Got a new car to autocross!

[humboldt1498]

I am so stoked...I just picked up a 91 Civic Si to go autocrossing. I was thinking of going Street Touring Sport because it looks like this car owns this class. Anyone else here ever run STS? I have never autocrossed so I am super excited! Anyways, she's a fixer upper...

[Blk_07_SI_Sedan]

... she is beautiful. green with envy party of one!

[humboldt1498]

Originally Posted by Blk_07_SI_Sedan

... she is beautiful. green with envy party of one!

Thank you!

[405hp]

Congrats! Cheap beater race cars are awesome, as long as they're in good mechanical shape or if you can fix them! It's also a light, nimble car, but underpowered and forgiving... I'd say it's a great starting point to auto-x.

I can't comment about STS though, as my local auto-x organization runs a modified version of their classes. What I can say is that you should read up all the auto-x faqs and noobie guides... it's a great starting point. Remember, work on your driving first, throw mods at the car a distant second. A good set of tires, such as Azenis RT-615's, will make a world of a difference... just don't go for R-comps right off the bat - those would cover up too many driving mistakes, making your learning curve longer, more difficult and perhaps more frustrating. I did my whole first season on RT-615's, and will be running them next season too. I plan on moving up to R-comps in my 3rd season only.

Good luck!

[CanyonDriver]

nice! a little heavier than the 89 Si but still a great car for STS. I run my car in STX and its a blast, but STS is even more competitive out here in the CSCC region. and also 450hp Rcompounds aren't allowed in STS; only street tires with 140 tread wear or greater.

[Asif22]

Nice project..I always wanted to pick up a car like that. Congrats !

[hugeevilrobot]

You've never autocrossed and you just bought a car for it? Redshift's website has a great primer on prepping these cars to win in STS (now is it just called ST?). That said, if it's your first time doing this, don't go crazy with the mods, just get some good wheels and tires and fix up the bushings, basic competition prep stuff.

[humboldt1498]

Originally Posted by hugeevilrobot

You've never autocrossed and you just bought a car for it? Redshift's website has a great primer on prepping these cars to win in STS (now is it just called ST?). That said, if it's your first time doing this, don't go crazy with the mods, just get some good wheels and tires and fix up the bushings, basic competition prep stuff.

I plan on ending in STS with this car... I am going to start just driving it stock.

Also...I was wondering if anyone knows the rule book. It looks like I can bore the engine .020 over if I rebuilt it. Anyone know if this is true?

[CanyonDriver]

Originally Posted by humboldt1498

I plan on ending in STS with this car... I am going to start just driving it stock.

Also...I was wondering if anyone knows the rule book. It looks like I can bore the engine .020 over if I rebuilt it. Anyone know if this is true?

STS does not allow any internal modifications in the motor or tranny.
Straight from the SCCA Classing Guide:

Page 1of 3

STS consists of sedans/coupes with four seats minimum and normally aspirated
engines up to 3.1L (very few turbo/supercharged cars are allowed).
Stock category allowances
No limited slip differentials except for standard viscous-types
Pedal kits and other interior trim
Front seats (15 pounds minimum weight each)
Rub strips, emblems, and mud flaps removed


Body kits, spoilers, and wings added
Tires up to 225 mm wide, UTQG treadwear 140 minimum
Wheels up to 71⁄2 inches wide, any diameter/offset
Shocks/struts
Drilled/slotted rotors (standard size) and braided DOT brake lines
Anti-roll bars, front and rear
Lowered suspensions using standard-type springs
Suspension bushings (non-metallic)
Camber kits, plates, or bolts
Traction bars, torque arms, panhard rods
Strut bars, 2-point only
Battery relocated
Air filter systems up to throttle body or compressor inlet
Headers, emissions compliant
Engine computers (PCM/ECU) reprogrammed
Shifter kits
Accessory drive pulleys
Motor mounts (non-metallic)
Example of included cars: Audi A4 1.8T and TT (non-quattro), Mazda 323 GT
and GTX (AWD), Volkswagen Golf/GTi/Jetta/Beetle/Passat 1.8T and TDI,
Volvo S40 (except T5) and V40
Example of excluded cars: Datsun Z 2+2, Honda CRX, MGB GT, Porsche
(all), Triumph (all)

[humboldt1498]

Originally Posted by CanyonDriver

STS does not allow any internal modifications in the motor or tranny.
Straight from the SCCA Classing Guide:

Page 1of 3

STS consists of sedans/coupes with four seats minimum and normally aspirated
engines up to 3.1L (very few turbo/supercharged cars are allowed).
Stock category allowances
No limited slip differentials except for standard viscous-types
Pedal kits and other interior trim
Front seats (15 pounds minimum weight each)
Rub strips, emblems, and mud flaps removed


Body kits, spoilers, and wings added
Tires up to 225 mm wide, UTQG treadwear 140 minimum
Wheels up to 71⁄2 inches wide, any diameter/offset
Shocks/struts
Drilled/slotted rotors (standard size) and braided DOT brake lines
Anti-roll bars, front and rear
Lowered suspensions using standard-type springs
Suspension bushings (non-metallic)
Camber kits, plates, or bolts
Traction bars, torque arms, panhard rods
Strut bars, 2-point only
Battery relocated
Air filter systems up to throttle body or compressor inlet
Headers, emissions compliant
Engine computers (PCM/ECU) reprogrammed
Shifter kits
Accessory drive pulleys
Motor mounts (non-metallic)
Example of included cars: Audi A4 1.8T and TT (non-quattro), Mazda 323 GT
and GTX (AWD), Volkswagen Golf/GTi/Jetta/Beetle/Passat 1.8T and TDI,
Volvo S40 (except T5) and V40
Example of excluded cars: Datsun Z 2+2, Honda CRX, MGB GT, Porsche
(all), Triumph (all)

In the stock rules it says a .020 over bore is OK...Im confused

[hugeevilrobot]

You probably can do it, but unless you are rebuilding it anyway, I can't see that being anywhere near the top for bang/$. Stuff like that is how people spend $20k building a car that should be fully ready to go for 1/3 that max.

Anyway, just make sure your engine builder uses fresh springs in the valvetrain, not shims

[CanyonDriver]

Stock allowances are front sway bar, R-compound tires, roll bar, alignment with factory components, double adjustable shocks, harnesses, brake pads, high flow air filter, cat back exhaust, in dash gauges, and wheels within 1/4 inch of factory specs. Only classes that allow built motors are modified (street cars converted to race cars), and prepared (open wheel/formula cars that were never meant for street). The only way an autoX club would allow a bored motor in stock class is if they were not sanctioned by the SCCA and did not follow the rule book/guidelines of the SCCA.

[jasyatz]

Originally Posted by hugeevilrobot

Anyway, just make sure your engine builder uses fresh springs in the valvetrain, not shims

I've built a few of these cars on the cheap and ran with the EX Redshift carl. Chris never drove mine, but at a local event was able to stay on the same half second with his championship car (when he co drove it with the previous-previous owner).

I built the first DX for $2700 and an Si for less than that (transfered over the parts)..

It can be done..Just look around on the forums and ebay for "used" parts...

Jeff

[honda93]

Originally Posted by hugeevilrobot

Anyway, just make sure your engine builder uses fresh springs in the valvetrain, not shims

Hahahahahahahaha!

Too bad you, me, Jeff (jasyatz) and maybe three other people on this board will get that reference!

Nice one.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[honda93]

Originally Posted by jasyatz

I've built a few of these cars on the cheap and ran with the EX Redshift car. Chris never drove mine, but at a local event was able to stay on the same half second with his championship car (when he co drove it with the previous-previous owner).

I built the first DX for $2700 and an Si for less than that (transferred over the parts)...

Jeff

To the original poster... While half a second doesn't sound like much, it is in racing. However, on Jeff's behalf, I add this:

Jeff wasn't clear and mentioned that his times relative to the RedShift Civic was accomplished in his DX with about 90hp, close to 20hp down on the Si that Chris built... In a class that even by 2003 had become a "spec" class, 20hp is sizable. Additionally, Jeff had a roll bar in there that added about 90lbs. because he was going to run track events. So the car was behind the eight ball on two major fronts from the onset: Power and Weight.

Even so, Jeff wasn't ever far behind, which is more a testament to his skills behind the wheel.

I really liked his DX, and I openly admit that I am not the biggest fan of the 4th gen cars (looks more so than anything). It was clean, solid, and would have made for an awesome track beast had he swapped in something like a B16, B18, or custom B20 VTEC.

BUT... The Si Jeff had was a P.O.S. and I'm glad that thing came and went as fast as it did (replaced by a nice 1991~1992 Integra LS if memory serves).

The suspension stuff is easy, again because everything can basically be ordered as a spec package. The challenge, especially based on pics above, is going to be restoring that car to look, perform, and feel like it is once again 1998 instead of 2008 before focusing on making it fast... A $1200 suspension doesn't do much on a car that feels like a $1200 beater. Trust me.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[humboldt1498]

Originally Posted by honda93

To the original poster... While half a second doesn't sound like much, it is in racing. However, on Jeff's behalf, I add this:

Jeff wasn't clear and mentioned that his times relative to the RedShift Civic was accomplished in his DX with about 90hp, close to 20hp down on the Si that Chris built... In a class that even by 2003 had become a "spec" class, 20hp is sizable. Additionally, Jeff had a roll bar in there that added about 90lbs. because he was going to run track events. So the car was behind the eight ball on two major fronts from the onset: Power and Weight.

Even so, Jeff wasn't ever far behind, which is more a testament to his skills behind the wheel.

I really liked his DX, and I openly admit that I am not the biggest fan of the 4th gen cars (looks more so than anything). It was clean, solid, and would have made for an awesome track beast had he swapped in something like a B16, B18, or custom B20 VTEC.

BUT... The Si Jeff had was a P.O.S. and I'm glad that thing came and went as fast as it did (replaced by a nice 1991~1992 Integra LS if memory serves).

The suspension stuff is easy, again because everything can basically be ordered as a spec package. The challenge, especially based on pics above, is going to be restoring that car to look, perform, and feel like it is once again 1998 instead of 2008 before focusing on making it fast... A $1200 suspension doesn't do much on a car that feels like a $1200 beater. Trust me.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

lol...I understand what your saying. My first goal is get the body straight and get her running good and go from there

Thanks again for all the great advise!

[CanyonDriver]

Originally Posted by humboldt1498

lol...I understand what your saying. My first goal is get the body straight and get her running good and go from there

Thanks again for all the great advise!

is the frame damaged at all?

[07gen8Civic]

Congrats on your purchace, its going to be alot of work though, dont get too discouraged, it may seem frusterating at times, but it'll be worth it, and auto x is a blast, i remember my first time lol. (it was about 2 weeks ago hahaha) but its fun. Again congrats and enjoy!

[oinojo]

good choice of car and class!! Definitely check out the redshift tech article on the EF. Good guideline to get you going. You can check out my progress on the car and events on my site. PM me for any questions you might have.

Power Honda Performance STS Honda Civic Si

[civic si 888]

Originally Posted by oinojo

good choice of car and class!! Definitely check out the redshift tech article on the EF. Good guideline to get you going. You can check out my progress on the car and events on my site. PM me for any questions you might have.

Power Honda Performance STS Honda Civic Si

This guy is the real thing. He definitely knows what he's doing and he can back up every single word or advice that he said/shares. He is the new buzz in town or at least the Socal Region. Though has still a lot to learn but always making his presence felt in every championship event. Young and very dedicated, I'd say he's the next Ken Montonishi. Keep it up Jon! Don't forget who discovered you! lol!