Auto X frustration
 

Really want to know, is the TII a good auto X car? Both in its class and modified to the hills?

I generally find myslef angry that 1st is banging off the rev limiter and 2nd acclerates like my 300 straight six F150. Just no good gearing. Last weekend I found a second in the slolom and a second just staying in 1st but im convinced if I had a 1st and a half gear I could have found 2 more seconds...

Did a few ride alongs and the faster cars either had taller first or enough torque to stay in second the whole time. And of course "some of them" may have been better drivers than me ;)


On longer stuff its damm fun, but parking lot racing has got me down.

Thoughts Comments?

Sounds like you need a turbocharger.

Stock S5 currently, I had the same thoght, but really for this kind of stuff, going bigger means more lag in first and less power at the bottom of second no?

stock turbo spools pretty quick.... just let it breathe... (and supporting mods)

what rear end gearing are you currently running?

Stock S4 TII

Wheels/tires?

I seriously hope you were being hyporbolic here. Those are VERY slow vehicles. If your T2 is even half that slow in 2nd you've got something wrong. I bet you've got a boost leak or an exhaust leak somewhere. A healthy T2 has plenty of usable torque in 2nd, but it kind of depends what rpms you are running. The stock turbo is running out of breath at 6000rpm.

A big turbo upgrade and engine porting will give you great top end if you keep the engine tach'd up, but then traction becomes a big issue.

I know what you are saying about gearing though. Most 6 speeds on newer cars feel like they have an "extra" gear between the 1st and 2nd gear on a typical 5 speed car. 1st is still first, and 3rd gear on say an STi feels like 2nd on an Rx-7.

My car is like a sweing maching, no boost leaks and nothing "wrong". Stock s5 Turbo, haltech, tein flex, 17x8-17x9 work, Dunlop Durizza star spec, street port, engine rebuilt above spec, fmic, 10lbs, bushings,sweybar links, rear end bushings,camber adjuster, stiff diff mount, new camber links,toe eliminator bushings, stiff tranny mounts, ect ect ect.

So Im the only one that finds myself banging off the rev limiter in 1st way too much cuz the bottom of second is just too slow? Talking autox here, track days are nothing but pure bilss.

The optimum gearing just does not seem to be in the TII for autocross??? Im just wondering if its ever won scca nationals or anything like that. Or if anyone has ever had great success with a TII as an autocross car in either its proper class or a modified class.

There's a dude with a GTUs who did well in nationals last year, i think. He has like a 13 page thread here in 2nd gen section.

I'll have a look even though it's N/A.

GTUs has different gearing, especially in it's rear end (4.3 vs. 4.1)

You can put the RX-8 5.125 rear end on your car if you really want a shorter 1st and second. Where's your exhaust and wastegate porting? BNR Hybrid turbo?

TII's are either classed in BSP or SSM depending on your mods.

Evo's dominate BSP.
FD's dominate SSM.

To be competitive, you would have to improve the suspension geometry, remove alot of weight, and make other sacrifices. It would essentially become a race car classed in XP :(

Biggest weakness is the suspension.

My car is not competitive at all in my class, but I'm not in it to win - just improve :)

sounds like you need to not be autoXing because its lame.

You guys are no help for Gregw. I run in SSM. I do alot of left foot braking. This keeps the turbo spooling... If I was you I would get some help from a instructor. They can point out what you are doing wrong.. Autox is a great way to learn how to drive your car. Keep it up, you'll get there..
Thanks Robert

P.S. There is nothing wrong with your car!!! You just need a little help..

I didn't realize you had a turbo car, I cannot relate at all. My biggest problem with auto-x is traction with throttle...TOO MUCH power in 1st and 2nd gear :[ Any positive manifold pressure and it's spin spin spin...

Also keep in mind that not all auto x courses are the same. I've seen some tight courses where 1st gear performance is relevant, but the general trend (at least in my area and most of the videos I've seen posted recently) seems to be faster (2nd/3rd gear...on a 5spd) courses.

See if you can run another auto x region/ course designer. You might find that the course you're running is just too tiny. I honestly never think about 1st gear once I leave the starting box.

I don't either, if I don't go below 20-25mph there's absolutely no good reason to use 1st gear.

I dont think there is anything "wrong" with the car, Its more like, the shorter the autox course is the less the car is suited for it gear wise. make sense?

If instructor = guy thats faster than you then I had two guys they called "instructors" ride along with me, both agreed that 1st was the choice for the day. Im consistantly in the top 1/3 of all the cars so really, Im not too worried about getting faster,thats just seat time, just annoyed with the gearing on my TII7.

Im fairly well over it, plan on taking the dub to short stuff and the 7 to long stuff and track days.
Considering how the cart is sorted, making it competitive for autox would be a downgrade. I dont mean to offend, just how I feel about it.

Agreed.

If being "fast" means first gear, that sounds like a shitty course.
I wouldnt downgrade my car to be "first gear fast" either.

I think the FC is definitely better suited for full road courses than AutoX, but AutoX tends to be cheap with low tech requirements so it's easily accessible. I've had mine at MidAM once and, I knew I would, completely fell in love with road racing it. The trouble is $$$ and logistics.

Auto x can be just as expensive as road racing. I ran both series and it was close on cash. Autox courses are setup due to the space that is available. You really need to check different regions. Also Fc's are just as completive in autox as in time attack.
Good luck!!!

Some one finally said left foot brake. Should keep the boost up in 2nd gear by not lifting off the throttle.
Or install anti-lag... ;)

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...auto+nationals

That's the thread I was thinking of, maybe you can get some tips from here there

Can be, but for the most basic entry level with minimum preparation road racing will pretty much always cost more.

I for one, would like to see an FC top the FD's in SSM, but doesn't seem like that's gonna happen anytime soon.