I've spent some time figuring out what can be done to the Contour in STS, since that seems to be the class for this car, so I thought I'd post it for review, in case anyone is interested in staying STS legal while they mod.
Intake:
Any intake is fine, but no TB optimization allowed.
Engine:
pulleys - any
DMD
chip - any
engine mounts - no more metal than stock, by volume
Transaxle:
Any shifter/linkage is fine.
Poly roll resistor
Exhaust:
Cat-back: anything goes
headers - any road-legal headers
y-pipe: optimization is okay, I think.
Cats: don't touch them!
Suspension:
struts/springs - Koni/GC, Leda, D2 or KW coilovers are probably best. Lowering is allowed, but you probably don't want to go lower than having the control arms parallel to the ground.
Camber plates: legal, and adjustable, so set them to whatever for the street, and max them out negative on the track
bushings: you can put poly just anbout anywhere.
swaybars: you can change either bar. BAT with stock/soft suspension, Aussie for coilovers.
Wheels:
16x7.5 or 17x7.5, as light as you can find. ATS Comp Lites are great.
Tires:
225 width, Falken Azenis 215/615, Hankook Z212, or Yoko Advan Neova. 225/45 is probably best in either 16" or 17". 205/55R16 Falken 615s are a great deal for running on SVT wheels.
Brakes:
SS braided hoses
No rotor size changes, but you can run any pads.
Weight stuff:
Battey can be swapped with a lightweight model, or moved to the trunk.
AC can be removed
Both front seats can be swapped for fully-upholstered seats with a 15# per seat minimum: definetly worth it if you have power seats.
Other stuff:
Knauberizing is okay
debagding is okay
bodykits are okay
That's pretty much it. In order of gain/cost balance:
Free weight reduction
Tires/wheels
swaybar
camber plates
struts/springs
y-pipe
roll resistor
intake
chip
exhaust
headers
bushings/engine mounts/expenisve weight reduction
This list is as near as I can figure, the most efficient mod path as far as $$/lap time. Other things may be important to you, and your driving style/courses may change it. Since we all drive our cars on the street, things may not be in the order you would do them, but it's just a guide.
What exactly are road legal headers? Wouldn't that mean that we would have to keep the pre-cats.
As I alluded to over in the "dyno" section, headers take the Contour out of STS because of the precats. STS allows headers, but they don't allow removal or alteration of any emissions equipment (cats).
There is no direct rule on the Y-pipe. Most of us have surmised that it's legal based on interpretation of the rules. Stock class allows the cat-back. STS allows headers for everyone else, which opens the door (by extrapolation) for mods in front of the main cat. The Y-pipe does not remove or disable any emissions equipment. Voila!
Intake is fine, but the MAF is also off limits. No reason to change it, anyway.
Brakes have to be the same size and type as standard, and stock calipers must be retained. Slotted or cross-drilled are legal, but I wouldn't recommend them. No fancy modular rotors or lightweight fixed calipers allowed.
As for priorities, IMMHO, I'd do tires before anything else, even if weight reduction is free. Somebody seasoned on nationals events put ergonomics next, even ahead of suspension. That's harness/strap/whatever-it-takes-to-hold-you-in-the-seat, "race" pedals, good helmet, etc. Everyone has their own ideas, though, and that's good.
Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
Tires:
225 width, Falken Azenis 215/615, Hankook Z212, or Yoko Advan Neova. 225/45 is probably best in either 16" or 17". 205/55R16 Falken 615s are a great deal for running on SVT wheels.
Don't forget a few other tire options.
Falken GRB FK-451(these work well shaved) and you can get a size like 225/35ZR17. Some people claim that the lower tread compound is the RT-615 compound I do not know if it is true or not but I have seen a few people go very fast on these tires.
Kumho MX - Some people say they are not as fast as others but they handle the heat a lot better than the azenis(don't need to water your tires). I think at least one National Tour was won by a guy running these. I like the feel of these better than the Azenis but you need to have wide rims for them (soft sidewall) but I think the Azenis can be faster if properly setup/driven.
The 615s have really overcome the heat problem of the 215s, and the new Kooks are better and cheaper than the MXs. Kuhmo is really out of the running now. Last year they were a serious competitior, but both high-end and low-end tires came and took their market share. Did you read the GRM article on auto-x tires?
Every time one of these posts come up I remember SVTCole driving all night to Spring Zing in his bone stock E0 (save 45 series Kumho's) and waxing every Contour that cared to run including the modded ones.
Seat time and weight distribution are the best bang for the buck mods out there.
I read it.
The 615's still have heat problems(not as bad as the 215 but they still need water when hot). I run a set and can tell you while they do not get greasy as fast as the older 215's they do still get greasy.
As for the Kooks I have not driven on them yet so I can not say much about them.
I read the R Compound test more than the ST test what I got from it was basically all the tires are pretty good these (Falken) are a little better but pick your poison based on your driving style/car setup and personal preference.
Originally posted by bigMoneyRacing:
Seat time and weight distribution are the best bang for the buck mods out there.
So true. Almost goes without saying.
Yeah, I should put an autocross school at the top of that last: a couple hundred buck will shave several seconds off of any new driver's time, and tenths off even seasoned driver's times. And it's fun!
Holy crap! I didnt think I was STS, but a stock TB and reversing the Mystery Mod are all I need.
But... Wonder what they would think about the heim joint controlled Aussie bar or the boxed control arms.
Higher than STS. But it wouldn't really matter as I don't think anyone would ever notice. I wouldn't really worry about what class you're in unless you plan to really be competetive.
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Higher than STS. But it wouldn't really matter as I don't think anyone would ever notice. I wouldn't really worry about what class you're in unless you plan to really be competetive.
Ive honestly never done it. I kept putting it off until the suspension got replaced. Now its got new goodies under it so perhaps I should look at running it through some twisties.
What size Azenis can I get on stock mystique 15s 215/55/15? I drove my friends Sentra with the Avenis what a difference over my no stick tires I have.
Yeah, tires make a huge difference. You are going to have a very hard time finding anything in a 15", though. You can get low-profile tires in 15", but they are very small, and no good for street use. Your best bet if you want to run stock is to get some extra 15" wheels and 205/50R15 Azenis 615s or Hankook Z212s. They are tiny, but that won't hurt you on the track. They also are stock class legal and cheap. If you want to go STS, get 16x7.5 or 16x7 wheels and 225/45R16 Z212s for a great bargain in traction.
The tires wouldn't see much street use probably only driving to the autocross and back. The Azenis in 15in sizes are cheap but are the 205s fat enough to make it worth while. Can that size handle the weight of the contour. That is the size my friend is running on his sentra.
Originally posted by ExDelayed:
But... Wonder what they would think about the heim joint controlled Aussie bar or the boxed control arms.
I think your control arms might be OK, but the heim joints are out since they change the "rubber to metal" ratio in the "bushing."
Are you thinking about stock class or STS?
If STS: run new wheels in 16 or 17". I'd go 16x7.5 if you can find a nice one, and run 225/45 in either 16x7, 16x7.5, or 17x7.5. Hankooks are a great bargain, Azenis are slightly faster for more money. There are other options but those are the two I would look at, either one will make you happy.
If stock: run something like 225/45ZR15 Hoosier AS305 for $188/tire for insane grip, or 225/50ZR15 Kuhmo Victoracers for $129 each for a better bargain. There are a ton of other R-compound tires that will be good too, go to sccaforums.com to find out more: I don't really know my R-comps that well. Maybe moxnix will give you some answers there if you are stock.
R Compounds like lots of camber.
All information is for AutoX.
If you want very good stick and a nice long life go with the Kumho V710's if you can find them in stock in your size. One local guy told me that he had about 100 runs on his 710's on his Mini (known for killing tires) and he still won the local event this weekend for his class and came in 3rd in PAX out of 250+ people at the event.
For longer life go with either the Kumho Victoracer V700 (not the Escta V700) or the Toyo RA-1. I bought a set of well used RA-1's from ebay to put on my protege and I have gotten 40 runs out of them so far (bought with approximately 0.100 of tread depth left (average) according to the ebay description) and that is with a stock alignment not an AutoX alignment.
I would not buy the A(Autocross) Compound Hoosiers for a camber limited car like the contour. They have a bit better turn-in than the V710's but from my reading a little less overall grip than the V710's. I can tell the difference between my old A3S03's and my new V710's on turn-in and and grip I am sure the newer hoosiers have even better turn in but unless you like the turn-in and are looking for that last .001 second of time (still up for debate if they are faster than the V710's) and you are sure these are the ones to do it I would not buy them unless you like to drive on tires made of $100 dollar bills. Some Mini's have been getting less than 20 runs out of a set before they cord them.
I do not know much about the Avon tires or the new Yokohama R Compounds but from what i have been reading they are slower than the V710's and the Hoosier A compound tires and faster wearing than the Victoracer/RA-1.
With the RA-1's I got the 8th fastest overall time and 4th fastest PAXed time at an event with 80 people in the completely stock protege.
I am now running V710's on the miata and RA-1's on the protege.
Summary.
Hoosier = $$$$ fastest turn-in but less overall grip than V710's and wear out lots faster.
Kumho V710's = Fairly long lasting and very grippy but don't have the turn-in of the hoosiers. Keep cool by spraying between runs. Like low pressures and keeping cool people are running between low 20's to low 30's depending on the car and driver preference and outside temps.
RA-1's = Long lasting, More of a track tire but work well when heated up and like high pressures. I run about 44F/42R (235/40/17 on a 17X7 wheel) on the protege and might be bumping that figure up a bit. They seem to be fine just letting them build heat. Great to start on and very forgiving of mistakes.
Victoracers = Long lasting, Has more grip than street tires but less than other R Compounds. Great to start on and very forgiving of mistakes.
Originally posted by RogerB:
I think your control arms might be OK, but the heim joints are out since they change the "rubber to metal" ratio in the "bushing."
What class would that put me into then?
Originally posted by ExDelayed:
Originally posted by RogerB:
I think your control arms might be OK, but the heim joints are out since they change the "rubber to metal" ratio in the "bushing."
What class would that put me into then?
I'm thinking Street Prepared, if you're lucky. Next up would be Street Modified. I was looking into it a few months ago because of Bradness' tubular rear toe control arms, but I've slept, drank beer, and read lots of childrens' books since then.
Originally posted by RogerB:
but I've slept, drank beer, and read lots of childrens' books since then.
For some reason that just cracked me up! I think you and I have a lot more in common than just similar names! 