Autocrossers: Check in here! - Page 40

**Gonzo** · 04-02-2008, 02:36 PM

Gotcha. I guess I just have misleading reviews ingrained in my head. The Z0K sounds like a nice setup. I wouldn't mind a Z0K equivalent Sky.

Well it looks like I will be going with a stock suspension setup again this weekend. I am not too pleased. I didn't know it took so long for Corsport to get orders processed with Skunk2 and I didn't know my parts would be dropped shipped from Canada. I guess I am too used to stuff arriving so quick from Corsport. Also made the mistake of assuming everything was arriving in the first package.

Trying to find a shop that A. Does non stock settings and B. Is open Saturday it proving a difficult task. I found one Mustang shop but when I called and told them what I had and what I wanted they basically flat out said "We're going to be too expensive for what you want." Well at least they saved me time...

honda93 · 04-02-2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonzo

Gotcha. I guess I just have misleading reviews ingrained in my head. The Z0K sounds like a nice setup. I wouldn't mind a Z0K equivalent Sky.

Trying to find a shop that A. Does non stock settings and B. Is open Saturday it proving a difficult task. I found one Mustang shop but when I called and told them what I had and what I wanted they basically flat out said "We're going to be too expensive for what you want." Well at least they saved me time...

No Z0K on the Sky.

Register on this site and ask around...

SCCAForums.com - SCCA Racing Discussions

You probably called a place that sets us Mustangs for drag only and doing anything other than "eyeball" alignments throws them off.

piknockout · 04-02-2008, 03:39 PM

Touche, should be able to find someone on sccaforums that is more local that can point you in the right direction. Sucks about the suspension though, any luck it'll be in and installed before the T&T? That will be a great chance to try and tweak the car and get your feel for it before the points season starts.

And I really wish they made a Sky Z0K, I might actually consider it. Although the Solstice is growing on me, I find it hard to spend that much money on a GM product. I can't help it, I hate American.

07AsmFG2 · 04-02-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piknockout

1. Alignment...because factory settings suck.
2. Wheels, stock size for diameter/width and within 5mm of stock offset.
3. Oh yeah, you'll need some r-comps on those wheels. Kumho V710's if you want them to last a little while, Hoosier A6's if you want the best grip. The Si guys will have to give you info on best overall tire size.
4. Front sway bar, once again I defer which one to the Si guys.
5. Lightweight exhaust, cat back.
6. Forgot about this one, but you could really do it first since it's cheap - K&N drop in filter (no CAI's in stock).

Thanks for the reply,

1. As far as the alignment goes is there any particular settings that I need to ask for?
2. I thought about the wheels think about gettting another of Si rims or a lighter set.
3. One of my friends who has been Auto Xing for a while suggested Azenis as a beginner tire.
4. I'll wait for some Si owners to chime in
5. Looking into that.
6. I think im going to get one soon.

Any help from the Si drivers would be greatly appreciated.

civicsi52 · 04-02-2008, 06:17 PM

1. Camber is non-adjustable from the factory on our cars. Buy some crash bolts from Honda and you'll get a whopping 0.5 degress of negative camber in the front. Find a reputable alignment guy in your region and ask for some toe out on all four corners (this will help turn in). I personally have 1/16th" toe out in front, and 1/8" toe out in back.

2. & 3. Wheels and tires are THE most important upgrade you will buy. Don't worry so much about getting the uber expensive lightweight wheels. Use the money you would save on going with a cheaper wheel and get better tires. Azenis are great for begginers, but there are stickier street tires out there i.e. Dunlop Direzza, Bridgestone REO1R to name a few. Do get a wider than stock tire (225 or 235) and try to find a wheel with more offset (stock is 45mm so 42, or 40mm are allowed in stock). Race tires like the V-710 or A6 are a lot stickier, but if you're not used to autocross I would learn on a street tire.

4. Leave the front sway bar alone for now. A larger one would only increase understeer on street tires.

5. Get an exhaust if you want, but performance (weight and power increase) is negligible. I say buy the better wheels and tires first.

6. I like the K&N because you can clean them, but again perfomance is non existent.

Other than tires, the best upgrade I have done is flushing the brake fluid and replacing it with ATE then replacing the pads with Hawk HPS. There are better pads out there, but the stock ones will lock up the tires, and I just wanted something with less fade.

**Gonzo** · 04-02-2008, 07:02 PM

Well Josh I might not make it with any camber adjustments.

I hope I will at least make it with my new tires.

Shipping has turned into a disaster on all three fronts.

piknockout · 04-03-2008, 08:16 AM

Ouch, that sucks.

Well, at least it will still be fun. I'm so frickin' stoked right now. After 5 months, I've forgotten what it's like. To add to the fun, I'm going to hope that my initial settings on the Konis and RSB are close to not make the car handle like crap. But I did get my 245's mounted the other night.

honda93 · 04-03-2008, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piknockout

And I really wish they made a Sky Z0K, I might actually consider it. Although the Solstice is growing on me, I find it hard to spend that much money on a GM product. I can't help it, I hate American.

$24K for the Solstice Z0K isn't a lot of money for a Miata beater (assuming you're in the market for <$30K sports cars.

piknockout · 04-03-2008, 09:07 AM

I apologize, I should probably rephrase some of my statements. I feel as if the Solstice is a great car, I've seen it on course, just haven't had the chance to actually drive one yet. But from what I know it's pretty fantastic. But I just don't like American cars in general and there are very few that I would even consider spending any amount of money on. Obviously $24k isn't a lot, but if I were spending that much money it would probably be on an S2000...I've got a thing for those as of late.

**Gonzo** · 04-03-2008, 09:13 AM

Yeah, I just prefer the looks of the Sky. I was always kind of a sucker for the Opel Speedster.

Get me some more practical wheels and suspension and this would be slick...

http://www.bockman.ca/uploads/saturn...n-sky-2978.jpg

I can haz sexay?

**Gonzo** · 04-03-2008, 09:49 AM

According to Wiki (which we all know is never in error)...

The five-speed manual transmission [in the Solstice] is from the Hummer H3, GMC Canyon, and Chevrolet Colorado

I thought I remembered hearing something about a truck transmission in it. I'd be curious as to how it feels. Seems an unorthodox approach.

Odd how there are reviews with impressions on such contrasting sides of the fence.
Maybe I'll get to take one for a spin some day.

sirgatti · 04-03-2008, 12:40 PM

Apparently, Sky/Solstice owners are having huge issues with their brakes not working properly until the engine is warmed up and GM is just ignoring all complaints. (sounds familiar huh?)

My dad was considering a redline/gxp until I told him to read about them on forums to see what other owners are saying and he discovered how big of a problem it is.

Those things sure are sexy though haha

BigDog · 04-03-2008, 01:14 PM

While I was at the beach, my car was having a pretty decent weekend

A nice pic of the car after being put out of the challenge by Eric Clements:

IMG_6790.jpg photo - bryanh photos at pbase.com

...and a little bit of press from the SCCA site:

SCCA - Sports Car Club of America

"Will Kalman, of Northridge, Calif., pulled off two upsets in his new L&W Enterprises/Redshift Honda Civic. First he knocked off James Wilson’s Subaru Impreza for the H Stock win, then Kalman proceeded to hand Hollis his second runner-up finish in Challenge competition when he collected the Honda Tuner Challenge Top Eliminator crown."

Nice to see "L&W Enterprises" in a press release. If they actually knew what the initials in L&W stood for...

piknockout · 04-03-2008, 01:31 PM

Nice, congrats! So since I'm an 8thcivic noob, care to explain the L&W? If not, I'll just search.

piknockout · 04-05-2008, 09:34 AM

Ugh, calling for rain in the AM.

piknockout · 04-06-2008, 03:52 PM

Good to meet you today Gonzo! I'll post up video soon after the results come up. I got the video off the camera, but I want to put the results in with it. Or...actually I'll just host the raw video real quick and then re-do it for an entire thread. Hope it helps you find some time.

honda93 · 04-06-2008, 03:58 PM

Ran my Civic yesterday on my all-season Kumho ASX's... Actually, this is the first time since early 2004 in which I ran on street tires on my own personal autocross car.

They (street tires on a Stock class car) suck. Hahaha! Now I see why the SCCA still allows R-Comps in Stock. Even with the heroic driving tactics, I had a bear of a time getting that car to work. Granted even an ultra high performance all-season tire like the ASX is still a lot slower than say the Direzza Z1 or the RE-01R. But I so missed that instantaneous turn-in that race tires allow. Everything felt lethargic.

As soon as I log off, I am ordering my V710's.

The only positive was how hard I could drive the street tires, doing so gave me a good indication that I will gain additional speed with R-Comps, in other words, I may not have been utilizing the grip of a V710 fully, staying at 95% rather than the full 100%.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

piknockout · 04-06-2008, 04:21 PM

Here's the raw video of my 4th run of 52.2xx. Can't wait to see what PAX looks like tomorrow.

MySpaceTV Videos: WDCR Practice Event 2008 by Luster

**Gonzo** · 04-06-2008, 04:57 PM

Video definitely helped, especially after getting to know the course.

You cut into that first showcase cone really close, I was swinging wider and probably wasting time doing it. Braking going into that left hander after the 2nd slalom after the crossover (the one we talked about) your braking was definitely better. My last run I nailed if fairly well but not quite where it should have been.

I will watch the video a few more times later tonight and see what else I can pick up.

piknockout · 04-06-2008, 05:24 PM

Did you take any video at the event by chance?

On the showcase turn, with the wet there wasn't enough grip to try and go wider and carry speed. So in this case, cut down the distance. Also in not going wide there gave the chance to really straighten up the section before that cone.

04-03-2008, 09:13 AM	#790 (permalink)
Gonzo You're doing it wrong!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 21 Posts: 5,551 iTrader: 5 / 100%	Yeah, I just prefer the looks of the Sky. I was always kind of a sucker for the Opel Speedster. Get me some more practical wheels and suspension and this would be slick... http://www.bockman.ca/uploads/saturn...n-sky-2978.jpg I can haz sexay? Last edited by Gonzo; 04-03-2008 at 09:37 AM.

04-03-2008, 09:49 AM	#791 (permalink)
Gonzo You're doing it wrong!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 21 Posts: 5,551 iTrader: 5 / 100%	According to Wiki (which we all know is never in error)... The five-speed manual transmission [in the Solstice] is from the Hummer H3, GMC Canyon, and Chevrolet Colorado I thought I remembered hearing something about a truck transmission in it. I'd be curious as to how it feels. Seems an unorthodox approach. Odd how there are reviews with impressions on such contrasting sides of the fence. Maybe I'll get to take one for a spin some day. Last edited by Gonzo; 04-03-2008 at 10:02 AM.

04-02-2008, 02:36 PM	#781 (permalink)
Gonzo You're doing it wrong!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 21 Posts: 5,551 iTrader: 5 / 100%	Gotcha. I guess I just have misleading reviews ingrained in my head. The Z0K sounds like a nice setup. I wouldn't mind a Z0K equivalent Sky. Well it looks like I will be going with a stock suspension setup again this weekend. I am not too pleased. I didn't know it took so long for Corsport to get orders processed with Skunk2 and I didn't know my parts would be dropped shipped from Canada. I guess I am too used to stuff arriving so quick from Corsport. Also made the mistake of assuming everything was arriving in the first package. Trying to find a shop that A. Does non stock settings and B. Is open Saturday it proving a difficult task. I found one Mustang shop but when I called and told them what I had and what I wanted they basically flat out said "We're going to be too expensive for what you want." Well at least they saved me time...

04-02-2008, 03:39 PM	#783 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Touche, should be able to find someone on sccaforums that is more local that can point you in the right direction. Sucks about the suspension though, any luck it'll be in and installed before the T&T? That will be a great chance to try and tweak the car and get your feel for it before the points season starts. And I really wish they made a Sky Z0K, I might actually consider it. Although the Solstice is growing on me, I find it hard to spend that much money on a GM product. I can't help it, I hate American.

04-02-2008, 06:17 PM	#785 (permalink)
civicsi52 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Tulsa,OK Posts: 40 iTrader: 0 / 0%	1. Camber is non-adjustable from the factory on our cars. Buy some crash bolts from Honda and you'll get a whopping 0.5 degress of negative camber in the front. Find a reputable alignment guy in your region and ask for some toe out on all four corners (this will help turn in). I personally have 1/16th" toe out in front, and 1/8" toe out in back. 2. & 3. Wheels and tires are THE most important upgrade you will buy. Don't worry so much about getting the uber expensive lightweight wheels. Use the money you would save on going with a cheaper wheel and get better tires. Azenis are great for begginers, but there are stickier street tires out there i.e. Dunlop Direzza, Bridgestone REO1R to name a few. Do get a wider than stock tire (225 or 235) and try to find a wheel with more offset (stock is 45mm so 42, or 40mm are allowed in stock). Race tires like the V-710 or A6 are a lot stickier, but if you're not used to autocross I would learn on a street tire. 4. Leave the front sway bar alone for now. A larger one would only increase understeer on street tires. 5. Get an exhaust if you want, but performance (weight and power increase) is negligible. I say buy the better wheels and tires first. 6. I like the K&N because you can clean them, but again perfomance is non existent. Other than tires, the best upgrade I have done is flushing the brake fluid and replacing it with ATE then replacing the pads with Hawk HPS. There are better pads out there, but the stock ones will lock up the tires, and I just wanted something with less fade.

04-02-2008, 07:02 PM	#786 (permalink)
Gonzo You're doing it wrong!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 21 Posts: 5,551 iTrader: 5 / 100%	Well Josh I might not make it with any camber adjustments. I hope I will at least make it with my new tires. Shipping has turned into a disaster on all three fronts.

04-03-2008, 08:16 AM	#787 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Ouch, that sucks. Well, at least it will still be fun. I'm so frickin' stoked right now. After 5 months, I've forgotten what it's like. To add to the fun, I'm going to hope that my initial settings on the Konis and RSB are close to not make the car handle like crap. But I did get my 245's mounted the other night.

04-03-2008, 09:07 AM	#789 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	I apologize, I should probably rephrase some of my statements. I feel as if the Solstice is a great car, I've seen it on course, just haven't had the chance to actually drive one yet. But from what I know it's pretty fantastic. But I just don't like American cars in general and there are very few that I would even consider spending any amount of money on. Obviously $24k isn't a lot, but if I were spending that much money it would probably be on an S2000...I've got a thing for those as of late.

04-03-2008, 12:40 PM	#792 (permalink)
sirgatti Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Charleston, SC Age: 19 Posts: 463 Gatti iTrader: 0 / 0%	Apparently, Sky/Solstice owners are having huge issues with their brakes not working properly until the engine is warmed up and GM is just ignoring all complaints. (sounds familiar huh?) My dad was considering a redline/gxp until I told him to read about them on forums to see what other owners are saying and he discovered how big of a problem it is. Those things sure are sexy though haha

04-03-2008, 01:14 PM	#793 (permalink)
BigDog Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 115 Curt Luther iTrader: 0 / 0%	While I was at the beach, my car was having a pretty decent weekend A nice pic of the car after being put out of the challenge by Eric Clements: IMG_6790.jpg photo - bryanh photos at pbase.com ...and a little bit of press from the SCCA site: SCCA - Sports Car Club of America "Will Kalman, of Northridge, Calif., pulled off two upsets in his new L&W Enterprises/Redshift Honda Civic. First he knocked off James Wilson’s Subaru Impreza for the H Stock win, then Kalman proceeded to hand Hollis his second runner-up finish in Challenge competition when he collected the Honda Tuner Challenge Top Eliminator crown." Nice to see "L&W Enterprises" in a press release. If they actually knew what the initials in L&W stood for...

04-03-2008, 01:31 PM	#794 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Nice, congrats! So since I'm an 8thcivic noob, care to explain the L&W? If not, I'll just search.

04-05-2008, 09:34 AM	#795 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Ugh, calling for rain in the AM.

04-06-2008, 03:52 PM	#796 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Good to meet you today Gonzo! I'll post up video soon after the results come up. I got the video off the camera, but I want to put the results in with it. Or...actually I'll just host the raw video real quick and then re-do it for an entire thread. Hope it helps you find some time.

04-06-2008, 03:58 PM	#797 (permalink)
honda93 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Property Tax Hell... NJ Age: 34 Posts: 892 iTrader: 2 / 100%	Ran my Civic yesterday on my all-season Kumho ASX's... Actually, this is the first time since early 2004 in which I ran on street tires on my own personal autocross car. They (street tires on a Stock class car) suck. Hahaha! Now I see why the SCCA still allows R-Comps in Stock. Even with the heroic driving tactics, I had a bear of a time getting that car to work. Granted even an ultra high performance all-season tire like the ASX is still a lot slower than say the Direzza Z1 or the RE-01R. But I so missed that instantaneous turn-in that race tires allow. Everything felt lethargic. As soon as I log off, I am ordering my V710's. The only positive was how hard I could drive the street tires, doing so gave me a good indication that I will gain additional speed with R-Comps, in other words, I may not have been utilizing the grip of a V710 fully, staying at 95% rather than the full 100%. Anthony "Mario" Crea NNJR-SCCA

04-06-2008, 04:21 PM	#798 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Here's the raw video of my 4th run of 52.2xx. Can't wait to see what PAX looks like tomorrow. MySpaceTV Videos: WDCR Practice Event 2008 by Luster

04-06-2008, 04:57 PM	#799 (permalink)
Gonzo You're doing it wrong!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 21 Posts: 5,551 iTrader: 5 / 100%	Video definitely helped, especially after getting to know the course. You cut into that first showcase cone really close, I was swinging wider and probably wasting time doing it. Braking going into that left hander after the 2nd slalom after the crossover (the one we talked about) your braking was definitely better. My last run I nailed if fairly well but not quite where it should have been. I will watch the video a few more times later tonight and see what else I can pick up.

04-06-2008, 05:24 PM	#800 (permalink)
piknockout Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 154 Josh iTrader: 0 / 0%	Did you take any video at the event by chance? On the showcase turn, with the wet there wasn't enough grip to try and go wider and carry speed. So in this case, cut down the distance. Also in not going wide there gave the chance to really straighten up the section before that cone.