Dual-Purpose DD and STF Car?

Hi gang.

I have been reading Mr. Hollis's blog/FB page about his Mazda2 in STF. I have to admit, that looks pretty fun. I have a 2011 Fiesta SE hatch and have now begun to wonder if it would be a good idea to start modding it to run in STF as well. I am not so concerned about being uber competitive on a national level or anything, but I would like to have a car that can good at DD duties and be decent at autox and some track days. I have been trying to buy another, dedicated, play car, but I don't think that is going to work. I just don't have the space and the wife is a bit iffy on owning a third car just for fun.

Anyway, do any of you have dual-purpose cars setup for ST? How do they do as daily drivers? Any pitfalls I need to watch out for?

Oh, and one more thing. What do you all think about a Fiesta in STF? Thanks!!

GS

You are good to go. Since it isn't a Kio Rio, Andy Hollis will allow you to run in STF.

Ouch.

Yep you can run it.

Just don't get mad when the first guy that figures out a 1st gen Corolla XRS is a huge overdog in that class shows up.

LOL!

Yeah, the SCCA has become... odd lately.

Here's the real beef. If you want any shot in hell at being even remotely competitive, you have to do a "full build", which would make the car a horrible DD. Buy parts as follows:

• 2-3 sets of ultra-lightweight forged wheels with shaved sets of 140TW tires for varying track conditions
• Multi-adjustable shocks with a coil-over conversion and springs so stiff your teeth will rattle
• Lightweight rotors with full-on AX compound pads, SS lines, and SuperBlue fluid. Don't forget to shave the rotors to the minimum spec thickness for weight savings
• Swaybars the size of your forearm, front and rear, with billet adjustable endlinks to adjust the car's "rotation"
• A custom titanium 4-2-1 header with full high-flow catalytic convertors and a complete free-flowing exhaust. Bonus points if it dumps 1/2" behind the driver's door
• Have some guy from a forum shove a piggy-back ECU setup into your car's harness in the most difficult way possible to appease the bizarrely-written rule
• Fashion a cold-air intake with ducting to the front end where no additional grills are allowed. Bonus points for laying it up in CF after making a fiberglass one
• Buy a set of circle-track aluminum racing seats with crappy vinyl covers and drill speed holes in the rails so the whole thing only weighs 25Lbs but then use a stock seatbelt with a $100 "belt lock" that looks just like a car seat lock
• Buy leftover ALMS GT splitters and spoilers and install them on your "street car", make sure to optimize the aero with private testing at an airfield
• Change all the fluids out for 0W5 synthetic, run everything a quart low
• Buy a diesel truck and a trailer to tow your race car to local autocrosses so you can dominate the little guys. Be sure to talk endlessly about Nationals to everybody

Did I get it all?

Sheesh. Someone call the Whaaaambulance.

You can get 98% of the build on the Fiesta with the following parts:

Buy the trunk kit struts and exhaust from Ford Racing

Buy a set of 15x7.5 Rota Slipstreams

Buy a set of Toyo R1Rs

rear anti-roll bar from Steeda

cold air intake from Steeda

That's close to what we're doing and I'd be surprised if I couldn't get a car like that to trophy at Nats.

Per

Looking at the rules and currently allowed cars, I'd pick a MINI. Probably a basic R50 (02-06). The extensive aftermarket would allow building a regionally competitive car that could still work as a DD.

Depending on how things go over the next few months, that may be my plan (although it would be a back-up DD in my case). Of course, I'm biased because I can nearly work on a MINI in my sleep.

Or a MINI would be cool too, although I'd go for a 2007+ because I like the engine better.

I'd have to research more. I know the R50 Tritec can get some decent power gains with a simple CAI, exhaust and tune. Not sure about the R56 motor.

Per Schroeder wrote: Sheesh. Someone call the Whaaaambulance.

That's the SCCA's new slogan!

I can't help but laugh at what "Solo II" has become. We had a guy at the locals on Sunday with $5,700 shocks.

Sheesh, Javelin. You make is sound like some people would do ANYTHING to win

Thanks Per! That is a big help. I am also debating the B-spec coilover setup from Ford as well. I think that may be overkill (i.e. kill me) on the street.

I already have the Fiesta, so I am gonna have to stick with it. I like it a lot, but I DO miss the power of my 2010 Cooper S.

Oh, and what is a good source for the Rotas?

Per, are these the struts you are talking about? http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=12195

Per Schroeder wrote: Buy the trunk kit struts and exhaust from Ford Racing

Are you talking the Spec-B coilovers or the Bilstein ones? I was wondering if the spec-b stuff will be legal what with moving the spring location and all.

I think both sides of the argument are right though. People are going to pretty wacky lengths in the ST classes, but I'm also not completely sure it's necessary, nor is it a new thing. It's just easier to read about what people are doing than it was ten years ago.

In reply to mazdeuce:

Ooh--I was thinking the Spec-B coilovers---at least for the front. Hmmm. I'll have to investigate those rears.

Per

Rotas are available from Cosmic Marketing (rotawheel.com)

Per

mazdeuce wrote: I think both sides of the argument are right though. People are going to pretty wacky lengths in the ST classes, but I'm also not completely sure it's necessary, nor is it a new thing. It's just easier to read about what people are doing than it was ten years ago.

Exactly. From what I've seen in my very limited experience, it's still going to come down to who is seeing the course better on that day.

To expand on my earlier post, if I were building a fun DD/auto-x MINI, I would do it pretty simple and cheap: Koni FSD's. Ireland fixed camber plates. PowerFlex LCA bushings. Some fat rear bar. 949 wheels with R-S3's and Star Specs F & R (w/ a more pedestrian wheel set for DD). Stock Sport pkg springs. Aformentioned power upgrades. Maybe swap the seats out for something more supportive.

This is based on my experience with our Stock convertible that I ran on Star Specs and was surprisingly competent (despite me driving) and our modified MCS and would make for a fun, locally competitive car for reasonable money while still remaining a decent street car. I'm not 100% convinced spending a lot more money would shave off a significant amount of time on course.

There's a few threads over at the fiesta faction about it- check over there for more options- always need more to be confusing...

What would prevent you from using this car as a daily driver is comfort, right? Between the tires/suspension changes and a legal seat change (Andy has lost something like 40lb with a seat change). The rest isn't too bad- you probably can install a 5/6 pt harness without too much tear up (which I would find as an advantage, but a chest strap would be legal)- and still keep the original belts for daily use.

Also- the b-spec package does include an ABS module change- not sure if that eliminates the ABS, but I know my friend had a tough time turning the traction control off on his dead stock fiesta.

Anyway, I'm no fan of SCCA either, but for what you want to do, it's a great idea- the end is if you can deal with driving a slightly modified car all the time. I bet you will....

(editorial- and I stil think it would be a good idea to have a SPECIFIC B-Spec autocross class... with all the allowed changes. the ENTIRE B-Spec kit from Pegasis costs just under $2900. Add cage, and go racing)

+1 to alfa's B-Spec AX suggestion! Watching the B-Spec field pull off of the road course and start autocrossing with 0 changes would be sweeeeeet!