Cal Club Autocross Forums

I've about had it with the Celica. Even though it's set-up to the national formula, it's soft, squishy and pokey. And the class is going away. And no one else runs it here. I'm washing the dust off the hot-rod Mustang but thinking of building a car for a more popular local class. CST looks like a good home. But it's just a regional class, so don't want to dump a bunch of time or money in it. I'm getting a little long in the tooth for this, and don't enjoy working on cars like I used to.

Who gets the prize (SAIS) for the cheapest, simplest but competitive CST approach? I'm wondering about picking up an LA rice rocket off Craigslist and strapping it to the ground with big tires and gut-buster springs. Something like an old CRX with a V-tec swap. Unfortunately I know nothing of those things, but that's what I've got you for.

Other approaches welcome too.


Thanx, Bill

Paging Robert Puertas!

Your existing Celica could be a great starting point. Find the parts to create a GT4, and swap that motor in. Then you only need one car for AX & RX.

Craig Naylor wrote:Your existing Celica could be a great starting point. Find the parts to create a GT4, and swap that motor in. Then you only need one car for AX & RX.

Yeah, I can make the Celica handle, no problem. But a motor swap fails the "easy" part, and probably the "cheap" part too. I'd rather buy something that scoots and then make it corner. Unless someone wants to turbo it for me. Oh and by the way, it's also geared wrong. I'm on the rev limiter on most events, and making it a go-fast will move it squarely between 2nd & 3rd.

Would a fox body with some fat tires and stiff springs fit the formula? I don't know too much about them, but I know they're light (for a mustang), cheap, and can make power with the right engine. The fat tires might drive up the price a bit though. How's the suspension on these things for handling? Anything some new components can fix, or is it too wonky to begin with?

Otherwise, the honda idea sounds good, maybe an FD RX-7 in ST-ish trim but with more power and wider wheels would be a good bet too?

Just put a set of 195 toyos on the Europa.

the mustang would have to be faster than cp with street tires to really compete. Start with a sts/str Miata s2000 or stcivic or crx and put wider tires and add power as needed.

Robert Puertas wrote:Just put a set of 195 toyos on the Europa.

Onto which piece? I have quite a few. None very big.

Bill Martin wrote:

Robert Puertas wrote:Just put a set of 195 toyos on the Europa.

Onto which piece? I have quite a few. None very big.

How about this:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/4145068731.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was thinking more like this:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ct ... 76322.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not ready to buy yet, so it will be gone. But there will be others.

Bill, you could probably build one of these in a month of weekends:

http://exomotive.com/exocet/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bill Martin wrote:I was thinking more like this:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ct ... 76322.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not ready to buy yet, so it will be gone. But there will be others.

As described in the ad, particularly the engine swap, would that be legal in CST or....?

Bill Martin wrote:I'd rather buy something that scoots and then make it corner.

Jezz, seems that car in your avitar would have been a good match.

Jay W

Ed Holley wrote:As described in the ad, particularly the engine swap, would that be legal in CST or....?

Isn't CST run-whatcha-brung with the only restrictions being street legal stuff like wipers & lights, and street tires?

If I actually have to CA smog and register, then I won't do it.

Bill Martin wrote:

Ed Holley wrote:As described in the ad, particularly the engine swap, would that be legal in CST or....?

Isn't CST run-whatcha-brung with the only restrictions being street legal stuff like wipers & lights, and street tires?

If I actually have to CA smog and register, then I won't do it.

Bill - here is the exact rule
CALIFORNIA STREET TOURING (CST): Vehicles eligible for CST must comply with the rules of CSM, with the exception that all of the tires mounted on the car must have a TREADWEAR number of 140 or higher molded by the manufacturer on the sidewall.

CALIFORNIA STREET MODIFIED (CSM):
Vehicles eligible for CSM must be capable of being licensed for street use in California, shall be run on DOT approved tires and must meet all SCCA Solo Safety requirements.

It doesn't say it has to be registered in California, just capable of being registered. I'm not sure how one gets around California Smog but then basically every ST car would potentially have the same problem according to SCCA rules and CAT requirements.

Yeah, we should probably get rid of the California part of that rule. Maybe capable of being registered somewhere...

Thanks guys -- I was aware of the exact wording. But not so much on what it means.

Being capable of being registered implies it will pass smog. But I believe that we don't really require that. I'd hate to buy a car and find out I'm wrong about that.

"Vehicles eligible for CSM must be capable of being licensed for street use in California"

I think the intent of "capable" was a wink wink.... to emissions, as well as to trailer queens that are no longer road registered but... everything else about the car is road legal. In SD the capable wording was a bit closer watched. A few years ago a competitor in their equivalent class was given a bit of a warning for an engine swap... so he went and got it a CARB approval, and re-registered the car as what the motor was, not what the frame was (or something like that).

In reality, whether a trailer queen, or daily driven... a bunch of ST cars definitely don't meet CARB rules, but are registered in CA. I can't see requiring a "run what you brung 'cause it don't fit SCCA classes" to have stricter rule set, than a road worthy SCCA class.

Bill Martin wrote:I was thinking more like this:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ct ... 76322.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not ready to buy yet, so it will be gone. But there will be others.

That's a pretty clean looking CRX rice rocket compared to most out there. Obviously you'd have that motor looked over pretty good to make sure it's not trashed.

Jayson Woodruff wrote: Jezz, seems that car in your avitar would have been a good match.

Jay W

Maybe so Jay, but I broke it doing your sheet. Mitsubishi said don't do that again. I just keep the avatar for fond memories.

.

Somewhere Street Tire!

Craig Naylor wrote: That's a pretty clean looking CRX rice rocket compared to most out there. Obviously you'd have that motor looked over pretty good to make sure it's not trashed.

Yeah, I don't know if I like the idea of power steering delete on a car I expect to run 8-9" wheels and tires on. But I've got my eye on this really nice turbo Flyin' Miata.

Bill Martin wrote:

Craig Naylor wrote: That's a pretty clean looking CRX rice rocket compared to most out there. Obviously you'd have that motor looked over pretty good to make sure it's not trashed.

Yeah, I don't know if I like the idea of power steering delete on a car I expect to run 8-9" wheels and tires on. But I've got my eye on this really nice turbo Flyin' Miata.

For whatever it's worth, I fired off a "still available?" message regarding that Craigslist CRX. Have not received a response.

Craig Naylor wrote:"Vehicles eligible for CSM must be capable of being licensed for street use in California"

When was this added to the rules???!
Few years ago when we had lots of fun in that class the rule was - "you have to be able to drive the car to the closest McDonalds without getting arrested" + R compound tires.
Karl's EVO 7 couldn't be registered in California. It was a car never officially sold in USA. It was trailered, but he had some kind of license plate slapped on it and he could drive it to the McDonalds (since it looked like a street car) thus it was perfectly legal for the class.

Someone please remove that licensed for street use in California thing from the rules ... or at least change it to "licensed for street use somewhere in the world". That's the spirit of CSM.

P.S. Who remembers the sex doll in Bill Hogan's CSM Civic?

http://www.v8miata.net/v8-miatas-sale-4/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;