This may sound like a silly question. But seriously, do you notice that your car handles differently on an empty tank compared to, say.....1/4-1/3 tank? I know weight is the enemy, but I would think there is a happy medium, where a little cumbustable ballast in the rear might help the car rotate a little better. I would also think you could aid this with tire pressures also. But I figured that the serious guys monitor these types of variables pretty closely and was curious.

This is only my second FWD car (the others were RWD or AWD) and personally I like a car that's more tail-happy.

 

I run with needle almost on "E" with the red fuel light on. I alway carry a gas can just in case and have never run out of gas, even with a co-driver. I think its faster, but I know people that run with full tanks too. To make the car rotate better, I usually run higher air pressures in the rear tires.

 

Not H stock, but in my SM Cooper S, I run a very light fuel load also. I've found that after the on board computer goes from 0 miles to empty to "--" miles to empty I can still get almost 2 more runs before starving for fuel (65 second + runs).

Jason

 

I have suffered fuel starvation in the turns on a 1.1 mile road corse (with about 2 gallons in the tank) but never in autox. I think the reason is your in the turn longer on a road course than in autox. I know this is H stock forum, and I was H-stock a while back and I was around 50lbs of pressure for the rear tires when the car was a close to neutral as I could get it. Now I just start at 38lbs and go from there with tire pressure until I get the desired handling.

FWIW the gain you get from the added fuel ballast and rotation tendency is easily defeated by the burden of the extra weight, especialy if you can get very close to neutral with tire pressure. I do not autox with more than a 1/4 tank or when the computer says more than 80 miles left. This only adds about 32lbs to an empty tank (no biggie unless your at Nationals).

 

So, do you all run close to emtpy without you spare tire and tools too?

I know the last time I autoXed my WRX, I stripped out all the weight I could in the stock class and ran on fumes. And that was the worst I'd ever felt it handle before. It was a complete pig. It wouldn't rotate, I couldn't get the front end to bite. It was hilarious how poor it was. The only redeeming quality was the launch through the beams and the power.

Granted, comparing a Mini to a WRX is like comparing apples to grapefruits. Just curious if this is even a fair comparison.

 

Being a Cooper S, I don't have a spare :-D, but I do run as close to empty as practical and remove everything that I can from the car.

Jason

 

Cool, I spose it's just something I'll have to play with and document to see what I like.

 

I take everything out I can, lower the passenger seat back and fold the rear seats down.

 

I take everything off the car that I can, and run as close to out of gas as I can as well. If your running Koni's stiffen the rear and soften the front if you want more rotation, as well as increase the rear pressure as already stated. I went with a stainless steel catback and supertrap to save even more weight on the back.

 

Sounds about right for a WRX. I had a 98 sedan with 02 running gear (and ej20t of course) and while quick, the stock suspension plowed like an ice cream truck. Thankfully that can be fixed with a bajillion dollars of coilovers and swaybars.

Can't wait to get another MINI and run it stock. I'm thinking Cooper this time instead of Cooper S. H Stock terror!

 

How many discs do you run with your supertrapp?

 

Don't forget to minimize personal carry weight as well as car weight. Losing body fat takes time, but you can do the following just before an AX.

Get close haircut and shave (shave whole body even better), wash body, trim ear hair and clean out ear wax, brush and floss teeth, pee and poop, trim nails close, trim nose hair and blow nose, wear minimum light-weight clothes (shorts and T-top, but ditch belt and empty pockets), use ultra light open-faced helmet, ditch gloves, watch, rings, piercing pins, etc.

What have I forgotten?

 

ideally the 2011 gets run at the last 2 marks (just when it beeps and goes red). Never had an issue

 

just ran it on one mark (red) with the stupid fuel symbol on...ran good even when the range was 15 miles...never stumbled...

but the fuel thing is annoying to see. :\

 

mega bump for this - does the R56 Mini Cooper Base have any kind of fuel starvation issues for auto-x? From what's been said in this thread, it seems like the answer is no, but I just wanna make sure for the current chassis

 

I have yet to have issues. Even at 0 miles for range.

 

how much fuel goes in at 0 miles range??

 

No idea

 

I had the JCW run out at 3 miles range. There was never a problem until he just stopped. I then put 14.52 gal in.

 

lol! crazy. like someone mentioned above, i don't think auto-x will hold the g's long enough to fuel starve

 

Did you take out your contact lenses?

 

So far I've started the day with two lit carrots, and an estimated range of 90 plus miles. The day ended with one carrot, and an estimate of 40 miles. Total distance traveled during the event was less than five miles.

No starvation issues with the R56 (had none with the R53 either).

Cheers,

Charlie