Autoxing a TA?
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, WA
Originally Posted by Firebirdfan
Anybody autox a Trans Am? I'm curious to see how well the car would do. It seems as though TAs and Camaros are pure straight line cars, but can they be made to handle as well as (or close to) a corvette or even an STI (or other 4wd car)? I know the car has a solid axel and had a LOT of weight on the nose. Any way to even the car's weight out a bit?
Either way...It's fun as hell. Alot more fun than doing four runs down a dragstrip. For me anyways. The trans am would do much better in a big roadcourse though.
An LS1 will VERY RARELY need 3rd gear on an auto-x course. My 99 Formula will go over 70 mph in 2nd, and almost every time it is faster to hold it in a lower gear and not have to upshift and then downshift (especially if you can't heel/toe downshift smoothly). In fact, 99% of auto-x I run exclusively in 2nd gear.
Understeer/oversteer has a lot to do with the driver and how they are driving the car more than anything else. If you go into a corner way too fast and over-rotate the steering wheel, most any car will plow. If you are not smooth with the throttle, you can make almost any RWD car oversteer on throttle on corner exit(especially on street tires).
I have run my stock 99 Formula in at least 50 auto-x's in the past few years, and they can do very well. Driver means more than anything as far as going fast. Driver means more than tires, shocks, springs, alignment, power, wheels. A fast driver in a slow car will be faster than a slow driver in a fast car every time.
Get out there and try it, but going fast is a lot harder than it looks, so don't feel bad if you are slow at first. I am still working hard to get faster (because losing sucks!).
That is from the 06 Mineral Wells Pro Solo.
Understeer/oversteer has a lot to do with the driver and how they are driving the car more than anything else. If you go into a corner way too fast and over-rotate the steering wheel, most any car will plow. If you are not smooth with the throttle, you can make almost any RWD car oversteer on throttle on corner exit(especially on street tires).
I have run my stock 99 Formula in at least 50 auto-x's in the past few years, and they can do very well. Driver means more than anything as far as going fast. Driver means more than tires, shocks, springs, alignment, power, wheels. A fast driver in a slow car will be faster than a slow driver in a fast car every time.
Get out there and try it, but going fast is a lot harder than it looks, so don't feel bad if you are slow at first. I am still working hard to get faster (because losing sucks!).
That is from the 06 Mineral Wells Pro Solo.
Originally Posted by Mojave
An LS1 will VERY RARELY need 3rd gear on an auto-x course. My 99 Formula will go over 70 mph in 2nd, and almost every time it is faster to hold it in a lower gear and not have to upshift and then downshift (especially if you can't heel/toe downshift smoothly). In fact, 99% of auto-x I run exclusively in 2nd gear.
Understeer/oversteer has a lot to do with the driver and how they are driving the car more than anything else. If you go into a corner way too fast and over-rotate the steering wheel, most any car will plow. If you are not smooth with the throttle, you can make almost any RWD car oversteer on throttle on corner exit(especially on street tires).
I have run my stock 99 Formula in at least 50 auto-x's in the past few years, and they can do very well. Driver means more than anything as far as going fast. Driver means more than tires, shocks, springs, alignment, power, wheels. A fast driver in a slow car will be faster than a slow driver in a fast car every time.
Get out there and try it, but going fast is a lot harder than it looks, so don't feel bad if you are slow at first. I am still working hard to get faster (because losing sucks!).
That is from the 06 Mineral Wells Pro Solo.
Understeer/oversteer has a lot to do with the driver and how they are driving the car more than anything else. If you go into a corner way too fast and over-rotate the steering wheel, most any car will plow. If you are not smooth with the throttle, you can make almost any RWD car oversteer on throttle on corner exit(especially on street tires).
I have run my stock 99 Formula in at least 50 auto-x's in the past few years, and they can do very well. Driver means more than anything as far as going fast. Driver means more than tires, shocks, springs, alignment, power, wheels. A fast driver in a slow car will be faster than a slow driver in a fast car every time.
Get out there and try it, but going fast is a lot harder than it looks, so don't feel bad if you are slow at first. I am still working hard to get faster (because losing sucks!).
That is from the 06 Mineral Wells Pro Solo.
I just wish I new were more autorcrossing events were closer to Austin. Oh and a cheap beater so I wouldn't have to dd my TA anymore and leave it to racing. 
Of course I could just get a ZX600 and race that instead of messing with my TA right. Except Im sure there is lot more skill involved on motoGP than autocrossing, or at least danger. Hell why not do both huh?
Originally Posted by 93transam
Awesome work on the vette btw. I was reading your story when I was supposed to be studying for a final in my last class of the semester!! I just wish I new were more autorcrossing events were closer to Austin. Oh and a cheap beater so I wouldn't have to dd my TA anymore and leave it to racing.
I just wish I new were more autorcrossing events were closer to Austin. Oh and a cheap beater so I wouldn't have to dd my TA anymore and leave it to racing. On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, WA
Originally Posted by Mojave
An LS1 will VERY RARELY need 3rd gear on an auto-x course. My 99 Formula will go over 70 mph in 2nd, and almost every time it is faster to hold it in a lower gear and not have to upshift and then downshift (especially if you can't heel/toe downshift smoothly). In fact, 99% of auto-x I run exclusively in 2nd gear.
Understeer/oversteer has a lot to do with the driver and how they are driving the car more than anything else. If you go into a corner way too fast and over-rotate the steering wheel, most any car will plow. If you are not smooth with the throttle, you can make almost any RWD car oversteer on throttle on corner exit(especially on street tires).
I have run my stock 99 Formula in at least 50 auto-x's in the past few years, and they can do very well. Driver means more than anything as far as going fast. Driver means more than tires, shocks, springs, alignment, power, wheels. A fast driver in a slow car will be faster than a slow driver in a fast car every time.
Get out there and try it, but going fast is a lot harder than it looks, so don't feel bad if you are slow at first. I am still working hard to get faster (because losing sucks!).
Understeer/oversteer has a lot to do with the driver and how they are driving the car more than anything else. If you go into a corner way too fast and over-rotate the steering wheel, most any car will plow. If you are not smooth with the throttle, you can make almost any RWD car oversteer on throttle on corner exit(especially on street tires).
I have run my stock 99 Formula in at least 50 auto-x's in the past few years, and they can do very well. Driver means more than anything as far as going fast. Driver means more than tires, shocks, springs, alignment, power, wheels. A fast driver in a slow car will be faster than a slow driver in a fast car every time.
Get out there and try it, but going fast is a lot harder than it looks, so don't feel bad if you are slow at first. I am still working hard to get faster (because losing sucks!).
