Hey guys I'm new to the forum.
I need some help.
Ever since high school ive wanted to build and autocross/roadrace car.
I currently have a 98 civic ex with the d16y8 I figured now that I got a new car I could build on the 98.
my budget is $10,000 for the build.
After doing enough research that it felt like i was in college again there are many draw backs to building on the 16y8.
What do you guys think is a better option. I would rather buy a descent car to start with then try to hassle with building on a very undersized engine.
Would you guys rather sell the 98 ex and pay a little more for a 99-00 civic si or a 94-00 integra GS-R and have a solid platform to build or would you swap the d16y8 and the transmission and convert the rear drums on the ex.
I know this is a honda forum but I also was researching the focus SVT so if anyone has some thoughts on that it would be very helpful

 

Get yourself a helmet that meets/exceeds sa2005 standards,get a rule book, and attend some autocrosses and driving schools in your STOCK CAR. you dont need to waste 10k on building an "Autocross" car. learning how to drive exceeds all the wasted money on mods you do to your car. leave it stock, now go out and join a club.

 

best advice anyone could ever give you. the stock class 98 is awesome and theres not much more you can ask for.

if you had more experience and wanted a track only car then buy one. IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES I WOULD keep the car stock, buy nice tires and hawk pads and auto-x the **** out of it untill you start to get experience and want to go into a specific class competitively.

I wish I could do that again, and thats what I would have done.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Where to I find autocrossing in michigan. I googled it and there were only a few races that I could find.

 

try these links, there are alot of clubs in or around your area to look into.

http://www.google.com/search?h...cross

http://www.scca.org/home.aspx?hub=

http://www.scca.org/divisions.aspx

http://www.nasaproracing.com/

http://www.nasaproracing.com/a....html

 

As most of these guys have said, and a quote:

"You can have the fastest car in the world, but be the worst driver, and sometimes the best drivers in the world have the slowest cars - but those best drivers are always driving 10/10ths, while the worst drivers are always drivign 5/10ths or 12/10ths of their car's limit"

Keep your car and learn to drive your car at 9/10ths. Have an experience driver drive your car and see what he/she does and realize how much more you have to learn

I love setting the bar for a new autocrosser. Actually I'm asked more often then I have time for at some of our autocrosses. I'll let the owner drive the car 1st two runs and then I'll jump in the driver's seat and go about 5-8 seconds faster than the owner in a car I've never driven before. Even though my times are because of experience it's also because I've learned to know when to back off the gas, when to brake, and when to turn effciently and smoothly. Put all those together and every car will basically talk to you the same way.

 

Hey guys I got signed up for my first SCCA event on sept. 13 in Grand Rapids,MI. Any beginner tips that you might have I'd love to hear them.
Is there any real risk to crashing my car. If so will full coverage insurance take care of it? I was looking at helmets aswell is there any point to buying a expensive helmet if it still has the SA2005 rating or will the $100 to $150 helmet with the SA2005 rating work? thanks for all the help.

 

Insurance won't cover your car in a racing environment, unless you have race car insurance, and I doubt you have that. Just rent a helmet when you get there, if you can locate one prior to it. Let's put it this way, you should be the best helmet you can afford. A 100 dollar helmet is worth a 100 dollar head. I race atvs as well, and I try to buy the best thing my shop carries or the best helmet I can possibly afford. I was only given one head, it only takes one incident and your head is shot. I would pack food and plenty of hydration, you wouldn't believe how dehydrated you get from driving. Take some time to overlook you vehicle and make sure it is up to the specs needed to drive. They are gonna go over your car while it's in tech inspection for your safety and the safety of the people who will work the course. Make sure nothing is leaking, and the brakes are plenty good and your tires are in good shape. No loose items in the car. When you arrive take time to get to know people around you, everyone there was just like you at one point. They will most likely help you out enthusiastically.

 

to add:

Walk the course as many times as you can, ask folks around you. and pay attention on the ROOKIE meeting and walk threw the coarse,if your not shur raise your hand and ask away your questions and concerns.

Ask to have one of the instructor ride with you on your first couple of laps, they will explain a great deal on how to enter and exit a corner, help explain when the right and wrong time to brake is. give you some basic lessons, and explain the lines.

go there with a level head and an open mind to learn. just have fun, dont try to be competive right off the bat.

good luck and enjoy it.


joe

 

crashes seem highly unlikely in Auto-X (unless you count cones).

I highly recommend that you do your first HPDE at Gingerman, since you're close. It's very beginner-friendly, with lots of run-off, no blind corners, little elevation change, and a fairly smooth surface ("friendly" curbing, too).

Grattan is fun, but much more intimidating for a beginner (as most turns are blind, off-camber, over hills, or a combination thereof).

Waterford- very tight/technical, not so fast, but far less forgiving.

get a good full-face helmet (G Force is cheap and good), go out and learn.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdm civic 2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">to add:

Walk the course as many times as you can, ask folks around you. and pay attention on the ROOKIE meeting and walk threw the coarse,if your not shur raise your hand and ask away your questions and concerns.

Ask to have one of the instructor ride with you on your first couple of laps, they will explain a great deal on how to enter and exit a corner, help explain when the right and wrong time to brake is. give you some basic lessons, and explain the lines.

go there with a level head and an open mind to learn. just have fun, dont try to be competive right off the bat.

good luck and enjoy it.


joe


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

great advice there, especially the level head and open mind.