Classics and autocross

In reply to Leo Basile:

Haha! Good comment.

You wanted classics at an autocross?

The IMP in the background is the one on your calendar.

These were at the Tigers East/Alpines East and Mid Maine Sports Car Club Autocross at the Owls Head Transportation Museum over the Columbus day weekend.

Stu

Rats, ok here are the links: http://www.pbase.com/sb_photos/image/129825410

http://www.pbase.com/sb_photos/image/129825415

I used you little "insert image" tool, but my PBase images did't show up. Anybody know the trick?

Stu

Trouble finding decent tires in 13" I understand. My Opel GT has 13" and that's one of the reasons I haven't replaced the old tires yet. True the selection in 14" is limited but I don't have an issue with getting 195/60R14 for my Miata. Azenis, Kumho & the new Hankook R-comps are relatively easy to get currently. I know that might change in the future, then I'll have to replace all 3 sets of rims for the Miata (1 set - Zeix, 1 set - Azenis, 1 set - Hankook R-comps). Granted the R-comps are 205/60-14.

We're just getting the engine back from the machine shop for our TR6 autocrosser. Hopefully it will be ready to go next spring. We typically have at least one vintage car out of 60+ entries, but it does seem to be tapering off lately. I've enjoyed running a Miata lately, but miss driving the Triumph.

13" stick tires hard to find????? I have no problem finding 13's for the Datsun. Spec Racer Fords use a 185/60-13 that makes nice race rubber. I get them for around $50 from John Berget Tire. Also Hoosier, Toyo, Kumho and Goodyear(spec racer tire). Widths from the various makers vary from 185's to 235's and aspect ratios from 45-60.

Tom

In reply to David S. Wallens:

Here is my spitfire from the VTR meet last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwsS7DT2C-w

Marty

In reply to TJ:

Thanks for putting up my pictures, TJ. What did you do differently from pasting the URL into the little box in their "Insert Picture" tool?

Stu

I hate hijack a thread but the tire thing is getting to be a problem. My 64 Elan has panasports and flared fenders but the only tire that fits well is a 175/70-13 and those are very limited for street tires. The only good one is a Sumitomo from tire rack. If I go up to a 185/60-13 I can still get the Sumitomo but the only other tire is a Hoosier R6. Maybe this diserves a seperate thread, but at some point someone will need to step up and start making a better selection of the older 13 inch tires.

I've been autocrossing a '73 GTV ever since we bought it 15 years ago.

It's not as fast as a well prepared Miata, and not nearly as easy to drive. But I'm competetive enough, and really love driving her.

She's only broken a few times autocrossing- the first was when a shifter fork broke- but that was a bad trans to start with, then a shock tower pulled away (poor welding), and then a distributor cap blew apart. No idea how many runs this car has made, but my wife and I share it equally- and she gets run HARD.

And I'd did a credible job autocrossing a Spider at the Challenge... (love digging up fun history).

Eric

stu67tiger wrote: In reply to TJ: Thanks for putting up my pictures, TJ. What did you do differently from pasting the URL into the little box in their "Insert Picture" tool? Stu

You were doing the right steps, but had an incomplete URL. Some hosting services can be tricky about displaying images under a "generic" URL.

Try right-clicking the image and selecting "copy image location", then pasting that into the "insert picture" dialog box next time.

Tahoe wrote: I hate hijack a thread but the tire thing is getting to be a problem. My 64 Elan has panasports and flared fenders but the only tire that fits well is a 175/70-13 and those are very limited for street tires. The only good one is a Sumitomo from tire rack. If I go up to a 185/60-13 I can still get the Sumitomo but the only other tire is a Hoosier R6. Maybe this diserves a seperate thread, but at some point someone will need to step up and start making a better selection of the older 13 inch tires.

If you can find a 14" wheel option, Dunlop is offering the Star Spec in a 185/60-14 which is roughly the same size as a 175/70-13.

This discussion has come up before. It would be nice if one of the specialty tire makers would step up and offer classic-Euro-car tire sizes in some more modern compounds.

The Sumitomo HTR200 is an adequate street tire, but a downright horrible performance tire.

14 inch is an option, but it requires another investment, and not much available unless the triumph owners have a solution, since the bolt pattern is the same as my Elan.

If you can find a 14" wheel option, Dunlop is offering the Star Spec in a 185/60-14 which is roughly the same size as a 175/70-13.

This discussion has come up before. It would be nice if one of the specialty tire makers would step up and offer classic-Euro-car tire sizes in some more modern compounds.

The Sumitomo HTR200 is an adequate street tire, but a downright horrible performance tire.

Tom Heath wrote:

stu67tiger wrote: In reply to TJ: Thanks for putting up my pictures, TJ. What did you do differently from pasting the URL into the little box in their "Insert Picture" tool? Stu

You were doing the right steps, but had an incomplete URL. Some hosting services can be tricky about displaying images under a "generic" URL. Try right-clicking the image and selecting "copy image location", then pasting that into the "insert picture" dialog box next time.

What Tom said.

Father son combo AutoX MGB/MGA at Atlanta Region SCCA Solo, I'm planning on taking the Fiat in the spring, couldn't get it finished before the end of points this fall...

Perhaps most have forgoten how fun autocrossing is regardless of winning. Im sure that our classics, once the majority(LBCs and the like) are now the miniorty and uncompetitive against all the RPMs(Red Plastic Matias, however, Its just big fun to go out and do it...If nothing else just watch the youngsters do a tech insp on a classic and get freaked out by the knock off hubs and the vent tubes hanging out of the bottom of the car!

Who cares about tires! use cheap ones and smoke the hell out of them!

Leo

Thanks, guys. Good clue. Here's a test.

I don't have that "copy image location" option when I right click with my old XP, or on my Vista machine. You guys using MACs or something? But I tried right clicking on the picture and selecting "properties", then copied the full URL from there. Try this.

Stu

Ian F wrote: Interesting... I have not found my 325is to be a fun autocrosser... and considering that was the main reason I bought the car, it's now a big lump in my garage with no purpose. Nor do I really find the car all that much fun to drive on the street.

What have you done to the suspension? I'd probably agree in stock form it's not that inspiring, but when you drop it on H&R race springs, add IE sway bars and Bilsteins and get some sticky rubber on there it's a totally different beast.

In reply to ddavidv:

Since I doubt anyone else really wants to read my rambling rant about my E30... message sent...

Not for the competitive minded. The cars are outclassed in whatever category they run. Since most classics have had some mods, they end up with pure race cars more often than not. The results are not ego flattering.

As others have mentioned, the classics are owned by classics...I bet the average MG owner is over 50, and when you look at Jags and Healeys, I bet that number is well over 60. It took the owners a lifetime of effort to attain ownership of these cars, and they are not looking for a way to break them.

There are a few nut jobs out there...

I've owned my GT6 since 2001. I was 25 when I bought it.

Ian F wrote: Dunlop is offering the Star Spec in a 185/60-14

Oooh, nice. My MGB needs new tires in the spring.

I do autocross it, btw... and yes, wire wheels confuse the hell out of tech.

I got the MG (a 1970) in 1989. I was 15.

Yeah easy NOHOME, I'm only 28 and finally got a Fiat this year, it's a 72...

Here's some of the crew at today's auto-x. There was another 72 911T, too. I was the slowest out of this group, but I was only behind the Alfa by 1 - 2 seconds. Kind of surprised me, but I have street tires.

The 240Z you see here took a lot of trophies in the day. Of course once I went with headers and dual exhaust I instantly became A Prepared & had to invest another ton of money to even have a chance at being competitive! So I did and had a ball.

However, the most fun I've had autocrossing is with my '56 "small-mouth" TR-3 which I call "Jonathon". One of his phoibles is he has a Flywheel with almost no starter teeth left & I don't know where to replace it because it like about everything else on Jonathon is part TR-2 & part TR-3. Besides people really enjoy watching me start him with his crank before each run.

Sadly, I have discovered at age 65, I don't have the patience to spend 8 to 10 hours at the local closed airfield and only drive for about 10 minutes total! So I mostly just go out and tour instead.