THSCC Forums

[quote="Ryan Holton[/quote]

Are you saying with AS he is allowed to install a big red button? wouldent that just add weight? j/k

I'm going to try and piece together the quotes here, because it looks like that sort of went wrong...



It's all of those things. An S2000 has more power, and more tire, than a Miata.

Event results can also sometimes play part in how cars get classed or reclassed. Years ago, the S2000 was a BS car. And it was an obvious overdog in that class. SCCA then moved it to AS, where it's still competitive.

Now let's switch back to STR. S2000s don't derive much extra horsepower from STR legal power adders; Miatas probably do. The power to weight ratio of both cars is now a lot closer than it used to be. And both cars are stuck on the same tires.



I understand. I was just trying to point out that should someone show up in a full-tilt build "something that isn't a NB Miata," if your car proves to be slower, it may not be because your car is an inferior car. It's likely because of the development work that's in the other car.



I like it because now that I've got a 10 10ths AS build, I'm finished. I like the fact that my AS car is still a nice car to drive around town (except for the ridiculous exhaust). I like - no, I LOVE - Hoosiers. I like the fact that there was a well-established "recipe" for building a competitive AS S2000. I happen to like AS in particular because the list of cars that can win is a long, diverse list.

I like not having to think about what spring rates (or whatever other doodad) to run on what surface. I'm stuck with what I've got, and that makes it easy on me. I like easy. There's a friend of mine on another forum who has taken all the AS stuff off his S2000, and is building it for STR. He's having a lot of fun; I'd hate it.

Looks like Ryan knew what I was thinking before I got to type it

That's just me. Plenty of folks derive a lot of pleasure out of modifying their cars and changing stuff constantly. I've done that before, and I hated it.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

that all makes since.



Whats a 10 10ths build?

as far as the easy button is concerned I completly understand that. my normal thought process is whats weekest and needs to be fixed. usually my answer is the driver. sometimes I can come up with tires would have helped me do that faster... quicker response... etc... but, again usually the driver

Nothing left on the table. Everything is done that can be done to the car, the only variable in the equation is the driver. Except Karl's wrong, he has a 9.5/10ths car because he hasn't opened the motor up for the 1st factory overbore yet.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Eeek. If people are actually going to those lengths in stock class, it would surprise me. Spending that same $1-2k on SoloPro schools would gain you more than that. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

We have only heard about how easy it was for the last 2 years That picture was the quickest way of conveying that thought.

Now if only I could push the easy button myself.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Does the easy button straiten all the cones out. and put self retracting springs on the cones so they always return to their box's?

If so, maybe I should install an easy button in my miata.

It seems to have the opposite effect. At least, that's the case for me.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

hmm... you can keep your as then and I am moving up to a mod... maybe the button works on a mod car's

As Karl et al have intimated, once you go into the Prepped classes you are starting to make the car more expensive and less streetable. A "mildly" prepped car will put it into the "prepped" class but it probably won't be competitive because the car just isn't prepped enough. You could stay in a "street tire" class which would limit your tire bill, but also allow some mods that are $$$ intensive.

If you are buying the mods for the street then great do it realizing that whatever they may be (Intake, Seats, wheels, suspension) alone will make you most likely make you uncompetitive in the "SP" class.

I agree with Aaron that if you want to improve your AX skills the schools are by far the least expensive way to do it. Fix nut behind the wheel - then turn the ones on the car.

I am also a "stock" class advocate as it limits the expense (other than tires) and as long as you pick the right car you can be competitive out of the box almost.

For local events, being in an underprepped car isn't the end of the world though. I know I'll never be able to really run with a properly done ST civic with a good driver (but I have beaten a couple of them, which is always rewarding), but I have fun in ST, I have good competition, and I can get a trophy every once in a while. Sometimes you just have to say "oh well" when a good ST civic or Kevin Allen in his subaru shows up and whoops on you, but thats life. It also sets the bar even higher for you as far as pushing yourself to get better. I'm in an HS car with .5" wider wheels, rear bar, and CAI and I've still got a mathematical (only) shot at the ST season points championship. I started with "don't finish dead last", then moved up to "lets see if I can grab a trophy", to "I want to WIN". I don't think I would have gotten better as quickly had I been in a class where I was winning all the time.

I greatly prefer the way my car handles on the street with the rear bar and the throttle response with the intake makes it way more fun as well. I also don't have an R-comp budget (well, not for two cars, and my wifes will probably be on race rubber soon).

For me, I put so many miles on my car on the street thats what I base my mods on more than anything else. I'm aware of the rules, and won't do anything to bump me any higher than ST, but thats about it.

If a casual autocrosser in your situation, I'd go for the STR class. Sure you won't be fully prepped, but you can make some fun mods to your car. Run CSP TIR for the rest of the year (and realize that CSP pax sucks) then STR next year and you won't have to eat the huge tire bill of r compounds to be competitive. I think you'll have a much better shot in an underprepped ST car on good tires than in a stock class on street tires (although if you want to do CS TIR, you can certainly compete there).

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2012 MX-5 Sport SUV

Thanks to all. I keep going back and forth on what I want to do. I was given a signifigent amount of money for my Bday that I can use on wheels (I could use the rest to have a fairly preped car, but Im supposed to use it on a few other things).

At this point, I keep going back and forth on putting my autox rubber on the 15x7's that I am going to buy, or useing my OE rim's with the autX tires.

I guess at the very least I can always switch back and forth depending on my mood if I can find someone to change my tires around.

It gets really expensive and counter productive to keep switching tires and wheels. Figure $80 per swap and after a couple of those you have bought new tires or newish wheels.

It isn't that it sucks, it's that there aren't any fully prepped CSP cars in the area other than a certain yellow car that lives in Chapel Hill. I can spend twenty-thirty grand easy in my head to build a midpack car on an NA chassis, and the NCs haven't even been fully optimized yet. One NC woodshedded the field at Nationals, and he just had very limited mods.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

If I had a 10AE, I would be buying some stock wheels, some off the shelf Koni SA's, a bigger front bar and some r-compounds. That car in stock form is a joy and is still very competitive, even at the National level. If Nationals stayed at Heartland Park with it's relatively slow courses, I think the 6spd in the 10AE combined with the stock torsen would be a killer car. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S