What is everyone's autocross plan for 2011. What class are you running, anyone running any SCCA national tour events? I'll be running mostly with a local club running the indexed street tire class with me in STX. I'll do a few SCCA regional races and MAYBE the national tour event in packwood.

 

I'll just live vicariously through you. There's no SOLO here in Germany.

I really miss the whole scene and have an overdog again.

Chris

 

Oh brother

There is no Solo in Germany, but there is Slalom!
Google :autoslalom, automobilslalom, or rennslalom

Since you are in Stuttgart you can also check the web site of the ADAC Wuerttemberg for event dates.

Here is a video of the 2009 national champion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it__ort18X8

 

Cones are cones everywhere but my German is so poor, I don't think I'd understand the classing and rules. Especially since the Germans are so flexible on rules

 

Ill be running the r53 in FP locally with RM region. To be nationally competitive the car needs reinforcement ie tubeframe in unibody, a 1.8stroker conversion (revolution motorworks), to lose another 100lbs to 1900.
and i need seat time. Hopefully it wil all be there by 2013 season.

So this year for the tour and nats ill be running GS in a mk5 vw. But i will take the mcs to the evo school before the tour.

 

Your MINI weighs less than mine.

2003 MCS is about 2650 lbs empty.

I have ran 4 seasons in SCCA Street Modified class with the MINI on a local level.

Now I do RallyCross Modified FWD in Hawaii Region with events once monthly on loose surfaces. Raise the suspension, add a skid plate and X brace underneath. Use 15x6 rims and snowtires or Rally Mud tires 195/60-15 or close to it.

Otherwise everything is the same, minus a lot of traction.

 

Running my 07 MCS on the little parking lots, and my ICC shifter kart on the big sites. No Tours or Nationals this year, did the whole big event thing last year and did not think highly of the Serious business attitude. I dodge cones because it is fun.

 

Didn't think this warranted a new thread but I wanted to get the response of some experienced Mini AutoXers before I make any changes to the car.

Long time track junky here, going on 10 years. I have tracked both low hp/tq FWD cars with open diffs and higher hp/tq FWD cars with LSDs. My current dedicated track car(Honda) has a Quaife FWIW... I have never, however, had any experience in a torquey FWD with an open diff.

I recently purchased a 2009 Cooper S with basically zero options, including no LSD. The car is totally stock save a set of Dunlop Star Specs and Hawk brake pads. I had the Mini at the track 2 weeks ago and the wheel spin was noticeable and obviously slowing the lap times, but it was manageable.

I had the car at its first Autox this past weekend and the corner exit wheelspin was horrendously bad. I mean, there was barely a single place on this entire course where I wasn't unloading the inside wheel. It was far more difficult to drive and frankly, not nearly as fun as I anticipated.

Does the OEM LSD rectify some/most/all of the wheelspin? Stated another way, do fully prepped D-stock Mini S's have wheelspin like this?

I have read a number of places, on this forum and others, that the OEM LSD really is not that effective and doesn't really lock as much as other mechanical/torsen diffs. My goal was to keep the car mostly stock, save a set of Konis and Hoosiers, and compete in D-stock.... but I just don't envision the car being that much fun to drive unless the OEM LSD does wonders vs the stock open diff....

Any thoughts?

 

Mine is the best handling autox car I have ever driven in 15 years. I passed on the "S" because they stopped making the LSD. Even with the LSD the "S" reportedly needs at least anti-sway bar changes to rotate well.

 

Don't get me wrong, the car "handles" quite well in the sense that it is very balanced, confidence inspiring(albeit pushy), neutral on off-throttle transitions, and has very sharp steering response... Rotation is not a problem right now and can be addressed with tire pressures and adjustable dampers in the future. I really enjoy driving/racing FWD cars and I think the Mini would be an absolute blast with a proper limited slip.

Id bet the base model Cooper does not have the problem I am describing.... which I suspect has to do with the 60+ lb-ft of torque deficit it has compared to the S.

Anyway, I had hoped to keep this car "relatively" stock and compete in D-Stock. However, if the factory LSD doesn't reduce the wheelspin substantially, this car will be incredibly expensive to keep in Hoosiers...

Edit: I guess a better way to phrase my initial question would be: Has anyone driven a G/D-Stock prepped R56 Cooper with and without the factory LSD? And can you give feedback regarding the difference in wheelspin/unloading the LSD made?

 

Most Mini's are expensive to keep in Hoosiers anyway with the lack of front camber.

I will probably just put on a set of decent "cheater street tires" and run for fun in out local region that does street tire and race tire classes.

 

Along those lines...I've decided to run on Street Tires (Star Specs) in C Stock this season, our region uses a street tire modifier which allows Street tire cars and race tires cars to run in the same class and place based on a modifier...I'll be up against some fast RX-8s and a 350Z.

This will be my first season in a FWD car after moving over from a well-prepped BSP STI. Should be an interesting challenge, looking forward to learning the new car..

 

2nd event Yesterday, the run crap tires are just about toast. I'll tell ya the new car to have in D-stock is the WRX. Stock 235 tires and it scoots pretty good. I lost to the WRX by .02 with my 205 all season junkers.

I figure once I get new tires on the Mini it will be easier. But now switching back to the shifter for the summer.

 

IF I can get a set of dedicated autocross wheels and tires (too expensive to keep erasing the daily driver sets), then we might get back into it in the second half. Depends on the money.

Class? C-Stock. Hopeless for a JCW, but there it is.

 

Running my '09 JCW in STX in Virginia. May do the tour in Dover and/or teh NEDIV championship if they decide where it's going to be. Not going back to Lincoln this year. Maybe 2012.

 

I have been running a BSP Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in B-Street Prepared the last 2 seasons. With the rising fuel costs and moving well outside of town, I am happy to be back in a Mini for the 2011 season and beyond! ;-) I definitely missed my Mini over the past 2 years!

For 2011, I am building a 2008 Mini Cooper S for D-Stock competition.

I am documenting the entire build and will be updating frequently with pictures/video/results throughout the entire season. Here is my new facebook page.... SCCA Solo/Proslo D-stock Mini Cooper just created the page so there are only a handful of pictures at the moment but will update as the build unfolds. It should happen very quickly now that the parts are starting to roll in. ;-)

Also, anyone interested, I might have some brand new Kumho V710's for sale in either a 215/40/16 or 215/40/17.....

 

Pretty cool page. I guess I am such a newb to Mini's only thing I recognize is the exhaust. what's the other stuff?

 

Power Flex front swaybar bushings, Way Motorworks front swaybar end links and Texas Speedworks Stud Conversion kit, all arrived today from Way Motorworks at www.waymotorworks.com Going to install this evening hopefully....

 

What you doing for shocks ?

 

Great to see a fully documented DS build. My 09 Mini is coming together for the same purpose.

I am very interested in hearing what you find to be faster @ Lincoln, re: 16s or 17s.

I am almost ready for my shock purchase. Can you share the retail price for those DA Konis? How bad was the lead time?

 

i'm going to help prep an HS 2011 cooper. Craig I'm gonna message ya on FB

 

Koni Yellows, converted to DA's

 

I bought the Koni's from Tire Rack, they were the newer updated rears with the bushing attached to fit the rear trailing arm(back in 07, I ran R53 Koni's but had to buy the bushing to make them work). I paid around $700 shipped for those, then, sent them to True Choice to have them converted to DA's. That ran me $1325 if I remember. So, I have a bit over $2K in them. Its a lot, but, I wanted the versatility of being able to adjust rebound/compression. We have a test and tune this weekend and an event Sunday, so, looking forward to learning how to drive a Mini again. ;-)

 

Nice to see you back in a Mini Craig - may the force be with you this year.

Up in NER we've at least four drivers on the same second in STX, and it looks like another fun year with folks nipping at each others heels every event.

Dave is running his RX-8, I've got Gollum running well, and new for '11 we're joined by a BMW 330 ci with two very capable drivers.

NER is doing a PAX adjusted "Pro" class this year which permits the fastest drivers to go head to head across classes. This new format produced some great competition last Sunday and promises to help our top rank competitors push each other, and hopefully better prepares them for the NT, Divisionals, and Finals than in previous years.

I and my compadres ducked the Pro class in order to populate our own STX battle, but of course we measure our overall progress against the Pros.

Also last Sunday we were joined by a JCW Mini who ran very capably as a novice (taking 2nd fastest of all our novice drivers) on his first outing ever on an autocross course.

I've decided to return to the 225/45-15 R1R this season, and leave the Star Specs alone for a year. I ran the R1R in '09 for only two events - one of which left me with top PAX in the rain. Even though I'm still running the relatively narrow 15x7 Kosei rims I reckon it's worth another shot. We'll see.

Cheers,

Charlie

Ps: 'tis not the answer you were looking for "JamesL_71" as mine is an R53, but FWIW the difference between Quaife and OEM on my car with regard to wheelspin was day and night.

 

When you say "Quaife and OEM", you mean the Quaife LSD vs the OEM LSD, correct? Not Quaife vs open diff?

Alas, my dreams of a DS mini are not to be. I simply cannot justify coughing up the $$$ for a new trans w/ LSD for this car. As such, I have a Quaife on order... along with a number of other odds and ends to prep the car for STX.

I reckon I can keep the car quite streetable and relatively competitive as well, with a few compromises. If/when I feel I am ready to make the transition to National competition, I will retire the car from daily driver duty.

Thanks... that is a bit steep, but shocks are backbone of the suspension and I can justify spending that much on such an important piece to the puzzle.


I do have a question regarding the Koni shocks. How do they measure up(literally) to the OEM shocks? Does anyone have the compressed and extended lengths of the Konis vs the OEMs? Body length/shaft lenght/etc?

I am considering going with the Konis and a set of lowering springs for STX, for now. The goal(as stated above) is to keep the car streetable above all else. When I am ready to move forward, I would convert the Konis to adjustable coilovers with new sleeves/spring perches and linear rate coilover springs a la Eibach/Hypercoil/Swift/etc. I run this setup on my track car and it works quite well, except that the Konis don't quite have as much compression travel as I would like at my given ride height.

So my question is, do the box-stock Konis have enough travel to lower the car ~1.25"s? If so, I plan to purchase the DAs so I can have a good foundation for my suspension when I move away from a "streetable" setup. However, if I would be better served going with a shorter overall damper, I would probably just purchase the Koni singles and end up reselling the Koni + lowering spring package when I am ready to move on..

The Mcstrut design does not lend itself to substantial drops. While I haven't measured the pickup points and done any kinematics analysis, if it is anything like my Mcpherson suspension-ed Honda, anything lower than ~1-1.5"s from the stock height will do horrible things to the camber curve and rollcenters.

Thoughts??