Vid from a few AutoX runs yesterday...

[mopwer]

YouTube - 1-20-08 AZ Solo MR2 Turbo

Great time.

[Davis]

Man that looks fun.

[mopwer]

By the looks from some of the pics, I need to get a handle on the lean now. I'm running KYB AGX adjustable struts and found that setting them on 3 in the front and 1 in the back kept it pretty neutral. I read that there are some that don't care for these struts, but so far for the money, I love them! I keep them on 1 for the street and haven't had any issues with slow rebound.

Greg

[pothiawala786]

You're lucky to be able to Auto-x in January. How'd you mount that camera? Harness bar (I cant see one in the pics)? I have a piece of aluminum bar with 2 holes drilled for the headrests with a camera mount on the other end from my last car, but I dont think it'll work on the MR2 because of the turbo center console.

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by pothiawala786

You're lucky to be able to Auto-x in January.

That's why I love living in Phoenix, racing year around! I'll be hitting the drag strip next weekend to see what the 2 has in it.

Originally Posted by pothiawala786

How'd you mount that camera?

I'm using the Cleat. Worked pretty well. Just mounted it to the back window to get the camera as high as possible. Then you get the best perspective and can see the cones coming up.

Greg

[pothiawala786]

How stable is the Cleat? I've never been a fan of suction type camera mounts, worrying about how it might fly off somewhere throughout the course.

Howd you end up doing? What class are you running in?

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by pothiawala786

How stable is the Cleat? I've never been a fan of suction type camera mounts, worrying about how it might fly off somewhere throughout the course.

Howd you end up doing? What class are you running in?

Its very stable. I believe they use the same type of suction cup for placing windshields. Even over the defroster it worked well which surprised me. Plus you pump it up with a button on the side and if it starts loosing vacuum you will be able to tell because it will show a red line on the button. I recommend it. I bought the cheaper one and it would have been easier to mount it on that short rear window if I could rotate the mount in one more axis. Worked out fine though.

Greg

[pothiawala786]

I used something similar to this:

MR2 Owners Club Message Board&#8482

I have yet to try it on this car to see if it fits, because it seems like the center console on mine would get in the middle. I could always remove it though. But then again, I've got plenty of time, Auto-x season doesnt start here until mid-April.

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by pothiawala786

Howd you end up doing? What class are you running in?

I did ok. I'm running in Street Mod. Since my car is under modified for the class, I'm not competative, but I have a lot of fun and try to improve my driving to better my last time...

Greg

[goddom]

Very cool, I want to autoX this spring when the snow is off the ground. I bought the car specifically for this. Unfortunately, it is also my DD for now, but oh well.

I have a few questions about AutoX (I hope this is not a forum fopah)

1. What is involved in "teching-in"? Should I have my spare tire out of the car? My car car has a little bit of a wobble at freeway speeds, and when I jack the car up and shake teh wheel different ways, it all seems solid there, but would that disqualify me?

2. Are there practice runs? How many runs do you do in a day? Even if its after the competition part, I would like to make a couple more rounds around the course if possible.

I think thats all I have. Thanks for sharing the pics and video.

[kbrew8991]

just a little bit behind on the slaloms and you could be a bit closer to cones it looks like, but still very good

goddom - you'll want to pull any and all loose items, jack, spare, floormats out of the car before tech. They'll likely check your battery to make sure its secure, make sure your floormat isn't there to get caught under the pedals, make sure you don't have any massive leaks, and make sure your tires are going to stay on and aren't corded yet

the # of runs varys from club to club, as do "fun runs" at the end of the day, etc. best to dig up contact info for the club(s) you're going to run with

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by kbrew8991

just a little bit behind on the slaloms and you could be a bit closer to cones it looks like, but still very good

Yeah, I got that heads up from some on the AZSolo.com forum. I need to be on the back end of the slaloms and set up better for the faster areas. I was going in too hot in important transition areas.

Its funny how the video looks sped up! I should have used the Benny Hill theme music instead.

Originally Posted by kbrew8991

goddom - you'll want to pull any and all loose items, jack, spare, floormats out of the car before tech. They'll likely check your battery to make sure its secure, make sure your floormat isn't there to get caught under the pedals, make sure you don't have any massive leaks, and make sure your tires are going to stay on and aren't corded yet

the # of runs varys from club to club, as do "fun runs" at the end of the day, etc. best to dig up contact info for the club(s) you're going to run with

Yeah, we have Time Only runs after the competition. Number of runs all depends on the size of the course (time to run) and the number of folks that sign up. We usually have 3-4 runs in competition and the same for TO. Great Time and Great People.

Greg

[kbrew8991]

Rome wasn't built in a day, keep working on improving (and staying improved) and you'll go far!

[goddom]

Well my battery is secured well, so no problem there. Cool, well it sounds like I shouldn't have a problem getting through inspection since my tires are new but a junky no-name brand (and H rated).

People were talking about ride alongs. Will people ride with me or I ride with them? I would like both. So, I would assume that if I rode with them, it wouldn't be during their actual time trial?

[kbrew8991]

ask around about riding with someone as it really depends on the person.

The club also may or may not have instructors present to help...

[MX450248]

In NW ohio, you can have 1 person ride with you on your runs. We dont have instructors at the tracks tho to get assistance from. It is the most fun I have ever had in a car!!! Cant wait to try it in my mr2, (i did it in a ford probe gt last time, FWD sucks).

[Dance_Business]

I had fun each time, but after I did a ride along with one of the top drivers I won! Experiencing someone else's car/driving style is a huge help; even better if you can ask them along with you.

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by Dance_Business

I had fun each time, but after I did a ride along with one of the top drivers I won! Experiencing someone else's car/driving style is a huge help; even better if you can ask them along with you.

Agreed, I asked on my autocross forum if someone with a mid-engined car would ride with me and give me some advice on my driving. Well a fellow member with an Elise offered and I knocked a second off on my last run. I also got to ride with him in his Elise with R compound tires. What a machine!! I'm so close to selling the deuce and buying an 05 Elise! I've got so much work in my car it makes it difficult.

If you just ask on the forum someone is usually more than happy to give you some advice even if you don't have "instructors". There is usually someone with more experience that can help.

Greg

[goddom]

I was reading a thread about the front sway bar bolt holes in the car need to be reinforced due to a cracking issue. Have you gys heard about this and has it been a problem for you?

[pothiawala786]

Originally Posted by goddom

I was reading a thread about the front sway bar bolt holes in the car need to be reinforced due to a cracking issue. Have you gys heard about this and has it been a problem for you?

Its usually known to happen when people upgrade the front sway to something stiffer (thicker). Suspension Techniques has a 24mm (maybe 22mm) that is known to do this. There are ways to prevent tear out, including using reinforcement plates, longer bolts, and making the endlink mounting points on the struts stronger.