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 Post subject: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:19 pm 
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My stiffness is only an illusion
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Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:49 pm
Posts: 4658
Location: on line looking at car ads
So, while I was drifting off at work thinking about nothing, a random thought popped into my head. Started considering the different cars I've autox'd over the years. I'm interested in what you had to start with and what you drive now? As for myself?

> First off was the 1970 old cutlass convertible. Let's say this car had a lot of "yawl" rate. Hate I sold that car, but oh well....
> Then there was the short lived '96 V6 camaro. Not that fun to autox w/ an autotragic
> My first serious autox car was the '96 BMW 328. Still rocking that car.
> Next on the hit list was the '07 GT mustang. Ran that a few years, fun car...
> Sold the mustang and picked up the Bullitt to run. Ran the bullitt for a year and then tried to sell the car, no buyers
> Picked up Matt M's old mazda 3 hatch and ran that for a year, sold it to Zach
> Put the bullitt back into action and that's where I'm at right now

Haven't really found anything else I want to drive right now, but I am still waiting on a certain BMW 330 ZHP to turn up for sale. (cough, Chuck, cough....)

_________________
Rodney

'08 Bullitt mustang, CAM 7
Autox VP '09-'10, President '11-'12, interim President 2nd half of ‘14
proud recipient of the Bowie Grey service award '12
Now just a guy driving a mustang....


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:52 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:37 pm
Posts: 510
Location: Raleigh, NC
I've driven quite a few different cars, I was only serious in my 240. I hope to make it out some day with my new to me '03 WRX sportwagon.

I was thinking of you Rodney when I test drove it. There is a crap ton of head room. You probably already know this, but I bet you would fit.

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2003 Subaru WRX Sportwagon = daily driver/boost and booster seats
2000 BMW 540iT = wife's kid hauler
2012 Toyota Highlander = the boring reliable vehicle


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 3:00 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2014 4:41 pm
Posts: 804
Location: Pittsboro, NC
Started Autocrossing a 2010 Camaro SS, and still autocrossing a 2010 Camaro SS, lol.

It might be on the chopping block sometime next year though, trying to correct financial mistakes of my youth and get out from under a car payment.

Most likely going to be looking for a small pickup for tooling around in and/or a E36 or E46 maybe to daily/autoX at first and then turn into a track/autoX car.

_________________
2017 Autocross Chief of Tech

2000 E Street Miata
2015 Focus SE EcoBoost 6 speed
2015 Fiesta ST (Wife's ride)
2012 Yamaha FZ1 sorta crotch rocket? All I know is 150HP and 487 lbs is fun!


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:38 pm 
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Nay
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Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:35 pm
Posts: 1273
Location: Raleighwood
I started with a stock 72 Datsun 510 sedan.
Later I got another 510 that started stock and had suspension upgrades in springs, shocks, sway bars, and wheels.
I finally went to race slicks.
The motor went from stock to a dual SU intake with some head work.
Then I built a 1600 turbo motor with water alcohol injection and 24 lbs of boost on Cam2 race fuel.
The last car I auto-xed was my old Datsun 210 on the race slicks I ran on the 510. The 510 was broken at the time.

I have a 2000 Focus ZX-3 but I have not run it.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:44 pm 
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My stiffness is only an illusion
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Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:49 pm
Posts: 4658
Location: on line looking at car ads
George Bright wrote:
I started with a stock 72 Datsun 510 sedan.
Later I got another 510 that started stock and had suspension upgrades in springs, shocks, sway bars, and wheels.
I finally went to race slicks.
The motor went from stock to a dual SU intake with some head work.
Then I built a 1600 turbo motor with water alcohol injection and 24 lbs of boost on Cam2 race fuel.
The last car I auto-xed was my old Datsun 210 on the race slicks I ran on the 510. The 510 was broken at the time.

I have a 2000 Focus ZX-3 but I have not run it.


I'd love to get my hands on an old 510. Very cool car...

_________________
Rodney

'08 Bullitt mustang, CAM 7
Autox VP '09-'10, President '11-'12, interim President 2nd half of ‘14
proud recipient of the Bowie Grey service award '12
Now just a guy driving a mustang....


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 8:52 pm 
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My stiffness is only an illusion
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Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:49 pm
Posts: 4658
Location: on line looking at car ads
well, low and behold.... just can't afford it right now....

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5182829598.html

1972 510 looks to be in great shape and ready to track.

_________________
Rodney

'08 Bullitt mustang, CAM 7
Autox VP '09-'10, President '11-'12, interim President 2nd half of ‘14
proud recipient of the Bowie Grey service award '12
Now just a guy driving a mustang....


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 10:32 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2004 10:05 pm
Posts: 2474
Location: 21st century digital boy...
Okay I'm bored, so I'll bore y'all with a pictorial. :lol:

First auto-x car, 2nd ever auto-x, coincidentally last THSCC Rocky Mount event.
Image

Then probably my all-time favorite car to own and most reliable to date.
Image

Then played around in TIR class in the most beautiful car I've ever owned, or owned me. A-Stock pax at the time, now it's in F Street. Go figure. :roll:
Image

Realized the A Stock 'pax sucks' and neeed 4 doors with a son on the way and got a cheap Honduh. Most competitive car to date and still an ass whupper in H Street now.
Image

The Civic's race wheels w/ r-comps fit my wife's IS300, so why not? Did a few events and a fun intro to RWD + LSD + torque.
Image

Made the mistake of test driving an S2k and got bit by the THSCC STR Kool-Aid.
Image

Big mistake. Round 3 of ITR ownership, only to get trounced by the faster DS cars & drivers.
Image

Practicality and pax bug bites again, plus turbo = fun. Open diff be damned, it's got torque. Plenty of it.
Image

Hopefully a few years with this going forward.
Image


Last edited by Matt McGrain on Fri Aug 21, 2015 12:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 10:40 pm 
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Got Powah?
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Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm
Posts: 4724
Hm, this is a fun list I have never made ... competition car list. I need to make a spreadsheet. Shockingly my car list is very short. I guess it pays off to develop a car over a long time.

AX
1998-1999: 1997 Integra GS-R, G-stock
1999-2005: 1989 BMW 325is, G-stock, then to DSP
2005-2009: 1997 BMW M3, BS, then to BSP

Dirt
2004-2005: 1988 Corolla (dirtmaster)
2005-2006: 1987 BMW 325es
2006-2010: 1997 Subaru Outback Sport

Roadrace
2002-2002: 1990 Honda Civic Si, NASA H4
2008-2011: 1988 Integra, Lemons
2011-2015: 1992 Integra (Simon), Chump

I did autocross my 69 MGB, 93 Miata, 95 BMW, and 99 Miata, but only once or twice. Sad to see that I haven't pounded the cones since 2009 :(

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:53 am 
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You're just jealous

Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:14 pm
Posts: 2553
Location: Raleigh, NC
Autocross cars:

1969 Mustang GT
1974 Datsun 260Z
1974 Lotus Europa
1988 Mustang GT
1985 Van Diemen Formula Ford
2012 Mustang GT
2015 Mustang GT

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:17 am 
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Tire Nerd
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Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 1:40 pm
Posts: 1818
Location: Greenville, SC
RodneyWright wrote:
but I am still waiting on a certain BMW 330 ZHP to turn up for sale. (cough, Chuck, cough....)


Hey, Jackie has owned it for over 4 years now, so you're beef is with her now! :) The way I am with cars, it would be hard to not buy it from her if she wanted to sell it, lol. It is almost 11 years since I saw the ad at a Toyota dealer up in MD and listed (and priced) as a "sport package" 330i, but as I looked at the pics and ran the VIN it was clear it was a ZHP, no sunroof, no fold-downs and priced about $4k under the ZHP market which was hot at that time. I flew up there and inspected the car and even got them to take another $250 even due to two wheels that were scrapped a bit. It still had two years and 35k left on the regular factory warranty, so they tried to sell me an extended warranty to cover it after until I pointed out that the car was BMW CPO covered to 6years/100k. :lol: They had no clue.

Anyway, it was a great deal on a great car....can't believe it's been that long.

Interesting aside...the car was owned originally by BMWNA and then sold with CPO to 2nd owner about 6 months prior to me. We're pretty sure this was the ZHP used by car magazines for testing. :shock: It was built in the first month of ZHP production, and it had a special note in the build sheet about preparation for press fleet, and if you look at the C&D tests from back then, you'll see it -- Imola, no sunroof, no folddowns, only options are Xenons and H/K sound. Perhaps that's why the 2nd gear synchros died about 6 months into autocrossing it (and I knew it wasn't abused by us). Hence it got a factory new transmission and clutch at about 25k miles.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:23 am 
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 12:39 pm
Posts: 682
Location: Raleigh
Not that many cars over the 35 years of AX.

1978 Honda Civic stock than improved than prepared.
1985 Honda Civic stock than improved.
1990 Honda Civic SI stock
1973 Porsche 911 street prep than street Mod. than prepared used as track car also, back to street used with a rally look.
1993 Mazda Miata just a few AX used as track car now.
2013 Fiat 500 Abarth street touring.

Didn’t do much AX so far this year, will try to do some before the end of the year.
If Honda really bring the Civic type R maybe there will be another Civic on the list.

_________________
Patrice
1973 911 former track and AX car.
2016 VW GTI
2002 Nissan Sentra (Olivier car)
2012 Nissan Juke (Kathy car)
2010 Suzuki Kizashi (Audrey car)


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:38 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 11:37 pm
Posts: 642
Location: Raleigh
Kudos to Matt for the photos. In his first photo of his Type-R at the Last Rocky Mount event (can't remember if it was the Last, Last Rocky Mount event ever), you can see my yellow/ vinyl wood Pontiac wagon in the background. I used that to tow my recently completed Spec Miata that I autocrossed a handful of times. My red Miata was the car I started with and still have. The only other car I owned and autocrossed was a 2000 Miata sport package. I ran it once at an autocross school in Laurinburg with Mike Whitney as my instructor!

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92 Miata 1.9L naturally aspirated. SSM 21


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:39 am 
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Official Mustang Tire Corder
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Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 5:51 pm
Posts: 2226
Location: Raleigh, NC
2003-2005 - 1991 Acura Integra - GS/TIR
2005-2007 - 1993 Acura Integra SM/DSP (where ever there was competition)
2008 - 1993 Acura Integra STS
2009 - 2008 Mustang GT - FS
2010 - 2011 Mustang GT - FS
2011 - 2003 Ford Focus SVT - HS
2012 - 2003 Honda S2000 - STR
2013-2015 - 2005 Mustang GT - CAM

Years I ran them might be slightly off.

_________________
Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra


Last edited by Stephen Westerfield on Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:40 am 
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Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 1:36 pm
Posts: 696
Location: Wake Forest, NC
1993 - 1998: '67 Firebird ESP
Sideways around a cone at MoHud in NY:
Image

1999 - 2003: '93 SHO ESP & SM
Laurinburg:
Image

2003 - 2004: '03 Mazda6 GS
Image

2004 - 2011: Took a sabbatical to focus on career & kids

2011 - 2014: '03 Mazda6 FP
Image

Autocrossed the Bullitt a few times in 2011 & 2012. Unfortunately, I have not been out in the cones at all this year - busy with HDPE and road racing. :thumbsup:

_________________
09 Bullitt - DD
11 Fusion - Wife's DD
03 Mazda6 - Track car
00 PSD Excursion - Tow rig
67 Firebird - Don't you still own your 1st car?
61 F100 - Dad's truck
90 Moto Guzzi Calif III - Tourer
00 Cagiva - Adventure bike
00 DRZ400 - Woods bike


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 Post subject: Re: what did you start with?
PostPosted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 2:07 pm 
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Retired Admin
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Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2003 1:34 pm
Posts: 3276
Location: Durham, NC
1985 - 1990 1973 Porsche 914 (and various borrowed cars including a Renault Encore owned by college roommate!)
1991 - 2000 Married, moved to NC, had kids, etc. Too much going on and other hobbies were a distraction.
2001 - 2006 (2007?) 1998 Honda Civic (in what was ST class then) Class champion in 2005 I think

Generally speaking other than new tires every year the Civic was the same during that time period. Stock engine + Koni + ground control + rear bar + Kosei K1 wheels.

Photo from I think the first event for the Civic which was a Triad event in July 2001...

Image

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.


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