Defiantly tagging this for interest.

On a side note, crazy shit can happen at auto X too. Fast forward to 0.39:
https://m.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%...GHHoXH&refid=7

 

^Nice write up JC! I'm thinking about buying an NA FC RX7, so its basically as slow as a Fit haha, and just making it reliable, and beating on it on track/autox, whether its a track day or a drift day, just anything to improve my skills. Dumb? Really dumb? Or Mega fun? I'm thinking all three.

 

not dumb at all. Spec RX7 is just as big as spec Miata.. /love!

 

I keep on hearing this once in a while, but IDK what company does offer this, I figure if anyone, you will know.

I've heard State Farm mentioned before I kind of wonder how it'd effect insurance rates.

I agree about the dangers of running in beginner run groups... it can get VERY scary on tighter courses with 20 noobs, I think I left that group my second HPDE just so I didn't have to deal with it . Not much fun sitting in the back of a cartrain created by someone too proud to point-by.

Mike, a friend of mine has a streetported FC Turbo with suspension FS, maybe he'll ship it

 

I mega broke lol. I'm selling off most of my Fit stuff (which explains my FS thread) and that money will be put towards buying a BEAT FC. I'll then attempt to do a back to OEM rebuild and beat the tar out of it.

Then next winter I will go about ruining it in the process of making it cool.

 

HPDE Insurance Program
You can buy single event coverage from them.cost approx $200 per event.

WMS - Car Insurance at the Track

hpde insurance, race track insurance, de insurance, track driving school insurance, on track insurance - ontrackinsurance.com

WSIB Insurance Agency, LLC

MotorsportReg.com : Event Insurance

 

OH SNAP! LOL i've never run autox anywhere with curbs and don't think I would. I'd feel safer on a road course than doing any sort of performance drivng anywhere that has curbs associated with it. I would even prefer haybales, tires or KRails than curbs.

Mike, goodluck with the FC plan. Lately i've been digging OEM restore builds more than anything else i've seen on the web.

 

Wow, thanks alot, that's all very informative.

So if i'm at an event and I have timing and transponder it's probably not covered under normal insurance. No timing, might be ok... I have Progressive so i'll have to give them a call.

I prefer running with timing though, so those other options are good.

 

Going to my first autox in the fit this summer! thanks for this thread. It is really a great teaching point. I'm thinking sticky?

 

Thanks dude!

 

Wednesday was an utter blast, though I was a bit exhausted with basically no sleep (2 hours maybe) in the 30 hours beforehand. Suzuka East, the esses and the main straight are phenomenal!!! Though it made me feel like such a weak driver honestly. Was my first time there and J's staff said my times were good for my first time being out there, but really I was a bit disappointed in myself. Driving the course on a game console just cannot translate really at all. I was too slow coming into the second corner, at about 98~102km/h, just once, maybe twice I saw I was around 112km/h. The esses held steady in 3rd gear, but the final one the car would want to under under a bit too much if I kept on the throttle. So lots of modulation and decreased speed. Damn the tranny parts would have been so welcomed, still waiting for the final drive to show up. The final corner onto the main straight I tried using more momentum, most were braking into it, then on the power, braking again and powering onto the straight. I noticed if I broke before the beginning, I would get into 4th about 25~30m later which didn't allow me to top out 4th gear at the end of the straight. So I broke just before the 2nd kink and modulated the throttle in the bend and laid into it just after the apex. The diff and final would have been a big help here as I could have powered on more and gone into 5th and eeked out some more straight line speed with the increased acceleration. As it was I would just get on the limiter in 4th and the HKS lap timer indicated 176~178km/h. My best lap was just a 1:09.166 or something like that, though it was 1.9 seconds quicker than my best 1st session lap, yet was about 2.5 seconds slower than a couple other Fits (newer GEs with the 4.6 final and 6MT, closer ratio gearing overall for better acceleration). No excuses though, my driving is the main culprit to my times.

About not willing to sacrifice the car, I can't really buy into it so much. I just feel that any time I get behind the wheel anything can happen that is not in my control in everyday scenarios. On circuit I can control myself, maybe even too much that I don't push even harder than what is possible, mostly because well it is the only vehicle and needing to be able to drive home the 370km does slightly linger in the back of my mind.

Even though not completely satisfied with myself, though that should be the case in my opinion as it only makes you want to do better, I did have a great time. I totally understand why drivers praise this circuit, even though not the full course, the esses are very technical and just a bit of lost speed kills the lap time. I'm just even more hungry now.

Whatever you can do, whether it be on circuit or ripping up around cones (way too many in my opinion in auto-x courses, no possibility to miscourse) just get out and do it. Seriously, if you really enjoy driving your doing yourself a disservice by just sitting back waiting. Life is WAY TOO short to not just grab the bull by the horns and say I'm riding you into the dirt big boy.

 

JC and 555 making my thread cool one post at a time

This is also a fun read backing why I rail against cheap coilovers!

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...gs-dynoed.html

 

bump for more sexy words

 

Tohatsu, the first and last name when it comes to springs. I'll only ever use S*W*I*F*T.

Tohatsu sounds sexy, so there you go JCrim. hahaha

 

this is very true. you knwo what else sounds good?

Jack Mardikian - Willow Springs Raceway - 2000 Honda Civic - YouTube

wow, he was the only FWD car there. the rest are sport and exotics. his real sport car broke the week before so he had to make things happened and showed up in a civic. this is a SUPER UNLIMITED RACE. basically limitless in MODS. LIKE A BOSS, this guys walks out first place and wins. come at him.

I posted this on me and my buddies facebook event for our first HPDE and said "This is what is going to happen that weekend." lol I cant wait to see what she does.

 

The name is Adam.

I've got a 2010 TW GE8 with about 20 or so events under its belt. Mostly autocross but some other events held by PCA and Corvette clubs with a "road course" feel to it. Been autocrossing it since the car passed 1000 miles (literally).

2 Solo driving schools in 2009 and 2010
SCCA Solo Safety Steward
2011 overall points champion in Jax chapter of Buccaneer Region SCCA
2011 ST class champion in Jax chapter
Kickin' ass in STF this year, and attending the Solo National Tour kickoff in Dixie next month.

Car setup current:
-225/45/15 Hankook RS-3s
-15x7.5 +42 949racing 6UL wheels
- Bilstein PSS coilovers
- Cusco 24mm front anti-roll bar
- blank rotors, Hawk HPS pads (note: looking for alternative)
- Goodridge stainless steel brake lines
- Ate super blue brake fluid
- K&N drop-in filter
- -2* camber up front, 0* toe
- Gforce torso harness (small but important!)
- Tire pressure of 42psi front and 34-32psi rear (depending on surface). Pressures are with tires AT TEMP, not cold pressures.

2011 was a "build up" year as i started the season with a stock GE8 on some 16x7 Konigs and 215/45/16 Kumho Ecsta XS, so it's been through alot

The bad mods (per my experience):
- Sparco Sprint seat on Buddyclub seat rails
why: Sprint seat has a metal tube as part of the frame, that runs at the front of the bottom cussion of the bucket. That tube is placed somewhat high in relation to the seat bottom, thus forcing your knees to bend gratuitously to reach the pedals. This results in moving the seat forward enough to reach the pedals which is TOO CLOSE for the steering wheel/torso position and it turns into a nightmare. Wrists were on fire in about 30 mins of driving.

- Hawk HP+ pads and Ate Premium slotted rotors
why: HP+ is an amazing pad and i loved it as far as feel and performance. However it created a light show which was fragments of rotor material burning off. Those pieces of melted rotor embedded themselves in the paint of my konigs and it's almost impossible to get out. Dust was horrible, but that was a moot point. The rotor fallout under braking also chewed through my backing plates and the boot around the caliper piston.

- Camber bolts
why: They moved after 1 event. Bolts were properly torqued. Will never trust camber bolts, so i elongated the holes on the bilsteins to adjust camber. Elongated holes are working great, and alignment hasn't changed.

- Wink mirror
why: Bumped my helmet every time i got in the car. Couldn't put helmet on with me sitting in the car.


Questions are welcome!
Cheers

 

^I actually like "the bad" reviews better.

I was considering the camber bolt thing but heard they move. I won't get them now because I believe you (nail in coffin if you will).

 

I really wanted to include "The bad"... because i've tried alot of different things with mixed results. There's not alot of info floating around on some things, and the majority it's not even written in the form of performance gain/loss. So, why not share what DIDN'T work

Hopefully i'll save some people from spending money on something useless or problematic. I'd have to say the damn seat was the worst experience, as it was the most costly mistake. I'm hoping to have another seat in the car this year and a harness, as the grip levels are going to get higher and my bolsters aren't getting thicker

 

Nice additive BOM. I think people should open the bolt hole on their sussy versus relying on camber bolts. My sussy came with a wider opening that allows up to like -4 camber. Currently run at -2.4, but also with a slight, very slight bit of toe out. Like the better feel of turn in and tires are not getting chewed up either.

Never used HP+ pads, but will steer clear of them and continue using HC+ from ProjectMu. Great temp range of 0-800*C and have been on the car for the past 2 years now through 5 tracking days, numerous touge runs and daily driving and still using the stock rotors at all 4 wheels.

Interesting about the seat, is that a reclining type? Go with a true bucket that is a mold without any metal bits forming the seat.

 

This widening of the bolt hole, could someone enlighten me on how one would do this, what it looks like, how it enable camber adjustment, etc? I'm a n00b when it comes to sussy. I just know what brands to look for when buying lulz.