Help Build My Challenge Car - Long Post

I'm not bringing anything spectacular to the challenge this year. Mainly just looking for thoughts and input.

The Car:

1984 Honda CRX 1300 - I paid $1395 for the car. It's a very clean, very stock car. If you're interested in pictures they can be found at facebook.com/teamdixonracing

Parts I have and general thoughts:

I have $615 dollars left in the budget. I might be able to recoup a little bit of money for parts off of the car but don't expect to be able to recoup more that a few hundred. So, call my budget $1000 at most.

To start with the car needs brake pads, fresh fluids, etc. But, from my interpretation of the rules that is not budgeted items.

I plan to run the the car in the challenge but also want to use it as a weekend / occasion SCCA autocross car. Therefore, the car will retain full interior. Also, not looking to do any engine swaps as I do not have time in my schedule to complete it before October.

Wheels and tires - The wheels on the car are 13" steelies with very hard tires. I have a set of 15x6 steel wheels that I bought for $40. A coworker has agreed to sell me a set of 15x7 Enkeis for $100 (however he has not bought wheels to replace them with yet). I have 3 14" steelies that I picked up for free off of CL. I have a set of new 14" M/T drag slicks that I bought for $100. If I ever make it to the guys house my autocross tires (205/50/15 Hoosiers) should be free. Questions for wheels and tires. Is it worth the $100 budget hit to run the drag slicks in a car that doesn't put down huge housepower numbers? Is it worth the extra $60 hit to the budget to have the Enkei wheels for the concours part of the challenge?

Handling - The car has torsion bars in the front. I was thinking I would like to upgrade to coilovers in the rear. I would like to upgrade to better shocks. Thoughts on brands, places to buy? Any other thoughts on suspension parts I should focus on. I'm thinking I will get more bang for my buck focusing on suspension upgrades than horsepower upgrades on this car.

Horsepower Upgrades - I can buy a header for about $160 from Summit racing. Would need to buy it next time I'm through Atlanta and can stop at the store rather than paying the shipping. I've been entertaining the idea of motorcycle carbs. However, I have read mixed reviews on the outcome. Thoughts.

I also have a set of Tenzo R seats that I might put in it. I paid $125 for the set. In order for me to use them I would like to sell the seats that are in the car for at least $125 hopefully more.

Like I said before, really just looking for thoughts and input in general. My number one reason for coming to the challenge is to have fun but I'd also like to be somewhat competitive. Also, I know there are a few people on here that have 1g crx/3g civics. If any of you have parts you need to get rid of that I can use, let me know.

I will now stop rambling.

suspension, wheels (cheapest/widest) and good race tires, that will give you the most 'fun' for your $, IMO...

We learned the hard way last year road race slicks make terrible drag race slicks. Thank God Gutty was there to help us out. I'm cramming some drag slicks in our budget this year. It's making budgeting stuff more difficult and I've had to pass on some good deals, but I think it will help in October.

Motorcycle carbs would help generate "editorial content" (i.e. attention) at the Challenge, and an ITB'd CRX would just be plain cool. It's difficult, yeah, but it'll look nice and be something to be proud of. Worth it, IMO.

As far as suspension, you may want to look into unorthodox damper swaps. I'm not familiar with your chassis, but I know for first-gen RX7s you can run front dampers off an MR2 and rear dampers off a Fox body 'stang. Things like that can really open up the used market.

I dont think the header is a wise use of your budget.

Drag tires also won't make much difference if the motor is going to stay stockish. You could probably do a 5k rpm clutch dump and still bog down with all seasons

2002maniac wrote: Drag tires also won't make much difference if the motor is going to stay stockish. You could probably do a 5k rpm clutch dump and still bog down with all seasons

That's kind of what I was thinking. I'm really thinking focusing on suspension is the best bang for the buck.

2002maniac wrote: I dont think the header is a wise use of your budget.

Any thoughts on other exhaust changes? If I don't open up the exhaust, should I bother opening up the intake?

Get an ebay header for $30, it's a megan racing knockoff and is good as most headers that can be bought for less than $200.

I must have missed the eBay header. I'll go look again.

You could liberate the exhaust a bit by removing the Cat, use a pipe to punch out the ceramic guts and then put it back on. Looks legal and may still pass your smog test.

K&N filter? Send me the dimensions of your current filter and if the one from my Supercoupe fits you can have it.

If it's coiled all around, you could stiffen it by cutting 1/2 turn out of each spring; that suggestion may bring a firestorm but it's always worked for me.

Buff the crap out of it! Concours.

Bring beer.

Have fun.

That's all.

Dan

I suggest buying very small bikinis for very large breasted women.

You challenge car would be full of win for MOST of the challengers ;)

John Brown wrote: I suggest buying very small bikinis for very large breasted, VERY ATTRACTIVE women. You challenge car would be full of win for MOST of the challengers ;)

fixed.

914Driver wrote: You could liberate the exhaust a bit by removing the Cat, use a pipe to punch out the ceramic guts and then put it back on. Looks legal and may still pass your smog test.

No worries in the good ol' boy state of Alabama. We don't have inspections / smog tests.

914Driver wrote: K&N filter? Send me the dimensions of your current filter and if the one from my Supercoupe fits you can have it.

Looks like about 10.25" round. About 1.75" tall.

914Driver wrote: If it's coiled all around, you could stiffen it by cutting 1/2 turn out of each spring; that suggestion may bring a firestorm but it's always worked for me.

It's coils on the rear. However, the torsion bars in the front are adjustable. I've considered everything from cutting the springs to ground-control coilovers. The ground-controls are $189.

914Driver wrote: Bring beer.

go on scca forums and buy the GC Springs (often sold as pairs) then use generic Sleeves.. I did this on my challenge car and was able to get 4 eibach GC springs and sleeves for under $100.

On my $2005 car, we just cranked the front torsion bars as much as we could, and put in a set of 1st gen integra rear springs with 1 or 2 coils cut out. Still sat higher than every other one there, but did well in the autocross with some used V700s on 14" wheels.

If the Enkeis are lighter than the steel wheels, I'd go with them. You're talking about a car with very little torque, so anything to get rotating mass down is good.

We also ran the V700s on the drag strip(aired down to around 25 psi), and had no traction problems with them. Our car ran just a few thousandths over 15 seconds.

Maybe one of the Hong Norr guys could chime in, I thought they had put together a nitrous setup for a carb'd CRX that year, but I could be wrong.

Go to town with ebay exhaust parts, or start trolling honda-tech for used parts.

$160 for a header for a d-series? No thanks. Not on ANY car, let alone a challenger.

Focus on suspension, and a sticky set of street tires. Done.

Maybe one of the Hong Norr guys could chime in, I thought they had put together a nitrous setup for a carb'd CRX that year, but I could be wrong.

OH GOD NO!!! Don't use our "nitrous setup"

Ugh. Pretty sure we were several seconds slower than stock in the drags...though I think that was more a result of our pine carb adaptor plate getting soaked in the rain than anything.

Anyway, jwd: If you're planning on auto-xing it after the event, I'd start there and work your way back. Again, I think your best bet for autox is going to be HS, so I'd put the majority of your budget into shocks & tires on stock-size wheels. The autotragic crap-can above got 10th or 11th in the autox IIRC, with some blown out tokicos and A3S04's on 13 X 8(?) Diamonds.

If you're going to do any "horsepower mods," nitrous is probably going to be your best bet.

I'd probably start scouring redpepper for some shocks, or pull the stock ones, bring 'em to vatozone and look for a rancho truck shock that'll fit.

Lemme know if I can help.

Oh god that looks awful. I was afraid to get too close to that car to see under the hood, thought someone might hit that damn horn again.

Oh god that looks awful.

Thank you!

Johnathan email me, I may take those drag tires off your hands for you.

Spinout007 wrote: Jonathan email me, I may take those drag tires off your hands for you.

Just emailed you. I'm going to hold onto them. Hoping to build a faster car for 2011.