Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes - I need a new autocross car

TR4

With a small V8. Or a turbo-4.

Well, shoot. I was going to page Tom Celica to this thread, but Erik beat me to it!

Starlet would be really, really cool in FSP. I considered a few cars before going with the Celica, the Starlet being one. But they really are low on power stock. Not sure you can overcome that in SP rules. Damn light, though.

I hear the ZX2 can be pretty dog gone fast in FSP. Would be another cool, different way to go. Some guys here in Colorado building a turbo Sprint for FSP and it's looking real, real good. Well, it looks like crap, but it's going to go fast. But for rain on West it would have trophied at Nats. this year and it has a load of development yet to do.

Old and quirky really is screaming to be an FSP build. Some of the cars I thought about - Plymouth Arrow, Renault GTA, FX16, Pinto, Capri, Citation... shoot it was a long list. I forgot a ton of them.

If you consider the Celica, shoot me a note. I can at least give you a few ideas. My car is a lot faster than I can drive it. I'm petty sure it can work.

Old and quirky? Never will see anyone else with it at an autocross? RWD?

S12 200sx. Can be had in i4 turbo or v6 form.

They kind of look like a AE86 except you can have one for 1/4 the price and under all that it's basically a Z31.

http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2009/02/01/hmn_buyers_guide1.html

BSP c4? A little out of the price range, but not way out. Would probably be more fun than a rwd fsp car... http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/4253233072.html

In reply to fast_eddie_72:

My son has a 98 ZX2 and it is very similar to my Neon. He thinks so as well. Your old and quirky suggestions are great, but those cars are non-existent here in the Great Rust North. It is difficult to find good intact cars over 10 years old. Even Gen I Neons and late 90s/early 2000s Civics are as rare as unicorns here. Go to Pocono or Scranton Craigslist and try to find them. Even Miata searches come up very light if the model year is older than 2002. However, you can have your pick of old pickups dating back to the 1960s.

Moparman wrote: In reply to fast_eddie_72: My son has a 98 ZX2 and it is very similar to my Neon. He thinks so as well.

I tend to agree...

May not be as nifty as some of the older suggestions, but there are no excuses as for availability...and parts are not an issue. The car in the pictures is a full-on FSP build. The only thing left is MS/tune and some intake tweaks like bigger injectors (has stock 19# now and we're at the limit of the duty cycle)...has SCT now.

I have looked and looked and it appears that, unless I want to go Miata, I am better off with the Neon. There are a few more things I can do to it to make it more enjoyable. I did want to do something a bit odd, but I live in the wrong area for "odd"

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Here is a pick of my Neon taken in 2012:

The reality is that like the ZX2, the Neon is becoming an 'odd' car in it's own right...most are used up and disposed of as a worn-out appliance.

I know for a fact that there is plenty of help to be had if you need hints and tips...hit of the FSP Facebook page for one.

I live in Colorado, and I still had to go to LA to get my Celica. Drove it home. That was sketchy, but what a blast!

kanaric wrote: Old and quirky? Never will see anyone else with it at an autocross? RWD? S12 200sx. Can be had in i4 turbo or v6 form. They kind of look like a AE86 except you can have one for 1/4 the price and under all that it's basically a Z31. http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2009/02/01/hmn_buyers_guide1.html

I love those, but everyone said they're really heavy. Still love to have one, though. I just discounted it for FSP because of the reported weight.

You need to change your avatar (fapfapfap)

poopshovel wrote: You need to change your avatar (fapfapfap)

You need to make that your desktop.

You need to come to Nationals.

Yes I do...and the Good Lord willing, I shall in 2014.

Moparman wrote: I have looked and looked and it appears that, unless I want to go Miata, I am better off with the Neon. There are a few more things I can do to it to make it more enjoyable. I did want to do something a bit odd, but I live in the wrong area for "odd"

Having once co-drove a neon with a quaife,fully built forged internals,cams,ecu,hardcore suspension mods and wide hooisers I can say for sure that I never wanted to drive it again.No offence but it was a lousy car to drive fast and for sure not fun to go fast in,try a Miata with even half the mods for a just as quick but fun combo. I'm with you on the oddball car thing as I've been doing that for yrs,I just switched to an NA Miata for SSM if that tells you anything.

In reply to FSP_ZX2:

Oh there is a bunch of us on Neons.org in FSP. My Neon will run with any FWD car I have come up against and I don't even have coilovers (have performance drivenXX-high-rate) stock 2.25 inch exhaust (with a medium-tube header) and stock intake manifold (with Iceman cold air kit (which hangs below the bumper). The only FWD car which gives me trouble is the Nissan SE-R

In reply to kevlarcorolla:

I have driven Miatas and they are fast and fun on course, but almost too easy. I had an experienced Miata driver take a spin in my Neon and offer to buy it. It really drive like a go kart. It is neutral under most circumstances and can be induced into oversteer quite easily. Other then the late 80s/early 90s Hondas, it is the best FWD autocross car I have driven and is nicer on course than many RWD cars. The Neon platform was a good autocrosser out of the box. I am just at the stage of my life where building and developing a car is more fun then the arrive and drive deal.

mr2 1st or 3rd gen gets my vote.

But you all knew I was going to say that.

Old, rwd, and unusual ? 912e

Porsche 924 (Audi engine) just got invited to FSP.

82-86 "Iron Duke" Camaro in FSP--Could run crazy wide steamroller tires (17x11" wheels?), and there is a huge aftermarket for the V8 (ESP) cars as for underpinnings. Throw some Mikunis/Webers and a header on the boat anchor and go.

FSP_ZX2 wrote: Porsche 924 (Audi engine) just got invited to FSP.

Yeah, that raised my eyebrow too. That would be fun.

In reply to carbon:

I was thinking 1st Gen.

I am partial to 1st Gen MR2's, Porsche 924/944 or light V8 econo-cars (Darts, Mavericks, Monzas, etc.).

I don't want to see myself coming and going at every event. Face it, if you can't run competitive times in a Miata, you might have driving issues. If you can run competitive times in a Maverick, that tells me something. Actually it tells me two things. 1) You can probably drive. 2) You are a little weird.

FSP_ZX2 wrote: Porsche 924 (Audi engine) just got invited to FSP.

I know. That could be an interesting FSP car.