hey guys i know i post topics on what i should get and i'm learning each day something new with driving my car, i like the sts stuff better rather then stock autox, i rather do sts road racing , my car is an all stock 5speed 95 ex coupe, i only have around 300 bucks to work with my next pay check isn't for another 2 weeks ,what were your guys first things, i'm 17, and in two to three year would like to do a swap and do major work to my car, i just want to get started, with like suspension stuff, brakes, engine mods, new headlights, like to know everyones first mods and pics of your cars in road racing, thanks everyone for checking this out, and it is my daily driver too, ,,, thanks guys,, aol name=ChMiPr

 

Well STS is a class only in Solo I/II. There is no road racing in Solo 2. Well my first suggestion if they are still offered are some autocross schools like Evolution. They usually run $225 for an Evolution School or $50-100 for an autocross school.

Spending money on those will make your car faster cause you are fixing the biggest problem with most cars - the driver.

A typical coilover system will cost about $1000 and maybe gain .5-1 second on a 60 second autocross course. Spending $225 on an Evolution School or $50-100 on an autocross school and gain 4-8 seconds on the same course.

Too many people think spending loads and loads of money on mods will make your car faster - typical drag racer mentality. But for autocrossing it's a totally different monster.

Learn your car first as is, then buy your mods after your first school or two.

Also watch the rules (pick up a rule book) cause certain mods will bump you out of STS and into Mod.


[Modified by CivicSiRacer, 9:42 AM 9/9/2002]


[Modified by CivicSiRacer, 9:43 AM 9/9/2002]

 

Oh man, go for the school!
Order of Bang for Buck for STS, I'd guess:
1) School (and seat time in general)
2) Tires
3) rear antisway bar..
3) other suspension bits..

This forum will give you 1000 recommendations to do the school before modding the car, but you're 17, so I think you'll get the sway bar. If you're actually interested in improving your autocross performance, though, you really should put your money to the school and tires (plus 2nd set of rims for them, for convenience..) first.

 

I'm just finishing my first full season of autox and I'm learning than there is no sense spending a very small amount of money to mod your car just enough to put you in a class where you can't be competitive. Focus on improving your driving skills and put some money asside so that over the off-season you can do some work and make your car competitive in its class. But as everyone else has said, working on your skills will get you huge time improvements (in the same class no less) whereas modding your car might cost you $1500/sec, won't help you as much, and will put you in a more difficult class.

I'd suggest staying stock (unless it's too late already) until you start winning some smaller events.

 

thanks guys that really helps yea, i did want to get a set of wheels i'm thinking just a acura gsr set, so i'm not running hub caps, plus my tires now are like 50% tread, so i will practice but if i get wheels that are cheaper but a good set of tires and warm them up and practice it would be better ,what tires do you guys run i heard kumho are the best for auto x or the falken? and what size would you recomend for a all around season hot or cold, because i don't have a huge amount of money right now to get alot of tires, something like 205/45/15??? thanks for your help and if you have a website with your auto x pics, 5g civics i would love to see thanks guys

 

The part about the spare set of rims would be that one pair would be your street set (whatever you want.. all season something or other), and the other pair would be AutoX only (probably Kumho Victo for Stock, Azeni or Kumho Ecsta 712 for STS).. you could swap them at the event.

I don't have any advice on sizing.

 

werd up ta' that!
oh, and gsr's have a different bolt pattern than us (4x100 vs. 4x114.3) so their wheels won't fit
try anything that fits 5th gen 'ludes and accords, or even 6th gen 4banger accords...
you say you have hub caps? I thought it was an EX...?

 

Well yeah a school will put you ahead of the Novic group by giving you accelrated instruction and feedback from pros one-on-one. But if you have to get new tires anyway I'd be looking at Azenis if your going to stay with an STS class car.

 

4x100 wheels = GSR, GS, LS, RS, Civics, CRXs
4x114.5 wheels = Preludes, Accords, and I think CRVs

I would suggest getting a 2nd set of wheels and tires. One set your all seasons, and the other set your dedicated racing tires. I would suggest staying away from DOT Racing tires for your first year. Learn the limits of your car first. DOT Racing tires will not allow you to know between too much and not enough - they don't give enough feedback and just break away too quickly for newbies.

 

mine is a 95 ex and yes it has hubcaps, the gsr has 4 lug, and seen them on 5g civics, i'm talking about the swirl 6 blade, i just want to get some new wheels and tires that will look better then hubs, because it will help in handling for road racing courses, and my tires are getting low right now, just not finding any good deals , anyone have pics with what you did like a journal picture page you have on your autocrossing or road racing carear, during college i would like to sign up with a scca group after i come home from the air force reserve that will bring in money too plus working that will be nice, because i want a swap in like three years, but for now just getting to know my car , and do some stuff, i'm in computer class now and have to go, so i still would love to see pics mostly interested in 5g civic coupes, thanks

 

http://home.dejazzd.com/mlouie/mikehistory.html

That's some what of a journal. I got started in autocrossing Fall 1997.

 

civicsiracer ,do you have a blue si? i saw one at the sport compact jam at charlise, it was looking good, my friend has a probe that ran the course ,it was small and tight and he was doing heel and toe he was running quick for how fast his car is