After each regional event, I come home and look at the piles of crap stacked in my room: azenis in the corner, coilover under the desk, and enough crap to fully prep my car to the class. Fueled by ambitions, funded by financial aid, I can't seem to stop buying parts for my car, and I am constantly searching for the next crap to buy. The parts remain in their hiding place, waiting for that day that I will be ready for them. Now I ask you guys, how do you know when you're ready for modifications.

 

WEEEEEEE

 

I have a very in-depth, mathematical, multi-variable equation that will tell you when your ready

Actually for me if I have the extra cash, and have the extra time to install the new part, then I will slap it on. Unfortunately I have little of both right now Also, always keep in mind what class you want to run the car in.

 

In my last event, 7/8 runs had 58s (some with cones some w/o). The one that I messed up I had the course map flying around in my car because my window was open. In my defense, I was trying to close the window and trying to turn at the same time. The fastest run was clean with a 58.0xx. I feel that my car couldnt be push any further, but I feel that there are few tenths I can shaved off. Running with stock tires feels good, but in the spirit of competition I would sure like to win.

 

No matter how good you think you are, the biggest single perforance gain for you at this point is to improve your driver. Get more seat time, keep your eyes and ears open, look for school opportunities. Good "faster" parts are certainly fun if your class allows them but you will get best results by 1) Improve driver 2) Improve tires (stickier the better) 3) Improve suspension (dampers first, springs and sway bars if the class allows).

 

The thing is I have all of those, just sitting in my room. Oh well, I'll just wait until the new regional season begin to introduce [them].

<~~ Affaird to attend track days (cant afford a rollover and insurance bailing on me), although my goal is one day be racing on road courses. Until I can afford another car, I will have no choice but to keep autocrossing with my daily driver.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Essence of Chicken &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I feel that my car couldnt be push any further, but I feel that there are few tenths I can shaved off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, that about sums it up right there...no mods for now.

IMHO, there are only two reasons to modify a race (any type of race) car:

1) to make it safer
2) to correct a problem

And #2 is a tricky one (as #2's often are). You have to be good enough to recognize a problem, recognize your solution options, try out these solutions, and recognize if any of them actually worked to fix the problem. Simply feeling like your car has a few more tenths in it is fine, but it's not a specific problem to address. You need to drive it until you can say "hmm, I think there's a tenth or two being lost because of XXXXX, and I'm going to address that problem now."

I'll admit, a number of the performance modifications I have done to my car are based on the experience of others that are far better racers than me. This saves money and time, like learning a spring rate range for my car based on the advice of others with the same car. However, I won't mess with the rates now until I'm good enough to say "hmmm, here's where I think I need to be within that range." Make sense?

 

Thanks.
I think I should just install the tires and leave the rest of the parts sitting.

 

I tend to disagree. If you already own the parts and the money is spent then why not use them if they won't be making the car extra hair trigger and harder to drive (aka 6 lb flywheel, megaboost turbo) or require lots of extra work to refine and tweak constantly (programable fuel injection, etc.).

I don't know what parts you have sitting around but I see no reason whatsoever not to install wheels, tires, springs, shocks, sway bars, header, exhaust, intake, etc. kind of stuff if they are chosen well. This will only make the car better and more fun so long as it doesn't put you into a class like Prepared or Mod that you could never ever really attempt to compete in when youi are experienced. If the car goes to STS or something, enjoy it.

If the question was "Where to I spend my money: parts or experience? then the answer is to get experience first and update the car as you go. But you already own the parts and the money is spent then you probably really wanted them so why the heck not use them on your car as you learn? Why withhold from yourself stuff that will make the driver/car package better if you already own them?

Maybe I'll rankle a few purists here but I see no reason for you not to try some HDPE track events when you want to try it? Certainly you don't want to rollover and hurt the car but remember...you are the person driving your own car and you know your own goals and what you can and can't risk. Does a driver not have enough personal control to avoid pushing the car over the limits of the car and driver if the risk is too high for him? This kind of damage is quite rare in good events and when it happens, you 'll find the driver has lost his own self-control.

I drove my M3 in it's first autocross last weekend and plan to do my lapping day next Spring. I still owe about $9k on it plus I know a blown up engine would cost me $5-6K to replace. Does this concern me? Yes, of course as I really can't afford to break it. On the otherhand the driver is me. I can decide how far to push it, when to lift,etc. I agree that in true wheel to wheel racing there are other things that happen due to actions of other drivers that you sometimes can't avoid but in a Lapping day that is run properly at a safe facility, the driver himself is in control of his car or he makes the decision to push the limit and risk being out of control.

In the driver's meeting at my lapping day, I ask for a show of hands of everyone who wants to drive their car home or drive it safely onto the trailer at the end of the day. Everyone raises their hands. Then I ask for a show of hands on who wants to damage their car so it can't go under it's own power. No hands ever. In a non-heat of racing battle situation, the driver is/must be in control. If you aren't capable of having fun with the appropriate level of reserve to fit your own requirements, then you need to think about not doing this and putting others and their machinery at risk.

Go forth and have fun and take it at your own speed.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No matter how good you think you are, the biggest single perforance gain for you at this point is to improve your driver.</TD></TR></TABLE>