02-07-2012, 11:55 AM
This post is a work in progress, but it's getting close. Feel free to PM me with errors, corrections, additions, comments, critiques and compliments. I loooooooooove compliments.
So you'd like to get involved, eh? Learn how to hone your driving skills, making your mind a razor sharp instrument? Awesome. But you're not quite sure how to get started. You're not quite sure what you need, what you need to do, and in fact, you don't even know the right questions to ask! Well, you're in the right place.
You can start by Reading MM's Frequently Asked Questions. Lots of good information there. When you're done, come back. I'll wait.
Here's a TOC for this thread:
And here's some General Things you should Keep in Mind:
Uncle Rex, my car is too slow to Autocross/HDPE/Whatever. I'll do it when I get my new car / engineswap / supercharger / turbo kit / nawzzzz...
Bollocks! That's not true and deep down inside, you know it. An average Honda Civic is faster than a 66 Mustang from the factory floor. Your car is PLENTY fast, YOU are the weakest link in the speed chain. I autocrossed my 1991 Geo Metro when I was in college. You want to talk about slow? Boy I've had dogs outrun that car. But I squeezed every miniature pony out of those three cylinders, and made my tires cry for mercy until you could make a thumbprint in them...all on my very first autocross. So don't talk to be about slow, young'n. Any idiot can do a buck forty down the front straight of VIR in a ZR1 Vette or Carrera GT. Takes actual talent to drive something slower.
What mods should I get before I do X?
Honestly, you should do X before making any modifications, with very few exceptions. Learn how to drive the car, and the car will tell you what it needs and more importantly, what it doesn't. If you must make modifications before doing one of these things, start with a nice, aggressive street brake pad (but not necessarily a race pad) and good quality tires. An extra set of wheels (so you can have dedicated track wheels) and tires wouldn't be bad either, but as a college student, space is at a premium.
Uncle Rex, this is a lot of information! Did you come up with it all?
While this may look like all Uncle Rexy's doing, this is actually a collaboration among a large number of people who have Been There, Done That. If you have anything you'd like to add, or anything that's not clear, please PM Me and I'll add, subtract, clarify, etc.
Unca Rex, this is a lot to digest, and now I'm more intimidated than I was before I came in this thread. Thanks a lot!
Hey. Tiger. Champ. Buster. Buddy. Turn that frown upside down. You can do this! Chances are anything you want to do in this thread, you can do as long as you've got a safe automobile that's actually capable of it. That's the key here. All you need to get involved in this stuff is a car that's not a total pile of shit and a mind that's the same.
Change Log:
07FEB2012 -- Created Initial topic. Added Autocross and HPDE. Requested topic be Sticky'd.
16FEB2012 -- Added "advanced autocross" to Auto-X section. Added Draft NASA Worker and Draft Wheelin' guide.
So you'd like to get involved, eh? Learn how to hone your driving skills, making your mind a razor sharp instrument? Awesome. But you're not quite sure how to get started. You're not quite sure what you need, what you need to do, and in fact, you don't even know the right questions to ask! Well, you're in the right place.
You can start by Reading MM's Frequently Asked Questions. Lots of good information there. When you're done, come back. I'll wait.
Here's a TOC for this thread:
- How to prep for an Autocross
- How to prep for an HPDE
- How to prep for a Carshow
- How to prep for an Off-Road Excursion
- How to prep for a Karting Session
- How to prep for working an Event
And here's some General Things you should Keep in Mind:
Uncle Rex, my car is too slow to Autocross/HDPE/Whatever. I'll do it when I get my new car / engineswap / supercharger / turbo kit / nawzzzz...
Bollocks! That's not true and deep down inside, you know it. An average Honda Civic is faster than a 66 Mustang from the factory floor. Your car is PLENTY fast, YOU are the weakest link in the speed chain. I autocrossed my 1991 Geo Metro when I was in college. You want to talk about slow? Boy I've had dogs outrun that car. But I squeezed every miniature pony out of those three cylinders, and made my tires cry for mercy until you could make a thumbprint in them...all on my very first autocross. So don't talk to be about slow, young'n. Any idiot can do a buck forty down the front straight of VIR in a ZR1 Vette or Carrera GT. Takes actual talent to drive something slower.
What mods should I get before I do X?
Honestly, you should do X before making any modifications, with very few exceptions. Learn how to drive the car, and the car will tell you what it needs and more importantly, what it doesn't. If you must make modifications before doing one of these things, start with a nice, aggressive street brake pad (but not necessarily a race pad) and good quality tires. An extra set of wheels (so you can have dedicated track wheels) and tires wouldn't be bad either, but as a college student, space is at a premium.
Uncle Rex, this is a lot of information! Did you come up with it all?
While this may look like all Uncle Rexy's doing, this is actually a collaboration among a large number of people who have Been There, Done That. If you have anything you'd like to add, or anything that's not clear, please PM Me and I'll add, subtract, clarify, etc.
Unca Rex, this is a lot to digest, and now I'm more intimidated than I was before I came in this thread. Thanks a lot!
Hey. Tiger. Champ. Buster. Buddy. Turn that frown upside down. You can do this! Chances are anything you want to do in this thread, you can do as long as you've got a safe automobile that's actually capable of it. That's the key here. All you need to get involved in this stuff is a car that's not a total pile of shit and a mind that's the same.
Change Log:
07FEB2012 -- Created Initial topic. Added Autocross and HPDE. Requested topic be Sticky'd.
16FEB2012 -- Added "advanced autocross" to Auto-X section. Added Draft NASA Worker and Draft Wheelin' guide.
1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442