Project "Cheap Autocrosser" being reborn as another racer!
 

Well it has been 3 years of racing project cheap autocrosser. She has done very well racing in CSP for 3 years including winning the regional class for CSP this past year beating out 3 other competitive Miatas.

Now I have the road racing bug!!! I ran a lemons race, few track days and a couple of road race bracket trials. The first time I road raced "cheap autocrosser" and ran 88 miles of racing in one day vs. (4) 60 minute runs I typically ran with autocrossing....well let's say I was hooked.

Now I have moved to Southern California and now have the "new" project going on. There are many tracks in SoCal to play at!!

I am building the car to run NASA TTE class.

For you guys that don't know how NASA time trials work, you add points to a base class based on mods done to your car. You win the event by having the fastest car in your class.

So new items to install this month will be new Autopower roll bar, Hankook R comp tires, new Kirkey racing seats and Crow racing harnesses.

Pictures to come as I do work! I plan on running my first event in April at Button Willow CA.

BTW, here are some old links down memory lane on the old build up!

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ap+autocrosser

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ap+autocrosser

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ap+autocrosser

Also here is a link to NASA TT website for you who are interested!!!

http://www.nasa-tt.com/

Few pics of the Lexan windows installed.. Roll bar and new racing seats next...

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060972.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060975.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060974.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060976.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060977.jpg

Car looks clean and purposeful...lovin' the panasports!

what he said lol ^^^^

Thanks for the kind words. I do like my Panasports. They were expensive when I first bought them, but now well worth it!

Now the interior is completely gutted. Only what is needed to run the car. I ripped the factory wiring harness out and custom built one from scratch. I also recently added the temp, volt, oil pressure gage package. When I autocrossed the car I did not really care about anything except RPM. Now that I am racing miles and miles at a time, information is critical.

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060978.jpg

Rollbar going in this weekend along with installation of two new Kirkey aluminum seats.
Previously I had a Cobra racing seat in the car. The Kirkeys weigh 11 pounds each vs. 22 pounds for the Cobra!

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060979.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060980.jpg

Nice!!!

Who did the Lexan windows?

Todd Farriss out of Bryan Texas. He has a race shop there and is an avid racer.

This was his first RX7 and had a lot of trouble with the rear window. He was not very happy with the way it turned out, but I am pleased. I like that it is very easy to remove using the DZUS fasteners.

now all you need to do is add 79-83 dash top, and add a couple more holes in the rotor housings, and we'd have twins!

More power will come later!!! I am planning on running a Weber 45 DCOE soon. I will jet it for the stock engine, then do a bridgeport later. If I do a bridgie, it will bump me into another class. I want to play TTE for a while.

I have held off on the Weber sidedraft for a long time since I was "only" doing autocross and felt that a 4 bbl carb would give me more response.

NOW... I feel the top end charge of the Weber and infinite and easy tuneability.... as well as the carb and manifold weighing at LEAST half of the stock Nikki and manifold................ IT IS FINALLY TIME FOR A WEBER!!!

Hell... I could not wait.. I installed the Autopower Rollbar today.

Looks good! Easy to install...

Now this weekend I will install the seats and new harnesses. I also ordered the new Hankook race tires today from America's tire.

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060982.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060982.jpg

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060983.jpg

Roll bar looks great...did you have to reinforce the underside to mount this as a bolit in configuration?

It came with re-inforcing plates to sandwich between the sheet metal. I am going to do some additional bracing once I can get her on a lift.

Some folks may wonder why I did not go a full competition cage. A full cage is not needed in NASA TT. Hell not even a rollbar is required!!! I decided to do the rollbar for some protection.

A full Autopower cage weighs 100 pounds. This weighs 60 pounds complete. I think it will suffice with the racing I am wanting to do!

Car looks amazing! IMO, you may want to do a couple things to that bar...

1) bust out the welder and weld the U/S plate to the floor (at the least) or weld them both to the floor. I hate to say it, but bolt in cages do not offer much "protection" in a roll over event when bolted to tin FB floors (or any floor for that matter)!

2) Because the bar is there, you might want to gusset the B-Pillars to the bar since the glass has been replaced.


Did you do the windshield in lexan too? if so, a full cage is probably something you will want to consider. the windshield did provide structure to the unit-body. There isn't much holding the roof up anymore. An accident in time trials going full out is no different in IT or any other. You need to protect yourself.


Once you get the bug in you and you are going faster, you are going to find that the seat choice will need to be looked at. Kirkey intermediate road race seat have shoulder rests/restraints that will help keep you planted. you'll find in that seat, your back and torso muscles will be sore trying to keep your body upright with just bolsters. I been down that road already!!!


Other than that, get out there and get some laps!

Thanks for the ideas.

I do plan on welding the floor plates and bracing them.

When you mean brace the "B" piller, are you talking about building a brace that goes from the "wide" part of the body behind the driver/passenger doors to the roll bar?

Yes I did do the front in lexan. Yes I have lost some rigidity there, but the lexan was glued using windshield sealant and then rivits. So I have gained "some" of the structure back.

I just looked at the Autopower website. They make a "u weld it" front cage kit that can be added to their roll bars..... looks like this could be a purchase in the future.

Thanks for the ideas.

Well got both Kirkey race seats installed and Crow race harnesses.

It was relatively easy with the Kirkey seat mounts. The driver seat was super easy, but the passenger seat took a little modifying of the bracket.

So now basically, I am close to being ready for my first NASA event. I will be racing at California Speedway on March 3rd and 4th.

http://socal.drivenasa.com/2011/12/2...-schedule.html

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1060985.jpg

The b pillar is where the upper part of the stock seat belt attaches. The area between the door and rear quarter window. FB's could use the extra rigidity in this area. My car improved a ton when i did this.

The unfortunate part is lexan is a flexible media where laminate glass is not. lexan doesn't provide any rigidity compared to the compressive strength of laminate. Sort of like comparing a single sheet of melamine to plywood.

Lexan windows can/have popped out of cars on their way to the track due to wind resonance and drastic pressure changes such as passing semis. I know of 2 cars (one drag one road racer) that had their windshields urethane'd and aluminum screwed (not riveted) and popped on the highway. The lexan flexes and acts like a parachute.

It's your machine, do as you wish. I've had to help others clean up a mess and want to pass on the info.

Talk to some local racers to see what they say. Actually your best source of info is to talk to the tech inspector at the track you will be racing at.