Stangarang

These were filmed using one of those CVS disposable digital camcorders. I ducktaped it to my dash! Then, because I'm a geek, I found instructions on how to add a USB port to these suckers in order to pull the videos off yourself. So, I now have a $30 digital camcorder, whee!

Anyways, these are from the November 12th autocross in Frederick, MD. The group that runs it is called the Capital Driving Club. I ended up about middle of the pack, but that's not too bad considering I'm 100% stock. Next year I'm planning on competing in the SCCA F-Stock class, which are run at Fed Ex Field, home of the Redskins. The courses there are much much bigger.

Sometimes the microphone kicks out because ABS is activated and goes brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Run 5 is my best time, and run 6 is pretty funny because I hit a cone at the beginning and I yell out in annoyance.

If you haven't tried autocross, you really should. I've been hooked since I first tried it. Besides, it's always fun to do something other than straight-line.

Autocross videos!

emperorjordan

NICE VIDEOS! I need to find something like that locally.

dledmo

Autocross is a blast! I've done 6 events and love it. What's not to love about the chance to drive the h e l l out of your car and not have to worry about Johnny Law or crushing your ride. There are lots of groups around locally. Sorry to sound like a commercial, I'm just hyping my new addiction!

dledmo

By the way, nice vids. Kind of a small course though.

Shea

Cool vids. One question though. Did you have traction control on? The reason that I ask is because in some of the turns where it is apparently the ABS kicking in, it appears that you are past the apex of the turn so I don't know why you would still be braking at that point. Just wondering.

Stangarang

Traction control was on. I should probably just go ahead and turn it off every time. When I first started doing this, I tried it both with and without TCS and it didn't seem to matter, but back then I was real slow anyways.

It might still be ABS, though...it seems to keep on going sometimes after I'm done braking. Annoying.

Oh, and it was a small course indeed. Next year at SCCA, the courses should be about a minute, and a much faster minute at that. I've heard that you have an acceleration area at the beginning of the course, which is quite different from this one where you have a turn immediately.

softbatch

Yeah AutoX is a complete blast.

I will be running FStock next year as well. I should have my tires before the first event.

Just to let you guys know there is a Road Race and Autocross section of these forums in the Motorsports area.

softbatch

what codec do i need to show these?

Shea

I don't know if you know this or not, but the TCS can apply the brakes.

I'm just saying that because it is possible that you are just thinking it is ABS, when in reality it is TCS masking itself as ABS. Just food for thought.

THRUST_

cool videos, definitly looks like fun, and for a $30 camera its not too bad.

topconbob

[attachmentid=39403][attachmentid=39401]I too discovered SoLoII through SCCA this year. I got in to it late in the season but what a blast can't wait until next year. Because I had installed a CAI and tune with magnaflow exhaust I couldn't run in F stock. I had to move to ESP, they do let you run in the open "street tire" class but the odds of doing well in that are slim. Going to lower it, change the springs and tires and try a full season next year.

Nice videos!

softbatch

On the video that shuddering and burring noise looks more like it is understeer instead of the abs on.

Your front tires could be skipping off the ground.

I have had this happen to me a lot because I usually start off the day overdriving the car until I learn the course better.

softbatch

Here are pics from two of my 3 events

AutoX pics

Stangarang

Huh, didn't know that about the TCS. Also didn't know there was an autocross section. Anyways, I'm gonna do as many mods as I can but still remain in f-stock. That means I can't get a CAI, but I will get tires (255/50/17), shocks, and maybe sway bars. I think you can get all of those and still remain in f-stock.

softbatch

You can get the KN High flow filter or something like that for the stock intake.

If you want to be competitive in FS then you should run R compound tires. I would suggest going with 275/40/17 these will be ok with the stock wheel sizes and AutoX but if you want to do track days stick with a 255 or 245 series tire.

Get an alignment with as much static Negative camber you can get while keeping toe and caster within spec using this Shop manual Camber Adjustment

For shocks get koni they can be revalved so they will last longer for your money.

If you can get enough static negative camber (2.5 to 3 degrees) then you should not need a new front swaybar which would tighten up the front of the car causing more understeer which the Mustangs already have plenty of.

Their are other mods that can be done but these are about the only ones that will be worth while.

Free mods

take out the spare and jack

empty the washer fluid to take weight off the front end

softbatch

The 275/40/17 tires will also mess up your speedo but that should not be a problem on the track. The advantage of them comes with more rubber on the ground and you get a higher effective gear ratio.

In comparison to the 235/55/17 with 3.55 gears running 275/40/17s would be like running the 235s with 3.76 gears.

Stangarang

Suspension modding is definitely something I need to read up on. My brother has a 98 Camaro SS that is hooked up pretty well as far as suspension goes, and he kinda humiliates me when we're both autocrossing. Definitely some good info you gave out there.

For tires, I was under the impression that 275s are too big for the stock rims. I heard that they bulge out too much. Depending on how my cash flow is come spring, I might get a new set of stock-size rims and put some r-compound 275s just for racing on them, but most likely I'll just have one set of rims and some 255s. I was also wondering...I take it that swapping in a set of gears would take you out of F-stock, right? How would they check for that? I was also thinking about getting an SCT Xcalibrator2 or whatever it's called, for some more power. Was also wondering how they would detect that for SCCA. It would be good to have the tuner, because I think it can correct the speedo if I have different diameter tires. I might be wrong on that, though.

Thanks for the input!

softbatch

You brothers SS can't run in Fstock even if it was stock because it was a modified car. There is a big controversy about that idea specifically but I will not get into that.

Modifing the factory tuning is illegal for the class but there is no way for them to check it, I'll let you be the judge on that.

If you did go the tune route I would not modify the speedo settings for the race for further "proof" your not cheating

Swapping a set of gears will take you all the way up to street modified which is a class you have no chance of winning unless the other drivers suck or they have cars that are just as bad. Unless the GT500 comes out with a different set of gears, then you could use them in ESP.

Dave Schotzs the Fstock solo2 and prosolo national champion from 2004 used 275s on his 17x8 Mach1

While they may not be great for use on the street they will be good on an AutoX course.

This thread will give a lot of good tech for a Mustang Fstocker.

Hey Dave Schotz, please tell us mustang folks about the nationals!

Stangarang

Yeah, if he was stock I think he'd be in A-Stock, where he would be killed anyways. He also has 315 Nitto 555s on all the corners, which is definitely not the stock rims. Add in all the solid suspension components and he's waaaaay out of stock.

I might get the tuner and just flash it back to stock before racing. I'm not gonna go cheat...wouldn't be able to live with myself at the end of the day. I would definitely love to stuff some 275s on there for autox. I've heard that tires are the most important thing, followed by shocks. So, I'll focus my money on that, and if I can fit anything else in there, that would be gravy. The K&N filter is easily doable.

Thanks for the link to the SCCA forum post. More good stuff there

softbatch

I'm buying a set of the stock '05 Bullitts since they only weigh 21.6 lbs and will be putting the 275s on that for race day. I would have liked to have them before my last event this year on Dec4th but I will have to wait until next season to start with the fun tires.

I'm going to hold off on the shocks until I decide if I want to stay in FStock or go to ESP in '07, unless I find a good set of used Koni's.