what did you start with?

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:19 pm

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....)

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:52 pm

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.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 3:00 pm

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.

George Bright · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:38 pm

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.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:44 pm

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...

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 8:52 pm

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.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2015 10:32 pm

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.

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

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:

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.

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.

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

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

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

Hopefully a few years with this going forward.

MikeWhitney · **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

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:53 am

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

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:17 am

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.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:23 am

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.

Jordan Normark · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:38 am

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!

Stephen Westerfield · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:39 am

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.

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:40 am

1993 - 1998: '67 Firebird ESP
Sideways around a cone at MoHud in NY:

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

2003 - 2004: '03 Mazda6 GS

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

2011 - 2014: '03 Mazda6 FP

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:

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Sat Aug 22, 2015 2:07 pm

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...

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