Why do you race the car you do?

[Chris P]

The other threads got me thinking. Why do people drive the cars they do? How many people look at the classification system to choose a competitive car? Would you change cars to be competitive? Why do you luv the ol' lug?


For me it’s pretty simple. I have no money, with school and all. My brother moved away and left the CRX in storage, so instead of letting it rot he sold it to me (well actually my dad, but that’s another issue). Before Michael decided to sell the CRX I was looking at a 88 Si since this best matched the classification system of the time and was within a reasonable price range. I also had a little bit of experience with Honda's so it just made sense. There has been quite a few CRX's in my life growing up and I always liked the car. I've seen what these cars can do in competition and knew they were competitive. As a bonus the CRX is good on gas, insurance, brakes, tires, well.........pretty much everything.
I'm willing to bet that my racing budget this past season was by far the lowest out of any championship solo contender. That is something I’m proud of, being competitive without spending a fortune, it can be done, there is hope.

Perhaps………Perhaps it is a tin can death trap and relatively slow at that, but these things don't really concern me too much ATM

So, why do you drive what you drive?

[TintedChrome]

I guess seeing as I have one of the "oddball" cars, I'll answer this..

I have a 1990 SuperCoupe.. it's currently getting a twin turbo 351 Windsor w/ a T56.. estimated final figures are 650 rwhp, 1G+ on the skidpad, 200mph+ top speed.. All round street performer :D

While I will be racing it Solo1, lapping days, etc, I know it's not going to be the most competitive car out there, especially on the smaller tracks. I'm mostly going to be doing that kind of racing so I can get to know the car a lot more. As mentioned in the other thread, it's primary focus is road racing. That and the fact that it's going to be daily driven in the summer. I'm talking everything from going to work to cross-country vacations and road trips. So essentially, the class it ends up in is of no real concern to me. Wherever it ends up is wherever it ends up, and I'll take it from there.

As for why I picked the 'Coupe... Well, no manufacturer has built anything CLOSE to my ideal car. At least not in the sense of anything within the $0-$100k range. So instead of buying a car I'd feel was a compromise, I'm spending that money on building my "ultimate" car. I picked a chassis I both loved the looks of and knew to be a good base (that IRS was a big deciding factor), and took it from there.. If anything, like I've been telling people on the SuperCoupe boards, it'll "look" like a SuperCoupe when it's done, but that's pretty much it. About the only similarities with the original car that it will retain is the body. Even the rear subframe and front k-member are getting replaced with custom (and lighter) units to improve the suspension geometry and weight distro..

Is this car going to cost more than it's worth? yes.. Is it going to be truly competitive in Solo1? no.. Will it destroy Joe Schmo in his 911TT on the highway, or BillyBob in his Viper GTS? hell yeah :) .. It'll be a car I'll be giddy about just at the THOUGHT of driving.. Hell, I'm giddy and all warm and fuzzy about it already, and it's in pieces LOL.

[AirCooln]

For 2003 racing, the green Mini was just a matter of it being my weekend fun car I had always wanted for the last 15 years. I just wanted to have a chance to sling it around in a safe manor. But now I have actually gone out and bought another to use as a track car.

With another car, I could have got much more for the money over what you have to pay for a solid Mini. Others are better in power, or handling, or have a better parts supply. But Civics, Mustangs, and BMW's are all just to boring to me (IMHO, I'm not trying to start a fight here). I just picked the car that I believe I will have the most fun racing in.

You just have to drive one to know what I’m talking about. Beside, they look so cool zipping around the track, don’t they?

[Chris91GT]

Why do I race the Mustang...?

Hmmm... well, actually, the racing came after the Mustang. When Kirk was selling the car I saw it on the Auto Trader website. I'd seen the car at the Hershey Centre a few times so I know the car was well-built and had plenty of potential. Having been a Mustang nut-case for a while, I convinced my dad that we should go pick it up, and here we are... and loving it ever since.

Things I like about the Mustang... despite the chassis, it can be mostly corrected (ie, what Perry has already done... although it can certainly use a few other significant tweaks). It already has decent power, and significant power gains can be made inexpensively and reliably. It's easy to fix those parts when they break too!

Fox Mustangs are a popular car in the southern US for road racing... there are lots of people doing my R&D for me (of course, said also applies to half the other cars people are racing).

I didn't do any sort of prep when looking at buying it for Solo I since I knew nothing about Solo I until I met Kirk. Now that we have it, it's being tweaked to the rules... and generally just to be more fun.

[Chris P]

hey, what happened to Kirk? He was going to bring a Bimmer out if i remember correctly......


SuperCoupe....sounds pretty cool. I'll have to see this thing in action

[Shaman]

In 1998, the WS6 Firebird was the hottest thing you could get for the money. For the cost of a C5 'vette, I could have a 480hp WS6. Which is what I did.

However, now it's an also-ran in some ways. Still competitive but it has to work really hard at it. Technology moved on... finally someone built some hot cars that handle, right out of the factory.

[Chris91GT]

Originally posted by Chris P
hey, what happened to Kirk? He was going to bring a Bimmer out if i remember correctly......


He was going to buy himself an M3, but he told me that he bailed on that idea after Blair P blew his motor last season. So he bought a 325 (I think) instead. Silver if memory serves...

He mentioned at the time (several months ago) that he was planning to bring it to the track again... not sure when, where, or what series.

[ice/solo racer]

Well krispy for me I ended up with the corolla because I decided that I wanted to see how I'd stack up against the guys in regional solo2 after running some club events(less then 2 dozen)and doing well at that level.
I was autoxing my SIR in BSP but since the car wasn't competitive under the rules and because of my son being on the way I sold the SIR,bought a used 4 door civic and started researching a solo2 car.
Deciding on the corolla was faily easy for me(although I'd never owned or driven one!)I knew I wanted to run in BSS so I picked some cars to start from to end up in SS,I thought the corolla had the best shot at being competitive starting as a b3 car and having 113hp stock and rwd.All I needed to do was decide which items to spend those 8 points on-guess I picked the right ones with the exception of the LSD which I couldn't afford anyway.BTW I've learned my lesson and will never compete without a diff ever again!.
So now I've gotten back to honda with the crx,funny how we go full circle eh?anyways I bought it because the price was right and I didn't think investing the kind of money into the corolla that was needed to take it to the level the crx will be at was worth it.

[Dave Barker]

I bought the Camaro because it was cheap and usefull. I am too cheap to have a winter beater and the Camaro certainly offered the most "bang for the buck". I needed at least 4 seats and the room afforded by the hatchback. It is my daily driver.

I like the fact that it has reasonable power and requires the use of brakes at all the tracks we run.

BTW with the new linear system I don't think there are too many cars that stand out as guaranteed winners so I doubt I would change cars for that reason. OTOH if I needed less day to day usefulness than an RX-7 3 rd gen would be good or if I had the money an RX-8 (even with it's lack of power and torque)

[GR8 Ride]

Those third gen RX-7's are pretty impressive track cars; always wanted one of those.

Quick, light, fair number of upgrades available, and damn if you can't get a reliable 350 rwhp out of them. A guy in Touring GT runs one, and watching that car just walking away up the backstraight is something else :(

Ahh...what a guy wouldn't do for unlimited funds!



Pat

[Chris P]

davey, i don't think you would like the RX8. I could see you with a RX7, however the unreliability would haunt you. The work that andrew does on his car is insane.

[RacerRick]

I was looking for a cheap car for the GrassRootsMotorsports $2004 challange (even though I don't think I will win, I think I will get the judges attention!) when this came along. It wasn't really what I was looking for but was one of those deals that came up that is very hard to turn down. Especially with the aftermarket turbo kit.

It got its name from the Iron Maiden sleeveless T, rolling papers, and beat up mesh and foam, lynard Skynard hat that was in the remains of the interior.

You could feel the Mullet of the previous owner...lol.

Then this really nice and cheap 78' Z28 came up....

[Dave]

I picked my Civic so that I could just *barely* avoid the dreaded Krispy proposition all year long :p

Actually, you know why I bought it. It's cheap, it's light, and you can bolt all kinds of things into the engine bay and suspension mounting points. Plus chicks dig 30-something bald dudes driving a car that all the kewl kids at highschool want :rolleyes:

[Shaman]

OmG ciViC 4 l1f3, j0!!!111!1!

[GR8 Ride]

Originally posted by Dave
I picked my Civic so that I could just *barely* avoid the dreaded Krispy proposition all year long :p

Actually, you know why I bought it. It's cheap, it's light, and you can bolt all kinds of things into the engine bay and suspension mounting points. Plus chicks dig 30-something bald dudes driving a car that all the kewl kids at highschool want :rolleyes:


Yeah, but Dave, your car will tend to stand out in the high school parking lots with that big wing on the back, and all those Solo 1 sponsor decals on the side....

Now just put your name on the side windows so the police will know that your car isn't stolen when they pull you over... :)


Pat

[glh]

Why an Onmi first it's differant maybe close to a rabbit but its North Amercian and being an old school guy brought up with V8s I like power I know an Onmi with power well that little car with a pretty stock motor makes 225 lbs of torque it's fun. What I didn't count on was as much reliablty problems . As Rob said to me at the beginning of the year do you think a 17 year old car will last the season. So I learned alot and as Dave will contest to the car is fast so if I can make it reliable. We will try 1 more year with this car and if it brakes, we will bring on the SRT4 but for know the Onmi is my ride.
As for classing I was just glad to get in a class with lots of other drivers gt3. I didn't want to play alone.
Steve :D

[Dave]

Shaman: LOL! I didn't know you were so hip to the lingo :p

Pat, the grocery kart wing (there's a great story that goes along with that name) is long gone...I sold it to Nabs who is now running it on his Touring GT Civic :) Funny thing is, even with the rollcage in the car I've never been pulled over by the cops. Living in Ancaster has its benefits...plus I very rarely street drive it, which obviously helps. The lack of a big chrome muffler that sounds like crap probably helps too.

[speedevo]

^^

haha thats true i "heard" that green hatch when i saw you and i thought you went "rice", by the way sorry i was busy couldn't chat with you. but i pretty sure knew what you were up to ;)

[Shaman]

This wing looks like the hot ticket to me. High-tech compared to that shopping kart wing of Adam's.

http://www.consumptionjunction.com/downloads/cj_29758.jpg

[Carguy]

Originally posted by Shaman
This wing looks like the hot ticket to me. High-tech compared to that shopping kart wing of Adam's.

http://www.consumptionjunction.com/downloads/cj_29758.jpg

And here i was thinking those things ended up in landfill sites... I meant the ironing board! :D

[MastaDeeMon]

I drive an 87 CRX Si. I like the fact that it's small and light, it's reliable as anything new, and it's a POC to work on. Being the co-founder of the worlds largest 1GCRX/3G Civic forum also plays a part in owning one as well. We'll have to see how it fares in the autoX's next season, one thing for sure is it'll be fun to drive! I also own a 91 Eagle Talon TSi AWD. I bought this because I wanted a 4 seat, Turbo, AWD car but couldn't afford a WRX, so I bought the next best thing. I love it. It's very fast, I love the AWD in the snow, it's just not very reliable, has crappy brakes and eats gas so I doubt it'll get raced anywhere other than the dragstrip.
I'd love an ITR, but again too much $$.

D.

[philip_240sx]

Nissan 240SX

What can I say... I've owned 3 Nissans so far... :)

Actually, I originally purchased the car as a fun weekend driver and not as a race car. It was a nice change from driving my old company car... a Ford Escort Wagon. The RWD layout and light weight makes it a blast to drive.

A new job, a new daily driver (Altima), and I finally had reason to delegate the 240 as a race car.

Let the fun begin! :)

[Carguy]

Soon to be raced '03 RSX Premium.

The Type S is obviously more desireable with 6 throws and high-reving 200 flywheel HP. But, it was just too expensive considering I'd still need to add suspension, brakes, wheels and tires - not to mention the engine mods.

Having said that, apart from the engine/tranny the Premium offers the same platform for cheaper and could yield similar performance results on tracks with lots of twisties - if properly driven and the suspension and tire combination is well tuned. Note that the RSX Prem. has slightly better torque in the lower end of the powerband than the Type S and the Hondata ECU re-flash mod can bring out even more. Low-end torque is good for a newbie like me. :p Combined with a CAI, headers and exhaust the only real limit of the RSX is its driver... ;)

Speaking of mods, I like the fact that there is a glut of aftermarket parts for the RSX - lots to choose from! A bonus is that the RSX's base class is GT4 with a relatively low PI of 61.2%. This means I can have a competitive car in GT3 or GT2. The bad news is that the are too many good drivers in those classes! :eek: Depending on which class they choose to run in, maybe I can add/remove mods to "steer clear" of the competition!

[ice/solo racer]

I'm not sure adding more pips to get you above the competition will work well carguy!
There will be plenty no matter which class you decide to play in,I'll be in sgt3 or maybe sgt2 depending on how the rule changes/funds pan out,come on up;)

[Carguy]

Hey ice, you callin' me out!!!!? :mad: :D

Well you can't blame a guy for trying to pick a class that has only one competitor can you? ;)

Whether I end up in GT3 or GT2 next season, my first year of racing will be spent learning the ropes. I really don't expect to give anyone a run for their money... But strangely enough placing first in a class with only one competitor appeals to me. Hey, I just can't let all that practice spraying champagne bottles go to waste! :rolleyes:

BTW I'm entering the MCO winter ice racing series this year. Where do you ice race?

[ice/solo racer]

Nah I'm not calling you out,just playing is all.As for the ice races I run in the ontario series held in Minden for 6 consecutive weekends.30 races over those 6 weekends makes for a shorter winter!:D .I've raced in fwd and 4wd with studded and non studded tires over the years(2001 4wd non studded class champ,3rd overall,had 2nd overall locked up untill I missed a day with birth of my son)
I won't be fielding a championship effort this year,just bumming rides trying to save for next summers planned attack of 2 forms of motorsports.
Look forward to meeting all the new faces in solo1.(I mean for me as I'm a new face in solo1)

[Carguy]

The MCO series runs about every 2 weeks for 5 events from January to early March. I'll be running in FWD street class. The rules and other series details have not been published yet so I don't know how they deal with or if they will allow studs... Maybe the street designation is studless?

Congrats on the birth of your son, the class win and the overall 3rd. As for solo 1 I don't know how many event I'll be able to attend yet but you're welcome to ride along any time. All I ask is that you give the noob a pointer or two...

Cheers!

[ice/solo racer]

Sounds good carguy,I'll have a race prepped crx that will likely be 350z blue-look me up.BTW I'll be one of the guys looking for pointers as well!

[soloZ]

Why a Z24? no one else is dumb enough to do it LOL no actually I think I have surprised a bunch of people with the fact the car can be competitive even with blown shocks and stock brakes and everything else for that matter, now if I could ever figure how to get the damn thing into gear or proper gear I think I could do even better. Now after next March not this march I will be finish paying for the beast I think I may be in the market for something brand new, right now I want a WRX or a Spec V so only time will tell when it comes time to spend alot of money.

[TYSON]

Originally posted by GR8 Ride
Those third gen RX-7's are pretty impressive track cars; always wanted one of those.

Quick, light, fair number of upgrades available, and damn if you can't get a reliable 350 rwhp out of them. A guy in Touring GT runs one, and watching that car just walking away up the backstraight is something else :(

Ahh...what a guy wouldn't do for unlimited funds!



Pat

Looks like we've got some Wankel envy here!!:D

Unlimited funds not really required if you have unlimited patience. Both would be nice though....

We'll see how they do with 11 year old shocks and "a little underhood work" next year. :fingerscrossed:

[TYSON]

Originally posted by TintedChrome
I guess seeing as I have one of the "oddball" cars, I'll answer this..

I have a 1990 SuperCoupe.. it's currently getting a twin turbo 351 Windsor w/ a T56.. estimated final figures are 650 rwhp, 1G+ on the skidpad, 200mph+ top speed.. All round street performer :D

While I will be racing it Solo1, lapping days, etc, I know it's not going to be the most competitive car out there, especially on the smaller tracks. I'm mostly going to be doing that kind of racing so I can get to know the car a lot more. As mentioned in the other thread, it's primary focus is road racing. That and the fact that it's going to be daily driven in the summer. I'm talking everything from going to work to cross-country vacations and road trips. So essentially, the class it ends up in is of no real concern to me. Wherever it ends up is wherever it ends up, and I'll take it from there.

As for why I picked the 'Coupe... Well, no manufacturer has built anything CLOSE to my ideal car. At least not in the sense of anything within the $0-$100k range. So instead of buying a car I'd feel was a compromise, I'm spending that money on building my "ultimate" car. I picked a chassis I both loved the looks of and knew to be a good base (that IRS was a big deciding factor), and took it from there.. If anything, like I've been telling people on the SuperCoupe boards, it'll "look" like a SuperCoupe when it's done, but that's pretty much it. About the only similarities with the original car that it will retain is the body. Even the rear subframe and front k-member are getting replaced with custom (and lighter) units to improve the suspension geometry and weight distro..

Is this car going to cost more than it's worth? yes.. Is it going to be truly competitive in Solo1? no.. Will it destroy Joe Schmo in his 911TT on the highway, or BillyBob in his Viper GTS? hell yeah :) .. It'll be a car I'll be giddy about just at the THOUGHT of driving.. Hell, I'm giddy and all warm and fuzzy about it already, and it's in pieces LOL.


Have you classed this car with the current rules yet?

[Nissan Racer]

Why? Because its a Nissan!

[SirChirpAlot]

I dont run Solo but i have a few friends here that plan to,
( Tinted and Racerrick )
I have gone for laps when i had my Z28 a few years ago when club went to play b4 and had alot of fun to say the least.

I know i will get talked into taking my cougar for laps and that will be just all to funny. 1/4 mile cars dont like turns when u have a spool out back.

SirChirpAlot

[TintedChrome]

Originally posted by TYSON
Have you classed this car with the current rules yet?

Not yet, no.. been meaning to do that, just to get a rough idea of where I'll end up..

[RacerRick]

Thats easy Pierre....Modified.

[ADAM]

nissan 240sx....

why...had it since 1989...
its RWD, handles ok, lots of spare parts...and can be turboed...i will run it as a track car until i smoke it into a wall and then will have to think......i have too much time and money invested into it to sell it...so the only way its leaving me..is in a pile of scrap metal..or if it burns up..

I would buy an ultima GTR if i was going to choose a car now...