Have been drag racing bikes since the late '70s. Never owned or worked on a Honda car before. Just bought a 1988 Honda Civic Sedan, 1.5 SOHC w/ throttle body injection and 5spd manual trans. Want to try and give the no-box guys a run for there money at our IHRA track, Carolina Dragway. Besides making sure that everything that's on the car now is working correctly, and I'm not after going quicker just as consistently as possible, I could really use some advice on relatively inexpensive mods to suspension, drivetrain and electrical (ignition and engine management system) that would help the repeat-ability of the car. I can then track how weather conditions effect the ET's and adjust my dial-in, just like I've been doing with the bikes I've raced.
Will be driving it to and from the track (10 minutes one way, mostly highway) so it will need to stay street legal, but creature comforts are not an issue.
The class is allowed the use of 2-steps, line-locks (on non-drive wheels only) and may be able to use air clutch release cylinder like we use on the bikes.
Please give me the benefit of your knowledge and any thoughts you'd like to share would be most appreciated. I am currently bracket racing a Honda CR500R that I've lowered and stretched, so I do like to explore alternative ways of skinning the cat.
Thanks
Keith LeBlanc
IHRA 9XX0

 

I've been bracket racing since '97 and have found that with a fwd honda the keys to consistancy are.
1. 2 step launch control or a chipped ecu with "launch control" programmed in
2. sticky consistent tires, fwd's want to cut loose so choose a tire that you can daily drive and launch
3. shift consistency, I chose to full throttle shift at the same rpm in each gear, seemed the easiest way to do it the same each time
4 vehicle weight, make sure that there is no junk floating around and try to keep the fuel level the same. with such low hp vehicle weight starts to really play in
5. stiffer springs and upgraded dampers along with poly bushings and maybe a traction bar in the front to prevent wheel hop.

that's my .02

 

Should of bought a automatic if you're gonna bracket race lol.

 

That takes the fun out of it. A manual can be just as consistent as an auto.

 

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like a plan. Got this thing from a co-worker not running for $200 just as he was about to haul it to the pick-a-part. They were gunna give him $145 for it.
Yeah, as slow as it's gunna be I defiantly wanna break the monotony of a pass by shifting it a time or 2 as I'm going downtrack.
I have an old AutoGauge 5" tach w/ adj. shift light, can this be used? Where to hook the signal wire? I don't see a tach output on the dizzy and it is the 2 point throttle body setup.
Thanks
Keith LeBlanc