autox on a budget

[BostonCX614]

last year i was running my cx hatch with kyb agx/h&r sport . I like the setup but i desired something a bit more agressive. later that year my car got jacked so.. i am left with a shell of a car that i have been slowly rebuilding(lack of $ to fund the project). but recently i got $1200 and i would like to know what you guys think would be the best route for this money for getting wheels/tries/suspension under my car?

I def gonna use falken azenis. not sure what kinda rim as long as its cheap and 15". suspension is where i need the most advice. either kyb's and h&r race springs, tein basics or save a little more cash and get something even more nasty.

thanx guys

 

[BostonCX614]

oh yeah i can get a sweet deal on the non-damping adjustable tanabes.. but i have no clue if they are any good.

 

[asmallsol]

your on a budget?

It is kinda rough that you have a CX, since well they are slow in stock form. My advice would be to run your car in stock class. This means that you can change your shocks (not your springs) so run a stiff shock, run with same size as orginal wheels or, what was offered on a diffrent model. Since the SI was offered with 14's, you can run HX 14 inch wheels, and you can put 14 inch azenies on them. Or even better for autox, run a 13 inch wheel with some street slicks (dot approved tires) Hoosier makes a set. Lastly, you can do what ever you want for exhaust from the cat back.

This would be your best route. Another route that may be a better setup would be selling your car (you can get good money for an eg) and buy a early 90's CRX si and do the above mods. This will make your car pretty compeditve in stock class

 

[BostonCX614]

welp.. i already have a mini me ready to be dropped in and love my eg so im gonna keep it. last year i competed in the stx class on the cx motor w/ i/h/e..beat some other eg's with full motor swaps too but did get destroyed by a few stock crx's with slicks. basically im looking for a real agressive car to drive and have fun racing.

 

[posol]

agressive car, with an agressive tire, calls for an agressive suspension setup.
unfortunately, your budget doesn't.

I'd really look into a full coilover. yeah, its $1000 + or -, but i think its going to be the thing you really want.

 

[E_SolSi]

too agressive of a tire + not agreesive enough suspension = flipped car

 

[BostonCX614]

kyb agx's with h&r springs wouldnt be agressive enough?

I am shooting for a $600 suspension setup give or take. So far my options are: the kyb/h&r, tanabe non adjustable and the tein non adjustable. If its really better to get some nasty i will probably go with the tein ss.
I know when i raced before i left my agx at the highest setting most of the time. If the fixed damping rate on the tein/tanabe is agressive I would be happy. Also if I decide to swap out the stock tein spring on the Basic with a higher rate one..would the fixed damping rate be able to handle it?

also.. i am leaning toward the coils cuz of the linear rate..the h&r's look progressive

 

[ahedau]

I have KYB w/ GC coil overs ($200), GSR rear sway bar ($5), DIY lower tie bar(FREE), E-bay front tower bar ($20) & 14" Azenis ($212) for auto-x in a VX w/ a Z6 swap. Engine is stock other than the obligatory I/H/E mods. My car has been extremely competetive in DSP locally. Starting in March I'll see how it (and I) does against a better talent pool on Atlanta.

I must agree that until you get your engine swapped your gonna get killed in just about every class. IMO, as long as winning ain't that big a deal to you at first I'd keep building the suspension & racing to get seat time. Once you get some HP & TQ you'll be fine.

 

[asmallsol]

Originally posted by ahedau@Feb 13 2004, 12:52 AM
I must agree that until you get your engine swapped your gonna get killed in just about every class.

that is not really true. Unless the engine was offered in that car at some time (like the d16z6 in a eg since the z6 came in the si), a swap is a pretty bad idea. If your in a sol or a CRX and you do a swap, your going against built porsches, turboed miatas, and the insanly built cars. You have no chance in those classes. Street mod 1, (SM) is a little less compeditive just because there are less cars in there, but your still going against turbo neon (Peaons are the wosrt cars ever made but own at autox since the head engineer was a former autox champion) and other cars like that. You dont really have a chance

 

[ahedau]

oh, sorry... i thought he said he had an eg civic & had a mini-me... If he does and as long as he doesn't drop in an b/h/f-series motor, it is my understanding he can race Street Prep & Street Touring.

 

[asmallsol]

This is true. If I swaped a b16 into my sol, I could race in DSP.

However, if he does a mini me, I am not sure if that would bump him in a diffrent class beause mini me's do in a sence change internals because mini me users have about .1 or .2 compression ratio's higher, giving them advantages. Would local inspectors know? No, if you went to natinals, they probllly would.

 

[BostonCX614]

cool thanx guys for the info.

I do have the mini me cuz it is an easy way to make my cx a little quicker and learn how to work on honda engines. Later on i would like to build up a b-series but figured i would get my feet wet building the mini me. I am not really concerned with which class i will end up in considering i have only 1 season of racing under my belt.

last year I loved my suspension on road but desired more when i raced so i am looking for something that will be more agressive than h&r sport/agx. Comfort really isnt a concern either

 

[ahedau]

If I swaped a b16 into my sol, I could race in DSP

actually, no, you couldn't unless it was a B16A2/A3.

Any other B16 would put you into Modified because...

Equipment and/or specifications may be exchanged between different years and models of a vehicle if
(a) the item is standard on the year/model from which it was taken,
b the years/models are listed on the same line of Appendix A (Street Prepared Classes). ....The updating and/or backdating of engines, transmissions or transaxles must be done as a unit; component parts of these units may not be interchanged. Cars not listed in the Street Prepared sections of Appendix A may not be updated/backdated until approved by the SEB and published in SportsCar magazine.