how to go faster.

[8695Beaters]

A 14 second DD is a stock Mustang GT (anything after 1987), or a farily built Integra GS-R. And by built I mean all the bolt-ons, about 100 lbs of stripped weight, good tires, and some suspension tuning. My stock LS runs 16 flat most of the time. A GS-R can do about 15.5 stock. With the same parts, a Mustang can do 12s no problem. Sorry man, but Hondas were just not built for straight lines. I love 'em, but turning is their skill. A used Mustang that's been taken care of should have all the recalls dealt with so they won't be terribly unreliable (but then again there is a reason they are called Fix Or Repair Daily...), and they are pretty easy to work on.

Bottom line, the only platform worth anything in drag racing (or any racing for that matter) is rear-drive. And unless you want to try converting your Integra (thought has crossed my mind), then you are better off finding something else. Front-drive just has way too many limitations in power, delivery, and weight transfer. A Silvia or Corolla GT-S (AE86) would work well too, but the bigger Japanese rear-drivers have way more power in them. An Eclipse (1st or 2nd gen only) with AWD and turbo (make sure you get both, converting is a huge pain) is also really good at drag racing.

I want to do autocross and a little bit of drag racing on the side. My buddy is selling his 1988 Mustang GT and I am seriously considering the car. I'd rather have a CRX, but all the major racing series in the world use V8s and rear drive, so that might be a better fit for me (also CRXs are really scarce on the East Coast). In your case lots of torque and rear drive are what you need.

[seth00008]

well i have a eg hatch with a gsr motor in it so im allready lighter and without tune up it was hitting 15.3 but we only had 2 runs and that was with negative camber as well

[seth00008]

and i have thought about auto x but im not to sure about it? why does everyone choose to do that is it fun or what,, it looks fun but havent tried

[TJ213]

Originally Posted by seth00008

and i have thought about auto x but im not to sure about it? why does everyone choose to do that is it fun or what,, it looks fun but havent tried

I've done it and its a lot of fun, the only downside is the limited amount of driving time. (well, that and tire wear)



btw, Some drivers can get the new Si in the high 14's stock

[8695Beaters]

Autocross is fun (and the safest and cheapest way to road race) but relies more on driver skill than a good car. Anyway, to cut off another 0.4 seconds in the quarter mile, you will either need about 30 hp or a much better launch (both are preferred). To beat the V8s, you need over 50 hp, more tire, and lose some of the interior in your Civic. Then again what your car needs depends on what the issue is. If the tires slip too much then you need sticky tires. If you have enough bite then you need more power. But in the end, a big V8 is still faster than you already. It reallty depends on what you want to do. Lots of drag racing? Buy a muscle car. Lots of road racing? Then an import is the thing for you. I want to be a professional race driver, so I need a car that handles. The perfect car for me is an 88 CRX DX. But finding one of those anywhere near me is almost impossible. A Fox body Mustang is relatively light, and can be made to handle well, and there are a few near me, so I'm weighing my options. Plus the tons of torque is really nice on the track.

There has to be a way to fix the camber without camber plates. There's a lot of slop in the factory settings, so try adjusting that first (aka get an alignment). If you've maxed that out and still have a lot of negative camber, then your car is too low (I assume coilovers and/or lowering springs. If not, then you have some major issues). Raise the car back up an inch or so and that will solve your problems.

[8695Beaters]

Originally Posted by TJ213

btw, Some drivers can get the new Si in the high 14's stock

Since when were we talking about the new Civic Si? For the money of a new Si I could have an 11 second Fox Mustang that has some semblance of handling. And I could afford it over the long run without dealing with interest.

[seth00008]

it is lowered , so what all do i need to raise it back up and how much do you think it will cost?

[TJ213]

Originally Posted by 8695Beaters

Since when were we talking about the new Civic Si? For the money of a new Si I could have an 11 second Fox Mustang that has some semblance of handling. And I could afford it over the long run without dealing with interest.

We were listing car times and I wanted to join in



Although for 20k you can get a faster car, which is actually what I plan on doing eventually, although not domestic. (subie)



btw, if you want real speed per dollar, go to 2 wheels For the money I put into my stock civic you could build a turbo 'busa and be running in the 8's



Post 1500

[8695Beaters]

Good call TJ. But when you can only afford one vehicle, you usually buy the car over the bike. Sounds like fun though.

Seth, it all depends on how much you lowered your car and by what means. with coilovers, all you have to do is crank down on the spring perches to get closer to stock ride height. If you did lowering springs, then you will need to find springs that are taller. One of the most common tuning myths is that lowering a car will always make it handle better. That's somewhat true, but by going to low, you end up throwing all the suspension geometry out of whack, which plays more of a part in handling than ride height. Case in point: lower the RSX more than an inch and it handles worse than stock. MacPherson strut cars are notorious for losing suspension geometry very quickly. Wishbone cars (pre-2002 Civic, Integra) don't have as much of a problem with that, but they will also develop issues when you go too low. Every car is different, so how low is too low is kind of hard to say. Usually you go a half inch at a time. Then check to see how things are lining up. I will try to get all the formulas and methods together and try to post an article to figure out how low you can get your car before the geometry goes bad.

[HondaME]

very interesting topic!!!