I had the same idea about 2 years ago, to make a JGTC replica. Bought the car, stripped it down and was ready to start cutting it up. Then, after some sole searching I realized I was creating a time & money monster.
Good idea to move on. If you want a Super GT car and/or vehicle prepped to the maximum pro level you are describing- it would have been a lot easier to just buy a seat in one, or I suppose you could
buy a retired car, then field it like arrive-and-drive up until you kill yourself. Ultimately it is only a function of money.
Of course, similar to Parker's CT Spice car... I'm not sure what anyone would do with it besides charity events & car shows. Obviously, we don't have the series here; so it wouldn't be easily eligible for much. Without crew, nor competitive. Nor would it be all that fast for the money. Nor without a ride, could it be operated in any realistic budget capacity that most of us would be familiar with. The first time you had a few mechanicals; you would pretty much be half way toward going bankrupt. Watch as kids spill drinks all over it at car shows, perhaps. :smile:
My main issue was that to make a true race car I'd need to modify the suspension so radically that I might as well build a complete tube chassis.
It's important to be level headed. No need to pro prep a vehicle to the Nth degree for it to be a "true" or "respectable" race car. You need only to invest to a prudent, reasonable, prep level for your class/series/budget/goals and call it good. At some point you need to subdue ambition, prioritize seat time, and factor-in contingencies.
The single most common mistake drivers make: building a car that is magnitudes of order more than what their race budget can actually support.
The NSX is a sufficiently capable and expensive vehicle as-is. Even for spec/touring or ITE will set you back several thousand per weekend after fees/tires/fluids/gas/etc... Thus, I suspect most here won't be requiring the cup car version- let alone the JGTC version.
Frankly, if your eye is on the pro GT level- short of tubbing it out the NSX is not going to ever be your ticket anyway. Even on the club race level you will get absolutely spanked by 996 cup cars, viper competition coupes, and tube frame corvette with 800hp NASCAR engines in them that cost 1/2 of the price; with 4X the support, fielded by owners with 16X the budget, of whose full-time job in life as far as I can tell is driving and spending money.
Back to reality/topic now.
Nice start Shad/Kip! Best of luck out there. Hope to see you at a regional race up here someday.
Cheers,
John