I went autocrossing for the first time on Saturday! The NJ Porsche Club had its last autox at the Meadowlands this year and I was lucky enough to be home from school to catch it. DAMN that was FUN! I think I've caught the bug... I did pretty well for my first time out, no off courses and only 3 cones in 2 of my 7 runs . So now I just need some new tires for next season and I'm set. Maybe some new shocks, and springs too. Oh, and a thicker front swaybar so I can get some better traction coming out of corners, and throw in the rear while I'm at it, too. I'll probably need a new set of wheels so I can keep the street tires and not wear out my race tires too much...

 

I don't think you'll want a thicker front swaybar. Type Rs use the same size swaybar as on our cars, and a bigger one would just promote understeer.

-buji

 

It would also increase traction coming out of corners though, something that my car severely lacks. I'm talking one-wheeled burnout for 50 feet. Cheaper than an LSD too. I'll just need a really thick rear one

 

Put your car on a diet - if you know what I mean...

 

No more Krispy Kremes!

 

A stiffer front swaybar will be _more_ prone to lift the inside front wheel--> Less traction coming out of the corners.

I have an open differential too, and I do the ol' 50 ft one wheel burnout thing from time to time as well, but that just means I am driving my car poorly. It's much faster just to not stomp the gas so hard so soon.

Fix the driver before you fix the car. (That's why I'm still in stock class.. )

Welcome to the addiction. Save your money for events and tires.

 

As to fixing the driver before the car--that's what I REALLY plan to do, A) since I have no money and B) since I think it's more fun knowing that I beat someone, and not my car (I actually beat a guy in a Carrera 2 who said "Yeah I think I got everything out of it on that last run ). As to the front swaybar--You have a good point. I was thinking along the lines that less roll up front meant planting the inside wheel better, but I guess it just means the wheel will lift up with the rest of the car.

 

"Putting your car on a diet" isn't a terribly great idea, since weight reduction isn't legal for any classes the Integra can do well in without great expense. You can dump the spare tire and jack, and run a light fuel load but that's about it for Stock and STS/STR. You might be able to "get away" with some weight reduction at the local level, but it wouldn't be legal by the rules.