Need some questions answered

[sjd]

I am building a dedicated SoloSprint car (a Ford Escort GT) and could use a couple of clarifications. I know going to have to use the race weight option since the car is completly gutted except for the dash, door panels and front seats, even a lot of the sound deadening material is gone. Does sound deadening removal count in the interior trim removal section? I would like to seam weld the car, but can't find anything in the rules about that. Is seam welding allowed? I do eventually plan to have the car caged but probably not until next year.

My next question is in regards to suspension, I am keeping the stock front sway bar but will be using different end links and urethane busings, if I read it right I take a point for modification to the front anti-roll bar. Is this correct? Where about using urethane bushings in other parts of the chassis or what about front and rear lower tie bars? Do they come under modification to the front or rear subframe section? Although it says excluding a-arms or links.

I entered in everything the car has or will have in to the CCDB and it puts me in GT1 which I am fine with but want to make sure I don't miss anything or that I am in too high of a class. The engine is stock except for an intake and maybe a header and/or cam gears. Thanks.

[ScotcH]

Tie bars and braces are free. The end links are part of the sway bay, so you take the point for that ... no need to take the additional point for the bushings, since they are part of the endlinks (unless you have other poly bushings of course somewhere on the car).

Seam welding is free. Sound deadning removal would fall under the interior trim (we're talking about internal sound deadning, right?). As you said, you'll need a race weight anyway so it will not matter. Hope that helps ... ask away if you have more questions!

[sjd]

Excellent. Thanks. And yes, it's internal sound deadening only. So I think I have this right, I need to take:

1 point for front sway bar mods
1 point for the bigger rear sway bar
1 point for camber plates
2 points for struts
4 points for springs

and 1 point for "Non-authorized modification of any/all other suspension components, including: a-arms; control arms; trailing arms; bushings not covered elsewhere in this section."

...which would cover my urethane bushings. I do have two more questions, what about steering rack bushings and what about engine mounts?

[thgear]

Excellent. Thanks. And yes, it's internal sound deadening only. So I think I have this right, I need to take:

1 point for front sway bar mods
1 point for the bigger rear sway bar
1 point for camber plates
2 points for struts
4 points for springs

and 1 point for "Non-authorized modification of any/all other suspension components, including: a-arms; control arms; trailing arms; bushings not covered elsewhere in this section."

...which would cover my urethane bushings. I do have two more questions, what about steering rack bushings and what about engine mounts?


engine mount upgrades are free

steering rack bushings would fall under that 1 pip for "non-authorized modifaction of any/all bla bla bla"

so the moment you modify any suspension bushing you can go ahead and just modifiy all the other bushings in the car as well.

[sjd]

Oh and what about front and rear strut tower braces? Thanks.

[thgear]

Oh and what about front and rear strut tower braces? Thanks.

strut braces are free

[sjd]

Thanks for the help. Hopefully, I will be out at August event.

[Guillermo]

GT1 for a Escort with a stock engine :eek:
Choose your mods wisely to stay in the lowest class possible.
Since you are preparing the car this is the time to do it right.

Here is one of many possible ways to prioritize the upgrades.

1) Upgrade to track worthly coilovers springs and shocks. Keep sway bars and endlinks stock just use stiffer springs to compensate.
2) Take the Pips for non-stock alignment and get a decent amount of negative camber and toe out in the front, it's worth it!
3) weigh the car to determine what class it falls into at this point.
Depending on what class it ends up with and how many more pips are available for the car to use in that class you have 2 choices.
4a) Use very wide rims (13"x8" for example) that stick out the sides of the car and take the pips for that (Kispy style)
and/or
4b) keep removing weight from the car until the car is maxed out in that class without going up a class.

Just doing tons of things to the car may cause it to move into a very high class where it would not be competitive unless is has uber suspension with uber tires and some decent power driven by an uber driver.

[G-ForceJunkie]

Anti-roll bar end links may be replaced with alternate end links.
End-links are a free mod :)

[thgear]

End-links are a free mod :)

wasnt that a special case where you had to get endlinks because you lowered the car but kept the OEM swaybar so you were forced to get the endlinks but didnt want to get piped for them when the fact of the matter that the end links still sort of impact the rate of a swaybar and its effects on the cars dynamics......

:rolleyes:

[G-ForceJunkie]

wasnt that a special case where you had to get endlinks because you lowered the car but kept the OEM swaybar so you were forced to get the endlinks but didnt want to get piped for them when the fact of the matter that the end links still sort of impact the rate of a swaybar and its effects on the cars dynamics......

:rolleyes:
It's not a special case, I believe most cars get their sway bars thrown out of whack when you lower them.

FYI - I still haven't changed the endlinks, so my sway bar is either acting as a stiffer or softer bar on my car - I'm not sure which, though I suspect it's acting as a stiffer bar. By NOT changing the endlinks, it is changing the effective 'rate' of the swaybar.

[sjd]

GT1 for a Escort with a stock engine :eek:
Choose your mods wisely to stay in the lowest class possible.


Yeah that worried me too. But I have since adjusted things and am now in GT3. I will have to play around a bit more.

[James Mewett]

1 point for camber plates



Actually camber plates do not cost any PIPs. Non-stock alignment does. In theory, if you add camber plates but retain stock alignment you don't get charged for the camber plates.

[thgear]

Actually camber plates do not cost any PIPs. Non-stock alignment does. In theory, if you add camber plates but retain stock alignment you don't get charged for the camber plates.

however some camber plates (like mine) are designed with a sphearical bearing doing away with the OEM mushy rubber bushing, i'm suprised that doesnt factor into any performance gains, atleast have it count towards the "bushing" category on some level.

[CobraStang]

GT1 for a Escort with a stock engine :eek:Hehehe! But G, its an Escort GT!

[Slowpoke]

Actually camber plates do not cost any PIPs. Non-stock alignment does. In theory, if you add camber plates but retain stock alignment you don't get charged for the camber plates.

In Solo 2, the change from a stock mount with rubber to a solid steel (pillowball) bearing is a bump to SS.

Also, many camber plates add 1/3" to the ride height and could push someone outside stock ride height specs.