Okay, gang, this is sort of a spin-off (no pun intended) of Johnny L.A.'s driver thread because it seemed to be heading toward the time-honored tradition of bench racing (many apologies for the hijack there, Johnny). Most, if not all, of us hold the opinion that autocrossing will dramatically improve road driving and emergency reaction skills. But it’s fun too! So, let’s brag and compare notes here. What got you into it? What car and class do you compete in? Why that car? What would you WANT to compete in and why? What do you think about your competitors?
Years ago I got into it with my daily-driven Porsche 914 in DS and had a ball! I was hooked! Currently, I drive a 1984 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE in CSP. I have full Racing Beat “street” exhaust, Kumho Victoracers on 2nd Gen RX-7 ‘phonedial’ wheels, Eibach progressive rate springs, and Gabriel HD struts. Most of the rest of the car is stock. Without a doubt, I am convinced that it has improved my driving by teaching me the capabilities (and limits) of my cars. It sharpens hand-eye coordination and reaction times too.
The Eastern Tennessee Region of the SCCA is a great group. We have had upward of 90 competitors (in 20 degree weather!) at some events, and for a few years we had the incredible Dogwood Grand Prix in the spring, which took place on a short stretch of highway that the club was able to get closed for the event. We had competitors from nearly every state bordering Tennessee. Sadly, it’s gone now, but it was a hoot to watch (never raced in it personally).
So, boys and girls, check in and tell us about your cars and clubs.
I LOVED that 914 … so much so that I couldn’t bear to part with it. I conned my parents into letting me keep it at their house, awaiting restoration … of course it helped that my dad was crazy about the car too. Hopefully, I’ll get to it when I find some of that spare time you mentioned, E-Sabbath … been saying that for about 5 years now. Someday …
My folks met because they had matching yellow and black 914s.
It was a very lively car… He tells me this story of the time he went down to Texas and wound up in a race. It’s the 70s, and it’s Texas. Big cars. Big oil. Stangs. Chargers. Even some MGs and Jags. And the li’l 914 just walks away after the first turn, because of how well balanced it was.
So, third race, someone comes in with a transporter. Three. F1. Racers.
I loved the interplay between like skilled drivers. I halepd a guy pick up 1.5 seconds on a 75 second track by watching him drive and riding with him. There was a chicane that was juuuust a little too tight and he kept overcooking it on entrance, messing him up for the final section of the track, I just told him to get ready and when I told him, give it a HARD stab on the brakes.
He comes around, I hell “NOW” and the car slows, loads up the front suspension and he’s lost just enough speed to set himself up for the rest of the chicane…
Then there was the time a friend and I volunteered to do gate security for an autocross class. He and I’d take turns futzing around while the other had people sign waivers. At the end of the class day, we got to drive the course sections. There’s a sleepy guy in the timing trailer announcing times.
Friend drive up to the start:
“Red Miata, 54 seconds”
I pull up
“Red RX-7, 60 seconds” (I spend the first lap just casually going over the course as I hadn’t seen it, and I was in no particular hurry, exited the track, ran back to the start and HAMMERED the course.
“Red RX-7…erm…54 seconds? Improvement 7 seconds!”
That’s just a teaser, the REAL story is on mr harddisk somewhere, lemmie dig it up.
I remember going as a non-competitor to one event a few years ago. A couple of buddies of mine had entered an RX-7 as a two-driver car and were getting pretty competitive with each other on lap times. Well, the primary driver of the car had been the faster of the two so far that day, so he figured he could risk the extra weight of a passenger for a run. He told me I should sign the waiver, grab a helmet, and ride along with him. So I did. What happened? Besides me exiting the car with a HUGE grin on my face, he actually improved on his best time because my weight in the passenger side helped balance the car!
It was after this that I started preparing my RX-7 for autocrossing. Got to take advantage of hand-me-downs as he improved his car. Recently, his '7 was used as the basis for the running gear in a rotary-powered LoCost sports car (Lotus 7 replica). I haven’t yet driven this beast, but from all accounts it’s something else.
The last time I drove, my dad and I shared the car. The day started out a bit cloudy, then, while we were both working the course before our class ran, the clouds unleashed. We were soaked. At any rate, once our runs started, having a two-driver car was a huge benefit … the track was drying, and the car didn’t sit still long enough for the tires to cool too much. They just kept getting stickier and we were shaving up to 2 seconds off of each run. I took tops in my class that day, and had a pretty respectable overall time too. So much fun it should be illegal!
I had a go at autocross a few times when I was at University in the early 80’s. 1st car was a 72 Plymouth Duster which was funny because it steered like such a pig. 2nd car was a 76 Civic which was alot better. The serious guys all seemed to be running Beetles.
Peri: I had an 87 TII with no compression, lots of vacuum leaks, leaking fuel injectors and a SERIOUSLY marginal electrical system.
I thought I’d be saving money by moving up to an 89 vette. It cost $15k and I’ve got at least that much in mods. Save the top, paint and interior, it’s mechanically a new car. (and at 475hp/500 ft-lbs torque behind a new racing tranny, it should be a HOOT and a HALF…I’m finishing off the final touches tomorrow night.)
I too had an 87TII although I never autocrossed it, but that was the plan eventually. I got a new baby and wife, and that put that plan on hold for a few years.
So, peritrochoid, any ideas for a guy looking very hard for an 84-85 GSL-SE? 1st gen’s seem to get rarer and rarer every year and the GSL-SE is the most rare. My real dream is put a 89-92 turbo motor in any 1st gen.
dead0man, one big piece of advice (though more aesthetic than functional) in your search for a GSL-SE is to find one with the grey interior. Avoid the red/brown unless the car has been garage kept for most of its life, and you plan to continue that. Red pigments and dyes seem to be the least predictable in fading, and you end up with a mixed bag of results. The greys age more gracefully. Considering that interior parts are harder to find than most mechanical ones for the 'SE, I’d make sure this was a huge factor in your choice. The 13B engines from most any 2nd gen fit a 1st gen like a glove (with some minor parts swapping), and are plentiful, so engine woes shouldn’t necessarily be flat deal-breakers. The stock transmissions (slightly different gearing than standard 1st gen trans) are pretty stout, and, maintained properly, will last a long time. Fitting an emissions-illegal header and new exhaust seems to be popular too, since it could gain someting on the order of 20-30 hp (rotaries LOVE free flowing exhausts), but be sure you try to get the original cats, air pump, and all accessories … these are expensive to buy new (if you can find them) if you ever need to make the car emissions legal again. As with any 20 year old car, watch for rust in critical places; battery tray, wheel wells, rocker panels, lower edge of doors, just below the tail lamps, etc. Also be warned that since these cars are so old, it may be hell trying to document the oil change intervals … the rotary engine is nearly bulletproof IF the oil is changed every 3000 miles. Otherwise, it could be a timebomb. I know some folks who might keep an eye open for a solid 'SE, if you’d like for me to ask around.
You could look for an 'SE without an engine, and drop in an '89 or later naturally aspirated one (until you get the turbo motor, of course). IIRC, that’s the year Mazda introduced their lightest weight rotors which bumped the power up and nudged the official redline to 8000 rpm … not that they wouldn’t spin that high anyway. Gotta love an engine with a warning buzzer instead of a rev-limiter.
Anyone else seen the new Mazda rotary commercial? “None of our engines ever dropped a valve … or holed a piston … or threw a connecting rod …”
Of course, they neglect to mention that it could crack an apex seal, but I LOVE that commercial. I grin and laugh like a stupid little boy when I see it. Yeah, I know, I’m pathetic. I really do have a life, though … really … I’m serious.
It’s just so sick and wrong on so many levels that it’s just gonna hafeta happen.