Wifes car was totaled, and it looks like the Si is what we'll be going with. Since it will be our track car / DD I had to go with the best handling for the money.

I will be running in stock class initially. Is there any front sway / exhaust / shocks out there that are worth upgrading to? Are there hawk pads / brembo blanks out there yet?

Just curious what everyone is running...

 

There should be konis/bilsteins and hawks out there by now. There are lots of exhausts. I like those civics a lot by the way. Go for it!

 

cobalt friction has pads out for the new SI. H&R has front and rear sway bars, and AEM/DC has an intake/header/exhaust setup for the car.

 

From what I have been seeing the new Si can be competive locally, but from a National stand point it's not a Mini Cooper S. A student showed up with one at our autocross school and I was lucky enough to be his instructor. Wasn't a bad car, but really couldn't see the full potential since it was raining all day.

 

I have driven it at the AutoX and agree completely with the post above this one.

 

No, it's definitely not the Cooper S; but the car just isn't me and it's quite a bit more cash. Of all the best-of-the-rest GS fodder, it may be the car to have. With the domination of the Mini though, I've heard that it may not be GS for much longer...

 

Nope MCS is staying in GS for 2008. Ironic thing is that the GS PAX is now harder than the DS PAX. And the talk at Nationals was the MCS were faster overall on both courses than Type Rs. Go figure.

 

Well, that is a kick to the pants. I did notice those results, which is why I thought they were moving after the roumors. Oh well, guess I'll have to borrow a ride for nats then...

 

When driving the new Si, you have to 'guess' where the cones might be because they'll dissapper very soon. New Si has that ungodly huge cowl and horrible seating position that mnakes things extremely difficult to see.

That and it weighs almost 3000lbs.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When driving the new Si, you have to 'guess' where the cones might be because they'll dissapper very soon. New Si has that ungodly huge cowl and horrible seating position that mnakes things extremely difficult to see.

That and it weighs almost 3000lbs.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, that wasn't much worse than the 2000 EX that I'm driving now. The real problem was the huge A pillar. I was moving all around in my seat while cornering, and couldn't figure out why, until I realised I just couldn't see into the corner. The only comparable I haven't driven yet is the Mazdaspeed3 which I will do this weekend. Maybe I'll drop to HS and do the standard 3s.

 

If you autox a new Si, your old 2000 Civic Ex will seem like it was made for autoxing.

It's not the A-pillar, it's the cowl/dashboard. Think 1990's GM Minivan cowl, then you'll begin to understand. The engine is under the dashboard, basically.

 

you might have more luck with a Dx or Lx in HS.
plus you'll get better milage

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When driving the new Si, you have to 'guess' where the cones might be because they'll dissapper very soon. New Si has that ungodly huge cowl and horrible seating position that mnakes things extremely difficult to see.

That and it weighs almost 3000lbs.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah that's the other thing I didn't like: the huge cowll and the way the front just drops off (aka like a Saturn). I couldn't tell where the front of the car was like my EF, EG, or EM Civic Sis. I could almost put the corner of those cars on the cones with no problems. Whereas the newer Si I was guessing where the corners of the car was.

 

I auto-x'd mine 6 or 7 times before I sold it. The first 2 were all stock, just as I had bought it, and it was fun, but only "competetive" in local events. I would always finish second by about 1 second or so, to a mini(same guy every time) The last 4 were after I got the HFP kit and some Kumho MX's, which were just OK, and it was definately a lot more fun and a few seconds faster, but still only marginally competetive. My feelings were, as stated before, that the car is just too heavy. I was very happy with everything else, but with a diet that car would have done really well, but that's just my opinion. If you're going to DD it and occasionaly Auto-x you won't be dissappointed, as long as you don't mind finishing second.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> The engine is under the dashboard, basically.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Which is great for other forms of enthusiastic driving.

I know where there's a Mugen Si if anybody wants one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AutoXer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oh well, guess I'll have to borrow a ride for nats then...

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

orly? We need more NER peeps out at Nats. Your wife planning on coming too?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you autox a new Si, your old 2000 Civic Ex will seem like it was made for autoxing.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yikes!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ahh Vtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> If you're going to DD it and occasionaly Auto-x you won't be dissappointed, as long as you don't mind finishing second.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's the compromise I'm going to have to live with since any project money is now going to be consumed replacing our second vehicle. Even that scenario is about 10X more competetive than what I have now and I thought that it would be better than the MS3 dicing it up with ITRs and 330s. Is there something else you guys would consider? The GTI was a pretty terrible handler compared to the Si.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by solo-x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
orly? We need more NER peeps out at Nats. Your wife planning on coming too?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was hoping to make it out this year but with the move to NY, the wedding, PJs wreck, buying a house, blah, blah blah...

She'll probably come along if I can get her behind the wheel again. She's a bit gunshy right now, but I guess going head to head with a Mack truck will do that to you.

 

I just recently picked up my 08' si coupe and just did my first event with it a few weeks ago. It was also a replacement my now totaled 97' EK hatchback that I had been autoxing in STS for the past 4 years.

My overall impression is that its a decent car. You do feel the weight quite a bit, but the car gets around nicely for what its worth. The seating position does take some getting used to, but I think that will just take time.

Please take note that im coming from a lightweight car with no horsepower, and no power steering. So the steering does feel great, and that LSD just pulls you out of corners with a nice rush once you get in the power band.

The balance isn't bad at all for a stock car, but it's nowhere near what you want it to be for a faster autox car.