Ok so here's my dilemma

Last year was my first year autoxing, ever. I think I did fairly well. Never got last, but never got first either. So over this winter I plan on installing a Fr Swaybar and get stickier tires (RE11 or Star Specs). I had planned on competing in Bstock again because (a) Too many mods would hurt my learning experience (b) the previously faster bstock guys were moving out of bstock and/or selling their cars (c) being in BSP I would need to be on slicks to be competitive (d) save money.

But since I started buying parts this winter, I got hooked and ended up buying a whole fr/rr swaybar set and high flow cats (it was a good deal). I know the rear swaybar and hfc's would put me out of stock class but since I already have them I want to put them on. Then if I put those on and move to BSP, I'd want to get a plenum spacer, springs/shocks (for a lower ride) and everything else.

I also do a few HPDE's so the rear swaybar would help me out there as well.

So now I'm torn between staying in Bstock and being very competitive or moving up to BSP where I'd be getting owned by older corvettes on slicks. But at least I'd be able to install all my mods and buy even more mods.......(I really wanna a lower stance)

Lol the more I type this the more pointless this thread sounds. It's basically do I have enough will power to not buy any parts, save money, and compete in bstock where I can learn and progress more.

So if I were to ask a question.....I guess it'd be, what would you do? lol

 

BSP.. you know you want to.

 

bsp in my region, alot faster people. Gives me something to work for, not many b-stock cars in my region

 

BSP. We killed everything but the fastest rally monsters in BSP this year at Nationals- OK, my co-driver Peter did, and I did on raw times... stoopid cones! :-P

 

yeah but in BSP you're only competitive if you're on slicks. But I don't wan to run on slicks so early in my driving career and develop bad habits.

I really wanna get one of those little cone trophy thingies

 

I drive street tires for awhile and then went to slicks. Best move I ever did, this is only my second year in autox. My opinion, I have learned alot more about the car on slicks.

 

Both B Stock and BSP are allowed to run on DOT R-compound tires (not technically "slicks"). The tires are the same in both classes, except BSP allows wider wheels and different diameters, which therefore allows larger tires to be used. Therefore, competitive tires are similar. Most B-Stock Z's use 275/40R17's or 285-295/30R18's depending on factory wheel sizes. (Stock guys please correct me if I am wrong, but that is what Jim and Carter Thompson were running, I used to mount them in my shop) Our BSP car uses the same 295/30R18 on the front, and a 315/30R18 on the rear, so not a big difference there.

My point is, if you want to win "one of those little cone trophy thingies", and are willing to spend the money on competitive tires, cost should not be a deciding factor, nor should your habits be much different in either instance.

If you really want to avoid bad habits and develop your skillz, go here: http://evoschool.com

 

sorry, I shoulda mentioned that I was running in a street tire b stock class. Too bad there's no modified street tire class for us.

Man, I hate you guys. I'm already looking to order a plenum spacer and and lowering springs.

Maybe this will be a separate thread, but what spring/shock setup do you guys run on your bsp cars? And do they provide a lower ride height? What if I just get some tokico d-specs with the OEM springs?

man.....i'm so broke already............

And thanks for the advice Brian, I had already planned on attending the evoschool. Thanks for helping me spend my money guys!

But honestly speaking, I'll have to think about this more because I don't want to spend any more money except tires, and I really want to be competitive. But I also want to install all the parts sitting in my living room. *sigh*

 

BSP! You spent the money on the mods, so dont let them sit around. Put them on the car. You will only get better and work harder by driving against better drivers.

 

BS is actually faster out here, we have more BS drivers with properly set up cars. Just run BSP and have fun.

 

If you have a street-tire class you can compete in, I would stay there.

A full set of sways would be nice, but a good set of adjustable shocks will allow you to "dial in" the car's balance and stiffen up the ride too, if that's what you want.

A high flow drop-in filter is the closest thing to cheap HP you will find for your Z and should be legal in a stock class. Beyond that, extra HP costs so much, and yeilds so little, that I don't intend to bother with it anytime soon. (And I am starting my fourth year.)

BTW: I would add the new Kumho XS to the list of tires you consider. (I prefer them over the Star Specs -and I like the Star Specs.)

*Edit* I just noticed you are in MI. I have noticed that the Star Specs stick a little better "cold" than the XS. (As they warm up, the XS's have more grip.) Here in SW Florida, the extra grip the Kumhos have over the Star Specs, (When they are up to temp) makes them a better choice. But maybe not where you are. If your runs are close to each other, ( ie each class gets all their runs together) then the Kumho's would still be better for all but the first 15-20 seconds of the very first run. (IMHO)

 

I prefer to take Dead last in SM2.. Oh wait,

 

Since you're just trying to run locally, competitively, run BSP. You already bought mods for it. If you do plan to stay in BSP, buy coilovers, don't buy a springs/strut combo. A quality coilover will be superior to spending the money for great shocks and springs. Also, if you really get serious about autoxing, you'll need DOT R-Comps in either class anyway.

I'm finally prepped for BS, I will be running 285/30 V710s

 

You will improve as a driver with additional seat time regardless of the class you run in. Running at the limit whether it be on street tires or the "r" compounds will teach you car control skills. The "r" compounds may actually be cheaper in the long run once you have a set of wheels. If you only are concerned with running locally and you have the mods I would run BSP. If you want a trophy nationally or even locally in some cases be ready to spend both time and money on the car, its prep and the driver.

Be careful, as once you start adding speed with mods and tires, you may want to continue. I started in stock class for a few years, then wanted to go faster so I moved up to Street Prepared. Once I was tired of working on my car on the weekends AND driving it during the week I moved up to Prepared. After a couple years in Prepared I decided that it would be cheaper to go fast in Mod and so in EM I reside. Its a slippery slope be careful especially when you start breaking stuff. I bought my 350Z to drive while my 240Z is getting worked on

-Mark

 

thanks for all the comments guys. And I agree with all of you to run BSP. So that I will do this year. But still sticking to street tires, maybe afterwards I'll switch to r compounds.

Regarding tires, I looking into either the Star Specs or RE11's (which come out March 1st). But that'll be another thread

And regarding shocks, I know how important they are, but I just can't seem to grasp the vehicle dynamics right now on how to "dial them in". Maybe when I actually get a set I'll understand more.

Thanks for all the advice, hopefully I'll update this thread as the season goes on with my own "blog" of my performance each week

 

Yeah, I can relate to that. I moved from BSP where I was competitive, to SM2 due to my GT SPEC braces. Now, I get spanked by FI Miatas . . .

 

Smart move on sticking with street tires! I can be at 95% of my competitor's DOT-R times on my all-season ASXs (in the dry), so I'm not giving up *that* much to them (but I am to myself). Driving on street tires also forces me to work with the tires rather than against them, so I can be faster still.

As far as suspension settings, if you have some good racing sims available (realistic racing simulations vs. "racing games" -- Forza is a sim, Gran Turismo is more of a game), start with a car with default settings and get to where you can drive it consistently for 3-4 laps at a time. Once you do that, go back and set the front shocks all the way soft and repeat the driving experience, watching the relative times. Then set the front shocks all the way stiff and repeat. Reset the fronts and do the same with the rears that you did with the fronts. Compare all of the times and the driving experience. This will give you experience with "gross" settings and what those settings will do to handling. The better you get at driving consistent laps, the better driver you become (because you're no longer upsetting the car but working with it).

 

so I just read in another thread that by having a CF varis intake on my front bumper puts me into SM2? That sucks cuz it doesn't even do anything. Is it possible to stay in BSP if I tape up the duct?

Not like it matters cuz I won't be able to compete on a national level for another few years.

 

So, why did you install it then? For looks?

 

yeah, well party for functionality (or so I thought at the time) cuz I was planning on doing more HPDE's than autox. But now I'm starting to want to compete in autox.

Plus I put it on right when I got the car so I didn't know much at the time either. I think it was the ricer in me -_-''