auto-x and my poor old car.

[Don87LX]

Hi all. My trusty old lx has 270,000 on it but runs like a top, and has new balljoints, inner and outer tie rods, and tie rod ends, plus recent new driveshafts. Plus an autobox that still works well. I want to run a couple of autocross races once they get going again to see if I enjoy it.

question is this,
What am I going to break doing this? besides a grin.


(side note, the weber forces me to run F-street prepared...I'm gonna get so owned )

[danronian]

I dont think you'll break anything since all of the suspension maintenence is done. If anything the tranny from downshifting so hard and often. Everything else should be fine though. I drive like I am roadracing everyday to school and I havent broken anything at all.

But with that many miles you should replace your front endlinks and bushings for the sway bar, and while your at it should get an lx-i or se-i rear swaybar and upgrade the front one also. It well help alot around the turns if you get poly replacements.

[johndej]

nice, glad to see someone else here isn't only concerned w/ 1/4 mile stats. i've raced 2 auto crosses (both at the augusta county civic center) in H stock and got 6th/14 and like 11th/17

[k-roy]

I always like to see a good pylon course race. Since you have some good parts yoy will probably have nothing to worry about.
I would reccomend sway bar upgeades. Or at least replace the front sway bar endlinks. They are pretty cheap. Mine broke kinda easy.

[A20A1]

Unhook the TV cable by lifting the tv lever and removing the cable end then lock the TV lever that is on the trans in the highest position. usung a tension spring or some wire. This will max out your shifts and allow you to hold gears while cornering... only lock the tv lever when racing... it's not good for the daily drive.

Get an oil cooler for the trans if you can and run with the radiator fan always on.

[Don87LX]

Cool. If I like Auto-xing I'm definatly looking into sway bars and tougher shocks...mine are getting kinda wallowy

and getting rid of that smoke puff at start...and repainting the hood...and....and....and....and...I need another job...and...

[Don87LX]

OH one thing I forgot to mention, I have noticed on occasion, when taking a way hard right hander, my motor would sometimes bog down. Its gotta be fuel delivery. As a band-aid I swapped the tiny little filter for a bigger unit (same as the one in the back) and added a longer length of fuel line (braided stainless...yummy) and the problem seems to have cleared up. I figure having the extra fuel right at the carb gives it a small reserve to draw on, and not run dry. If I'm serious about this I guess I will need a higher flow pump and a regulator.

[A20A1]

Yeah I notticed that too... It would be nice to get an upgraded fuel pump and reg... I just don't have the money for it.

[AccordEpicenter]

id highly reccomend the 5 speed but you can do it without it. A strut bar and weight reduction would help too

[Don87LX]

Mike,
YOu think its lack of pressure or fuel sloshing in the bowl?

I'm thinking fuel pressure. Try using a longer length of hose in front of the carb, and or a bigger underhood filter, to make a small reserve amount of fuel for the carb to drw from.

What made me think of it was low pressure paintball gun work I have done. Lower pressure needs more volume to get the same ball velocity, and the number one thing to do is increase reserver gas in front of the exaust valve by increasing chamber area by addin volume or machining out material, making the reserver chamber bigger. I figured, why wouldnt that work for a carb too?

[Don87LX]

Originally posted by AccordEpicenter
id highly reccomend the 5 speed but you can do it without it. A strut bar and weight reduction would help too

I highly like the five speed, got one you wanna give me?

[A20A1]

Yes I do have a large filter in the front near the carb and an extra length of fuel line... But it only helps so much.

[AZmike]

Upgrading dampers made the biggest difference in my times. You'll get much quickly respsonse in slaloms. I'd probably do the sway bars first since they're so cheap. Moving the battery to the trunk helped reduce understeer and was nearly free.

[Don87LX]

Mike, True.

AZmike, yeah. I was also considering moving the battery to the trunk or to where my old charcoal canister and vac box was just to get it away from the TV cable on the tranny, so when I go race, its not such a pain to pull the battery and tray to access the bracket.

[A20A1]

You mean like this.

Relocated battery

[Don87LX]

yup.