Project Hatch

[JustinG]

Not to be a spoil sport but if it's not oversteering at an autox, it might be a little pushy on track. Such is life with a FWD

I just read this fully, It was oversteering a bit with the shocks in the rear not set to full stiff, im sure if i turned them to almost full stiff it would rotate a bit more.

REVIEW:

So I figured I would write up my initial impressions of the car, since I drove it for the first time this weekend.

Lets start at the beginning, driving up from Richmond, and the skies opened up DUMPING rain, couldnt see 10 feet in front of you, standing water all over the interstate. That was the worst 45 minutes ive ever experienced in a car.

Anyway, onto Saturday/Sunday, I was not really sure what to expect in regards to how the car would handle. Ive driven FWD cars before and they just seem to plow. Then I of course had the GSX which would plow, and you gave it throttle to get the car to turn.

Traction:
Taking off from the line I get some wheel spin, to be expected from cold tires that have never been driven on, much less scrubbed in, but once the tires hook up halfway through the beginning sweeper I hit the rev limiter (Tach seems to be off), and shift into 2nd, without hesitation the car just hooks up. The course kept me in 2nd the entire time. I was very very happy with the car in regards to traction, I never once felt wheel spin aside from the initial launch at the beginning of the course. So :thumbup: for the transmission/LSD.

Handling:
The car felt great, IMO, I really only have the GSX and DJs M3 to compare it to on an AutoX course. The car felt neutral or what I think is neutral. It didnÔÇÖt seem to push in the turns, or I wasnÔÇÖt driving it hard enough to push, and I felt some oversteer in some of the sweepers of the course, which was easily corrected with a little more throttle. Now it could be me not driving the car hard enough, but the car never felt out of control, sometimes I would feel that way in the GSX. I never felt that way in DJs car it always felt easy to recover from. I felt the same way in the Hatch, whenever I did something wrong it was very easy to recover from. It may just be me feeling comfortable in the car? I feel like I had the front shocks dialed in for this, but the rears I feel could have been a tad stiffer to get more rotation. So this was my impression with the car needing an alignment and corner balancing, and I am very happy with the stuff I have done to it in regards to AutoX, on track could be a completely different story.

Power:
I am really surprised by the motor in the this lil thing. Its very torquey for a Honda motor, I thought I would struggle going up Afton mountain, but she was chugging along at 70 without a problem. In the AutoX I didnÔÇÖt feel a bog in power, I felt I was always in the powerband by staying in second, but this will obviously vary by course. But, all in all, I am very happy with the power in the car. Again in regards to AutoX, on track could be different.

So I am happy with my purchase, mods, blood, and sweat put into the car as of today. It got me a 3rd place TIRE finish, which apparently over runs your base class (SM FWD), so an Unofficial 1st place SM FWD finish, (stupid confusing SCCA classing). I think the best thing is, when I got home, I didnÔÇÖt even unload the thing . Hooray for track car, I donÔÇÖt have to drive it to work on Monday.

So next on the list is really nothing, which I love. I did order an EBAY radiator fan, because there was an accident on 64 on my way home from the AutoX, this caused stand still traffic and slow moving like 5mph traffic, so the car started to heat up. I had to pull over and let the car cool off. So until I start to trailer this thing, I am gonna wire up a fan to keep that from happening again.

Still waiting to hear from Greg Greenbaum in regards to my classing for NASA-X. But I have signed up for another AutoX in October at RIR and I will be doing the last NASA-X in November on the 20th at VMP. After this weekend, the GFCP has got me hooked again, which to be honest I had kinda lost interest in with the GSX. But the excitement to AutoX and get on track is back, all because of a Hatchpile. :mrgreen:





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EDIT: If any of my analysis of theis car is incorrect, please help me out, this whole preped track car thing is new to me

[Kaan]

Dear Newb Honda Owner,
the tach, voltage, water temp, etc... HONDA GAUGES SUCK. dont trust them and get a fan in it ASAP.

whats your rear bar set at? do you have an adjustable bar? whats the rear spring rate? what is your intended alignment?

[.RJ]

Dear Newb Honda Owner,
the tach, voltage, water temp, etc... HONDA GAUGES SUCK. dont trust them and get a fan in it ASAP.

Nothing wrong with the gauges. On a stock motor you dont have anything to worry about anyways.

[JustinG]

well im not using the stock gauges anyway, I have OP, OT and WT.

Rear bar is not adjustable, however there are 3 holes on the Rear LCAs to choose from, currently they are in the middle hole, well because thats where the endlinks lined up at. Unless I go adjustable endlinks, thats where they will have to stay. Rear springs are 550lb.

For alignment im thinking -2 to -3 camber up front, based just on reading, open to recommendations. Rear I have no way of adjusting at the moment.

[Kaan]

Dear Newb Honda Owner,
the tach, voltage, water temp, etc... HONDA GAUGES SUCK. dont trust them and get a fan in it ASAP.

Nothing wrong with the gauges. On a stock motor you dont have anything to worry about anyways.

A honda temp gauge only has three readings:
1. not registering
2. running
3. FUCKED

Put a gun on the spark plug wire and check the tach in the car and it will be off the higher you go. at 7200 registered my crx is only spinning 6400. and i'm not the only one.

[Kaan]

you are probably limited on spring rate with the shocks right now... what were the tire pressures?

would it rotate with just a little bit of faint off throttle?

[JustinG]

started at 32psi all the way around, fronts heated up, rears I couldnt get any heat into.

I dont think i was going fast enough for it to rotate with a faint off throttle.

[ScottyB]

i love this little car. nice work man!

[Kaan]

ehh keep a log book for autox and one for the track... we'll see how it feels after your first track event.

[Mike]

comments:

- get a logbook asap.
- yes, the tach is off. that's what the rev limiter is for. in no time you'll be shifting by feel. she runs out of air up top...
- 1st gear is useless. i hadn't autox'd with that trans, but i'd probably just start in 2nd. it has enough torque and gear to get you moving without the required shift 15ft into the course.
- you'll be happy with that motor and trans on the track. it's enough.
- those wheels are ugly.
- lower tire pressures (track experience talking... i can't remember autox pressures and i guess it depends on those tires).

glad you're enjoying her and she's holding up! little fucker never let me down.

[JustinG]

- those wheels are ugly.

your face is ugly

[Mike]

your car is ugly.

[JustinG]

Little update,14in ebay fan came in on Wednesday, claims to Pull 1550 CFM, factory fan is around 1500cfm on an Integra. You can feel it puling air from the front of the radiator. Wired it up to the factory wiring and it comes on like it should, according to the temp gauge it turns on around 195ish, and cools it off pretty quickly. Only stayed on for 30-60 seconds before it lowered the temp enough to turn off, while the car was idling.






The car now sounds like Road Runner, wired up the horn button on the Momo wheel.

Need to find a weird exhaust rattle, I think its because I didn't bolt the header to the bracket on the back of the block.

Still need to do the front wheel studs, but I think those will wait til the winter.

AutoX coming up the 16th, so time to play again.

[JustinG]

Another AutoX in the books. This course was not technical at all it was mostly long sweepers and a bunch of straights. I ran out of 2nd gear after the slalom and basically had to bounce it off the limiter til I hit the braking points. The car did not feel nearly as good as it did at the college challenge, im pretty disappointed with my performance. Im not 100% sure why the car felt so sloppy, it wasnt rotating at all. It was at the College Challenge, but it could have just been caused by a shitty lot with gravel at the College Challenge. The sloppy could also be that I did the first heat, was still about 50 degrees outside, and I couldnt get any heat in the tires. Times in later heats improved significantly, by 3-4 seconds for some similarly classed cars, with what I thought were similarly classed drivers. I think im just going to blame the obvious.....ME.

Overall I did improve, first run was a 41.152 to a 38.428. FTD in a car was 33.XXX, Elise on R-comps.

Results: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.ShowResults?psEVENT_ID=12225">http://myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.ShowResults?psEVENT_ID=12225</a><!-- m -->

Biggest need is SEAT TIME!!!!! Although, I still need to figure out tire pressures, I tried to keep the tires around 30psi, I think i may drop the pressures to 26 or so, I know Mikey recommended it for the track, but seemed low to me for an autox, but Perrera runs those pressures on his Civic EF. Should have just listened to Mikey all along. I think I may need to up the shocks in the rear to get the car to rotate. But I really just want to get the car aligned and corner balanced before I really focus in on figuring out the suspension. The car is still a fun car.

Depending on if I am working the November NASA event I may be out for another AUTOX with VMSC, My impression of them this time around was better. I came to realize the same people who were jaskasses last time were jackasses this time, so its not the group, just the 2-3 asshats who frequent the events. But, I am definately signing up for the NOV 20th NASA-X at VMP.

Pics from VMSC....

[JustinG]

In Other news, Mr. Greg Greenbaum, the National TT director got back to me in regards to where the car sits on classing. He does classing for TT/PT/Nasa-X.

Old Base Class: NX-G/TT-G

New Base Class: NX-F/TT-F**
MAX POWAH: 125whp
Minimum Weight: 2375lbs
Max Tire: 215

So, with the "**" classification it is an automatic +14pts. You get bumped up to the next class with 20-39pts. With the reclass I dont take engine or weight mods as points.

Exisiting mods on the car I have to take points for:

Tires:
Kumho XS +2
Running a 205 = 10mm below max tire so -1

Transmission:
Gear Ratios +3
LSD +3
Lightened Fly Wheel (NASA-X ONLY) +1

Suspension/Brakes/Chassis:
Non-OEM Shocks- Koni Yellows +3
Non-OEM Springs- GCs +2
Added Sways Bars +2
Swapped/lighetened Rear LCAs +1
Rear Subframe Brace +3
Non-OEM Brakes - GSR Rear/Fastbrakes Front +2

Aero (TT ONLY):
Rear Spoiler- CF Duckbill +3

Nasa- X : 14+21 = +35
TT: 14+23 = +37

Which puts me in NX-E/TT-E.

[Mike]

so are you gonna win?

[JustinG]

so are you gonna win?

HPDE....Yes.

[Kaan]

How many points do you have left?

[JustinG]

How many points do you have left?

Autox - 4
TT - 2

Max of 39

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[Kaan]

When it's time for you to TT, we might want to redo some things lol