So the lease is about up on the FiST, and the 2-year test drive has convinced me that this needs to stick around for a while longer. So I am going to either purchase it, or a 2016 (because I want the new grey color). The question is, what to do to the car?
Option 1 is to stay in HS and push it to the limits of the class. The thinking here is that I can stay ahead of other FiSTs that are sure to pop up in HS and I can try to chase for higher PAX (indexed) finishes. The plan would be 16" lightweight wheels with the latest 200-treadwear tires, first. Then as $$$ allows, a bigger rear bar, more aggressive pads, then better struts all around.
Option 2 is to go to SMF. Why skip STX? Well, I would only be scratching the surface of allowable modifications by running 15" tires with sub-100 treadwear tires, an intake and a cat-back. I would be lumped in with some heavy-hitters, namely big brother Focus ST. The money would be going into slightly more power, which I don't really need.
The FiST responds rather well to a ECM tune along with an intake and exhaust, so avoiding it just to stay in a class is silly because I drive it daily and would rather put my $$$ into going fast everywhere. There is a pretty active SMF class where I run, and my best HS run is usually good for 2nd or 3rd place in SMF. I have no plans to compete nationally, so a Stage3 tune would be fun in the class and fun on the road. I could also stick with 17" wheels and upgrade the brakes should I ever want to take it to a track night. The first step would be intake and a tune. Then, as $$$ allowed, better tires, cat-back, brake upgrade, etc.
So what would the tribe do? Sticky tires for the rest of the season that see no road use? Or more power for the rest of the season that would see road use, but the same tires?
In reply to pinchvalve:
It all depends on why you autocross. If you are just out there for fun, then do what you want to the car. If a tune will make it more fun on the street for you, then do that.
Personally, I want to be as competitive as I can locally. So I'd say, stick in HS. Get the standard Fiesta front bar (it's bigger and the rear bar only picks the back tire up farther) and some shocks when dollars allow. 16s or 17s are fine as long as you've got the new hot tire. But that is the 1st step. I've got the 16in Sparcos and last year's Z2*s and will be doing the bar and shocks this summer (I hope)
I'd leave it in HS. Do the wheels, re71s, Konis, filter and cat back exhaust. I'd skip the rear bar personally, I don't think the car needs it. The Fist I drove to 3rd at nationals last year was just Konis and wheels/tires, stock bars.
Crank up the boost and have fun in whatever class that lands you in!
You go to CSP with mods you want to do. Leave the turbo itself stock and you don't need to run SMF.
Should be a lot of fun chasing down Miatas! Probably a decently subscribed class too, I know it is here.
I hate NOT having competition personally.
Option 3: ship it off to Team O'Neil for a few weeks to see what Tim, Wyatt and the gang do to it before sending it back.
Since it sounds like spending the dough to move up in class isn't too much of a barrier and you're already competitive in HS, why not go national? Tune the heck out of it for HS and take the extra dough to do nationals at least once. Fast locally is awesome. Fast at nationals is other worldly. OR, stay in HS and extend you're "locality". Go to other HS events within a weekend trip.
-Rob
How many people are in class locally? Can you move into a class with 'fast' guys? Are you going to compete nationally? How about Time Trials on track?
I run with one local club, and I really dont have the desire to do more than that. I struggle to make a full season as it is already. My goal is to have some closer competiton...the FiST has 80hp on the HS Minis. There are some GREAT drivers in HS, but thats a lot of grunt to overcome.
My thought was to screw class, and go as fast as I can. That would also allow me to have some more fun on the street. The issue is that a boost controller, the most popular hop-up for the FiST, bumps it to SMF. Is far as i can tell, CSP is not for the Fiesta.
pinchvalve wrote: My goal is to have some closer competiton...
So compete for top PAX time?
edit I'd go for full prep and top PAX time if I had the trophy car for a class like your ST there.
