30 replies to this topic

[luvin_the_rings]

Dude! I'm in SoCal area also.  What part?  You should come by our shop and say hi.  Were located in Northridge near the University. 

 

I would highly recommend buying a car that is already track ready and has a logbook.  I also used to think that building a car would be cheaper and faster than buying a race car that has been raced previously.  Boy was I mistaken.  It took 3 of us a year to get it on the track, and that was just for HPDE.  We spent another year getting it race ready with mirrors, radios, cool suit, safety gear and tuning.  If your going alone, you can easily spend 2-3 years building a car from the ground up, and you will be killing yourself financially.  The time commitment isn't worth it! Even for all the fun your gonna have doing it.  By the time your done building, you've gone through all your money and the cost of safety equipment and race fees is a larger burden than before.  Just buy your first car, trust me. Build another one later after your connected, it will be much easier and cheaper once you have some friends in the biz.  Sometimes you just get free parts for trade or because your in the right place in the right time.  Somebody is way more likely to help you out when they know they'll be seeing you the next race weekend and your battle can continue.  

 

BUT... If you decide to build you car, don't worry about the engine power too much.  There is a little bit of gains to be made in the engine, but you can go years into the sport without even touching it.  Just make sure the compression is good, put the timing to 14-16  BTDC and have at it.  

 

Take the extra money you save from leaving the engine alone and buy an AIM SOLO lap timer.  This little tool is worth more laptime than any performance part allowed by the rules, maybe even 10x more performance.  Its literally the best bang for your buck you can get, if you are just getting into racing, its almost more important than fresh tires.  Buy it before you go to HPDE, put it in your 240.  Learning how to drive a Miata fast is the whole point of Spec Miata.  The cars are basically dead even so you can make up 2-5 seconds just by driving well.  I've seen a guy do it in a day.  Not a single change to the car.  The $2000 the top runners spend on their cylinder head is maybe worth 1 second.  FORGET IT! Just get out there and start driving ASAP.  Racing isn't about the car, its about racing.  

 

In Spec Miata, the cars arn't fast.  And even if they were, they're all the same so its not the car that is fast its the DRIVER. 

[Forenz Arabian]

Dude! I'm in SoCal area also.  What part?  You should come by our shop and say hi.  Were located in Northridge near the University. 

 

I would highly recommend buying a car that is already track ready and has a logbook.  I also used to think that building a car would be cheaper and faster than buying a race car that has been raced previously.  Boy was I mistaken.  It took 3 of us a year to get it on the track, and that was just for HPDE.  We spent another year getting it race ready with mirrors, radios, cool suit, safety gear and tuning.  If your going alone, you can easily spend 2-3 years building a car from the ground up, and you will be killing yourself financially.  The time commitment isn't worth it! Even for all the fun your gonna have doing it.  By the time your done building, you've gone through all your money and the cost of safety equipment and race fees is a larger burden than before.  Just buy your first car, trust me. Build another one later after your connected, it will be much easier and cheaper once you have some friends in the biz.  Sometimes you just get free parts for trade or because your in the right place in the right time.  Somebody is way more likely to help you out when they know they'll be seeing you the next race weekend and your battle can continue.  

 

BUT... If you decide to build you car, don't worry about the engine power too much.  There is a little bit of gains to be made in the engine, but you can go years into the sport without even touching it.  Just make sure the compression is good, put the timing to 14-16  BTDC and have at it.  

 

Take the extra money you save from leaving the engine alone and buy an AIM SOLO lap timer.  This little tool is worth more laptime than any performance part allowed by the rules, maybe even 10x more performance.  Its literally the best bang for your buck you can get, if you are just getting into racing, its almost more important than fresh tires.  Buy it before you go to HPDE, put it in your 240.  Learning how to drive a Miata fast is the whole point of Spec Miata.  The cars are basically dead even so you can make up 2-5 seconds just by driving well.  I've seen a guy do it in a day.  Not a single change to the car.  The $2000 the top runners spend on their cylinder head is maybe worth 1 second.  FORGET IT! Just get out there and start driving ASAP.  Racing isn't about the car, its about racing.  

 

In Spec Miata, the cars arn't fast.  And even if they were, they're all the same so its not the car that is fast its the DRIVER. 


 

Tustin in OC. 

Thanks for the input. I use Harry's lap timer on an IPhone with a 10hz GPS already mounted behind my wheel. I have been tracking my performance but don't go to tracks as often as I would. That was my plan, but just replacing the lower bearings because believe they are the only thing that could make the engine fail not just perform less. 

[Forenz Arabian]

Cal Club's SCCA Driver's School/Regional weekend is February 10-12 at Buttonwillow.    Graduate School Friday and Saturday and race on Sunday. 

 

http://calclub.com/i...schoolflyer.jpg

 

A couple SoCal / NorCal cars in the classifieds up top too.

J~

That is very tempting...Anyone specific to contact?

[-P-]

Dude! I'm in SoCal area also.  What part?  You should come by our shop and say hi.  Were located in Northridge near the University. 

 

I would highly recommend buying a car that is already track ready and has a logbook.  I also used to think that building a car would be cheaper and faster than buying a race car that has been raced previously.  Boy was I mistaken.  It took 3 of us a year to get it on the track, and that was just for HPDE.  We spent another year getting it race ready with mirrors, radios, cool suit, safety gear and tuning.  If your going alone, you can easily spend 2-3 years building a car from the ground up, and you will be killing yourself financially.  The time commitment isn't worth it! Even for all the fun your gonna have doing it.  By the time your done building, you've gone through all your money and the cost of safety equipment and race fees is a larger burden than before.  Just buy your first car, trust me. Build another one later after your connected, it will be much easier and cheaper once you have some friends in the biz.  Sometimes you just get free parts for trade or because your in the right place in the right time.  Somebody is way more likely to help you out when they know they'll be seeing you the next race weekend and your battle can continue.  

 

BUT... If you decide to build you car, don't worry about the engine power too much.  There is a little bit of gains to be made in the engine, but you can go years into the sport without even touching it.  Just make sure the compression is good, put the timing to 14-16  BTDC and have at it.  

 

Take the extra money you save from leaving the engine alone and buy an AIM SOLO lap timer.  This little tool is worth more laptime than any performance part allowed by the rules, maybe even 10x more performance.  Its literally the best bang for your buck you can get, if you are just getting into racing, its almost more important than fresh tires.  Buy it before you go to HPDE, put it in your 240.  Learning how to drive a Miata fast is the whole point of Spec Miata.  The cars are basically dead even so you can make up 2-5 seconds just by driving well.  I've seen a guy do it in a day.  Not a single change to the car.  The $2000 the top runners spend on their cylinder head is maybe worth 1 second.  FORGET IT! Just get out there and start driving ASAP.  Racing isn't about the car, its about racing.  

 

In Spec Miata, the cars arn't fast.  And even if they were, they're all the same so its not the car that is fast its the DRIVER. 

 

While I agree with the sentiment being conveyed, there's a lot more than a cylinder head that front runners use to race at the front. They are not "all the same" and the difference between something that is safe and will get you around the track and the level of prep that a  front runner competitive car will have is night and day and worth many seconds per lap in the hands of the same driver.

 

We'll agree to buy a car that is already put together and complete and not necessarily  a top prep car for your entry into the sport.

 

Go watch the KBB.com spec miata series on youtube. That's a good illustration of starting out to running the nationals.

[manthony121]

Take the extra money you save from leaving the engine alone and buy an AIM SOLO lap timer.  This little tool is worth more laptime than any performance part allowed by the rules, maybe even 10x more performance.  Its literally the best bang for your buck you can get, if you are just getting into racing, its almost more important than fresh tires. 

Really glad to hear this.  I just bought a Solo, and am learning how to use the software.  At first, I thought $400 was pricey for a lap timer, but it has a LOT of data you can examine, just from the high resolution GPS sensor.  If I ever get to the point that I'm duking it out with the fast kids at the front of the pack, I'll think about putting in sensors for brake pedal pressure, throttle and steering wheel positions.  Until then, I expect it to be useful to show me the gap between what I *think* I'm doing on the track, and what I'm actually doing!

[luvin_the_rings]

While I agree with the sentiment being conveyed, there's a lot more than a cylinder head that front runners use to race at the front. They are not "all the same" and the difference between something that is safe and will get you around the track and the level of prep that a  front runner competitive car will have is night and day and worth many seconds per lap in the hands of the same driver.

 

Replace "cylinder head" with any other high dollar, low performance advantage gain.   Cylinder head/prep/tires/brake mod/ect.. is worth a few seconds and costs thousands of dollars.  GPS laptimers costs $400 and you can get the same gains, as long as your not worried about podiums.  Also, the advantage gained by those high dollar mods will be more clear and amplified by your improved driving.  Yes all cars are far from exactly the same, but when your 5-8 seconds off the pace during your first season, don't go dropping thousands on engine work.  Just buy the damn lap-timer. 

 

[luvin_the_rings]

Really glad to hear this.  I just bought a Solo, and am learning how to use the software.  At first, I thought $400 was pricey for a lap timer, but it has a LOT of data you can examine, just from the high resolution GPS sensor.  If I ever get to the point that I'm duking it out with the fast kids at the front of the pack, I'll think about putting in sensors for brake pedal pressure, throttle and steering wheel positions.  Until then, I expect it to be useful to show me the gap between what I *think* I'm doing on the track, and what I'm actually doing!

 

You don't need those sensors with the Solo,  You can look at GPS Lateral/Longitutal G which is basically your steering, throttle, and brake.  Combined with your GPS speed trace that gives you everything you need to work on your driving.  Learning from this data IS HOW you will start duking it out with the fast guys.  AIM assures me the GPS acceleration data is more accurate than the internal acceleration measurment because of vibration isolation and no need to calibrate the sensors every time it is mounted.  

 

Watch these video's to see how to work the dang thing.  

 

https://www.youtube....i0bEOfnU6wQT9fm

 

There is also math channels you can add to the graphs to help you look deeper into the data.  

[Forenz Arabian]

You don't need those sensors with the Solo,  You can look at GPS Lateral/Longitutal G which is basically your steering, throttle, and brake.  Combined with your GPS speed trace that gives you everything you need to work on your driving.  Learning from this data IS HOW you will start duking it out with the fast guys.  AIM assures me the GPS acceleration data is more accurate than the internal acceleration measurment because of vibration isolation and no need to calibrate the sensors every time it is mounted.  

 

Watch these video's to see how to work the dang thing.  

 

https://www.youtube....i0bEOfnU6wQT9fm

 

There is also math channels you can add to the graphs to help you look deeper into the data.  

 

I have been using data for the last season of SimRacing Blancpain on Iracing. We have the chance to dump all the data in Motec to analyse. 

Anyway keep the idea's coming. 

 

[Johnny D]

That is very tempting...Anyone specific to contact?

 

It says at the bottom of the flyer...check out www.CalClub.com or email CalClubhq@calClub.com

 

J~

[manthony121]

Go watch the KBB.com spec miata series on youtube. That's a good illustration of starting out to running the nationals.

I had not seen that series before.  Very interesting.  Good to see it is not just SM racers on the East Coast who like to start their races with multi-car pile ups!

[Alberto]

You did better by renting as you needed.  Cheap trailer $1,500, annual storage bill $600+ replace tires every 3 years $450+.  

 

I did indeed.  However, around LeMons races, all the trailers were rented so you had to plan carefully.  

Cheapest storage around me was $70/month.  Most expensive was $150 for the storage place that was closer / more centrally located.

Thankfully, I am able to store the trailer at my house so it's just the tires and bearings now.