I've been autocrossing for 4 years, and before this weekend had never autocrossed anything besides my Integra. So this weekend I went to a free Audi event where you could autocross any of their non-S cars and their new SUV along with competitors' SUVs. Suffice to say, it was rather hilarious throwing around a long-wheelbase Audi A8, a Volvo XC90 V8, a BMW X5, and a Lexus GX470 (horrible) among others. Also got a ride in the new RS4, but that's another story.

Just wondering what oddities you guys have put through their paces and what you thought of them. Once a local driver who is VERY fast in a Mini Cooper S took a friend's bone-stock '03 Monte Carlo out on the course and somehow got the thing to rotate to ridiculous angles... ended up beating about 3/4 of the field.

 

1989 Chevy Caprice ex-police cruiser. Of course, it was lowered with Hotchkiss springs, had a decent exhaust, and a flipped aircleaner lid. Drive it several times at Summit Point and VIR.

 

Where is Pat and his lightning?

94 accord - just gutted with some konis/toyos

 

I did my first track school in my daily driver. 96 civic sedan, auto, 100% stock.

Tires: 560 wear rating with over 100,000km on them. yeah.

 

so far, i got all you guys beat, easily....

in 1993 i owned a GMC Syclone. i took it into a GM dealer for some warranty work, which they screwed up and ended up having the truck for 4 weeks while waiting for some hard to get parts. they "loaned" me their shop run-around car; it was a 1984 buick SkyHawk. 2.5 4 cyl iron duke motor + auto tranny. in the trunk when i got the car was a spare cylinder 2.5 head! they told me to check the oil and water every day, because "it uses some". at that time, i was driving back and forth from Berlin, NJ to Coatesville, PA for work. around 140 miles per day. it needed about 1/2 to 2/3 qt of oil added per day, and every 3 or 4 days needed a couple qts of water. car had 160k miles showing on the odometer (which was broken when i got the car). the A/C didn't work, but the radio was operational. it always started right up and ran "fine"; at least considering what it was. got about 25 mpg, too.

anyway, they were supposed to have the Syclone ready in two weeks, which stretched out more and more. at that time, i was doing alot of autocrossing with the Philly region and BMC clubs; the Syclone was a BS classed vehicle, and up til then i had been doing OK. i got super pissed off that GM kept pushing back the date when i'd get my truck back; i got so pissed off i went to a BMC event at Gloucter County College with the 'Hawk. it was classed in HS; when i got there i took out the cylinder head, extra case of oil and water bottles, spare, and jack. oh, the car had all season "weathermaster" tires on it, which all had really good tread!

i did my 3 runs (car was miserable; 110% push in every turn; no way to get it to rotate or turn, even with complete drop throttle); i think i was next to last in HS. at the end of the day, they had fun runs; i did 4 in a row, and had to quit because the 'Hawk overheated! gauge was totally in the red and starting to steam from underhood. i drove it around slowly in the parking lot for 5 minutes and it cooled off. i added a qt of oil and 2 qts of water, loaded up all the junk, and went home. i drove it for another week and gave it back when my truck was done. the front tires looked like a maniac with a hack-saw had gone after the outside treadblocks!!!!!

thats my true story; beat that!

todd

PS i did a top speed run with it on route 82 also; top end was just under 85 mph, indicated on the speedo.

 

Todd always has the best stories

Anybody see that shelby gt-h they are coming out with? Basically a hopped up gt, lower, stiffer, 20hp more, better tires. Only available at hertz as a rental. I can't wait to see a bunch of those bad boys at the track. Maybe I'll be driving one.

 

a few years ago, i beat the "b-class" FTD (first timer novice/ or REALLY slow car class at my undergrad college that runs their classing a bit different than normal) in a fun run in my stock '74 landrover 88" lightweight. it was fun, and i didn't tip over.

 

1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera with the ES sport suspension. this was my first four door after starting our family and traded in a 1979 RX-& "S" for it.

2.5 L Iron Duke with 180,000 miles on it
HS just like the buick

dropped off the wife and kids at the Dayton mall and went to an autocross.

car had General Ameriway XT all seasons

pushed really bad. put it in Low and left it there. wonder it held together.

i miss that RX-7. i have spent more on my kid's teeth over the years than i got for trade on that car. i have often told my kids to take care of their braces.

"You've got a used car in your mouth that I can't drive!"

not as good as Todd's story but at least it was my car and not my father's Oldsmobile.

tom

 

I would think it might have been the Mecury Sable..

But then I autocrossed a 98 6-cyl Mustang Vert.. (seriously, was worse than the Sable)

Fun Run/Instructing oddities:
Ford Explorer
Chevy Caprice
automatic Toyota Camry


Jon K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd Reid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">SNIP
thats my true story; beat that!

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For a "funkhana" in a parking lot, I drove my 20' Winebago. I was blindfolded, and both my kids had to navigate for me.

The object on the first section of the course was to pop a balloon by running over it with your tires. I figured the dualy rear would help.

Big block Chrysler 400 on a WB400 chassis.

What do I win?

Keith

 

I gotta post a picture of it... as soon as I find it..

but it's a 1972 Chevy Caprice....

it was built for a 150 Lap Circle Track Enduro, where if a car crashes or dies, it stays on the track, (unless it's on fire or the track is 100% blocked)

we decided to take it out to the Road Course, just to beat up on it, 5 people or so took turns driving it until the motor blew (stock motor from 1972)

This was out at the old Holtville, CA track..

it was funny to see a BMW, a Honda Civic, a few spec 7's, and then a really nice stock car.... and then the beast of a car. it actually hauled ***... it had a 400cu motor in it.. and it was completly gutted and it had a cage.




Modified by Crazydave at 4:40 PM 5/23/2006

 

Winnebego??? Keith wins, hands down!!!

 

A friend of mine had a Geo Metro at Willow Springs. 1L 3 Cyl.


Edo

 

Todd that was funny as hell.

 

i drove my wife's 2001 saturn SL-1 at gingerman raceway last year for WMHM - by far teh slowest car there. only had to stop accelerating in three or four places... it did handle suprisingly well, given the crap tires and stock suspension... at least it's a 5 speed.

 

Champagne Mazda Protege Automatic Rental with 4 peeps in the car at Buttonwillow.

 

My Honda Civic.

 

HPDE- Nissan Maxima

Autocross- Oka

 

Blew up my motor the night before a HPDE at VIR-South, rented a 2005 Dodge Neon, base model, automatic, whatever skinny little all-season tires come on them, pathetic brakes. Main passing zone was on the right, my arm/shoulder was sore from all the pointing over the roof.

 

I did "Tail of the Dragon" in a Buick LaSaber rental. Car only had 2500 miles on it when I rented it. I paid for the unlimited mileage and put almost 7K on it in a week.

 

Ive seen a 4dr Toyota Tundra on track in instructor sessions several times.

I think I may take out my Titan this weekend on track

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Driven &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">HPDE- Nissan Maxima

Autocross- Oka
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Love the "RACE CAR" graphics

 

05 Toyota Sienna minivan

 

I took my '98 Ford Contour LX to the track once... it was open for free to club members, and I had already finished off the brakes on the Integra the day before. I battled it out with the slow cars. My top speed on the straights in the Ford was the same as my average speed around the whole course in the turbo Integra.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Honda318dx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where is Pat and his lightning?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

u b3st r3c0gn1z3!



Pat