im a newbie at all of this and just recently sold my car...ive been attending autoxs as a spectator and reading posts here...i get so confused with the different classes and organizations that u guys mention
To get my feet wet what should i do..im looking for a car right now and i would like something that could put me in a lower class so i can get my feet wet.
dont mean to ask so many newbie questions but after 7 years of drag racing i got tired and would like to eventually do some wheel to wheel racing..well any help is greatly appretiated thanks guys

 

1st gen crx. Cheap, reliable, and corner stoopid fast with the right setup (shocks, tires, alignment, etc).

RJ

 

Not knowing your budget, I'm gonna take a stab at this if you don't mind. One of the things I tried to keep in mind for my first track car was a hatch back that could hold 4 tires (I wasn't planning on taking competition tires at that point but figured it would be a good bet at some point). I wanted a car that was well balanced and had a pretty good reputation for handling. I bought a 944-S and as fun a street car as it kinda-sorta is, it was a gross mistake in overlooking the obvious. A.) Parts and labor were a killer. B.) Yes it held 4 tires in the hatch, 4 205s on 7" rims for a car that has 7s & 9s that wasn't that helpful. C.) It is a horribly classed car for Solo I/II IMHO and yeah that didn't matter to me when I bought it, only later after I had put a ton of money into it

Ok, so I know a relative pea's worth of classing stuff. I'll stick to what I have seen. Cars that I've seen hold 4 of their size tires: Integras, CRXen, Civics, 325s, 328s, M3s, Preludes (I thought I saw Corey pull 4 tires, a 3-ring circus tent, 2 clowns, a tiger, one of those hoops they set on fire for the tiger to jump through and a golf cart out of his Prelude at VIR-N). My experience with the CRX (and I assume most Honda/Acuras) is that a ton of the parts are available at an Autozone/NAPA whereas the p-car requires special ordering for the lugnuts.

Personally, a car I really like and assume it is classed rather well (ITA in SCCA road racing) for Solo I/II (guessing CSP?) is the 88-91 Honda Civic Si. I had one for 130k miles and the only problem I had was a blower fan go at 120k. They are seemingly great cars for ITA (more stable than the CRX) and there are a lot of race proven aftermarket parts for these as well as the CRX. As street cars they have good power and handle pretty decently stock (when new at least). Personally, I had a tough time choosing the CRX over the Civic this go around - had to try something new though.

 

thanks for the post guys..well like i said im very new at this and all the acronyms confuse me but im learning well my budget is around 6 grand at the moment..and im open for any suggestions..im hearing alot about crxs and civic hatches pre 92 so im guessing that would be one of the best choices..well thanks guys for any help..and ill keep reading ur posts here

 

It's also hard to say what kind of car to get without knowing what it is exactly you want to do. I know in your original post you said wheel-to-wheel racing but on a 6k budget I don't think it's a very good idea to jump into road racing. I think XrcR6 on this board can give you a better idea of the costs of road racing vs. autocrossing.

As for autocrossing (which I recomend for your budget) I would go with a Civic Hatch (95 Civic Si HB would be my pick). They're reliable, parts are easy to find, lots of knowledge about them, fits 4 tires and gear. Don't worry about being competitive at first, just learn how to drive the car and learn it's weakness and strong points then look at how to be competitive.

 

yea, i would have to recommend a civic hb. sither an ef (89-91) or eg (92-9?) if u've been spectating any autocrosses in the ny area, u've probably see me in my 91 civic hatch. i must say it is a blast even though its just on race tires. if u have any questions feel free to ask. and if u see me at an event, don't hesitate to come on over and ask any questions u may have.

 

LOL!

The big question on my mind...are you going to drive this on the street (meaning, do you have to live with this car everyday)? The CLEAR choice for me was an 88 CRX Si for ITA, PS2, and CSP. However, I'm glad I don't have to drive this beast to work (or anywhere on the street, for that matter).

 

unfortunally its goin to be my everyday car as well..what i meant was that eventually i would like to do some wheel to wheel..at the moment i will stick with some autoxing.

thanks for the replies guys

 

one thing to think about too...

Dont get something that will get stolen.

 

I wouldn't even worry about wheel-to-wheel stuff yet. You need to autocross, then move on to track events (non-competitive lapping), then you can think about wheel-to-wheel. And you'll be doing w-to-w in a dedicated car, so whatever you buy now doesn't really matter.

Here's a car that won't bust the budget and is a proven winner in it's class...

1992-1995 Civic DX hatchback.

This car would run F-Street Prepared. Roughly, you can do the following:
shocks and springs are free
tires and wheels are free
brake linings and fluid are free
clutch, flywheel are free
LSD
rollbar, which you'll want if you do track events
5,6 point harness
front seats
exhaust is free
intake is free (in front of MAP/MAF), but no boost
engine internals and head are stock, with small allowances for rebuilds (deck, bore)
The DX is extrememly common, cheap to buy, and responds extremely well to bolt-on type mods. It can be made very fast.