Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track STS Contour Project

STS allows some real power modifications. Basic bolt-ons like an intake (can't touch the TB or manifolds/heads), exhaust, and a chip will make a significant difference. Pulleys and wires/plugs are free too.

Unfortunetally, catalytic converters must remain stock! This means that if you want to do headers you'd have to leave stock cats in the stock locations, and the same with the y-pipe. While you could do a completely custom exhaust built around those cats, it would not be cheap, easy, or that beneficial. Most of the power that's available can come from a cat-back, optimized Y-pipe, intake and chip. With a well-tuned chip, Magnecor wires, and underdriven/lightened pulleys, a non-SVT should get over 160 hp at the wheels. An SVT would be a good bit higher, but I'm not going to guess.

This is one of the areas where going to STX makes sense. The Contour would benifit a LOT from an LSD, significantly from 245 width tires, slightly from more power, and maybe a little from bigger brakes. The power comes via the allowance to use MSDS headers and replace all three cats with one high-flow cat. That should be worth about 10hp!

You'll notice that I don't have many solid numbers like I do for suspension work and weight reduction. Well, I'm going one step at a time. I have the intake nailed, and I'm going to try to optimize the Y-pipe two weeks from now. I'll probably be going to a very light, very short exhaust as well- maybe a side exit. I'm hoping to fabricate the second exhaust system from the cat back when I do the Y-pipe, and then dyno test it against stock within a week. I found a place locally that does 5 pulls for $65, which is pretty reasonable. Hopefully even with stock cats I can get some power across the rev band with removal of much of the exhaust. But, until I have dyno numbers it's anyones guess!

Right now I'm hoping for mid-high 150s. Since I JUST cleaned the UIM/LIM and everything is running like new, and I'll be dynoing before the weather gets too warm, 160 hp is my hope. However, the dyno I'm using reads lower than a DynoJet (It's a Land and Sea), so anything over 150hp will be a sign that the car is doing well. The real trick is what the exhaust does for me - or doesn't do.

Although the contour would benefit from the modifications allowed in STX, if trying to be competetive than I think it's a bad move. Not that a contour can be a national winner in STS, but in STX you're up against wrx's,etc., making it even harder. If you're going to stay class legal, wouldn't it make sense to stay legal for the class you'd be most competetive in?

I used to completely agree that STS is the place for a Contour to be. But the STX pax is only .006 higher than STS. That's less than two-tenths on a 60 second course. Don't you think you could get two-tenths from fatter tires, ten more hp, and an LSD? Maybe you can't, but it seems very nearly like a sure thing. Now, the WRX has significant power and traction advantages, but it shouldn't be any lighter, and it has a lot of drivetrain loss. The suspension is good, but not a whole different setup like the Civics.

Toppling either the Civics or WRXs isn't possible, but locally you have just as good a shot at beating a WRX as a Civic (if prepped for STX/STS) , IMHO.

The WRX is not even the best STX car IMO. They are great in the wet but in the dry I think the BMW's are much better. While the contour gains from the extra allowances in STX I think most other cars gain about the same from them and you would be in the same place as you started from in relation to the other cars you were against in STS if they did the same mods and still a little behind some of the true STX cars.

Yeah, I read the GRM article. Good points, guys. I'm mostly concerned about PAX, since most of my events are either weak in STS, and I mop up, or strong, and I'm fighting for fastest non-Civic. STX is tiny at all events I've done except Philly, and it's mostly Preludes. I do find it surprising that I haven't found any WRXs up here in the snow belt.

So I don't know that much about STX, and hadn't considered running it until today when I saw how close the PAX was. In STS we're one of the most powerful cars that has a decent chassis, but just way too fat to run on 225s. My theoretical 2600lb or less car on would, I think, be a very good match for all the other non-Civics. The ACR and 2.5RS don't have anything major on us that I can see. But, in STX, we get just about as much tire as we can fit, all the power there is to have, and a way to put it down. I'd bet there's nearly a second to be gained in STX trim. I think that while the STS Civics might PAX as well, they won't PAX better in STX. They can't use the tire, the cats won't help very much, and wheelspin isn't nearly as big of an issue for them.

So, IMO, STX is almost certainly the way to PAX highest in the Contour. Cost, class size, local fields, and other factors may make STS appealing, however, and that's why I'm there.

Take a look at the details on the protested STS car after nationals. Being able to run a long tube header is very helpful to a civic. According to Andy Hollis they can gain 5-8 over a header that has the cats in the stock location (this is without going to a high flow cat just moving the standard cat further back.

The civic may not gain much from the wheel/tire allowances.

The LSD it will gain a bit but I agree that wheelspin is not that much of an issue there.

Since the PAX changes every year I don't think I would build a car to try to win PAX. PAX was closer on STS/STX last year but I think it will be moving away from STS more next year.