i'm looking to buy an 88-91 CRX that i would like to use for road racing.
now here are my questions:
1. where in so.cali can you race? (doesn't have to be competition, i just wanna have some fun)
2. what upgrades do you suggest i do to the car before i go racing?
(i'm planning to get a roll cage, a race seat, strip the interior, spring/shock combo, and a B16A swap for starters)
3. should i get an Si or is a DX fine and then upgrade the suspension. DX is lighter and cheaper....
4. ANY suggestions regarding safety, track reliability, and other ideas are welcome.

i just want to hit some twisties and have fun, i'm not trying to be blazing fast or anything. i've done some auto xing a while ago, but i know road racing is much different and i'm new in that dept. so help me out guys.... i'll be getting this rex pretty soon.
thank you

 

Try http://www.nasaproracing.com


Grumpy

 

#1
The largest organization in the US is the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). They run autocross, solo events (time trial, hill climb, etc), rally, club racing, and some pro racing. http://www.scca.org

Their main "competition" is the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). This is the group to which Grumpy linked you. They have also have High Performance Driver's Education (HPDE). This is non-competitive, high speed driving at regualr circuits (Laguna Seca, Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, etc).

#2
safety first - cage, harness, helmet, bucket seat, etc (check the SCCA's General Competition Regulations for specifics). NASA's rulebook is based upon the SCCA GCR (and most other clubs use rules very similar to the SCCA).

reliability next - rebuild brake calipers, MC, replace lines. Replace hubs, bearings, etc. Tie rod ends, ball joints. Radiator, water pump, coolant lines. General tune-up items.

suspension next - ask around and see what people are using. Generally, a good set of shocks, coil over springs, and possibly swaybars. Don't forget about tires, which are important - alls eason tires won't hold up well to track use. Start driving on some good summer street tires (Falken Azenis are priced very well).

then power - forget about the swap for now, there aren't may places to race a hybrid. You can use it for HPDE events. Keep the D16 and learn how to drive. Then if you want to go racing for real, you're set. If not, then swap away.
#3
I would get the Si and not bother with a swap. But, if you insist on the swap, a DX might be ok (but the wiring might be more difficult, I'm not sure).

#4Start with some autocross events to get a feel for the car.
Do a major tune-up and service. Timing belt, dist cap, rotor, plugs, wires, flush radiator, replace coolant lines. Check ball joints and tie rods, replace as needed. Keep a close eye on front hubs - they are prone to failure. Use good track pads (Hawk, Carbotech, etc) and fluid (ATE, Motul, etc).

A clean and well maintained car is going to be more relaible and safer than a busted-*** POS.

Do the safety stuff first. Rollbar minimum, and a cage if you plan to go racing for real. Buy the SCCA GCR and/or the NASA GCR. Read them several times, cover-to-cover, there are lots of tings to remember.
And don't forget to have fun and stay within your budget. There is nothing worse than having a racecar you can't afford to race (I know this first hand, layoffs suck nutz).

 

thank you so much for the info.
btw, what do you guys think about an AE86? i can get one of those in a very good condition for a good price. RWD=drifting=

 

Drifting in the "JDM y0!" tradition (not sure if that's what you meant) = Slow and hard on equipment = expensive =

Not sure where an AE86 Toyota fits but I suspect ITA or maybe ITB. Regardless I've seen exactly zero cars at the club races I've been to. Typically there's a reason for such a phenomenon - either the car is not race legal or it is woefully undercompetitive in its class.

 

like i said in my fist post, i don't care about competing, i just wanna have some fun.
i think AE86 is a tite car, eventhough it's not that powerfull. but potential is there.
of course, i'm not gonna go buckwild on turns and drift like a ****.

 

Toyota Corolla GTS and MR2 are ITA cars and are generally considered to be less than competitive. As a starter car, however, either would be great - and there are plenty of them out there, already prepared and waiting to go racing. That would be a fine plan.

Kirk

 

I always figured the mr2 would make a good IT car when set up well. I've heard from a few people that they aren't that competitive. So, what's a good RWD platform for IT?

 

ITS:
BMW 325is
RX-7

ITA:
240SX (single cam)

ITB:
2002tii
Volvo 124

ITC:
?? not sure

The AE86 goes into ITA, where is gets whacked by CRXs. It is a fun car and probably a good track toy.

 

uh...Miata?

And as far as drifting, it is apparently the next big thing on the west coast. SCC (can't believe I admit to reading that) had a piece on a drifting contest held by, surprise of surprises, SpeedtrialUSA.

Please for the love of God let's not get into why drifting is a slow way to drive.


[Modified by MaddMatt, 9:02 PM 6/21/2002]