newb question: s14 for the autocross?

[tabasco]

compared to the other economical imports, is the s14 a good potential candidate for the autocross? i heard it was better on the track.
Modified by tabasco at 10:23 PM 8/26/2007

[crackler]

An S13 was piloted to victory at nationals last year in STS.I believe the car is now in SM trim.

If you are just starting out, an s14 will be fine. You might not have the IT car for what ever class you run in. But you will probably get schooled by the vets for a long time regardless of what car you have or it's level of development.

Just go out, have fun and learn how to drive well. Concentrate on how fast you are driveing (Are you getting faster?) than how you stack up against others. I have a few people I use as a bench mark. They are all either national champions or are evo instructors. I know how far behind them I typically am on any given course, so I know how I am doing, compaired to a competent driver.

And stay on street tires for as long as possible, R-comps will hide mistakes, which will turn into bad habbits. Get one of the local hot shoes to ride along with you and give you pointers, and if you are serious go to any local schools or test and tunes offered. Also Evolution driving schools are worth more than any part you can strap on you car, plus the added benifite of being able to take that knowldege into any car you drive. Right now, seat time is the most important thing to getting fast. decent tires and a good alighnment wont hurt either.

most of all have fun and meet some cool car people.

just my .o2 and crappy spelling

[Type X(J)]

I'd say its a great car to auto-x. Got lots of potential even in stock class. If your suspension is ok, slap some sticky rubbers on and upgrade and dial-in your suspension and get ready to have some fun.

[Bubba1]

I'd say its a great car to auto-x. Got lots of potential even in stock class. If your suspension is ok, slap some sticky rubbers on and upgrade and dial-in your suspension and get ready to have some fun.

Gotta agree with the others, The S14 is a great autocross car. Wonderful stock suspension plus nice balance makes it a forgiving car to toss arouhd a course. There are other good choices too, like a Miata, or MR2. But the nice thing about the 24osx has over the other two is that there's actually storage room to bring your stuff to/from the event in the car....

[crackler]

But the nice thing about the 24osx has over the other two is that there's actually storage room to bring your stuff to/from the event in the car....

Whaaaaa??????

I can get all my gear in my miata with room for me to sit in the drivers seat. I have an air tank, helmet, bag-o-crap, big water jug or small cooler, a few tools, and my magnets fit nicely on the package tray. But I also run STS2, so I don't have to worry about tires. One of the CSP guys hauls his jack an air tank and four tires in his Miata. Of course he can't put the top up and has to lash on of the tires to the roll bar, but hey, might as well make good use of it.

And that is nothing a $250.00 harbor freight trailer and a small plastic truck box can't fix. Seriously though it is a PITA to haul more than a small amount of gear in it. But then again, it is a hoot to drive.

I liked my s13 alot, I just ran into some issues with the suspension that I couldn't seem to get dialed out, and then it started having some drivabilty issues I never could resolve, so I cut bait and switched teams. Plus Mazda has a very good support program through MazdaSpeed.

[Bubba1]

Whaaaaa??????

I can get all my gear in my miata with room for me to sit in the drivers seat. I have an air tank, helmet, bag-o-crap, big water jug or small cooler, a few tools, and my magnets fit nicely on the package tray. But I also run STS2, so I don't have to worry about tires. One of the CSP guys hauls his jack an air tank and four tires in his Miata. Of course he can't put the top up and has to lash on of the tires to the roll bar, but hey, might as well make good use of it.

And that is nothing a $250.00 harbor freight trailer and a small plastic truck box can't fix. Seriously though it is a PITA to haul more than a small amount of gear in it. But then again, it is a hoot to drive.

I liked my s13 alot, I just ran into some issues with the suspension that I couldn't seem to get dialed out, and then it started having some drivabilty issues I never could resolve, so I cut bait and switched teams. Plus Mazda has a very good support program through MazdaSpeed.

To give you some perspective, I used to bring my S13 to the track (road courses, not autocross) and fit the stuff you had, plus a popup canopy and floor jack and didn't have to worry about getting soaked if it rained. 240sx is simply a roomier car by comparison. More practical.

I love Miata's too though I just fit in them, They never fail to put a big smile on my face whenever I drive one at the track. If you're under 6' tall, I'd recommend them too. I think both make great autocross choices.

[nismoautoxr]

GS champ 3 years running in my region with my S-14.I must admit this though....the mini cooper S guys and a couple of neon ACR guys are really hard to deal with .As far as cars go,I would put my car next to any of them.

Ricky-

[onosqv]

It's all about the driver regionally. Pretty much any car will do you great for the first couple years.

If you want to be seriously competitive (which isn't likely to happen unless you're some prodigy racing god in the making), any 240 will put you at a serious disadvantage unless you have some $$$$ to make it fast - keep in mind the 240sx that won nationals last year was done w/ an extremely experienced driver; it had a lot more to do with the driver than the platform.

Also, in So Cal region - San Diego & Los Angeles have a HUGE concentration of national drivers - it's a double edged sword. You can learn so much from these guys/girls, but at the same time, it will be a little discouraging when they are running 10+ seconds faster than you... in a lower class - just do your best with what you have, and you'll be fine.

Once you have done autoxing for a while, you can figure out what platform and mods will suit you best, then you can buy/build/etc a car based off that experience.

All that being said. Focus on driving technique. Any 240 will be crazy fun to drive around out there. My friends and I compete in s13's & s14's.

[highkck]

I run my S14 in SM and am under powered to my competitors and am still winning and am always competitive in it. Highly recommend it. Check out my site to see what is done to it. Ill try to update the site soon. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/636608

[0wn3r]

GS champ 3 years running in my region with my S-14.I must admit this though....the mini cooper S guys and a couple of neon ACR guys are really hard to deal with .As far as cars go,I would put my car next to any of them.

Ricky-

i hear the mini coopers will have a class upgrade

[nismoautoxr]

i hear the mini coopers will have a class upgrade

I saw that in a fast track issue .It read that the BoD was considering member input on all variants of the Mini coooperS being moved from GS to DS.I didnt reply ....out of laziness.The 06 and back cars pose no threat to me but its always a dogfight ,But,hey,whats the use in winning easily.I regularly have seesaw battles with em and win or lose its a good time.The 07 mini belongs in DS but I dont feel they should move the 06 and back "S "cars.I digress.I saw one post that suggested that a 240 was a disadvantage in autox.I agree it is in SP but in stock you will get a fair shake ,in a car that is rear wheel drive,has 4 wheel independant suspension ,has a decent powerplant,and its fairly classed.The downside is that you have to drive the hell out of it on 100 or less treadwear tires to get within 5 seconds of the CS hotshoe's time.I do however agree with another part of that post ...that it often is the driver more than the platform.Thats a plus in car choice.If I didnt have a 240sx and I wanted to hassle with the convertible rules that guys have to hassle with on track days at most tracks,Id have a miata hands down.I enjoy having a hardtop just so I dont have to put up with that convertible crap.If you are looking for a autox car take your pick ....just drive it well.

RDR-

[highkck]

I know the normal Minis and type S aren't changing but the new 08 type S that is turboed will be changing and I know why. I don't know if any of you have had the chance to race one, but they are sickening quick and corner better than the old type S. I had Fastest Time of Day taken from me 2 events ago by a pro level driver in one. I beat the owners of the ride but one of the east coast finest decided to swap cars mid day and managed to beat me by .25 seconds. It was a bad day for me but a great day for the turboed S.

[justjuiceit4]

Would you mind sharing your set-up for your car? What kind/size of tires are you running? Factory or aftermarket sway bar. What kind of clutch/flywheel are you running. Suspension settings? Thanks for the input.