Are you running in the UCAR class? Have always wanted to do this but I hear the local 4-banger class at our track is fiercely and dangerously competitive.
Are you running in the UCAR class? Have always wanted to do this but I hear the local 4-banger class at our track is fiercely and dangerously competitive.
Scooter wrote: Are you running in the UCAR class? Have always wanted to do this but I hear the local 4-banger class at our track is fiercely and dangerously competitive.
The class I'm running in is called Strictly Stock. Strictly Stock Rules There seems to be a lot of variance between classes regionally and even locally. My 2 closest tracks both have Strictly Stock classes but one only allows 4 door automatic vehicles to enter.
Well, it looks like several years of cool project/driving/racing photos are not to be seen again :( Oh well, no sense in living in the past. More cool E36 M3 to come.
EDIT: IT TOOK MANY HOURS BUT THE THREAD'S PHOTOS ARE ALL RE-HOSTED!!
What a pain in the dick that was! I enjoy looking back at the whole thread every now and then to re-live some of the fun stuff. I'm glad that job is finished!
I brought the neon back out last Saturday to try and defend my "W", but it didn't go as well as the first time. On the 8 lap heat race, I moved up a few spots before the checkered flag. I had a 5th place starting spot out of 16 cars for the feature. On the start of lap 2, I lost forward gear. I thought it had just popped out of gear so I shifted between 1st and 2nd a few times, but no forward propulsion. The tach was revving, but no movement. I thought the trans was gone and coasted back into the pits. Luckily, its just a sheared hub, but I had a big crew of supporters there and was very disappointed not to put on a good show for them. Oh well, its racing, doesn't always go as planned. We had a good time anyway.
The internet tells me that a 2000 (2nd gen) neon bearing/hub/axle are the beefier way to go and mate right up with my '96 gear.
My brother and nephew!
The Ranger has the new lump under the hood and is slowly getting back assembled. The lastest hold up is the fuel pump seems to have died. 2 rallycross events in the next 3 weeks. Goal is to be driving this thing at both!
I got to autocross the Chevy for the first time on Saturday and it was fun!! Its bulky and heavy and will never be a "good" autocrosser, but it was blast to try and keep the mass under control. I imagine something kind of like riding a bull. I have not touched the suspension since buying the truck. It has a Belltech 5/7 drop of unknown age and what looks to be stock sway bars. The tires are 275 Riken Raptors (cheapest I could find in the appropriate size), but it actually handles pretty decently. I was expecting to be an understeering pig on entry and slide wild on exit. But it really did a lot better than I expected. I don't plan to make any significant changes before the Challenge.
I took the Miata down to Palm Beach International Raceway last Tuesday to knock another local racetrack off of the list. Its not the most exciting track ever, but it is definitely fun. The 2 large "U-turns" offer several different lines to play with. And the SCCA "track night in America" is a great group to get on track with. I got about an hour of seat time in a 4 hour window between pulling into the facility and pulling out. The cars are generally street cars compared to the GT3s and ridiculous racecars that i'm often forced to share the track with in the Porsche Club instructors group. Its more fun to not have to watch the mirrors so closely. I spent a session dicing it up with a Spec Miata and that was a blast!
The '96 Neon is getting an axle/hub/and bearing from a 2nd gen 2000 Neon. the components fit and are beefier than the 1st gen units. So hopefully they'll last a while before retiring me early from a race again.
How'd I miss this?? that Chevy just looks sooo right giving it the business. pretty sure i'm going to lose to you/it in gainesville, but I'm looking forward to seeing it, and all the rest of the "pickups" dicing it up 
Lof8 wrote: I got to autocross the Chevy for the first time on Saturday and it was fun!! Its bulky and heavy and will never be a "good" autocrosser, but it was blast to try and keep the mass under control. I imagine something kind of like riding a bull. I have not touched the suspension since buying the truck. It has a Belltech 5/7 drop of unknown age and what looks to be stock sway bars. The tires are 275 Riken Raptors (cheapest I could find in the appropriate size), but it actually handles pretty decently. I was expecting to be an understeering pig on entry and slide wild on exit. But it really did a lot better than I expected. I don't plan to make any significant changes before the Challenge.
The "Strictly Stock" class guys didn't like that my car had "too many roll cage mounting points" It seems anything more than 4 is frowned upon (very weird in my opinion). So last week, I gave the "Mini Stock" class a try. The rule set is very much the same, but they allow a more complete roll cage and a cold air intake. I think the major difference is the level of competitiveness and driver skill. The car held together and I finished 7th out of 17. Since this class allows CAI, I had to add one!
Time for a few miscellaneous updates! The chump miata has its rebuilt engine back in the bay. Its going to use megasquirt and run on e85! We're tired of being the slowest car on the straights and we're willing to take penalty laps (if necessary) to remedy it!
I found some old photos of the '76 Dodge powered RV that my mom handed down to me a couple of years after high school. My friends and I had a lot of good times with this thing! Camping trips to Ginnie Springs near Gainesville, 12 hours of Sebring, tailgate parties, and trips to South Beach Miami were all adventures in this thing!
I picked up another used Craftsman box to help organize my single car garage/workshop a little better.
The neon got tagged pretty good in the last outing. A driver tapped my left rear to initiate a slide and once we were in a "T-bone" position, he just kept his foot in the throttle pushing me sideways. Dick head! Luckily the damage was concentrated in a bent strut and a bent bolt. Shes back in good shape again now.
Challenge truck was used to move the neon around the yard :)
Saving the best for last, the V8 Ranger is alive!!! a few small details to work out, but it moves under its own power and moves well!! 9/9 is a rallycross test and tune at the FIRM!
Finally, I am rallycrossing the V8 Ranger, and man is it fun!!! The torque of the 5.0 is just magic. I can leave thing in 2nd gear for the entire course and have power on-demand at any rpm. I can steer with just a blip of the throttle. On the longer straights, this thing hooks up and screams!! It produces beautiful music and is at least twice as much fun as it used to be! My co-driver (wife), who rides shotgun on all of my runs, told me she was legitimately scared several times. Haha!!
So with the maiden voyage a great success, I have moved on to the next round of upgrades - a wider track width. The rear bed/fenders are easy to flare. You just cut some internal supports, give the fender a good pull and then reattach the internal supports using some sheetmetal and screws (or welding if you have that ability). Rear wheels are now spaced 2", but I have the correct offset wheels on order.
Before:
After:
I've had these fiberglass front "prerunner" front fenders laying around for almost a year waiting to be installed.
I plan to remove the 2" spring spacers I'm currently running to bring the front end down a bit and get the truck pretty level. The next step is installation of the custom lengthened I-beams that I got from a desert prerunner fabrication guy out in California. They are 4" longer than stock, but I plan to run a wheel with 1" more backspacing, for a total 3" change of track width (on each side) in the front. The overall result should be a truck that is a little lower and a lot wider for greater stability and it'll look mean! Also, it needs a coat of Mustang grabber blue and some Ford Rallye livery!
So if it's American made you paint it blue, got it.
Thanks for all the posts. Nice job(s).
I love that Chevy truck!
so many cool projects!
Lof8, I'm starting backwards with this ....... 'Basura Blanco' ........muy bien vato , me gusto mucho...BWaHahahaaaa!!!!!
spin_out said:So if it's American made you paint it blue, got it.
Thanks for all the posts. Nice job(s).
Admittedly, I love this blue! But not much variety in the fleet :)
Damn so many fun toys and fun to be had hahaha
I'll be starting the project to install the extended I-beams on the Ranger next week!
A miata I may be affiliated with is back together with megasquirt and e85 tune. 167! 
The "Basura Blanco" livery seems to be a hit. So I decided to slap a sticker on the miata. I'll be hitting a track day at Roebling Road the week after the Challenge :)
I didn't make it out to the circle track race last weekend and E36 M3 hit the fan in tech afterward! The top 4 cars got dq'd for violations. It does seem to be a certain 5-6 cars that are always at the top, so hopefully this brings the competition back in check. The season points leader received their 2nd DQ of the season and was stripped of all season points! I missed all of the shenanigans! I'm told the guilty Neons were using bent rear control arms to play with rear toe settings and enhance turning capabilities.
That blue came out great on the Ranger, good spray job there.
ssswitch said:That blue came out great on the Ranger, good spray job there.
It was done at the local EconoPaint and I'm really pretty happy with it for the ($400) price. I did a little bit of prep by removing some lights and mirrors, they sanded and painted. Its certainly not perfect but it looks great for the price. It'll be getting beat up at future rally events anyway and the few imperfections will be joined by many more.
The Challenge was a blast as always! Its great to see old friends and meet some new ones. My favorite vehicle this year was the Subaru bodied legends car with hyabusa engine and Mystery Machine theme. I hope they bring it back next year a bit more sorted. The truck performed fair in the autocross but I was a bit disappointed in the drags with a high 17 sec run. The highlight for me was taking home the General Tire Challenge trophy!
Lof8 said:The highlight for me was taking home the General Tire Challenge trophy!
By a FULL second! Well done Sir!
Excellent driving. Enjoy the set of tires you won.
Lof8 said:The diff is out of the trunk and into its new home. It's always fun hangin with my Dad and wrenching for the day!
Did a nice turf out/donut in the lot next door before heading back home, you know...to test it out.
I haven't got through all 10 pages yet, but that looks like a sweet 914. Is it yours too?
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