Huh?

mulletman · 11-09-2008, 12:12 AM

Yeah, that guy probably has a very potent Civic. But I'd cringe to find out how much he's spent on it...

robinson · 11-09-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulletman

Yeah, that guy probably has a very potent Civic. But I'd cringe to find out how much he's spent on it...

Wheel to wheel is going to be "expensive" no matter what car you have, especially I you have something more sorted out than a civic. That's why I think some of the opinions expressed here are very uninformed, especially since as far as I know, no one else that frequents this forum actually does any kind of track driving, but they are instant experts at what works, and what won't, despite any actual experience. If its cheap, and maybe not fast, but you can actually compete, why not? Not everyone can afford actual sports cars, oh wait, you all have your dream sports car

I don't like the ricers any more than the rest of you, but that does not disqualify civics as race worthy.

If I'm wrong about people's track experience, I'm sure someone will pipe in.

What5647 · 11-09-2008, 06:12 PM

Well, both from personal observation and what co-workers who spend every night at the 1/4 track tell me, civics are cheap, but not necessarily the best thing in their class. Basically, if you want to get into racing, but have a really tight budget, the civic will get you in. Granted, there are plenty of cars that this could be said of, but civics are known for decent, cheap aftermarket parts. Do an engine swap, slap an average turbo on it, maybe even a wet nitrous kit, and you're good to go. You'll have a nice economical car that's pretty quick. Nothing special really in the racing world, but good to get you into the sport.

But once you start trying to make it into a really fast car, the price is going to increase very rapidly, just like anything else. Plus, at that point reliability becomes an issue with civics. If you want to get into the 10's the cheap way, go find a foxbody mustang, or maybe an old Trans Am, if you can afford one. I've got 2 co-workers that are really into racing, one with a foxbody, the other with a civic. Both cost about the same to get into the 10's, but the foxbody doesn't have to worry about breaking an axle.

If you're somewhat interested in racing and you're on a budget, get a civic. If you're really into racing and you're on a budget, find something with a V8. Might not be as cheap, but it'll certainly be more reliable.

Oh, and if your civic doesn't run a 1/4 mile in the 14's, please, do us a favor and stay home. I'm not trying to be mean when I say that, but it gets frustrating when you have to wait on a ton of 17 second civics when you're trying to race.

robinson · 11-09-2008, 06:23 PM

I wasn't even talking about 1/4 mile, I don't really call that racing. I was referring to a road course.

doulos14 · 11-09-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvinjesus

Kimball is a guy's name. I know someone named that.

That would be worse(for a guy to mess up like this

What5647 · 11-09-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinson

I wasn't even talking about 1/4 mile, I don't really call that racing. I was referring to a road course.

Well, the things you have to upgrade aren't that different. Spings, shocks, tires, engine parts, etc. You upgrade the same things no matter what form of racing you're looking at, and there's nothing to stop you from building a good A/X car that's still decent at the 1/4 mile. So, the cost isn't going to be too different.

Depends totally on what class you want to be in too.

mattslope · 11-09-2008, 10:03 PM

Well, wonders never cease. Now, if only that guy had started with an S2000.

What5647 · 11-10-2008, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattSlope

Well, wonders never cease. Now, if only that guy had started with an S2000.

Now you're talking. Or he could have gone American made and gone with a Pontiac Solstice GXP Z0K.

As I learn more and more about A/X racing, it becomes more apparent that river skill is the biggest determining factor when it comes to what car is better than others. A good driver in a "meh" decent car can easily take out the rookie in a top-of-the-class car. And with how the classes are set up, for the most part a Civic will always be a Civic, no matter how much it gets modded.

mulletman · 11-10-2008, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattSlope

Well, wonders never cease. Now, if only that guy had started with an S2000.

Quote:

Originally Posted by What5647

Now you're talking. Or he could have gone American made and gone with a Pontiac Solstice GXP Z0K.

As I learn more and more about A/X racing, it becomes more apparent that river skill is the biggest determining factor when it comes to what car is better than others. A good driver in a "meh" decent car can easily take out the rookie in a top-of-the-class car. And with how the classes are set up, for the most part a Civic will always be a Civic, no matter how much it gets modded.

Indeed.

My whole point is this. There are a selection of cars that could be had for prices close to that of Civic + engine swap, that would be more potent out of the box. And yes, building any kind of competition car is going to be expensive, but starting with something that is a better platform does seem to be a better idea, even from my limited experience point of view.

Front wheel drive in a racecar worked once, that I know of. And that was a few rally prepped Mini Coopers in the '60s Monte Carlo.

What5647 · 11-10-2008, 10:45 AM

Well, a MINI Cooper is hardly a Civic.

mulletman · 11-10-2008, 04:17 PM

And a MINI is hardly a Cooper product.

This is a Mini Cooper, everything else is not.

***Art*** · 11-10-2008, 04:45 PM

You are technically incorrect.

What5647 · 11-10-2008, 05:26 PM

Same company, different owners...They were British owned for the oldschool car, now they're BMW. Kinda like how Jaguar was Ford, and is now owned by someone else.

mulletman · 11-10-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

You are technically incorrect.

True. However, I'm not much interested in 'technically.'

Quote:

Originally Posted by What5647

Same company, different owners...They were British owned for the oldschool car, now they're BMW. Kinda like how Jaguar was Ford, and is now owned by someone else.

Kinda. Not really the same company. Most of the original cars people tend to call "Mini Coopers" were produced by a variety of companies including Austin, Morris, Authi, and a few others. These were simply called 'Minis.' With no 'Cooper' relation, save for the design. British Leyland was also involved, as was Rover.

mattslope · 11-13-2008, 02:03 PM

Mini Coopers also suffer from being FWD.