Auto Cross

The 1UZFE EGR Delete Kit is available for sale here.

xirforever

New Member
Messages
574
Location
Missouri
Today was my first Auto Cross ever, and i must say i was suprised at how quick i was running that LS400. It handled pretty good, TOO much body roll, but im pretty sure if i get a new sway bar that will take care of it as i already have a strut bar that helps my chasis roll. And the best thing for me to do would be to get a set of new springs. But i beat these two 3000GT's and one was even a VR4, i was proud, lol. Everyone was like, if you want to get involved into auto cross and want to go fast you should get a different car. Then one guy was like, dont spend your money on putting horse legs on a cow, save up and buy the horse. Then once i told him about the amazing engine, RWD, and LSD he didnt seem to believe me, lol. But this Auto Crossing is AMAZING, so much fun, i got it on tape, im trying to figure out how to put it on the computer. Mods i was running: new exhaust system, new air intake, electric fan, strut bar, 8.5" wide rims, and battery relocation. Battery relocation is highly recomended. Well that was my story, thought i should share, if you have any other questions about handling ill be glad to answer.

Thanks,
Nick
 
It was conducted at a really big parking lot, it was the parking lot for Gateway International Raceway. I have the videos of me racing uploaded to the lextreme server, but mybrainisimense and i are trying to figure out why they wont post... but when we do youll get to see what i raced on. Just a big parking lot
 
Autocross?

It sounds much like what we call in OZ a motorkhana.

Or as I like to put it , 'the thinking mans burnout/drift comp.'

As you can see from my avatar thats what we compete in.( and that was with a 1.5 liter engine, and when this project is done , the mind boggles.)

We were running about 6 degrees of neg camber and standard castor (found more pos castor great on the road but a bitch trying to do motorkhanas) , a heavy rear anti sway bar to counter the understeer created by the locked diff and a hydraulic handbrake to help with breaking traction while unsettling the balance to make tight turns.

Sounds like you had fun though

good luck

Peter.
 
KE20,

Autocross is a cross between a motorkhana and a very tight road racing course.

You drive a course between wiches hats laid out to create a "road" you drive down. The corners are very close and often real tight so the emphasis is on car control as against outright speed even though the fastest (without hitting a hat) wins.

For the Americans our motorkhana involves driving around (what appear to be randomly placed) wiches hats in a set pattern. You must drive around each hat in the corect order and leave the hat on the correct side of the car. Sounds easy until you look at 10 hats with 16 roundings and some hats may be used 3 or 4 times.

Quite often the slower driver win because they go around all the correct hats in the correct order and on the correct side. The more exited the driver gets the worse their efforts become. I've seen many a wiches hat jambed under a car.
 
excited drivers

And having been(and still are) one of those excited drivers and experienced flags protruding from numerous places other than where they should be and numerous W.D.'s( wrong directions) is why I refer to it as 'The thinking man's burnout comp'

But hell it's fun.
 
I've been autocrossing up here since 1980, mostly in the Seattle area as part of the SCCA and BSCC (including time spent as an SCCa nd BSCC driving instructor), then over here on the east coast for a couple seasons.


I've had all kinds of cars of my own out there on the track, from an MG midget, through Pintos, Porsches, a few RX3s and RX7s, Mustangs, SVT Contour (Mondeo ST200), and even my family PT Cruiser (winning a season trophy in that, surprisingly enough). And I've driven everything from Lotus' to trucks out there, too.

It's a serious blast.

Here's the start of a run by my last project, a V8 RX7:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cvetters3/rex1.MPG

Good to see a lexus out there! Have fun!
 
wow that thing is quick! My main competition is from a MB C230 K, lowered and barely legal tires, should be considered R-compounds... I will beat him one day! lol Some tires and sway bar bushings will do it i think (we are very very close in times). Wouldnt that be emberising? An old Lexus beating his MB. lol i love it, hes a nice guy though. I hear the national even will be held on assfalt instaed of pavement so it will change the index times a bit and classes. Can you believe they put the WRX STI's in my class? STU has all-wheel drive turbo cars with rear wheel NA cars...... no fair at all....

But man that car in the post is QUICK. Good luck

Nick
 
I'd be concerned if an tweaked LS400 couldn't beat a C230K.

You have the top of the heap car being beaten by the bottom of the heap car.

If you were being beaten by a C55 different storey.
 
not really, american autocrossing favors lighter and smaller, power isnt a necessity. Handling is by far the most important attribute to a successful autocross car. I often have faster times in my Corolla than cars with 100hp+ more than me. Porsches, M3's, Vettes, Mustangs, STI's, EVO's, etc. But there have been C-stock Miata's that have beaten me like a rented mule!

You are doing very well to be competitive in an LS400, that car has to be pushing 4500lbs, even with the 1UZFE, it would be very hard to get that yacht thourgh an autocross course quickly, especially with an automatic!

I can almost hear the sidewalls screaming from here!

I run SM in the Carolinas with my 1980 Corolla 2dr sedan. I built it for my class and it really isnt streetable. My stroker 3tc is fairly quick, but am now beginning my v8 swap. Have ordered inlet cams, 5spd-to-v8 parts, and an Autronic stand-alone ECU. They claim a 60hp increase, so if I can end up with 260whp, in my 2090lb car, should be very competitive.

Anyway, keep autocrossing, its alot of fun.
Rick
Charlotte, NC
#15 SM Corolla
 
Yeah, im not suprised he beats me by less than a second every time, he has better tires, better suspension, shorter wheel base, and lighter. If i had upgraded sway bars i would immagine i would beat him without too much trouble. My springs are still very soft.

but if you minus 500 lbs you got it right, its a tiny bit under 4,000lbs. haha yeah my sidewalls are screaming for mercy, good thing i have 35 series profile or it would be bad.... lol. Just need sway bar upgrades....

SM is a tuff class to run in, but sounds like your going to have no problems with a car around 2000 lbs with 260 whp, hope you beat them man.

Good luck,
Nick
 
we have what we call autocross down in the south island [nz] i run a sprinter with a lexus v8 it is run on grass, mostly finish up mid field but great fun one big power slide, must try and drive proper but the idea is to have fun in motor sport ay
 


Top