autoX noob. What class??

I am going to start autocrossing this year. I'll be driving a chevette with bigger low offset wheels, stiffer springs, shocks and some minor engine upgrades. What kind of cars will I be classed with?

Define minor engine upgrades...

begger carb, header, shaved head, electric fan. all these are maybes

I wouldn't even worry about class. You're going to be a beginner, and there's no way you'll be competitive. Just have fun. If you want to get competitive, pick other cars that are comparable at events, being driven by other beginners. Get some friendly competition going with them.

Salanis wrote: there's no way you'll be competitive.

Stranger things have happend.

Sounds like to be "legal" you will be in a prepped class, you will be against big guns that have perfected driving an ax course. and it wont be too much fun for awhile.

getting into a class that you can compete in will be much more fun. If I had to guess, it would be d or e stock. and unless you are winning no one will really care.

Too much milling the head would put you in E/Prepared or Street Modified.

If you limit the head milling to the maximum allowed in the factory shop manual, you'd have an F/Street Prepared.

Keep the stock carb and intake manifold, avoid the electric fan and head milling, and you have a Street Touring car.

Forget classes. I tried to keep my Rx-7 STS2 legal and it wasn't fun. Now I just do whatever mods I want and let them throw me in whatever class they want. I just look at the overall times for my competition. I like making friends with people that have similar cars and aiming my sights on on a comparable car/driver. Last season a Turbo 280Z was my target and one I got around him I started in on the base Boxter's. Now I'm looking at Boxter S's and base Caymen's.

Unless you are into running for trophys , just go and have fun in whatever class they put you.

Do what you want to the car. Accept that you're not going to be as good at AX as the guys who've been doing it a lot longer than you have and don't worry about it. Instead, concentrate on getting better... see how many seconds faster your last run is than your first. Try to learn from the guys around you what they're doing that you're not.

Most AX groups will have solid drivers who are willing to let you ride with them to observe, or who will ride with you and offer pointers and advice. Take advantage of such if you can find them. Don't be shy, speak up and ask. "Hey, I'm new at this, this is my first/second/whatever AX, would you mind if I caught a ride to see how you run so fast?"

If you are willing to admit you don't know it all, lots of folks who know more than you do will help you happily. If you think you know it all, they'll be happy to let you learn the hard way all alone.

Stay on street tires, don't go over to R-comps till you've been at it a while, you'll learn more on streets.

I plan on doing what ever I want to my car I was just curious. I think I'll just pick another car and try to beat it and try to beat my best time. I won't get to competitive until I can find another vette to go all out on.

^ That's the way to do it...

I get forced into STX class with the Celica. And with MAYBE 80whp... yeah. I have a knife at a gun fight.

93celicaGT2 wrote: ^ That's the way to do it... I get forced into STX class with the Celica. And with MAYBE 80whp... yeah. I have a knife at a gun fight.

more like a spoon at a gun fight.

There are guys in our STX class that are throwing down 3 times that number, lol

93celicaGT2 wrote: I have a knife at a gun fight.

True. But then, years before the Alamo, Jim Bowie became nationally famous for winning a gunfight with a knife.

Learn to use what you have well. Then make it better.

slantvaliant wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: I have a knife at a gun fight.

True. But then, years before the Alamo, Jim Bowie became nationally famous for winning a gunfight with a knife. Learn to use what you have well. Then make it better.

Yep! I can usually place near middle of the pack locally, which is nice. Something to be said for an "over-tired car" (is there such a thing? I think not.) with less weight than most, more brakes than necessary, and WAY more suspension than necessary.

It's a car that i've modified to handle a 350+whp grenade motor, paired with a stock, suspiciously weak camry motor. I'm not out to compete in this thing, just have fun.

If i truly want to compete, then i'll take the Escort in that direction. But i have a ways to go on that, i'm not that good of a driver.

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I'm building the car for me, not to compete.

Run whatcha brung and continue to refine the driver until the driver is aced out.

mrdontplay wrote:

Salanis wrote: there's no way you'll be competitive.

Stranger things have happend.

I just looked and saw you were from Springfield, will you be coming up to the STL area to race? (that's where I am from)

Autolex wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: ^ That's the way to do it... I get forced into STX class with the Celica. And with MAYBE 80whp... yeah. I have a knife at a gun fight.

more like a spoon at a gun fight. There are guys in our STX class that are throwing down 3 times that number, lol

lol, i ran STX with a mustang cobra, gun at a knife fight? (damn minis and WRX's!)

Autolex wrote:

mrdontplay wrote:

Salanis wrote: there's no way you'll be competitive.

Stranger things have happend.

I just looked and saw you were from Springfield, will you be coming up to the STL area to race? (that's where I am from)

I hope so, but I would like to get a 5spd tans befor I head that far down the highway.

My goal is to beat stock miatas. I think is pretty reasonable sense I'm about 300lbs lighter and I should have about 100hp. I think my suspension setup will work pretty well and the weight disribution in a chevette is pretty good. If I can be them on the course I should atleast be able to beat them in theory

Apexcarver wrote: lol, i ran STX with a mustang cobra, gun at a knife fight? (damn minis and WRX's!)

Sledgehammer at a fencing match.

its not any worse then driving a 82 delta 88 in stx.....now thats insane and tatoly out ion left field.

If my car is left stock Im grouped in with stock V6 mustangs. That either says something about their classing system, or something about V6 mustangs.

mrdontplay wrote: My goal is to beat stock miatas. I think is pretty reasonable sense I'm about 300lbs lighter and I should have about 100hp. I think my suspension setup will work pretty well and the weight disribution in a chevette is pretty good. If I can be them on the course I should atleast be able to beat them in theory

What class are you planning on being in? We have a few ES guys that are pretty dern fast in 1993 and 1994 miata's on R Compounds. :)

At my oldest son's one and only try at autocross, he ran in H-Stock with a stock '77 Mercury Monarch. That's a dressed-up Grenada from the bad old days. The two-barrel 302 smogger and 2.47 rear end didn't help, but he had a blast.- and actually beat someone.
Imagine their surprise.