Gen 1 handling

mx757 · 11-21-2008, 08:53 PM

Hello everyone out there in MR2 land. This is my 1st post and I am looking for some information. My local oval track has a class called the hornets which I believe the MR2 would qualify for. I found an 86 with the 5 speed dirt cheap and I want to build it into the ultimate class killer. I am a little worried though about the mid engine set up. I have read some places that this causes the car to puch a bit, and then snap around hard once it catches traction. Is this true, and If it is how hard is it to alleviate the situation? I definatly am not wanting to spin out a ton, because most of the people in that class are not the greatest at avoiding incidents.

Also, whats a realistic weight for the car race ready with a cage, seat, and about 4 gallons of fuel in the tank? I will have to strip out all the glass, carpeting, headliner, and other flammable insulation.

Thanks in advance. I appreciate any information you all can share.

Denz · 11-21-2008, 09:14 PM

It should handle perfectly fine.
If your going TO fast yes, it may understeer, if you brake you will take weight off the rears, this will cause it to rotate, if you accelerate you will either push more or loose traction at the rear and the same thing will happen.
Im sure someone can give a better explanation and talk to you about the rest.
Good luck

mx757 · 11-21-2008, 09:23 PM

just curious, but how fast should it be able to corner as compared to say a 240sx? the track I am going to run is a high banked quarter mile asphault track. average lap time for the class is around 16.25 seconds i believe.

metheores · 11-21-2008, 09:28 PM

Doesn't that depend on your driving skills?
It should handle better than a 240SX i could tell you that much.

The dangers you hear about it's driver error. The car does not under steer / over steer / spins out on it's own. I made a thread when I first got my car- I learned the best way to get used to the car is by driving it. Good luck- it's not really that hard, it's about timing and feel.

mx757 · 11-22-2008, 09:35 AM

I am pulling the trigger here in the next coupe days. should be good.

Jackstand Queen · 11-25-2008, 08:40 PM

The SCCA pundits characterize the Mk I Mr2 as "slower and heavier". The N.A. version does 0-60 in around 8 + seconds. It weighs around 2400 lbs with AC, PW, PDL, etc. A honda Civic of similar vintage weighs around 1900 lbs.

Any weight you can remove from the rear of the car will improve its handling. A lot.

Replacing the N.A. engine with a supercharged version would pep up the car's accelleration BUTTLOADs. Though I don't know the modification rules of the Hornet class. Enlighten us . . . its sounds interesting.

SW21T · 11-25-2008, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jackstand Queen

The SCCA pundits characterize the Mk I Mr2 as "slower and heavier". The N.A. version does 0-60 in around 8 + seconds. It weighs around 2400 lbs with AC, PW, PDL, etc. A honda Civic of similar vintage weighs around 1900 lbs.

Any weight you can remove from the rear of the car will improve its handling. A lot.

Replacing the N.A. engine with a supercharged version would pep up the car's accelleration BUTTLOADs. Though I don't know the modification rules of the Hornet class. Enlighten us . . . its sounds interesting.

what year of the n/a version??

328FTW · 11-27-2008, 08:21 AM

Weight isn't everything. I have driven civics and integras and other fwd cars that are lighter than an mr2 but they flex terribly. In an early lighter integra I was thrashing I managed to keep twisting the car out of gear cause it had solid shift linkages that moved with the body. And I got a civic to start "moon hopping" round corners cause it had been stripped out but left sitting up high on stock suspension, something didn't seem right but it was funny. MR2s are pretty stiff standard and don't do these strange things so there is a flipside to lightweight cars, nothing is perfect you just go with what suits your driving style. Moon hopping is not my style lol.

ve2dict · 12-06-2008, 12:58 PM

one of my old mr2s i turned into an oval dirt track car for a stock class and it pretty much raped everyone from about the half way point of the race to the end . because of the track being wet in the beginning and drying out throughout the race. it was an n/a high comp car. the only cars i had trouble with were gsr integras but it was about even with them. the car is a great handling car all depends on the driver though. u just have to realize its not a normal rear well drive car. the only way i could get it to turn in the dirt track was by drifting the turns but it worked and i didnt get any snap over steer it was very controllable. im not saying the mr2 is a drift car but for the circumstances it was

328FTW · 12-07-2008, 11:33 PM

Back when I was dirt track racing I had exactly the same problem of useless in the wet and Honda raper in the dry. I could rape integras 5 times over on a dry track...until they started chipping their computers which was not allowed in the production class but some were running stand alone ems under the dash hidden away (several of them ran them which defeats the purpose of a cheap fun class). I got fed up with it and moved on to the 4cyl unlimited class.

Have you tried a locked diff? They actually go really well with a locker which I thought was strange. I even run a locked diff in my tarmac car until I get my slip diff in.

ve2dict · 12-08-2008, 12:09 PM

yep was pretty much the exact same thing that happened to me. my last race i ran was actually my first race where i welded up the differential. was also the first race with a new junk yard motor which didnt make it long enough to really tell how well the diff was working and was about the 3rd or 4th motor i had put in and called it quits at the time

11-21-2008, 08:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
mx757 No Skills Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Gen 1 handling Hello everyone out there in MR2 land. This is my 1st post and I am looking for some information. My local oval track has a class called the hornets which I believe the MR2 would qualify for. I found an 86 with the 5 speed dirt cheap and I want to build it into the ultimate class killer. I am a little worried though about the mid engine set up. I have read some places that this causes the car to puch a bit, and then snap around hard once it catches traction. Is this true, and If it is how hard is it to alleviate the situation? I definatly am not wanting to spin out a ton, because most of the people in that class are not the greatest at avoiding incidents. Also, whats a realistic weight for the car race ready with a cage, seat, and about 4 gallons of fuel in the tank? I will have to strip out all the glass, carpeting, headliner, and other flammable insulation. Thanks in advance. I appreciate any information you all can share.

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11-21-2008, 09:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Denz Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hamilton, New Zealand Posts: 487 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	It should handle perfectly fine. If your going TO fast yes, it may understeer, if you brake you will take weight off the rears, this will cause it to rotate, if you accelerate you will either push more or loose traction at the rear and the same thing will happen. Im sure someone can give a better explanation and talk to you about the rest. Good luck

11-21-2008, 09:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
mx757 No Skills Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	just curious, but how fast should it be able to corner as compared to say a 240sx? the track I am going to run is a high banked quarter mile asphault track. average lap time for the class is around 16.25 seconds i believe.

11-21-2008, 09:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
metheores Supreme! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 658 Thanks: 38 Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Doesn't that depend on your driving skills? It should handle better than a 240SX i could tell you that much. The dangers you hear about it's driver error. The car does not under steer / over steer / spins out on it's own. I made a thread when I first got my car- I learned the best way to get used to the car is by driving it. Good luck- it's not really that hard, it's about timing and feel.

11-22-2008, 09:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
mx757 No Skills Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I am pulling the trigger here in the next coupe days. should be good.

11-25-2008, 08:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jackstand Queen Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 64 Times in 60 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	The SCCA pundits characterize the Mk I Mr2 as "slower and heavier". The N.A. version does 0-60 in around 8 + seconds. It weighs around 2400 lbs with AC, PW, PDL, etc. A honda Civic of similar vintage weighs around 1900 lbs. Any weight you can remove from the rear of the car will improve its handling. A lot. Replacing the N.A. engine with a supercharged version would pep up the car's accelleration BUTTLOADs. Though I don't know the modification rules of the Hornet class. Enlighten us . . . its sounds interesting.

11-27-2008, 08:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
328FTW Crazy Nasty Honey Badger Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,235 Thanks: 24 Thanked 266 Times in 239 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Weight isn't everything. I have driven civics and integras and other fwd cars that are lighter than an mr2 but they flex terribly. In an early lighter integra I was thrashing I managed to keep twisting the car out of gear cause it had solid shift linkages that moved with the body. And I got a civic to start "moon hopping" round corners cause it had been stripped out but left sitting up high on stock suspension, something didn't seem right but it was funny. MR2s are pretty stiff standard and don't do these strange things so there is a flipside to lightweight cars, nothing is perfect you just go with what suits your driving style. Moon hopping is not my style lol.

12-06-2008, 12:58 PM	#9 (permalink)
ve2dict Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 121 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	one of my old mr2s i turned into an oval dirt track car for a stock class and it pretty much raped everyone from about the half way point of the race to the end . because of the track being wet in the beginning and drying out throughout the race. it was an n/a high comp car. the only cars i had trouble with were gsr integras but it was about even with them. the car is a great handling car all depends on the driver though. u just have to realize its not a normal rear well drive car. the only way i could get it to turn in the dirt track was by drifting the turns but it worked and i didnt get any snap over steer it was very controllable. im not saying the mr2 is a drift car but for the circumstances it was

12-07-2008, 11:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
328FTW Crazy Nasty Honey Badger Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,235 Thanks: 24 Thanked 266 Times in 239 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Back when I was dirt track racing I had exactly the same problem of useless in the wet and Honda raper in the dry. I could rape integras 5 times over on a dry track...until they started chipping their computers which was not allowed in the production class but some were running stand alone ems under the dash hidden away (several of them ran them which defeats the purpose of a cheap fun class). I got fed up with it and moved on to the 4cyl unlimited class. Have you tried a locked diff? They actually go really well with a locker which I thought was strange. I even run a locked diff in my tarmac car until I get my slip diff in.

12-08-2008, 12:09 PM	#11 (permalink)
ve2dict Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 121 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	yep was pretty much the exact same thing that happened to me. my last race i ran was actually my first race where i welded up the differential. was also the first race with a new junk yard motor which didnt make it long enough to really tell how well the diff was working and was about the 3rd or 4th motor i had put in and called it quits at the time