Ok so I just bought an EF and I've got a build up list set and will be upgrading it to maximize it first for ST and then eventually will get to STX and SM, but the first thing on the list is suspension, wheels/tires and sway/strut bars because the current "slammed" setup on it absolutely sucks (bouncy and all around just crappy feeling).

Things already in car (Came with car):

1. Unknown performance header
2. Unknown performance Exhaust
3. Short ram intake

So here's the list of parts on the list in the order they are to be purchased:

1. Koni/GC suspension set
2. Kosei K1 wheels with yet to be determined 205/50/15 tires
3. Strut/sway bars
4. Strip interior...losing back seat, leaving carpet and door panels, just mild strip
5. Swap front rotors for CD/Slotted and pads to higher metallic compound pads
6. New seats, something with more support
7. New carpet (may come sooner as it's cheaper than other things and current carpet is beat to HELL)
8. Rear drum to disk conversion
9. Short Shifter

Once I have all of that installed I'll spend some time dialing it in. Then I plan on doing a new B series motor, probably B16/18 swap. I plan on keep it an NA car and getting it somewhere in the 150hp neighborhood, maybe more if possible up to 200hp, but no more.

Any other suggestions for the first batch of the list?

Will the Koni/GC push me into the SM class or can I run them in the ST class?

Thanks for the help guys!

 

Read this:
http://cms.scca.com/documents/Solo_R...Solo_Rules.pdf

and this: The cook book for a ST Spec Civic
http://www.redshiftmotorsports.com/R...ech%20Page.htm

Short answer you are fine allowed everything in ST other than the removal of the back seat and the drum conversion. Also do not run slotted rotors, see above redshift link.

 

Yeah everything looks ok except you can't strip the interior at all (except for the radio and AC). If you replace the carpet I would weigh the new stuff to make sure it is heavier and it has to be padded just like stock. And I wouldn't put any money into strut bars they have proven to be pretty worthless in testing. Almost no one in ST runs them...

Also if you are planning on daily driving the car you might want to keep the stock seats. The ride in a 500# spring rate ST car is barely tolerable on the street and it is MUCH worse with a hard race seat. There is also a minimum weight for seats so you can't lose much there.

 

...also make sure the header and exhaust keep the cat in the same location as stock. RTFM over a couple times and remember that if it doesn't say you can then you can't.

 

Ok thanks. My only real concern was the Koni/GCs and the seat removal. I know it said it had to be a 4 seater, but I wasn't sure if that meant just from the factory of if it had to KEEP the seats...

I know I have everything I need otherwise. CAT is in the stop position.

The reason for the seats is that the ones in it now are beat to hell, I don't need anything special, I was just looking for something similar to stock padding but just bigger bolsters on the sides to help me out a bit.

As for the carpet, since it's my DD , I would like nice carpet in it and the current upholstery...I was going to get some carpet that I found from an online dealer, but I don't think it has as much sound dampening material in it as stock...do they really check that close for AutoX?

 

I got carpet from stockinteriors.com and it was a bit heavier than stock, just as thick, and padded in the same places.

And yes at the national level they do check for that. This year they pulled back everyones carpet in stock to check it, check for the sound deadening tar, and the ECU.

 

Wow that's nuts.

Yea, that's the site I was looking at too. Will that pass, the heavier than stock?

 

my question is, are you going to be doing any national tours? if you are, ^^^ what they said. if not and just looking to do some local events, you could (but not suggested) get away with #4 and #8. that is if no one would care in your region.

 

think that's nuts? it does say in the rule book to also bring a jack and two jack stand when you do impound. when it's a national event and money is on the line.....

 

Ok, that's true, I can understand that they would enforce it at a national level.

Personally I'll just be doing local level, but I'm in the Atlanta area so they're pretty big, I have a feeling they will definitely say something about the seat, but I have a feeling that if I did the disks, they might just assume it's an Si or something, because technically if I did that and kept everything else in spec...they might not notice, I'm trying to do this without cheating though.

You guys are really great, I appreciate all the input!

 

I would just show up at some events and talk to the other st guys. Some people care some don't.

 

sorry bud, the 88-91 si hatch's never came with rear disc brakes. crx si, yes. hatch no. plus the car you have is the wrong car to use if you want to bend the rules a little. the 89 si is the car to use for ST. so everyone that runs ST will know if you have something on your car that shouldn't.

also from what it looks like i'm guessing you don't have a Si since you said that. THE big difference with the Si to other 88-91 hatch's is that it comes with a sun roof. no way you can get away with that.

 

Depends on the region. I know locally no one near me would care.

 

bending(or cheating), call it what you want. no matter what region, if it's not in the rule book and does not allow you to do it, is still a no no.

it would be unfair if you were to cheat another person out of a win when you knew that, well, you were cheating.

 

That's exactly my thinking. I know I would be SUPER pissed if someone beat me and had some out of spec mods on their car. I would hate to do it to someone else and be "that guy"

 

buy a set of decent tires and wheels and drive your car before you waste money on stuff you wont even notice. Your car wont be remotely holding you back right now you will be.

That old saying about tightening the loose nut behind the wheel comes to mind here.

Good luck and have fun!

 

In Atlanta they will notice and let you know if your car is not legal, but no one will probably be that bent out of shape at first. When and if you start picking off some of the folks who have been doing it for awhile (especially if they don't have an EF), you will start getting more flack for it.

On the other hand, you will find the folks in Atlanta are flush with cheap spares and a willingness to help the new folks out, so you will have the opportunity to rectify any issues over time.

What everyone will tell you is that you should run the car in whatever form you can afford to run it and let it fall in whichever class it legally lands. You need seat time more than anything else, and ST is not a soft class in the Atlanta Region, so you will be competing against some of the top drivers and best prepared cars in the country (the past two national champs run in PRO class, but there are some very capable drivers running the same cars in the open ST class). You can compare your times with whoever you want, and the results are always posted in raw and paxed forms, so it's easy to get a fix on how you are doing.

Get the car safe and reliable, don't throw any extra money at it just yet, use the money you don't spend on parts to buy tires and entry fees, and learn from some of the best.

IMHO, FWIW...