I think you guys are misinterpreting why I'm asking. I'm not trying to build a competitive/winning SM/SSM S2000. I'm just curious to see whats out there in terms of FI S2000s that are autocrossing.

I'm sure you are right. I'm just not that concerned with winning or being competitive... its all about having fun for me, and I don't need to spend tons more money to do that. Plus I don't want to build a car just for autocross.

 

It is important to realize that probably half of the $$$ for SSM is going to be spent on supporting the basics of the build. The basics would be "gobs of power" and "gobs of grip". Those 2 things are pretty simple to figure out.

Next comes broken hubs, diffs, axles, driveshafts, transmissions, clutch, and maybe the mounts and bushings that hold them all. It takes quite a bit of support to use all that power and grip without having a "mechanical" every weekend.

 

Honestly then.. just pick up a used front sway bar, get a second set of rims, throw on some hoosiers, and have at it. Go as big as your wallet, clearance, suspension etc will allow tire wise, but even if that means running the stock ap1 rims with 245/275 it would still be a lot of fun.

 

Thanks, but I'm not really looking for advice...

 

I make 373 wheel torque and run 315s.

The B-stock CR is still my favorite autocross car.

 

We've got a 1990 Toyota Celica ST (the 100hp one) that you need to try for autox. We built it as a chump car but got lucky on the suspension set up and it's pretty close to if not the best autox car I've ever driven handling wise, (yes better then the 911 GT3 I won nationals in). It just doesn't have enough power to climb a small hill.

 

I raced in SSM this year

I was in STR for a few years then wanted to add boost. I added a s/c er which bumped me to SSM. With work I added 275 front and 315 Rear nt01 tires. I had 360whp 220wtq with E85 and it was very fun to race. There was a nationally prepped 300zx that would always beat me (he was on hoosiers), but I beat everyone else in the class... turbo miatas, turbo 350z etc, and everyone in SM (sti, evo, m3) for that matter... Never raced against an rx7

Anyway after a mechanical engine problem I sold my s/c kit and went back to a stock engine... kept the nt01s and I still beat the same cars by the same time if not more with my n/a set up during autox's for what its worth.

Both set ups were a bunch of fun

Eric

 

After autocrossing almost exclusively in my S2000 since 2004, I spent most of this year in my son's SSM Miata.

He built the car, and is the rules guru. But I strongly suspect that it would be very difficult to build a nationally-competitive SSM S2000. To me, the keys to going fast in autocross are power-to-mass ratio, and grip. An ideal SSM car probably would be a properly-prepared Elise, but either you need absolute monster power in a car with severe weight issues (some of the RX-7s and all Corvettes), or good power in a light car (but it's not as easy to put down power in a small, light car).

I suspect an S2000 would be betwixt and between those two extremes--too heavy to compete with a properly-prepared Miata on a course that emphasizes nimbleness, and not enough power to compete with the Corvettes or RX-7s on a course that emphasizes power/torque.

As noted by others, however, the thrill of autocrossing in a well-set-up SSM car far outstrips that of autocrossing in a BS car (or STR car). Especially when it's your son's money that built the car (and it's absurdly expensive, even when starting with a $2000 car).

 

Lol, good points. I think for me it comes down to what you're looking to get out of the sport.

Personally, I'm finding the thrill of putting down a nearly flawless stock class run is more exciting than additional cornering grip and horsepower.

I like the competition. Autocross is the one place where I can go 10/10ths and try and compare driver to driver with people in near identical equipment.

I think our SSM car will turn into a fun social track vehicle to play with Vipers and Vettes. Will still keep the Civic for W2W and a stock class car for autocross.

 

I think my dad has it mostly right. In SSM, there's 3 main possible advantages for a car:

1. Power
2. Weight
3. Width

Power: Lower the compression by quite a bit, drop a big ol twin screw in there, and it's possible that you could get close to the 6 lbs/whp you'll need with E85 and a bunch of money, but it's going to take some work. Don't even say the words Centrifugal or Rotrex or I'll have to slap you.

Weight: I don't know how light you can truly get an SSM-legal S2000. SSM doesn't actually let you drop all that much weight. The car basically hasn't changed over its history, so UD/BD won't help you much, and the stock body parts are already pretty absurdly light, so you won't save much doing that either. The seats are pretty light too, and that's your last major weight savings. My guess would be that, once you do bigger wheels/tires and appropriate power mods, and pour a ton of money into all possible weight saving mods, you'll be at around the same as a light BS S2000 CR, i.e. 2650-2700ish lbs. I could be totally wrong on this, though. I really don't know the S2k very well.

Width: The S2k is 69" wide stock, the Miata is 66" wide. With the fatty 275 tires sticking out, I'm probably closer to 69" at this point, if not over. I think the S2k can fit at least 275s under it without extending past bodywork, so you'd probably end up at a similar width to a Miata or RX-7. So, width is on parity, at least.

So, that leaves you with a car as heavy as the high end RX-7s, but without as much power (Strenieks is at high 500s to the wheels -- good luck on that without throwing a laggy as hell turbo on your car.) Suspension design is pretty great on an S2000, but I don't know if your CG is as low as an RX-7.

In the end, on paper, it could potentially work, if you could get the car to handle as well as an RX-7 (I don't know if that's doable or not) and could put down reliable BIG power without having to resort to a turbo. It'd be hard, though...