which way is up ?

[oldguy54]

Guys.........I am new to SCCA, but not new to racing. I'm a South Carolinian with dirt track, asphalt track, drag racing, go kart racing background (all total about 30 years) Now that I am older, but still not deceased, I would like try something else. I have this 93 Corolla with a very real 310,000 miles on it and 5 speed gearbox. Could this be a good platform to start from, or should I look elsewhere ?

I am a welder / fabricator / chassis builder, with a dash of machinist thrown in, so I am capable, but do not really want to travel down the wrong paths to far in a new venue. At 54 years old, my reflexes aren't that of a 20 year old, but my skillsets are still intact. Any comments?????

I had thought of the V8 in my new Tundra, but the wife really frowned on that idea!

[ITANorm]

I'll echo what has been said many times before: It's a lot cheaper to buy an already built car than to start from scratch.

That done . . .

A '93 Corolla is currently not classed in IT. If it were, it would probably be in ITB - and be, at best, a mid-pack car. The 4AFE engine just doesn't have the oomph to keep up. If, by some miracle, you could get it classed in ITC - it might have a chance.

If you just LOVE that car, and insist on building your own, might I suggest a long and arduous search for a '90 Geo Prizm GSi. It's mechanically very similar to the '93 Corolla (fraternal twin of '90 Corolla GTS - except it's a 4-door), is already classified in ITB, and on paper COULD be (IMHO) an awesome car. It certainly has the engine to do the job (4AGE small-port).

[oldguy54]

thanks norm,...........this is the kind of info that I need; you guys already know the roads to stay away from. In reference to "build your own" vs buying "already built", you are exactly right. And that is the route that I am going. I was just wondering if the 93 yota had any potential. But that's okay; it still runs on the street and still gets 40 mpg.

The only issues I have with "prebuilt" are safety issues; I have always been "overboard" on car construction and safety. In fact, I would always rather run a slightly heavier car vs a lighter front runner; after all, this is a hobby.

A properly constructed car will not necessarily be a heavier car, but will incorporate a "crush setup" in its design. I have seen cars with "railroad duty" roll cages and bumpers that while they met the minimums for technical, they were not at all a practical setup with relation to physics. It may sound as though, I am a little picky, but a large part of a driver's ability and performance on the track is based on his confidence in his car's ability to function in it's intended purpose.