA :

I'd glue a "Malibu" badge on the back. They'd never suspect.