1st Gen ITS?

[itaracer]

Anyone running a 1st. Gen RX7 in ITS?

[Eagle7]

I saw one at Grattan (Michigan) - I think on Memorial Day. Don't know who it was.

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Marty Doane
ITS RX7 #13
CenDiv WMR

[lateapex911]

Yes, there is a guy in the DC area running the old NE car. Very distinctive, has "MAZDA" written in the corporate blue starting at the front bumper and ending at the back bumper.

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[itaracer]

I was just thinking about some changes for next year and wondering how competative they were.
Trying to decide if I want to sell my "A" car and buy an "S" car or upgrade my "A" car to an "S" car.
How fast can an "S" car go?

[lateapex911]

Crunch the numbers, but getting an 85 13B to run with the 2nd gen 7s will be veeeeeeery tough. And then there are the BMWs.

I'm not telling you to fight the good fight, but just be prepared for the steepness of the hill!

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[Boswoj]

I also hate to dissuade someone from developing an "non-typical" car, but in this particular case I think it would be an impossible battle. I noticed that there was a nice GSL-SE ITS car that was traded in on a Spec Miata and subsequently found it's way to E-bay. It was from up here in the Northwest and was never able to be competitive with the Z-cars and E30 BMW's in ITS. We haven't even seen many well prepared 2nd gens and E36's up here yet and it STILL wasn't competitive! Take a look at the rear suspension schematics for the 1st and 2nd gens some time and it is clear that the 2nd gen is a leap forward in technology. Don't get me wrong, I am moving up into EP in my 1st gen and have a lot of love for it - but it is old technology, even when compared to it's offspring.

Boswoj

[Boswoj]

Oh - and on further review of your question - "How fast can an "s" car go - I think the natural answer is " At a snails pace!"

Boswoj

[itaracer]

I heard what I was expecting to hear. The IT7 class really hasn't caught on in the MiDiv. So the options are pretty limited on the 1st gen side. Either continue to try to catch the CRX's or go EP.

I hate to sell the the car since I just put a rebuilt 12A in it but the car is nearly 20 years old.

I guess I'll ride out the rest of the season and see what comes on the market during the off season.

Thanks for catching teh corny "S" car go reference.

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Mark Jeffery
ITA #92 '85 RX7
MidDiv - Arkansas Region

[lateapex911]

Hey mark, don't bail just yet! The whole IT world might just change soon, and your car might not be the loser in the deal. I say hang onto it, form your own IT7 inter-class battle, and have fun! (One of out RX-7 guys got an old trophy, and we award it to the fastest RX-7 at every race.)

Then there's always the ARRCs!

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[Allen Brown]

Yeh...There's not too many of us that decided to run the 1984/5 GSL-SE in ITS or IT-1 here in western Canada.

In Calgary, we have Canada's longest front straight (approx. 3800 ft). So as you may think, our track is known as a HP track. Even with running 4.88 gears, I am out accelerated by half the cars in the class going down the front straight. I am sitting at 7500 rpm in 5th at the end of the front straight. On other tracks where handling and momentum is more of a requirement, the car is more competitive.
BUT don't expect to be keeping up with the 2nd gen RX7, the BMW, or a quick 240Z.

I built the car before I really checked into how competitive it would....I already had the car, and I autoXed the car for a year before deciding the wheel to wheel racing was what I wanted to do.

If being able to be a front runner is the upmost of importance, choose a different car. If being a mid pack runner, you'll have allot of fun with the car. Unfortunately, I have a hard time doing anything where I don't have a chance of being up front. So, I am starting a move to GT-3.

I hope some of these comments help.

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Allen Brown
#36 IT-1
GT-3 in 2004 or 2005
[email protected]

[Speed Raycer]

Keep it for another season and see how this whole Comp/A thing pans out. Who knows, IT7 may happen still in MiDiv. I know there was a chance last year, maybe it'll happen this year! The RX7's are still a great car to learn to race and to have good fun in. We just added one so that we could both be on track at the same time. Competitive in A? Probably not ever with the likes of Tim Finley around http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif

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Scott
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it

<A HREF="http://www.pfmracing.com" TARGET=_blank> http://home.swbell.net/srhea66/PFMSigPic.jpg
www.pfmracing.com </A>

[itaracer]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll go ahead and finish the season and do some tweaking this winter and hope for a good next season. I hear you and agree on Tim Finley. He has GIR wired in that CRX. I understand he also runs pretty well at MMP. I'm going to MAM to try to get a win before going to GIR But If I can't beat Tim at least once at GIR or MMP the championship will be his. The new engine feels much stronger than the old one. Of course it had 139K miles on it when it was converted to an ITA car 9 years ago.
If anyone knows a guy named Scott Eleck let him kow how long the car lasted before the engine went. From what I can tell from the log book Scott built the car and had it teched for the first time on 7/8/94.

[JIgou]

I know of a CRX for sale that has Finley's number: call Dave Volante for details.

Can't beat 'em, join 'em??

http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif

Jarrod
(Spec Miata heathen)

[miketrier]

It will be nice to have more RX7's at MAM in a few weeks. It will be my first time out this year. (99 ITA) I beat Tim at GIR with my RX7 once a few years ago but that was his old car and I haven't raced there since 2000. I've raced my RX7 4 years and the only DNF was a crash. That's why I keep it.
I tried to get IT7 recognized in Midiv last year but couldn't get enough support. I'll be trying again this year. We all need to get with our RE's and explain why the class is needed. I suppose the option is to petition SCCA to move us to ITB. At the ARRC last year the fastest IT7's ran the same lap times as the fastest ITB's. Maybe that is the answer.

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by miketrier:
I suppose the option is to petition SCCA to move us to ITB. At the ARRC last year the fastest IT7's ran the same lap times as the fastest ITB's. Maybe that is the answer.

Well, the issue there is the rim width rule. How many of us want to go out and find 3 sets of 6x13" wheels? And presumably, if they move us RX-7 guys, what about the BMW 2002s, the MR2s and so on? I think the answer is added weight to the front ITA cars and maybe a break to the cars that have been developed but are clearly off the pace.



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[itaracer]

I'm planning on making the trip to MAM. I've come too far to give up now. I'm looking to make a couple of additional changes to my car. First is a 4.88 Dif. I still runing a 3.90. The second is brake bias. I'll have the brake bias in by MAM but I'm still looking for a 4.88. If anyone has one available please contact me.
What about wheel diameter? I believe the CRX's run 14's. If we could run 14 or 15 inch tires it seems that might even the field out a little. Has anyone done the numbers on this issue?

[GEO46]

Just a few thoughts here. Cendiv has finally reconized IT7, perhaps with the right kind of leadership/push, Midiv would too?

As for 2nd gen RX7's in ITS, (the original topic) They are competitive at WHRRI. Of course it's the same 3 or 4 cars that have been running for many seasons here. Perhaps start a thread over on the www.waterfordhills.com (http://www.waterfordhills.com)
BB, and see if you can geam any tech tips from those guys?

[Eagle7]

Originally posted by GEO46:
As for 2nd gen RX7's in ITS, (the original topic) They are competitive at WHRRI.No, it was 1st gen RX7's in ITS.



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Marty Doane
ITS RX7 #13
CenDiv WMR

[GEO46]

Originally posted by Eagle7:

Originally posted by GEO46:
As for 2nd gen RX7's in ITS, (the original topic) They are competitive at WHRRI.No, it was 1st gen RX7's in ITS.

Oops, sorry, you are correct. Still, there is one if not two 1st gen in ITS at WHRRI. And one of them is starting to get competive. Of course, for those familiar with WHRRI, it is NOT a HP track.

I would have to say \"nay\" in general to a 1st gen in ITS. LPEP is not to big of a step upwards, (thats my plan), or you could go all out for GT3!!!

Have to agree though, hang on for another season or two. They may adopt, or, as in my case, I found out that I can be competive at WHRRI, so it's time to move onward and upward.

Runoffs anyone?? Not bloody likely on my budget, but so long as we're having fun...

[dyoungre]

Bruce Wentzel, at Green Dot Racing owns a couple of 1st gens ITSs - he drives and rents at Waterford Hills. But as far as 'converting' - wouldn't your car have to start as a GSL-SE? I thought that was the whole dilemma for the CRX-SI supply....

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Dave Youngren
NER ITA RX7 #61

[Knestis]

Yup. I had to get all the way to the last post to see that point. Updating an A car to S won't be legal.

K

[bcarter]

old cars, old technology, why start from behind...

[This message has been edited by bcarter (edited September 18, 2003).]