Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track First autox of the season tomorrow...wish me luck.

We're doing a fun run day tomorrow. Not for points, so it should be interesting to see everyone letting it all hang out. My mods for the new year are a new set of KDWs and $25 worth of magnetic numbers! Those alone are worth .2s. Anyway, will be fooling with pressures again and will post the results.

Chris

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Chris
2000 SVT

Well, had a pretty good first day. Made five runs, no spins or DNFs and only two cones down. Each run was faster than the previous run (excluding cones) and ended up second to a modded Sube 2.5 RS that was driven by a guy that said he ran Pro Solo. Only lost by .18...maybe I got a career ahead of me?

Anyway, went back to my baseline pressures from last year. I know a couple guys have questioned it, but I'm gonna maintain that 52psi in the fronts is a great starting spot for a completely stock car running the KDWs. Everytime I've lowered the pressure a few psi the tire rolls and I loose quite a bit of grip. I also settled on 52psi in the rear. This was too much pressure on the same surface last year when it was quite a bit warmer. But today it allowed me to control the rear with the brakes very well. Anything less and the car didn't pivot as well. Didn't try more.

All in all, the day was a success. Continue to turn a lot of heads toward the SVT. The announcer kept coaxing me to "show the power" on the starting line. I finally, reluctantly, gave in on my third start. Big burnout in first and second until it caught in second and then big time bog. Save the sermons, I know it's hard on the diff but sometimes you gotta say "what the hell"!. Should of just pulled the e-brake and roasted 'em on the line for a while!

Anyway, I'd love to see someone really develope this car for STS. I think we got a winner on our hands.

Chris

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Chris
2000 SVT

Congrats on your runs! I, too, ran today, in Detroit. It was my very first AutoX event. I got a DNF on the first run (missed a gate because I did not get there early enough to walk the course). The next three runs got better by 4 seconds. I still got beat by nearly 2 seconds by another SVT (and I tip mah hat to onestep). All in all, I had a good time, and started to get a feel for the car. I have to get new tires soon, I think that cost me at least a second or so. I might fiddle with air pressure next time as well (I let it at 32 all around...big mistake :P) Good luck, all. Enjoy the SVTs out there, they are a blast and a half.

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The Mark
'98 SVT #464 of 6535
KKM, TH Fix
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Why is the alphabet in that order?
Is it because of that song?

Chris and Mark, congrats. I ran yesterday and beat all the street cars except a STS Nissan Sentra SE-R with suspension mods and Kuhmo street tires. He beat me by half a second and was a good driver. His Dad drove the same car and was 4 seconds slower. I had new KDW on front,w/ my older Comp TA VR4 on rear. Hoped for oversteer, got my wish. Left tire pressures at 47 front/45 rear. My times were:
1st run: 52.138 good balance,I always go fast on first run, often my best run,low gas
2nd run: 52.093 ditto,low gas
3rd run: 52.820 filled tank, got a lousy start and then totally sideways midway through,oversteer with full tank
4th run: 51.997 again oversteer under drop throttle, but controllable. Not sure yet whether empty tank or full tank is best for this tire combo. Need to play with air next time.



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Kickimus Maximas Buttimus
98 EO SVT Toreador Red
01 F-150 W/ 2 horse/habit

Glad to see we got so many guys competing. I fogot to mention that I started the day with a full tank. The added weight in the rear is a terrible way to try to "balance" the car, but I've found that it helps the car pivot in transitions and under braking. I basically found the car to push real bad with empty tanks and low front tire pressures. After yesterday I think I'll leave the fronts at 52 and tune with the rear pressure. Again, that's on a totally stock car....your mileage may vary.

Forgot to mention also, I ran into a fellow CEG member in Ft Knox at the event yesterday. I forget what he said his screen name was, but I know I told him mine was "C. Ludwig". It obvioulsy isn't! Anyway, say hey if you see this.

Chris


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Chris
2000 SVT

Hey
Where did you run in MI? I'd like to come watch if it's close to me! Can you email it to me?
Thanks a lot!


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Andy
littlefishie@mail.com
97 GL T-Red SE Mich.
Pioneer 3100 HU/Pioneer 6x8s 3 Ways (All doors), LeBra, K&N
Car Pictures!
http://pmipog.hypermart.net

Chris, last month BigMoneyRacing (Matt) ran 45 front/45 rear on his stock 99 SVT with KDWs. He got perhaps a tad too much rollover on the concrete surface which is why I raised mine to 47 front when I bought new KDWs. That seemed to be all the higher that was necessary and remember this is on concrete which is much stickier, and results in more tire roll than on asphalt.

I agree that full fuel is best when you have identical tires front and rear. I still have my old Comp TA VR4s on the back which are not as sticky. That already gave me some oversteer and adding fuel made it still worse. I am also discovering that drop throttle oversteer seems the worst at higher rpms. So if any of you are near redline in 2nd in a transition maneuver, and you drop throttle...watch out. I have not spun yet, but I've come close several times. This car has more sudden oversteer of any of the 7 cars I have autocrossed over the years. It could just be the lousy rear tires.

Oh BTW, why was a modded Sube 2.5 in your class. Did you run STS?

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Kickimus Maximas Buttimus
98 EO SVT Toreador Red
01 F-150 W/ 2 horse/habit

To be honest, I have never chalked the tires. I have done it all by feel. I ran a run at 48psi Sunday and could tell a difference. To each his own I guess. Read an article in a magazine a while back which outlined how, from an engineers point of view, there is only one optimum setting regardless of driver and style. I saw their point, but here we are.

BTW Cole, what's the 2 horse habit in your sig?

I hear ya on the drop throttle over steer. That is what I was looking for from the beginning however. The first runs on the car were with 35/35psi and an empty tank. I was disappointed to say the least. Now it pivots much better and trail braking is very effective.

Yeah, the Sube ran STS. Should it not have? All the mods were STS legal (springs and shocks basically). He says he is running Pro Solo with it.

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Chris
2000 SVT

[This message has been edited by rrxp689 (edited April 10, 2001).]

Chris, I was feeling like a snoop and looked on the KYSCCA website for your results from Sunday. DUDE, you are GOOD. The guy who just barely beat you is a former national champ, Jack Burns. He finished 4th last year at Nationals if I am not mistaken in an E Stock Celica GT. Next time you race, ask him if he is the same guy.

I was kind of puzzled because it looked like he was driving someone else Sube due the numbers on the car. Plus he had 3 DNFs out of 5 runs which did not sound right.

I also noted that you would have won G Stock if you ran there. Here are the times of the winners in the stock classes so others can see just how fast you WERE!

SS: 51.178
AS: 50.940
BS: 51.431
CS: 54.591
DS: 52.363
FS: 57.398
GS: 56.830
Chris in STS: 54.156

What if any mods do you have? I may have to try this 52 lb thing!

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Kickimus Maximas Buttimus
98 EO SVT Toreador Red
01 F-150 W/ 2 horse/habit

To quote Cole Trickle, "they just gave me the car and I'd drive." As far as the Sube pilot goes, that might be him. He did say that he had ran a Celica in the past. You just made my day man. Thanks.

The DNFs that Jack had were questionable. I joked with him that he was receiving a home job. He said he took the same lines all day and some counted and some didn't. There was another Sube 2.5 there and I believe they were kind of partnered up. The other one ran in STS Ladies.

The G stock results kind of puzzle me. I know I saw are regions 2000 G stock champ there last week with his Type R (I don't want any part of that car!). He must of added some mods and switched classes or something. Might have to run two classes next time.

The car is box stock. I bought it with 2000 miles on the odo and the previous owner had cut some holes in the air box. It has pedal covers too!

I sympathize with you on the horse deal. My wife is in to them too. At $75/month per head you ain't doin' too bad. Between my wife and in-laws there are around 25 head. But, like you said, it's her thing and good leverage for me when I want to spend some $$$. Keep it real.

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Chris
2000 SVT

[This message has been edited by rrxp689 (edited April 11, 2001).]