Autocrossers: Check in here!

[honda93]

Originally Posted by 130R

Wow, thanks for that. How would you know Anthony? Have we ever met for you to critique my driving? Where you at Nationals to see how the site behaves?

I'll admit, I'm not the best. I'm a mid-pack driver now at the best, so I will agree with you! I've only been doing this seriously for 3 years and this was my first year on R-comps. I have a lot to learn. I just don't agree with you saying it because you have no backing.

At least I had the balls and effort to show up with the car at multiple BIG events this year. Not taking anything away from Greg or Chris, but I performed very well at locals this year and sucked it up at Tour's. Don't put any stock into what the car or drivers did locally. Chris' past achievements precede him, but this car and tire was new game for him.

Our (Ben and I) nationals results was a little disappoint as I threw away a few spots with cones (hit stupid cones on both days fastest runs) and Ben was too nervous to even walk straight. Ben also puts very little effort into walking course (he walked west course twice). He learned the hard way with all of his DNF's. I was honestly expecting us in the mid 20's with low 20's....high teens as our stretch. We finished a little behind MY goal but learned a lot about the site this year and now that I have to set the car up a little tighter at my home events to have it behave well at HPT. We set the car up as loose as we could at Miller Park (a site many said is nearly identical to HPT in terms of grip) and were not expecting the problems with oversteer at HPT. We had rear pressures as low as 17psi in the warm-up and were still caught out. It was too low for the day-of-the-event though as we ran 3rd heat with good rubber down and right after the sand was cleared off line (which is huge since we run a slightly different line than the thoundands of spec-MINI's in the class). Next year we (or I) would come more prepared (as in fresh rear tires that grip, not heat-cycled out junkers that let the car rotate).

With that said, I am hoping to get out of the car for 2007. With the cost of custom shocks and how many tires we would eat, it would be less expensive to buy a 94-96 Miata R and run it in ES. As long as I can get the cash for the Miata, the Si will become a really expensive (as in $529 a month) daily driver.

PS-This is a really good thread. I just noticed it when paging around. Good info. I will keep my eye on it to see if I can contribute any more info.

I wish the best to you guys running nationally in HS next year. You are going to have a tough fight. I hope it turns out better than my attempt in GS.

We've actually replied to the same "Si in GS" thread on sccaforums.com and I remember reading a lot of your postings about your efforts. I unfortunately cannot make Kansas due to my profession (being a teacher September is a bad month to take a week off in esp. after being off for two months). But I did attend the Devens Tour and DC ProSolo and trophied in both (2nd and 3rd, respectively). So sorry if I offended you, but the non-Si is doing a better job in HS than the Si is in GS and I think Greg will back me up... Actually ask him if he'll be contesting the car in that class again this year.

As for the ES Miata idea, a lot of people are doing that and I may co-drive with my friend who has gone the same route at the Devens Tour or Finger Lakes ProSolo if HS is not a well subscribed class... The earlier Miatas are dirt cheap now and they have a proven track record in autocrossing. Good luck with that.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by Highrev1

Why not go down to a 40 offset to get as much clearance and widen the track as much as possible. And acutally you could use the 47 in the rear to try to help the rear come around as much as possible.

We will be using a 1/4" spacer in the front which brings the net offset to 41ish. The 47 offset wheel came about because we (Robert w/ Blackwatch Racing and myself) wanted to have a wheel that could be legal for the Civic, the RSXs and the Mazda 3. The 3 has a 52.5 offset on it's stock wheel. Blackwatch is getting 10 sets of these wheels (I'm getting two of them) and Robert wants to maximize the sales potential for the wheels.

[1st HI 06 Si]

I might of missed this you may be running a regular Civic, but you said that you were going to run 16" wheel? Can you do that in an Si?

Are you guys able to change the front camber much? And if you are you using the Crash bolts? I have a new shop here that will do my alignment for $60. So I wanted to installed the crash bolts and get the max camber I could out of them. What toe setting are you running on the car typically? I running on all seasons right now until I trash them. This April I will be moving back to the Mainland and will be racing up at Portland international raceway and possibly down in Eugene as well depending on events and what I can make it to.

Any one in here from that area? I would like to know a few people there before I show up on the first day, always nice to already have some one there to point you in the right direction.

Also I have one of the first Helm manuals that came out so I don't know if its in there or not but is the HFP suspension "legal" for G Stock?

[honda93]

I might of missed this you may be running a regular Civic, but you said that you were going to run 16" wheel? Can you do that in an Si?

No in Stock, you MUST run the OEM sized wheel with an allowance of 1/4" for backspacing. My LX Coupe has 16x6.5" wheels, the Si has 17x7" wheels. That's what we're stuck with.


Are you guys able to change the front camber much? And if you are you using the Crash bolts?

No and yes, but the bolts aren't giving much more than 1/2 degree.

What toe setting are you running on the car typically?

That's a secret. Gotta have something to keep an edge over my competition, right?


Is the HFP suspension "legal" for G Stock?

The custom struts and shocks the kit offers ARE legal, but the springs are NOT.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[1st HI 06 Si]

Ok thanks for the help, I guess I will have to try and read up on the toe issue and see what I can find.

I am guessing that if I was going to go though the trouble of getting different shocks I would want to go with some thing better than the HFP. I will have to do some looking and see what I can find. I would like to try and be competitive in the G stock class for awhile before I move up or change the car much. I know its not the best car for Auto X but I have a lot of fun with it.

Any time people ride with me in the fun runs they are always impressed by what the car can do in its stock form.

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by 1st HI 06 Si

Ok thanks for the help, I guess I will have to try and read up on the toe issue and see what I can find.

I am guessing that if I was going to go though the trouble of getting different shocks I would want to go with some thing better than the HFP. I will have to do some looking and see what I can find. I would like to try and be competitive in the G stock class for awhile before I move up or change the car much. I know its not the best car for Auto X but I have a lot of fun with it.

Any time people ride with me in the fun runs they are always impressed by what the car can do in its stock form.

Remember that toe can be a tire eater. That being said, toe out on both ends will help the car.

The Koni part numbers are up for the 8th gen Civics. They are:

2100 4065 for the FSD kit (front and rear)
8741 1502(L/R)SPORT for the yellow front struts
8041 1359SPORT for the yellow rear shocks

Problem is, they won't be out until summer. I'd wait if I were you.

I also get good impressions from others who drive my car regarding the car in stock form. But remember, the Mini's we are going against are great cars as well.

[1st HI 06 Si]

Yeah I have nothing against the mini I was looking at them before my wife happened to be at the dealer when my Si drove in. It was the first on in the state, and I had not driven a mini yet. I got in the Si and didn't want to get out.

I dont have any problem waiting, I still have a lot of driving skill to learn before I am competent enough for shocks and struts to make much change.

I was told that a little toe out in the back helps at high speeds, i.e. freeway driving. how much before it really starts to eat up your tires. My car is mostly a track car, but when I move back to the main land I think that for the first few months I am going to have to drive it to the auto-x events 150 to 200 miles away. So that would eat up some tires.

[1st HI 06 Si]

In your guys opinion who makes a better pad the Axxis Ultimates or the Hawk HP Plus?

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by 1st HI 06 Si

In your guys opinion who makes a better pad the Axxis Ultimates or the Hawk HP Plus?

I'm a Hawk guy, but for double duty, I would stick with the HPS. If your car was a more dedicated auto-xer, I would say the HP+.

The stock brakes are so much better on my 07 LX than my 89 Si STS car. I will however be upgrading to HPS pads on the front. They don't have anything for the rear drums.

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by 1st HI 06 Si

how much (toe) before it really starts to eat up your tires.

Anything up to 1/8" (out or in) is fairly safe. You can always dial some more in at the event, and then change it back.

[BigDog]

Oops. Double post

[honda93]

Originally Posted by BigDog

2100-4065 for the FSD kit

FSD huh? Very interesting new twist.

[bossman]

Originally Posted by sbmon

I went out for my second event this past weekend and had an absolute blast.
If anyone out there is considering autocrossing, you gotta try it is alot of fun. I can't wait for my next event. Here's a pic from this past weekend.
shawn

Would those hsppen to be Enkei RPF1's I see?if so.... good choice.

[Highrev1]

Kosei K1's

[1st HI 06 Si]

Are Kosei a good quality rim? Them are actually reasonably priced a lot of the time and not very heavy.

[honda93]

Originally Posted by Highrev1

Kosei K1's

Sorry Greg, Bossman was right. The Kosei's have a solid spoke design, the Enkei's have the split-spke design.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by honda93

Sorry Greg, Bossman was right. The Kosei's have a solid spoke design, the Enkei's have the split-spke design.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

You're both wrong. Well, Greg is half wrong. They're Kosei's, but they're KZ-Vs. The Enkei's spokes are spaced wider apart.

I had 6 RPF1s stolen off and out of the STS car 2 years ago. Sort of a mixed blessing. I used the insurance money to buy 16x7.5 SSRs. But I loved the RPF1s.

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by 1st HI 06 Si

Are Kosei a good quality rim? Them are actually reasonably priced a lot of the time and not very heavy.

Hey Greg,

Didn't you guys have the Hoosiers mounted on the Kosei's?

I know a guy who runs them on his DD Miata and loves them. Price is quite good on the Koseis, and they make a 17x7 which matches the stock Si size.

[honda93]

Holy cow, they are very similar!

Oops.

[Highrev1]

Originally Posted by BigDog

Hey Greg,

Didn't you guys have the Hoosiers mounted on the Kosei's?

I know a guy who runs them on his DD Miata and loves them. Price is quite good on the Koseis, and they make a 17x7 which matches the stock Si size.

Yeah, 245's and 225's well 4 of the 245's and 2 225's There still around if someone wants em We started with the v710's in the begining of the season, and them moved to the Hoosiers, the talked a little better, from what I am told anyway :)