I purchased my GTA with the intention of auto-x racing it. I passed up cars that I found with engine swaps and power adders to try and allow myself a chance to run at more stock-level classes. The only mods to my GTA are a 3000 rpm stall, 3.73 gears, and a shift kit.

I looked over the SCCA pro-solo rules the other day and it turns out that those mods put me into class C-prepared. This class is far from stock or even street-driven. The cars in it don't have to have interiors or windows or be street legal, and any engine mod and swap is also allowed. My problem now is that I'm stuck up in this high class with almost no chance to be close in any race as a first timer.

I'm leaning towards just trying it this spring and letting myself be laughed at. My only other options would be getting another f-body that is closer to stock or changing my mods back to stock. I have already decided that I'm not going to spend money making this car slower (that is the complete opposite of what I had in mind) and my goal was originally to mod the car through the years to eventually be in a class like this with a car that can compete and a lot of auto-x experience.

I'm just looking to see what you guys thinks because I love this car and I was planning to have it for a long time and make it perfect. It seems to be set up well for drag racing which I did think I would do some of, but my goal was auto-x. In case I misread the rules you can let me know, but every class before prepared wouldn't let you touch the transmission or final drive gear. Thanks in advance for the input.

Rules can be read here:

http://www.scca.com/documents/Solo_R...solo_rules.pdf

~Matt

 

What mod puts you into CP? Simple enough to change out & drop to ESP?

I wouldn't expect that a 3000 stall conveter to be very good for Autocross anyways, so I'll look into changing that out for something tighter.

Where are you? Your region might run a Mod class. Those are designed for the modified street car that has a few CP parts, but is still very much a street car. Things like tubular LCAs & PHB...STBs. Engine mods beyond ESP class, while still being a street car, etc

 

I would be running in the Northern New Jersey Region (NNJR) at Englishtown. All I did was read the scca rules for that club, so if there are ways around it please let me know. I'm all ears.

~Matt

 

I doubt there is any way around the rules. Also, I agree a high stall converter would be terrible for auto-x. In fact I think it's terrible for anything except drags. Of course you can still try it just to get on the track.

 

I would start here: http://www.scca-nnjr.org/ & ask if they have any "local only" classes.

Near me is http://spokes.org/

Or you know what? And I just remembered this class...Street Touring. Basically what I was describing. A step up from ESP, but not CP.

In the SCCA Rule Book.....
Starting with page 79, it deals with ST class. Page 83 talks about the allowed mods to the engine & Drivetrain. I couldn't any transmission specifics. And as well all know in Autocross...If it isn't spelled out as legal? Then the item is illegal.

The 3.73s you can probably get away with, since the 84 Z28 with the L69 could come stock with a 3.73.

Besides.....Don't ask, don't tell! "Yeah...It's all stock.:

 

It'll depend on the club what you get away with. My club only has 4 classes based on engine and tires. You can have any mods you want so long as they aren't dangerous or too loud. I've heard that some clubs are super hot on inspections and other drivers will turn you in if they suspect you're not to spec. You'll just have to try and see what happens. I think that converter will drive you nuts though.

 

Don't let the preparation levels in the rules intimidate you. CP at "local" SCCA autocrosses usually doesn't have cars prepped to that level. Maybe 1-2 cars if that, but from what I've seen, it's usually cars like yours that have a few things done that put them beyond ESP. I can't remember the last time I saw a "real" CP car at a local autocross.

For example, CP cars in our region are all driven to the event, and everyboy in the class is there just to have fun. The cars all have stock windshields and windows. One guy has a Dodge Dart that just has a race seat but he drives it to the autocrosses. Another guy has some ESP-level mods on an LS1 Camaro but runs CP because he gets castoff roadracing slicks for cheap.

Heck in ESP last year, there was a guy in a 60s Ford pickup who ran almost every autocross. Wasn't the fastest vehicle out there, but he showed up to have fun.

If you're just starting out, I wouldn't worry about mods and what The Other Guy has done until you get more seat time. My first year autocrossing with a Sentra SE-R, I was in Street Prepared because my car just had a header!

Pat

 

Get out to an event and have some fun! Dont worry about what class ur cars in, most clubs have a novice class, and they will show you the ropes. Your not gonna be very fast at first, Run your car the way it is. getting seat time is more important than any mod your car has, and the skills you learn last a lifetime. while you get some practice out on course,try and find a T56 to swap in.

The club i run with goes by SCCA rules, and i am classed in ESP. I run a 1991 Firebird T5 TBI, with springs/swaybars swapped from a GTA, Koni Yellows front and back, new auburn posi with 3.42 gears. The motor has an open element, and ultimate TBI mods, catback exhaust. I run 245 45 16 Hankook RS2 tires. Ive got brembo blank rotors and hawk HPS pads.

if you swapped a T56 into your car, with those 3.73 gears, you would be in ESP, there are a lot of mods that you could do to your car in that class and still be within the rules. read the intro to street prepared part of the rulebook.

Mark Madarash drives a 1988 trans am, and has won the SCCA nationals in the ESP class, in 1999,2001,2007,2008,2009,2010
http://www.fullsolo.org/videos/cover...-mark-madarash

heres a shot of my car

 

Thanks for the replies. I will try contact nnjr and asking about where I would be, but I do really want to just get into it and start racing soon. I was just concerned that everyone in prepared would have been doing this for years in car with $10,000 worth of mods. I guess I won't know until I go and find out.

Quick question, why is a stall so bad in auto-x? Just thinking about it off the top of my head I would think it would hold the 350 TPI in the 3000-4000rpm range where it has peak performance. Thanks again.

~Matt

 

I auto-x you'll probably spend most of your time in 2nd gear and not always at peak power. When exiting a corner the power needs to come on quickly but smoothly. With the high stall lots of power will suddenly kick in when it locks up so it'll probably be difficult to control. I suspect it'll spin out very easily. I have stock auto and the power (what there is from my old v6) comes in very smoothly so is relatively easy to control. But, as has been said, don't wait. Just get started and figure out what you want/need as you go. You won't beat the 'pros' any time soon. If you do we'll all want to know how you did it!

 

Regardless of what class your car "ranks"....F Stock, E Street Prepared or C Prepared, you'll still be in the Novice class. N-FS.....N-ESP.....N-CP, so you'll run against other Novices, regardless of their SCCA class too.

Go run, see what class they put you in (up to you to divulge the converter stall) and the rear gears will not effect your car, since they are still "stock" gears for your car. 82-92, 2.73-3.73...Doesn't change the fact that they are stock gears. Anybody running in stock class will tell you to combine the best of 82-92, into 1 car.

My first time out, I was classed in ESP. Then during talking to one of the head guys in the class, he learned I was a complete newbie & said he thought I was doing good for Novice Class. Novice Class??? That is when my car got reclassified & I went from dead last to First Place! Just a bunch of us who really didn't know how to drive yet (and anyone who thinks they do, gets a reality check on course), but who cares? I still have that First Place trophy.

A GOOD driver in a F-stock car can easily wipe you out in a ESP car. Once you *think* you know how to drive? Get an older, experienced driver to drive your car. They'll make your best time look like a Sunday drive, on their first run out! At least...That is what happened to me! Of course, I do have several 1st Place National Champions in my region, and that is what I got to drive my car.

Bum you a ride in a fully prepared C-Prepared F-body (if they have a 2nd seat). It'll scare the crap outta you!

 

Thanks Stephen, I didn't realize they had different classes for skill level. Hopefully NNJR does too. I plan to go out and try this spring so i will let you know how it goes. I'm having a problem hooking the tires now so maybe it is from the stalled torque converter. I also plan to drag the car when the track opens again so I will at least get some use out of having the stall

 

Actually, to clarify, you can't do that in SCCA Stock classes. You can only do what was an option on that particular year and model car. You can't mix and match across the years for "good" parts.

In Street Prepared, you can "frankenstein" all the good parts from all 1982-1992 F-Bodies. My car being a perfect example as it's an '82 but has an L98, rear end (with disc brakes) from a later 3rd gen, IROC wonderbar and probably some other stuff I can't remember right now.

Pat

 

Yeah. Since the OP was concerned about bing in a Modified class, I was trying to say that some of his stuff wouldn't put him in to Modified class, just Street Prepared. Sorry for the lack of clarity on that.

But some things you can "get away with", even in Stock class, if your not concerned about being 100% class legal.