There telling me is ruins your car. He was telling it is safer for the car to do 1/4 drags.
I wanted to know if I had anything to worry about. Keep in mind I am a beginner, but I'm not an idiot and will do whatever it takes to take care of my car.
I don't mind my tires wearing out and what not and getting maintenace done on the car as I put mileage on it, I mean that's probably what everyone does.
So Auto Xers any issues you had with your cars? Do your cars still run well?
Well think about it this way... you can chew tires and brakes (which are about $400 a set and $50 a set respectively) or you can make drivetrain soup (which who knows how much that costs). You decide.
I've got 33K miles on the car since I started racing it, I recommend this:
Oil every 3K
Tranny Fluid every 10-15 (its about $8 to change it, no whining)
Coolant every 20-30
Spark plugs once a year or every 25K
Valvetrain clearance every 30K
Check/change your shocks (changing them is a one time deal for many years)
and all the other basic maintainance.
If you keep the car up and look for problems, you shouldn't have any because you'll catch them before they happen.
You can't destroy the car racing it, sure you'll wear things out, but drag racing (clutch dumps, slam shifting, constant acceleration) is harder on your engine and transmission than turning.
Mine runs like a top, I think you'll find thats the case with all of us... because we keep our cars on top of their game.
Last edited by Boilermaker1 : 08-11-2004 at 11:12 PM.
I don't have any issues either as long as you keep it maintained. Any type of racing will wear parts more quickly, but it won't destroy your car. Very rarely do you see a car with a blown rod on an autox course.
Anything outside of the normal use of a car is goign to wear on it more. Like was said above, if you maintain, its all good.
Look at it this way...
Life is the journey not the destination.
Do you want to be the old ass rich guy who never enjoyed his journey because he was too concerned with the destination aka saving for something that he never enjoyed?
There telling me is ruins your car. He was telling it is safer for the car to do 1/4 drags.
I wanted to know if I had anything to worry about. Keep in mind I am a beginner, but I'm not an idiot and will do whatever it takes to take care of my car.
I don't mind my tires wearing out and what not and getting maintenace done on the car as I put mileage on it, I mean that's probably what everyone does.
So Auto Xers any issues you had with your cars? Do your cars still run well?
1) Your friend's are ignorant ricers. (Harsh, but it's my opinion when I hear shit like that )
2) They're probably talking about destroying the brakes and tires. Some think brakes and tires are a big deal, but like Boilermaker said, they're cheaper to upgrade/replace than a new transmission/motor...IMO.
3) If you learn to drive your car to it's potential, and do it well, you really won't be any harder on it than stop-n-go gridlock on a major highway, or taking a corner too fast then hitting a pot hole. Think about it, the ROADS that we drive DAILY are FAR worse on our cars than a nice, grommed, FLAT (usually) surface you would race the car on, i.e. a parking lot, an airport tarmec (sp?), or an actual road course.
4) To re-itterate what was already said a million times....keep up on the ROUTINE MAINTENANCE and you'll be fine.
5) If all other rationale fails.....use my fall back....."Hey....It's a ****IN HONDA!!"
Well, I have 80,000 miles on my car.... i've been autocrossing since the car had 30,000 miles... No engine issues, no transmission issues, no clutch issures.... Can your friends go 80,000 miles and not atleas have changed a clutch?
oh ya, the amount of time I've spend bouncing off the revlimiter is starting to get in to the minutes..... and still no problems (Good thing I have a Honda....)
what I have worn out.... 1. Several sets of race tires. 2. one set of OEM pads/shoes 3. Front lower control arm bushings (a whoping $25 to replace)....
I'd have to say that autocrossing is decidedly kinder to your car then drag racing...
i think its just that autocrossing is less cool cause its not about making big power. its about actually knowing how to drive, and drive well. besides, its more fun to try to hit apexes than shave your 60ft times
and if youre REALLY worried about it trashing your car, get an old beater car, i.e. a CRX, etc.
theyre great little cars with adequate power for autox, theyre light, and they handle great. theyre lots of fun
oh, and another 1/4 mile vs. autox example.
how many times do you see an SCCA Solo II National Champion rebuliding his engine?
A local racer has been auto-x-ing his 1992 Prelude . It has over 208,000 miles on it (it does. I've seen the odometer). And to this day, it looks like it came off the showroom floor (EVEN THE PAINT hasn't faded or chipped) this guy took GOOD care of his car.
^^eh.. Cone juce come off with a little rubbing compound .
Yeah...that shit'll buff right out...
On a serious note...
Unless you've got a EURO YELLOW 6thgen ITR (REAL ITR) and you catch a cone going sideways, it slides under your car, and into your left front wheel well....and DOESN'T come out......it SHOULD buff right out.
We found CHUNKS of BLACK rubber (from the melted cone) after his SMOKING car past us (workin the course)...LMAO
and OOOOOHHH did it STINK!!!! He kept a piece of it as a "kill trophy" and a "lesson to other cones...don't FVCK with ME!!" he said.
But he said, he'd "have a HELL of a time gettin' that shit off the fender/door panel" LMAO
If you ask an avid game hunter about gun control, of course he's going to reply with the typical "guns don't kill people, people kill people" conversation.
^ Take that as my opinion on the subject.
Nonetheless autox I could agree will make you a good driver.
i haven't started auto-x yet, but i'm going to very soon (stock class for now). i always watch the world-challenge cars on tv and i wish i could do something like that. even if just auto-x.
think about this, you paid somewhere around $15,000 or so for the car, then whatever modifications you do to it, more $$$... and you're just using it to go to work and back??? man, if i'm going to spend that kind of money, i'm going to USE the car.
(Harsh, but it's my opinion when I hear shit like that 
)
