Picking up a new autocross car tomorrow

Although this one is currently ready to race, it should make for some exceptional editorial fodder as it's set up to race by a much differently shaped person than me. Job 1 will be to get my broad-shouldered, short-legged bits into places they were never designed to go. After that, all we need is a steering wheel and some earplugs.

Tentative plan is to have it ready for Daytona autoX on the 27-28, but maybe Sebring on the 4th and 5th is more realistic. But who ever cared about realism, especially if we get good pictures.

If you can't fit in there, maybe a parrot or two could. Might make a good photo op anyway.

Earplugs? Difficult for a large man to fit? F-mod F500 car? Please?

In reply to MG Bryan:

Dear Lord, please say its' not so. As bad as Florida mosquitos may be there are better ways to damage one's hearing or contort one's self into odd places.

I'd rather see JG in a C-Mod FF, A B-Mod sports racers or a Legends car.

Earplugs make me think rotary or 4-cyl E36. I dread working course when either runs.

I have an 86 Novakar F500, earplugs are a good idea but not mandatory, JG would fit but the pedals might need to be moved, being a towering 5' 7" l am able to reach the pedals........also at a 140lbs I needed to add some padding and the car seems very roomy to me........my thought is he's not in an F500.......of course I could be and very often have been wrong.

 Tom

I won't give it away, but I think this will be rad.

How about this little ride on pavement:

This certainly gets the proportions and layout pretty correct

David said rad... Did you get a raise?

My guess:

nAH... They are picking up a Canadian Spec Rondo. Everyone knows Canadians are made differently then us 'mericans

pinchvalve wrote: My guess:

THAT'S MY CAR!!!!

Ta da:

Maybe one day I can actually get in it.

Oooo. Your trailer tires look taller than your new auto-x ride... you're doing it right.

Cool. FMod in Florida is pretty healthy. My dad is redoing some of his cage so that he (and I) can fit.

Stoked metal works on Parque did the cage mods--and then Competition Composites in Edgewater can do the reglassing on the body.

Nice! Does that have an actual suspension or just hockey pucks?

Per Schroeder wrote: Cool. FMod in Florida is pretty healthy. My dad is redoing some of his cage so that he (and I) can fit. Stoked metal works on Parque did the cage mods--and then Competition Composites in Edgewater can do the reglassing on the body.

Yeah, I'll definitely get over to see Joey. Of course as soon as I get a project that need tube work he has back surgery...

I talked to Mike Quadrini at QRE also. He basically took over the design and parts supply for KBS when they started building cars. He built himself an autocross car a few years ago, and he sys he's shaped about like me, so it's certainly doable.

Big priorities are to turn it into a more sit-up arrangement, both for fittment and wheel leverage. This will require taking the fuel cell out and putting a small tank in one of the side pods. From there we move some pedals, cut some bars and weld in some new ones, and done.

Sounds easy.

Even notice how much stuff sounds easy?

Woody wrote: Nice! Does that have an actual suspension or just hockey pucks?

Both, really. Your entire suspension articulation must be controlled by one small rubber puck per corner. But the suspensions are actually quite complex, with the rubber being flexed through push and pull rods and resulting in quite a bit of travel and compliance.

It sounds like you can do a feature on complex, open wheel race car suspensions.

Related -- been thinking for a while about a mod car......questions I have are:

• where are the better places to look for a mod (thinking FM, BM, CM) car?

• How does one learn to go fast in mod? It's a little hard to have an instructor along for the ride.......

• How does tire price/wear compare to having a set of dedicated R-comps for a street car?

• Is it possible to take a car to a DE type event? Don't think I have the huevos or the checkbook to go w2w, but it might be fun to do something other than kill cones

thanks---and sorry for the potential threadjack. Oh wait -- this is fodder for a magazine feature....yeah, yeah, that's it!!

orphancars wrote: * Is it possible to take a car to a DE type event? Don't think I have the huevos or the checkbook to go w2w, but it might be fun to do something other than kill cones thanks---and sorry for the potential threadjack. Oh wait -- this is fodder for a magazine feature....yeah, yeah, that's it!!

You don't want to be on track in a formula car unless you're alone or with a bunch of other formula cars. Door slammers will go right over you.

JG Pasterjak wrote: Ta da: Maybe one day I can actually get in it.

I could sit in that thing right on the trailer, make loud engine noises, and be very happy.

Hasbro wrote:

JG Pasterjak wrote: Ta da: Maybe one day I can actually get in it.

I could sit in that thing right on the trailer, make loud engine noises, and be very happy.

Worked for me. Until my butt got sore, anyway.