I am not sure where I would be "legal", probably some prepared class?

No interior, heater, ac, etc... 2320 lbs
Big ass wheels
Triple Adjustable JRZs
Flywheel
Exhaust

 

In the couple laps I had in it at Buttonwillow, the thought crossed my mind that your car might actually be competitive in AP (A prepared) with the right slicks. You need something that heats up very quickly - such a tire wouldn't last 10 laps on the track, but will stick like glue for autocross. You're also going to have to do everything you can do get rid of the wheelspin problem.

Get the tires, put a giganto front swaybar on it , and take it out autocrossing. Maybe let Andy drive it for some feedback on setup. I think you might be surprised how much fun (and fast) it can be.

 

Doesn't SCCA have minimum weights for Prepared classes?

You can run class X (all non-BMWs below 3 liters) in the BMWCCA events. You would clean house.

 

I just auto-x currently with a local NASA based auto-x group who is restarting the events in june. They did use OSP as a bucket for all those that didn't fit else where. But there isn't much that is "Street Prepared" about my car.

Yes wheel spin needs to be fixed and I am think I'm gonna pay meseley or someone to help me tune my car since I suck so bad at it.

-Ry

 

I was thinking about your setup some more, Rylan, and I think JZR is onto something.... I think you need more bar. You were having trouble fixing the oversteer with shocks the other day because there is not the right 'roll-couple-distribution' between the front and rear. You need a big-ass front swaybar.

FWIW we ran recently at Putnam with the big solid 1.25" bar and the Motons on the stock springs, and the car handled fantasically. We're running on one of the stiffest positions, but you could probably get away with running on one of the softer positions.

The swaybar will help keep that rear tire on the ground and keep the oversteer from happening. While letting one of the suspension gurus out there work on the car would certainly help, why don't you try the big-ass-bar solution first. You can always sell the swaybar to an autocrosser if you don't like it. My experience on the track is that you will love it.

The King project car ran at Laguna with our big-ass front 1.25" solid swaybar and the Mugen coilovers, and it was hooked up. I've driven it locally with just the Mugen front bar and it's a much harder beast to tame. The tail is much harder to keep in line, and no shock setting seems to cure it.

Go for the BAFSB!!!

 

Yeah I am thinking about bar too, and more front spring.

JZR what sorta slicks are the AP guys running?

I take it A3S03's won't cut it?

 

Most of the AP guys are running Hoosier or Goodyear Bias-Ply Slicks.... The thing with AP is there are specific wheel sizes. Unfortunately, I don't think the 17's are allowed. Hmm... let me look at the rulebook.

So at 2000lb, you can use up to 16x10" wheels, and 2050lb you can use up to 16x12" wheels.

See here, under slicks:
http://www.hoosiertire.com/rrtire.htm

You'd run either the 22.0x10-16, or the 23.5x11.5-16

I think it's time to write a letter for a couple things, however:

1. The larger diameter wheels and should be allowed. These big-ass-wide-bias-ply-slicks just don't fit under most modern sports cars. It would take some serious fender flares to get these to fit under there, and then you'd have to buy a set of 16x10" wheels to boot. The only radial slicks I could find were Pirellis at 245front 295rear designed for an 8 and 11" wheel respectively. If you could find (or build) a 16x8.5" wheel for the front and a 16x10.5 or 11" for the rear, and make the wheels fit... and if Pirelli makes them in a soft enough compound, you're set! Whew... that's a lot of ifs. They should simply allow the larger diameter wheels.

2. The S2000 belongs in FP, not AP. It's not formally classed in AP, and AP is generally for high displacement cars. FP has the Datsun 240z and E36 M3 among other cars. These all have a similar size and layout to the S2000. I think FP makes sense for this car, and I've thought that for a while. Also recommend that the S2000 be be specifically listed as a line in FP at 2200lb with 17x10 as the max wheel size. Heck, even the friggin NSX is in FP, I don't see why the S2000 should be in stuck AP.


So how about another good S2000 letter-writing campaign! While you're at it in addition to the two items above recommend the S2000 be moved from ASP to BSP (cite the fact that the E36 M3 is a BS car and goes to BSP, and even that the C4 Vette is an AS car and goes to BSP. There is no reason the S2000 should languish in ASP.)

So send those emails to hduncan@scca.com and tell him to forward a copy to all the appropriate committees. If enough people write a letter, maybe Rylan's car won't be completely uncompetitive!

 

I don't plan to make it to nationals, and I can't imagine how many others are willing to do what I did to my car

Theres no way a 16x10 would clear our rear a-arms.

My wheels are 18x9 fronts and 18x10 rears. I can get plenty of soft slicks in these sizes.

 

Yeah, let Andy drive the car, what a great idea! Rylan, your car is definitely past Street Prepared with all you've torn out. Prepared drivers run either Hoosier or Goodyear slicks for the most part. If you want to really see how your car would stack up in Prepared, you should bring it out to an AAS event in Atwater this year. Chris Cox has an FP/AP M3 and he runs pretty much all their events. If you come close to him, you are doing well.

I think you might still be able to run in OSP locally. I don't remember all the rules but I think the car just needs to be originally registered for the street (doesn't have to be currently) and use DOT tires.

As far as wheelspin you can certainly fix most of the problem with the big front swaybar, but I'm sure you can achieve alot with proper spring rates (don't ask me what ones, I'm just an SCCA stock guy).

-Andy

 

yeah initially I was staying away from a bigger front bar because my car was already pretty ballanced and I didn't want a bunch of understeer, but I got some shock help that helped alot with the wheel spin, but now I am fighting oversteer issues, so the front bar is looking more attractive.