hey so im interested in autocross racing but would like to know if anyone on this forum autocrosses their da. id just like an idea of what slight mods would be nice and help out. im in the process of working on my suspension but being a college student i cant afford all the nice expensive parts.
i have never gone myself, but have seen this question asked dozens of times on as many forums. the answer is always the same. don’t do any mods until you’ve gone out and had a taste. then you can get an idea of where you’re at and what you should focus on
you wont notice expensive parts on an autocross course more than you would on a road course. just go out there and see if you like it. autocross isnt for everyone, although its a great place to learn basic vehicle dynamics.
just make sure your tires are full of air, have good tread and that all your fluid levels are full or even a little over-filled.
remove any extra crap before you get there. dont remove anything you might need though (dont head to the track without your spare or jack, you may need it).
believe it or not, depending on how many laps you get and how big the course is, youll probably kill a tank of fuel, so get a gas can in case you forget to keep an eye on the gauge.
Stick to the basic modifications to keep you in the stock class. The only other class I’ve seen a DA do well in is in the ST or the SM-F class. ST is a long shot as you will have the 89 Civics dominating that class. SM is dependent on who comes out in your region.
Stock will allow for basic suspension modifications and even race compound tires.
ST is the street touring class which limits you to street tire but allows more modifications to the car regarding suspension and bolt ons.
SM-F is the street modified FWD class which allows you to throw any engine in the DA made by the same manufacturer (Honda engine). It is pretty much unlimited to the engine modifications as well and ALMOST unlimited to the suspension and body modifications as well. This is the $$$ class to be in.
As mentioned before, start in the stock class and get some seat time. Save your money for entry fees and feel it out. Most of the time I see people arrive to the event with a ‘modified’ car and they find out that they are put in a class where the car is not capable of winning. Those guys will either not show up again, or will ‘modify’ their car again to meet the class they choose to run in.
The DA can be set up very simiar to an EF. Here’s a link to an EF site that will get you on your way to builing your car to the ST class (former STS class). I used this site myself and had pretty good success. http://www.redshiftmotorsports.com/RedShift%20Tech%20Page.htm
This article has lots of good information for those of you that are starting off in the autocross. Good lock and have fun! :lol: