Hi I just got a 90 TII. I already have an 86 NA for a daily driver. SO.. Im gonna race the turbo. Ive already gutted the interior and pulled the ac. I was thinkn about pulling the PS but Im begining to really like it. I was wondering what all of you guys would do to race prep. Ive already got ground control coilovers and koni adj on, and RB swaybars. I was also thinkn about doing some porting as soon as the engine starts to show signs of failure. Maybe a bridge port so I dont mess with the stock ports. Im also not sure about any particular race regulations. I like autoX but I want to get into diffrent racing later when I get more exp.
ANYWAYS Id appreciate your feed back.
SKY

86 na
90 TII

 

Figure out what you want to do with the car first. If you want to autocross, they have all kinds of stupid rules. You'll need to plan your mods to fit in whatever class you want to be in. I basically gave up on trying to fit into some SCCA class. I just built a car that's going to be fast on a road course. Mostly to use in driving schools, lapping days.

Yank the whole suspension and put Urethane busings on it. Get the toe eliminator bushing. Camber plates for the front and camber link for the rear. Along with what you already have, that should get the suspension pretty well sorted.

Engine is much more complicated. Get a budget and power goal, go from there. If it truly is a race car, remove every single item that doesn't serve to make the car go faster.

 

Oh I already have ground control camber plates. I need the camber link. How much did all your bushings cost.
I love my FC and ill keep it till I die or it gets really really messed up. I dont really have a budget. Theres no way Im gonna be able to buy everying I want soon, but overall I dont really care if I sink $20k or more into it. I just need to budget things as they arise. What kind of racing schools have you been to? I did a lapping day in my 86 na. It was fun but the na's suspension really stinks. I hope to get more and more involved in racing and drifting.
I enjoy autoX but it, no offense, seems like a mid life crissis kinda deal. Lots of older guys showing off thier porches and vettes, which are nice but it seems like an escape from thier offices. I want get into hard core racing. Im still in college <automotive> so I cant really afford to run at SIR< seattle raceway >. Ill be out soon and making pretty decient money.
SKY

 

BOOSTD7: what kinda urethane bushings do you have

 

The best place to start racing with the least amount of money output is autocross. Some of the best amatuer roadracers in the SCCA got started years ago autocrossing and many of them still do it. It helps you learn to control your car at lower speeds. If you can't control your car at lower speeds then the high speed stuff is even more tricky. I'd highly recommend you attend a few of those autocrosses with all those mid life crissis guys as you call them. I'm sure many of them can teach you(and me) a thing or two. Some of them are probably in a midlife crissis and they are easy to pick out but there are some good people in autocross that can help you with car setup and driving skills.

If your car is already missing its interior you are already destined to run in BPrepared. The national champ in BP last year ran a TII. He beat all those Corvette's making 200HP more than his car. How did he do that? Seat time, seat time, seat time, etc............. his car was also setup very good. He did most of the work himself and he knows his car inside and out not to mention he is obviously a good driver. Get a rule book before you modify anymore, decide were you want to end up and then plan and budget how to get there.

 

Now first let me say I am far from being in a midlife crisis (I'm 24). It sounds like you have a really nice RX-7 right now and are headed in the right direction to make it SERIOUSLY fast, but lets say you're 35 years old, been out working and making a lot of money, and you still have your FC which by that time you will have put that 20 thousand into to make it incredibly nice. Now when you have a fast car that cost a good deal of money and you choose to go race it on weekends are you going to consider yourself as having a midlife crisis? No, you won't. So why automatically put all those other guys in that category just becasue they are older than you? Now don't get me wrong, I usually go to at least 2 autocrosses a month, and there definately ARE a few of those midlife crisis guys there. Hell, last event a guy showed up in a brand new 911 with a brand new 20-something year old blonde girlfriend (He's probably 45-50!) Now THATS a midlife crisis!! I just don't think its fair to lump everyone over the age of 30 who autocrosses a nice car into that category, becasue I will still be autocrossing and racing when I am that age, and by then I will be able to afford a really nice car, and I won't be doing it because I am going through a midlife crisis, but becasue I LOVE TO DRIVE. I am willing to bet you will be too.

 

Sounds good to me!

Rob

 

Most people dont use turbo as a race car... except drag racing

 

If you attend a national caliber event, you'll see hard core racing.

If you mean faster racing, then Solo Trials would be the next SCCA step up. It's not much more expensive to race (entry fee) and you car (if it has a fixed roof) only has to pass a regular Solo II tech. You also have to wear long cotton pants and a long sleeve cotton shirt. You'll see a lot more speed than Solo 2, but not as much as Solo I.

You could also look into car club driving events. May car clubs will rent a track for a day or a weekend (BMW clubs do a lot of this) and will allow non-club cars to run with them.

The most important thing for the time being is that you spend more money on getting seat time than performing mods to the car. Until you have a fair amount of seat time & skill, car mods often wind up being things to make up for deficiencies in skill instead of compliments to skill.

As for the mid-life crisis guys, at least they're out there letting their cars do what they were built for. As an autocrosser of 5 years, it still pains me to see a perfectly good sports car in the parking area for spectators instead of the pit area.