6SpeedTA95

Hey guys, I went to the autox this weekend with some friends. Didn't run the max but I think perhaps next spring I might.

Are these cars durable enough for that type of abuse? Any common parts failures that I need to be aware of? My car is bone stock FYI.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

they are fine...none of the maximas i know have broken anything. its a lot easier if you have some suspension work done.
if you know what you are doing it isnt any worse on the car then daily driving.

irish


me

6SpeedTA95

I've done it before but its been about 5 or 6 years and this is a FWD as opposed to RWD. I forgot how fun it is though...once I get some other expenses taken care of I think I might start doing the autox again

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

ive only done it with a FWD so i cant tell you how it will be diffirent and how you will need to change your driving style

6SpeedTA95

Yeah, I'm excited about it though even though it'll be 6 months or so before I can afford to do it.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

also,
check out the auto-x forum for more info http://forums.maxima.org/forumdisplay.php?f=50

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

i didnt realize how fun it was until i did it.

HotshotVQ35

iTrader: (5)

i autocrossed years ago. maybe the courses in other states are longer and faster, but in ny they suck. dont go over 40 mph, and the track is 45 seconds long. I have moved on to road racing, and yes more expensive, but road racing >autocross

6SpeedTA95

The one today you hit 55 to 60mph depending on the car. Buddy of mine was bumping the limiter in his STI which is at 58 or 59mph.

Road racing is great but you're talking about a minimum of 100 bucks a day and a LOT more wear on the vehicle.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

I don't know why anyone would want to autocross a big car like a maxima

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Jason, your photo-hosting service SUCKS. About 50% of the time you get red x's and no photos. The other 50% you might get photos.

If you're going to link online to photos, use Photobucket. your site appears to have a "maximum viewing" limit, so once it's linked, it reaches that limit and the photos don't show.

DrKlop

iTrader: (3)

Go for it man!! If you don't do anything stupid it doesn't put much more stress on the car than normal daily driving.

Since Maximas have a long wheelbase with a heavy front weight bias it will not turn in as easily as an "average" RWD car but you'll get used to it after a few events. I tested BMW 330 and Corvette C6 on an auto-x course and while those cars a more fun to race, it still worth doing it on a Maxima.

SuperStock03

A friend of mine (BMW330ci) and I did an Auto X this previous spring and what a blast. We had no idea what we were doing but man did we have fun. Thankfully they couldn't figure out where to put me so they put me in with a civic, two mini's and a Camry. I was just lighting up some old tires the entire time and filling the cockpit up with smoke. I hope I can find it close to me in New Mexico when I move. We didn't place, but damn were we close.

sciff5

iTrader: (1)

yeah auto X is pretty easy on the car compared to any other form of racing. It will wear your tires and brakes a little faster than normal but that really depends on how many times you autox remember that even though your pushing your car on an auto X course, your typical autox course it no more than 2 minutes or so.. to push your car for such a short period of time isnt going to make a big difference in the long term longevity of your car.

Also chances are your first time out you wont be running the car to its limits so you'll be ok.

I have a theory that if autox was introduced as part of Drivers Ed, the amount of driving accidents by new drivers would be cut down by at least a third if not half. I dont think I'll find auto X all that interesting myself but what I'm trying to say is that I deff think it teaches vehicle control, and thats the main reason I want to start attending auto X events asap.

HotshotVQ35

iTrader: (5)

cost me over 200 at pocono, lime rock or the glenn... a lot more wear and tear, maybe, i already have the brakes, susp and tires...its just the gas actually and the grin from ear to ear flogging you car at speeds of 100+ mph

Succinct

In my autocross experience, the worst wear is on your brakes and tires. Mostly tires. Other than that, it isn't too hard on the car. Try it once - what could possibly happen?

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

I'm not sure why you're thankful about that.

The maxima's stock class is G-stock, same as the Cooper. And Coopers DOMINATE that class. In my old class, D-Street Prepared, a 92 Civic hatchback domintated the class.

As to the Camry, well, that's a freebie. But don't mess with Civics and Minis on an autocross course. 95% of the time they'll whoop your butt, especially f they're modded.

Succinct

My beater 1991 Civic Si has an amazingly balanced and agile chassis for a front-wheel-drive car; and that's with 136K miles on the original suspension.

6SpeedTA95

The new CIVIC SI's are ridiculous. There was one out there today bone freakin' stock with just a new set of tires. Bastard was running 48s and 49s, it was ridiculous.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

it's not the new ones I worry about. It's the early-90s ones with B15 swaps and r-comps....alot lighter, and alot quicker on course than the new SIs...

sciff5

iTrader: (1)

As irish said.. its hard to compete around tight cones with a car that has a wheelbase as short as the old civics and a curb weight anywhere between 1900-2200lbs stock.

AceofSpds

iTrader: (4)

Im shure you dont hafta worry about those civics in your tr6 my dad had one and he said that car handled like nothing else on the road

6SpeedTA95

Those are even quicker, a guy I met yesterday (who's a friend of a friend) had his civic imported from japan. Its a 90 civic hatch and that thing was amazingly sweet. Not ricey, just clean as hell, damn quick, 8000rpm redline

wyche89

hey this autocross stuff looks pretty fun.. i wanna do it.. does anybody know of any place around philly to do it at, and how much it costs? i have basically a stock maxima with just a high flow intake and a FSTB.. is that ok to do it with?

gdmaxse

iTrader: (1)

you are in luck, there are tons of autocrosses near philly:
http://www.phillyscca.com/solo2/index.html

just the other weekend 5 maximas went to a philly scca autocross at ripken stadium, md:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=497234

there is one on november 5th at ripken, i will be there but most of the maximas around here are afraid of cold weather so they arent going

here is the link to the november 5th autocross:
http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/...29541040021162

gdmaxse

iTrader: (1)

oh btw, i believe your fstb puts you in STS class but you could probably get away with running in G Stock class or just remove it at the event

wyche89

cool... thanx man.. i'll probably keep it on to help me out a little bit.. i just wish it wasn't so damn far.. lol

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

I have a GT6. About 10% less power than a TR6, but about 20% lighter

but it's far from autocross-worthy at the moment (or road-worthy, for that matter)

it really won't help you at all in autocross, truthfully. Either way it's pick your poision:
STS vs. cars with alot more mods than you or
G Stock vs. the Minis.

6SpeedTA95

I went to put my strut tower brace on today and realized they shipped me two passenger side mounting brackets

Called pro car parts and it looks like they'll get it taken care of for me

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

who said G-stock?

sciff5

iTrader: (1)

That car would really move with an Aluminum honda motor under the hood, but I know its all about autoX for you and I'm sure that would put you in a rediculous class.

Chefasaurus

iTrader: (4)

It'd put him in SM... MAYBE D-Mod



BTW, I've been autoXing for 6 years now... my first car, a 96 Impala SS, well, with all the money spent on motor and none spent on tires, brakes, or suspension, you can imagine how well it did.... Then a 88 Mazda 323GTX... that was a fun car... then I got hooked on 1st gen RX-7's... had a total of ELEVEN of them (the last one was built SOLELY for autoX... race motor, tranny, coilovers, big brakes, Hoosier bias ply's, NO interior (aluminum seat, tach, water temp guage, and a steering wheel), and a trailer + tow vehicle... and it took FTD and FTDI 7 out of 9 events).... and now I'm onto the Maxima.


I've managed to get 1st in GS against 2 new civics on R-comps, another maxima on R-comps, and I beat a Mini on street tires by a full 2 seconds... and I'm running some Cooper Lifeliner 60K mile all-season tires.


Autocross is almost entirely about driver skill, not the car. Sig says everything.

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

you take the 7's out on a roadcourse ever?

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Sidenote - a 240SX finally took out the best EF Civics in STS and a B15 Sentra's are now very close to the fastest Mini's. Not Maximia's but same mfg to praise

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

SACRELIGE!!!!!

the car has a 2-liter inline 6. Why would I desecrate it by putting a japanese motor in it?? My plan is to stroke it to 2.5 using the TR6 short block and add the Mossy/Eaton supercharger with an SU carb (that, or stay N/A and add triple Webers). N/A I will build it for ~160whp or ~200 if I go S/C. Either way, the P/W on the car will own pretty much any NA civic out there.

The GT6 is a VERY rare car (I know of 4 in Virginia, and i own 2 of them)...I'm going to keep it fairly original.

BTW, the engine bay is big enough for an LS1

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Chefasaurus

iTrader: (4)

Yeah... everything that could be salvaged from cars #9 and #10 went to car #11.



I LAPPED a 911TT AWD at Roebling Road in Savannah, GA in car #9. #9 was a pure built IT7 race car, #10 was toned down and somewhat streetable, and #11 never saw the street the entire time I owned it. Well, I did take it around the block... open header, of course. Otherwise, it went from driveway to trailer, trailer to autoX course, autoX course to trailer, trailer to driveway.


I wish there was money involved in autoXing... because I could see myself doing fairly well financially, if there was.


Don't get me wrong, I'm no Michael Schumacher behind the wheel....



































But I'd like to think I'm close to Ralf Schumacher

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

auto-x does not, and will never, transfer to tv well, even on the biggest national courses.
it's also not fast enough...case in point
driving in circles....boring...no one cares

driving in circles at 190mph......nations most popular motorsport

if we could drive around the parking lot at 100mph..then we might have something...

6SpeedTA95

Nascar is a little more than driving in circles

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

true, they have to go straight when going into pit lane. that must be tough!