I was just wondering, I have never seen a MKIII run at an Auto-X, How are they stock? how bad is the weight? and how expensive is it to improve the handling of the car?
THX
I was just wondering, I have never seen a MKIII run at an Auto-X, How are they stock? how bad is the weight? and how expensive is it to improve the handling of the car?
THX
I owned one for years and it pushed like a bitch at the limit. I had done nothing to it as far as upgrades though. It was a very big and comfortable car but was not built for the performance of the MKIV though. I traded my 86.5 in for my new 98 in 98At the time my MKIII had over 250,000 on it
It still ran awesome too
Jeff
I will be running my newly acquired 88t at the Soutwest Divisional in Houston next weekend, I will let you know. I have been autoxing a cavalier convertible automatic for the last 2 1/2 years and occasionally a miata, but this should be a new experience for me. If you leave it stock it would be running in F Stock where it would probably gets its ass handed to it on a platter. My car is already so modified that all I can do is run SM. I priced out a decent suspension for the car with the following items:
bilstein struts
h&r springs
suspension techniques swaybars
strut tower braces front and rear
The total came to about $1100 us, about the same cost as the tein ha 16 way tofuckyourselfifyoudon'tknowwhatyouaredoing adjustable coilovers. I would rather use tirepressures to adjust car handling anyway.
Last edited by autoXr; 08-02-2002 at 06:55 PM.
If you do choose to run in stock, use 3" piping with no muffler from the cat back, and upgrade those shocks. Practice applying brake and gas through the corners to spool turbo before letting off the brake to accelerate away. Maybe put some 1/4" wheel spacers up front to help with the push.
Jeff
Well, I ran the supra this weekend and had last place in street mod sewn up from the beginning. I ran with 245/45 16 kumho victoracers on stock rims and a stock suspension with the tems firm mod. This convinced me that I immediately want to upgrade the suspension as the car had excessive body roll. I also weighed the car and it came in at 3515. After the 2 day totals I finished about 10 seconds behind first and second place, a honda civic and a MKIV supra. I can't blame everything on the suspension though, I just started driving the car on wednesday and I have never autocrossed a high horsepower rwd car before. For the previous two years I have been driving a cavalier in STS, so this was a very new experience for me. If anyone is interested I will keep you posted on my progress.
You may also find that once the suspension is done, the tires are the next problem. 245 is far too wide to keep stable on the 7 inch rims. You can get them almost acceptible with pressure changes, and some 245 will be better than others (a bit narrower through the sidewall), but they are not ideal. You'd probably find better, or just plain more stable handling from the smaller 225 on the factory sawblades. For 245 or so, look for some MK IV NA rims sometime. They are quite reasonbably priced for what you get, and the wider tire's will thank you with much more stable grip at the limit.
Bob
Bob Grieger
87T
I think what every one is saying as far as rim/tire sizing goes is, "Get the widest rim you can fit on the car with the skinnest tire that will fit on the rim." You don't want any sidewall flex as far as handling prowess. Putting the widest tire on a skinny rim puts excessive flex and rollover of the tire when cornering hard. Also turn in is much slower. A wide rim with skinny tire is already streched tight, there is much less flex and you can use more of the tread area because there is less deforming of contact patch. Quicker turn in too.
When I ordered the 245s I mistakenly thought that I had 16x8 rims.I have not noticed any problem with turn-in and I have been running 40/36 psi in the tires. However, I don't plan on using this setup once the tires wear out. This big heavy car needs more tire under it.
i autox my MK3 fairly regularly (i am obviously stuck in SM :P) and i do ok. i regularly net 3-4th place in SM. the key to good times: drive the car like you want to wreck it......that is the only way to squeeze any sort of good time out of the MK3. see my site for my setup.
MKIII Technical Information Depot: www.mkiiitech.com
up any updates? im interested...
I don't have any updates. The car has overheating problems and I left it with some friends in New Orleans. They only thing it has been dodging lately is hurricanes. I hope to have the problems resolved and start racing it again in November.
oh is that why you broke you're frame?Originally posted by drjonez
i autox my MK3 fairly regularly (i am obviously stuck in SM :P) and i do ok. i regularly net 3-4th place in SM. the key to good times: drive the car like you want to wreck it......that is the only way to squeeze any sort of good time out of the MK3. see my site for my setup.
Eric W
MK3 87T 2JZ 430WHP 435TQ Stock Twins
IS-F 08
Old setups
Click picture for Mods
heh. yessir, i am sure that had a lot to do w/it....that and all that rust!
well, its been awhile.... how have the upgrades gone... and how is the car doing with 2 more years of racing abuse...
My car has been sitting, mostly. In 2003 I co-drove a friend's MR2 in E-stock. We went to many national and divisional events as well as the National Championship, he finished 6th, and I was 21st. This year I have been playing with my 99 miata. I hope to have the poopra in racing shape early next year.
good to hear that it'll be competing competitively again... let us know how it goes...
BTW, what did you think of nationals... i would like to get over there one year soon...
It was really cool seeing and meeting drivers from all over the country and the grip at Forbes Field is amazing on properly broken-in hoosiers. With a 24 hour drive, one-way, Nationals felt a little too much like work than a vacation, but that's racing. If you go, make sure to sign up for the practice event. Then you get two days practice on the previous year's courses. I might go again someday when I live closer. 48 hours of highway driving in a week SUCKS.
things are progressing well for my car. this yr was more of a driving year than anything. i placed 2nd in class many times this yr. i need more seat time and i need to sort out a few other issues (brake balance, etc.). i think w/the addition of the RAs + cage next yr could be interesting....only thing missing are some nylon bushings, anyone want to donate a set?
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