Anyone ever Auto-X'd an SC400?
10-13-05, 07:40 PM
#31
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you'll stay in stock class as long as your wheel diameter doesnt change. i cant rmeember off the top of my head if the width has to stay the same too, but im pretty sure it does.
download the scca rulebook (im assuming you're autocrossing with scca?) or whatever organization you're racing with. it should have class listings as well as what modifications are allowed for each class.
download the scca rulebook (im assuming you're autocrossing with scca?) or whatever organization you're racing with. it should have class listings as well as what modifications are allowed for each class.
10-13-05, 08:16 PM
#32
Originally Posted by Xevuhtess7
you'll stay in stock class as long as your wheel diameter doesnt change. i cant rmeember off the top of my head if the width has to stay the same too, but im pretty sure it does.
download the scca rulebook (im assuming you're autocrossing with scca?) or whatever organization you're racing with. it should have class listings as well as what modifications are allowed for each class.
download the scca rulebook (im assuming you're autocrossing with scca?) or whatever organization you're racing with. it should have class listings as well as what modifications are allowed for each class.
Thanks. I'll download it.
I wonder if it's the wheel diameter that matters, or the overall wheel and tire diameter. I'll find out.
10-19-05, 10:11 AM
#33
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Originally Posted by MongooseGA
Wow... upgraded wheels will take me out of stock class? What if they're Toyota wheels?
10,000-15,000 miles is very low. That definitely won't pass with my Dad (who has agreed to buy tires for me since they're a necessary item) and just won't be practical for me. I think I'm looking at about twice that number. What about the Falken FK-451? The thread wear is at 280 instead of the Azenis' 200. I don't know how to read the ratings, so I don't know what kind of numbers to expect. I've got to keep in mind, this tire's going to be on the street more than the track.
I wanted to upgrade wheels because my tires need to be replaced soon anyway. It just seemed to make sense to upgrade at this opportunity. I'd imagine more performance tires are made for 17"-18" wheels anyway, correct?
10,000-15,000 miles is very low. That definitely won't pass with my Dad (who has agreed to buy tires for me since they're a necessary item) and just won't be practical for me. I think I'm looking at about twice that number. What about the Falken FK-451? The thread wear is at 280 instead of the Azenis' 200. I don't know how to read the ratings, so I don't know what kind of numbers to expect. I've got to keep in mind, this tire's going to be on the street more than the track.
I wanted to upgrade wheels because my tires need to be replaced soon anyway. It just seemed to make sense to upgrade at this opportunity. I'd imagine more performance tires are made for 17"-18" wheels anyway, correct?
As an example heres what Im doing with a 240sx im putting together. I bought a pair of warriors (Warriors they battle for grip!!!!) a cheap walmart type brand all season tires from a friend for 30 bucks for all 4 of em with half thread in them they get crappy traction but.. theyre almost impossible to kill. I sourced spare stock sized wheels and for those Ill shell the money and buy falken azenis sports and use that for track days.
Maybe you can stretch 18k with the gr451 betas. It all really depends on your driving. But a tire that last 40k will get you a pos all season tire thatll squeall and break loose every time you take a 90 degree turn faster then.. 15-20 mph. tires imo make or kill the car handling wise. I guess you could autox with such a tire but just as long as you do it for the fun of it since theres no way in heck youll ever be competitive with such a mediocre tire. I never really bothered with all season tires except once I got the Michelin Pilot Sports M/S they were ok better then any other all season tires I ver driven on. I put 20k miles on them and they were about half life. But in terms to any good summer tire theres no comparison. Perhaps you could probably do with such a tire and autox occasionally for the fun and experience of it.
And other things will move you up a class as well besides changing wheel widths and it does not care if the wheels are from same manufacturer or not. If the wheels did not come in the car stock it can not race in a stock class. If you put supra wheels youll move to a different class being that supra wheels are 265+ at the very least youd be running F stock prepared. Also if you run F stock you can not have any modifications to the car whatsoever with the exception of..
Extra tow hooks, tow hinges, roll cage, Changing your stock air box with a K & N type filter. Exhaust tip. Upgrade brake pads. but not brakes, and I believe thats it at the top of my head. The only modification you could get away tire wise is running a lower profile tire but it MUST be in your stock SIZED wheels.
Now... im not advocating this.. but the SC300/400 is not a common track car. And a lot of people dont know much about our cars as we do. Given that our cars are not run of the mill track cars, that gives us a bigger advantage with getting away with murder when it comes to following the rule book. Ill bet money that if you put supra wheels on your car and slap your lexus hub plates on there, no one would suspect a thing, same thing with any not so obvious oem looking modification. Im confident I could of ran my sc300 with full supra control arms, struts and springs, seats, wheels, brakes, swaybars, and register as a F stock class car (class your car belongs on) and not raise a single hair of suspicion.. Since in all honestly its probably the first sc300 they seen at an autox. But that would be a dishonorable thing to do now would it?
10-19-05, 10:49 AM
#34
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Originally Posted by Inabj2
Now... im not advocating this.. but the SC300/400 is not a common track car. And a lot of people dont know much about our cars as we do. Given that our cars are not run of the mill track cars, that gives us a bigger advantage with getting away with murder when it comes to following the rule book. Ill bet money that if you put supra wheels on your car and slap your lexus hub plates on there, no one would suspect a thing, same thing with any not so obvious oem looking modification. Im confident I could of ran my sc300 with full supra control arms, struts and springs, seats, wheels, brakes, swaybars, and register as a F stock class car (class your car belongs on) and not raise a single hair of suspicion.. Since in all honestly its probably the first sc300 they seen at an autox. But that would be a dishonorable thing to do now would it?
have you been spying on me?
10-19-05, 11:30 AM
#35
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Originally Posted by Inabj2
First tip get best tires you can afford.
Second leave the tranny on 2. DO NOT TRY TO SHIFT FROM 2 to L you will upset the car massively and will just lose massive amounts of time doing so. On the start put it on 2 power brake it and leave the tranny alone do not shift at all!
I autocrossed an SC300. thats an automatic and thats even worse due to no low end torque. Heres a tip the throttle is counter intituitive. When you let off the gas because the car is understeering it will rotate nicely and now you will be squealing on all the tires. But if you invested in a good set of tires dont worry itll hold. The SC handles very nicely and youll be surprised how fast you can turn. But as soon as you let of the gas dont play by the rules of manual or a car with instant response and hit the throttle progressively as you would on such a car while nearing the apex.
Rather let off the gas slightly if YOU MUST. Then immediately instantly smash it backup again to anticipate the delay you will get while the power travels trhough the torque converter and the slushbox itself. By the time it hits youll be near the exit anyways.
If you maintaind your brakes your car should have rather decent brakes take advantage of them! Brake late as possible and as little as possible. Its fun to surprise the courseworkers thinking that my boat will understeer massively but make it just fine albeit noisely.
When you let off due to a turn due so quickly.
You still wont brake any records since the tranny is a HUGE HUGE drawback, the chassis itself even with its soft suspension is well extremely good. The car rotates when you want to if you know how to drive it and equip it with good tires.
With street tires a sc300 with no low end and wont kick down on exit speed on F Stock i got a pax score of 840. You should be able to beat that since you will have way more low end torque then me. But once I get a 5 speed installed youll be done for!
If you dont do well dont get discouraged practice practice practice. And heck find the fastest driver and ask him to drive your car and just watch him. I was able to pick up 3 seconds by doing just that. And did best his time (time he got on my car) after watching him drive my car.
If this is your first event youll be doing period then disregard what i said, just put it on 2. and drive your goal should be not to get lost and get a feeling for the car at speed.
Second leave the tranny on 2. DO NOT TRY TO SHIFT FROM 2 to L you will upset the car massively and will just lose massive amounts of time doing so. On the start put it on 2 power brake it and leave the tranny alone do not shift at all!
I autocrossed an SC300. thats an automatic and thats even worse due to no low end torque. Heres a tip the throttle is counter intituitive. When you let off the gas because the car is understeering it will rotate nicely and now you will be squealing on all the tires.
But if you invested in a good set of tires dont worry itll hold. The SC handles very nicely and youll be surprised how fast you can turn. But as soon as you let of the gas dont play by the rules of manual or a car with instant response and hit the throttle progressively as you would on such a car while nearing the apex.Rather let off the gas slightly if YOU MUST. Then immediately instantly smash it backup again to anticipate the delay you will get while the power travels trhough the torque converter and the slushbox itself. By the time it hits youll be near the exit anyways.
If you maintaind your brakes your car should have rather decent brakes take advantage of them! Brake late as possible and as little as possible. Its fun to surprise the courseworkers thinking that my boat will understeer massively but make it just fine albeit noisely.
When you let off due to a turn due so quickly.
You still wont brake any records since the tranny is a HUGE HUGE drawback, the chassis itself even with its soft suspension is well extremely good. The car rotates when you want to if you know how to drive it and equip it with good tires.
With street tires a sc300 with no low end and wont kick down on exit speed on F Stock i got a pax score of 840. You should be able to beat that since you will have way more low end torque then me. But once I get a 5 speed installed youll be done for!
If you dont do well dont get discouraged practice practice practice. And heck find the fastest driver and ask him to drive your car and just watch him. I was able to pick up 3 seconds by doing just that. And did best his time (time he got on my car) after watching him drive my car.
If this is your first event youll be doing period then disregard what i said, just put it on 2. and drive your goal should be not to get lost and get a feeling for the car at speed.
Last edited by neoprelude; 10-19-05 at 11:33 AM.
10-20-05, 10:25 AM
#37
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Originally Posted by neoprelude
I wouldn't recommend getting the BEST tires, because I know someone who spent like 600 on good as tires for his 98 prelude for autox he autoxed all day and they were worn down to pretty much nothing after the 2nd time he autoxed! But since I have a manual SC3, you think i'd do alot better with autox? How many seconds you think could be improved Auto VS Manual SC?
Depends on driver off course but drivers and cars otherwise being equal id say about 100 pax points. The biggest weakness with the auto besides the .. horrible slushy delay.. (you can overcome the delay by .. stomping the throttle way early... where in a manual youd go back to understeer.. or oversteer depending...) is the fact that the car has extremely long gears.. To get best results youre forced to be in 2 which is equivalent to autocrossing a manual car in 3rd gear. Since manual downshifting takes so long and is done in sucha jerky manner, if it downshifts at all it just ends up slowing you and upsetting the motion of the car to a rather severe extent that it ends up costing ... another 100 pax points more if you try to man handle the auto tranny.
Basically it is in my experience that with the auto im way off my powerband coming out of turns exiting corners at less then 3000k rpm and then having a super long 2nd is whats costing me the most time. Depending on how long the course itself is my guess that would make a difference of at least 3-6 seconds on raw time. Seldom do I reach redline except out of very tight corners where the auto tranny automatically shifts to first.
And haha some bmw guys might give smart loud remarks amongst themselves simply ignore them. "Pfft a lexus?!? why?!"" ah...
And as I read your sig.. no nitrous allowed on the premises whatsoever!!
Last edited by Inabj2; 10-20-05 at 10:35 AM.
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