Autocross Legality Question
 

OK so I run an 88 Rx7 GXL in STS2. I already know my clutch type diff makes me illegal. I began losing coolant slowly and have located the problem. My heater box is cracked somewhere. I do not know the severity of the crack or it's location other than the fact I know it's leaking because I can see coolant pooled underneath my gas and hatch levers.

Here's the problem. There is no mentioning of the heater core in either STS2 or CSP(might move up to it) thus I cannot remove it or modify it. This wouldn't be a problem if there was an inexpensive replacement. I do not want to buy a new one for a quarter of the price I purchased the car nor do I want to fix a failed part with a failing part from a junk yard

I was wondering if any other people have encountered this problem and what they did to solve it. I may end up plugging it and leaving the core in place with all the hoses still attatched. Even though by the word of the rulebook it would be an illegal modification I feel it would still be within the spirit of the rules as it offers no performance advantage

15.1.E - Air conditioning systems may be removed in whole or in part.
This rule should not be interpreted to allow modification of the
heater system.

Even in Street Prepared, you are not allowed to touch the heater system. You can replace it with another OEM, but it can't be modified.

It's just one of those things, I suppose.

Regionally, I don't think anyone will complain. At Divisional and National level events, though, some people will find a way to DQ your car if you are winning.

Just plug it so coolant doesn't flow through it and keep your pie hole shut about it. Nobody will know or care or ask about it. It won't make you faster. We had similar rules in IT road racing, it became a non-issue. Just say,"Hey the car is x number of years old and I don't like the idea of hot coolant flowing through for no reason except the burn me when the core blows" or something like that.

I would suppose that, if you are good enough to compete in Nationals and win, someone could very easily dick you over if they spotted this and said, "it's against the rules!"

This car will never go to anything beyond club events. I gave some jb weld a try but it's too runny. I ended up cutting weep holes with a small dremmel .25 inches from the firewall grommet for the heater box. I ended up using high temp silicon and filled in the holes and put some in the hoses then put them on. Got my fingers crossed

The other easier option is to put a plug in the hoses going to/from the core.