2004's first AutoX/HPDE/OT?, SCCA, BMW, etc?!?!?

[Darren M]

Just curious as to the first Autocross I can hit this year. Anyone have the schedules readily available? Also, anyone know of a good cheap O/T or HPDE/school happening anytime soon??? I need a corner fix BAD!

[aggie97]

Haven't seen anything posted up just yet for Autox events. Most Porshe and BMW owners are pansies and won't go out in the cold months of January and February. Most aren't starting till March which is a good thing for me so I have time to get this cam install figured out and tuned right.:D I also need to find a way to heat cycle my Xmas presents from your home state!!! ;)

As for HPDE, you might try looking at the link below. I have heard some good and bad things but for $275, that is a pretty good deal. http://www.thedriversedge.net/2004.html

I am hoping to pick up a trailer here this week so I can mod the heck out of the car and not worry about having to drive all the way back from Weatherford to Plano......or get towed!!!

Let me know if you find anything cheap. I was talking to the guys over at Bobby Archers shop and they do a small driving clinic for like $600 but that is more than I want to spend. I just need a 15 minute session so I can cycle the tires and go home. Still need to install my passenger 5pt harness, acquire a cage and maybe put some 4.30's in the car. The cams have killed my low end torque.....but scream on the way up!!!

See you around.

[Darren M]

So you got some Hoosiers huh!?!? Damn, now I'm really going to be slower than you!!!! What cage are you going with? If you get a good deal on the 5 pt harness see if they can throw a couple more into the deal. My current harness is too small and I'd like to pick one up for the passenger side. Also, while looking for a trailer try and find an old boat trailer for me. I need the tongue and axles. Gunna make a track trailer for the stang and fab up a custom "hide-a-hitch" so I can trailer my crap to the track w/ tires, chairs, cooler, etc. That way when I'm done I just back the trailer up and unhook the removeable hitch. If you ever take out your gas tank shoot me an email. I need to see underneath the tank for a good pick up point to mount the hitch to.

Damn, I'm gunna be the highest modd'd, slowest car on the HPDE/AX courses this year!!!!!!!!!!!

[aggie97]

Man, I would not worry about being the slowest the first round out. That honor could go to me since I have yet to see any reliable solution to my cam/lifter install. I will drive the car around and see what I can shake out for the weak points but I am afraid to drive it more than 10 miles from the house right now.

Hoosiers? Yes. Brake cooling for stock brakes? Yes.

As for the cage, I think I am going to go for a Wolfe 6pt with some other added features. Going to get the weld in cage and add some bolt down plates so I can remove it if I ever get rid of the car for something that is actually fast!!!

One solution on the trailer if you are interested is at Northern Tool. They sell a small 4'x4' trailer for like $299 that would be perfect for what you are talking about.

[Darren M]

Do you have a link to the place that has that trailer? Also, you going to the BMW year end party? I would but I'll be out of town on business most of the rest of this month. I sware we're the only 2 guys on this board that turns their cars.

[aggie97]

Try here and look at the bottom of the page for links to trailers. There are several and start at $199. They also have fold ups that are easier to store.

http://www.northerntool.com/

They should have a couple listings for stores in the DFW area and I think they are building one over on I-30 near Carswell. Don't know if it is open yet.

As for turning cars, there are a couple of others on here but they don't post as much.

Adam Ginsberg
GT40mkII ....

There are a couple of others but I just can't think of them right now.

[90lx86svo]

Originally posted by AcidPete
So you got some Hoosiers huh!?!? Damn, now I'm really going to be slower than you!!!! What cage are you going with? If you get a good deal on the 5 pt harness see if they can throw a couple more into the deal. My current harness is too small and I'd like to pick one up for the passenger side. Also, while looking for a trailer try and find an old boat trailer for me. I need the tongue and axles. Gunna make a track trailer for the stang and fab up a custom "hide-a-hitch" so I can trailer my crap to the track w/ tires, chairs, cooler, etc. That way when I'm done I just back the trailer up and unhook the removeable hitch. If you ever take out your gas tank shoot me an email. I need to see underneath the tank for a good pick up point to mount the hitch to.

Damn, I'm gunna be the highest modd'd, slowest car on the
HPDE/AX courses this year!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you running a roll bar now? It is not recomended to use a harness with out a rollbar. I can put in touch with someone who can make you one for a reasonable price.

I would like to go sooner but the next open track event I am going to attened is the 40th Mustang event in april.

Bud

[Darren M]

Originally posted by 90lx86svo
Are you running a roll bar now?
Yup. ;) Thanks for the concern though.

Thanks for the link. I figured if I hit northerntool.com I'd get Peter North or something. LOL.

[90lx86svo]

Originally posted by AcidPete
Yup. ;) Thanks for the concern though.

Thanks for the link. I figured if I hit northerntool.com I'd get Peter North or something. LOL.

What year is your car? I might have a spare hitch.

[Darren M]

It's a 2000 Gt. If you have one that would be great. How much? As far as the year model is concerned don't worry about it. I'm going to cut it up anyway and fab up a custom hidden hitch. There's few things I hate more than a mustang, comaro, vette, etc w/ a trailer hitch.

[90lx86svo]

Originally posted by AcidPete
It's a 2000 Gt. If you have one that would be great. How much? As far as the year model is concerned don't worry about it. I'm going to cut it up anyway and fab up a custom hidden hitch. There's few things I hate more than a mustang, comaro, vette, etc w/ a trailer hitch.

I will look tonight. I have a small reciever hitch on my LX, not to bad. I have a little clamshell trailer that can hold 8 race wheels and jack. It has worked well over the years.

[Darren M]

That's cool. I just want to be able to remove the hitch cause this car is a daily driver as well. ;) Thanks!

[aggie97]

Originally posted by 90lx86svo
Are you running a roll bar now? It is not recomended to use a harness with out a rollbar. I can put in touch with someone who can make you one for a reasonable price.

I would like to go sooner but the next open track event I am going to attened is the 40th Mustang event in april.

Bud

No, I am the moron running a harness and no cage. I figured for the AX there is a very unlikely chance of flipping the car but I do know it is possible. I am hoping to order a 6pt, but a 4pt at minimum from Wolfe here soon. I bought another mod of assisted transportation for the car today so my mod account is empty for a while.

What 40th event are you speaking of in April?

[aggie97]

Darren, check the LSCBMW.com page under 2004 calendar. They have all of the club events listed there but have not updated the part of the page for the autox schedule yet. Looks like they have a couple planned at Lone Star Park this year and NONE at TMS like they had planned.

Hope they got a big ass parking lot down there!!!!

[Darren M]

Where's this park? Also, paste a good link for the BMW club. The 40th 90lx86svo is referring to is the Open Track event at the 40th anniversary of the Mustang in Nashville the weekend of March 15,16,17.

[aggie97]

Lonestar park is the Horse track over in Grand Prarie. I have never been there but I am sure it has a huge parking lot.


http://www.lscbmwcca.org/2004calendar.html

That link takes you to the calendar. 3/13 is the first event. Don't forget to register online so you are already in. This only gives me a few weekends left to get the car running strong and reliable.....might have to get my act in gear on the cage too?

The 40th deal is a little far for me even though I have the trailer now.

[Darren M]

Cool. Thanks! You going to the BMW fix a car day @ the end of Feb?

[90lx86svo]

Originally posted by aggie97
No, I am the moron running a harness and no cage. I figured for the AX there is a very unlikely chance of flipping the car but I do know it is possible. I am hoping to order a 6pt, but a 4pt at minimum from Wolfe here soon. I bought another mod of assisted transportation for the car today so my mod account is empty for a while.

What 40th event are you speaking of in April?

I see your point, at an AX event there is less chance of rolling the car. When it comes time for a roll bar I have a friend that will do a nice job anyway you like with removable bar and the such.

Here is a link to an event at MSR. Good deal. www.edpracing.com

The 40th event is going to huge. 3 days of open track plus tons of other events. Every hotel within 20 miles of the Grand Ol Opry hoter is booked. It is a little far but it should be fun. I even drove to Mid-Ohio to run a 1 day event.

Bud

[Darren M]

I dunno, you should come to one of the BMW auto x's. It's more like time trials! The last AX of the year had me hitting the rev limiter in 3rd gear on my 00 w/ stock gears. :eek: It's fun, and you can roll a car, even as slow as 30. I've seen a sudden stop by a 90's model Tbird bring the car up and almost tip it over. Broke some front suspension when it came down. Plus the cage stiffens the car DRAMATICALLY. Then again, Aggie97 knows that. ;) Can't wait to see your car w/ all the goodies on it Aggie, maybe I can buy some of your old tires.

[90lx86svo]

Originally posted by AcidPete
I dunno, you should come to one of the BMW auto x's. It's more like time trials! The last AX of the year had me hitting the rev limiter in 3rd gear on my 00 w/ stock gears. :eek: It's fun, and you can roll a car, even as slow as 30. I've seen a sudden stop by a 90's model Tbird bring the car up and almost tip it over. Broke some front suspension when it came down. Plus the cage stiffens the car DRAMATICALLY. Then again, Aggie97 knows that. ;) Can't wait to see your car w/ all the goodies on it Aggie, maybe I can buy some of your old tires.

I used to AX all the time in the late 80's and early 90's with ER and SCCA. I cannot begin to tell you how many hours I have spent standing around in the heat at Mineral Wells. I have even rented Mineral Wells a couple of times. The first time I open tracked I was hooked, that was about 30 events ago. I realize someone could roll a car at an AX, just less likely . I was instructing at TWS in august where an inexperienced driver rolled a Trans Am at turn 7, not pretty, no roll bar.

I looked for the hitch, no luck.

Bud

[Darren M]

No big deal on the hitch. I'll find one, thanks though. ;) I've been following the thread about the roll at TWS, nasty. Glad to hear the driver and instructor are ok! I sure hope I never have to test my roll bar. I can't even imagine not being able to drive, or for that matter, being scared to do so. I've only run at mineral wells once since I've moved down here. I am not looking forward to the summer! Hopefully I can hook up w/ you and/or Aggie at a HPDE or NASA event at MSR some time this year! Again, thanks for looking for the hitch.

[Adam Ginsberg]

As 90lx86svo pointed out, Ed Paez has an event at MSR Jan 22. The Drivers Edge has an event on 7-8 Feb, also at MSR, but run clockwise ( backwards from normal ).

Wish I was going to the 40th with you guys, but just can't do it with the race schedule this year. I'll just have to attend the 50th - when I'm a REAL old fart! :)

If anyone is looking for some decent race rubber ( OT or AX ), I've got 3 full sets of 16". 2.75 sets of Goodyears ( a total of 11 Goodyear GSCS race tires ), and one full set of Hoosiers. Goodyears are a bit tired, but still good, and the Hoosiers are in great shape. $300 for all 15 tires.

[aggie97]

I am assuming the Hoosiers are 16" as well?