New to Hondas. road racing, and IT

[jjjanos]

Sweet. Why didn't you ever just rip that stuff off then and run w/o it?

I was impressed by your zip-tie craftsmanship though.

Until the car got parked, there was enough of the stuff to hold together with zip ties.

I know it doesn't specify in the GCR, but IMHO molding and cladding are two different animals. I hate reading the GCR between the lines, but molding is going to be those chrome strips around fenders and under doors, and in the case of the 1st gen CRX that red trim that goes all the way around the car, ~1 1/2 cm wide. Cladding is the big chunks of plastic on the doors, bumpers, rocker panels etc. I don't think you can remove those. Hell, if it was OK to remove the plastic from a CRX, you'd have to run in some open wheel class.

Perhaps true, but the rule doesn't say fenders... it specifically refers to rocker panels, etc.

Besides, there's this -

"Body repair shall be performed using every reasonable effort to maintain stock body contours, lips, etc."

AFAIK, the parts aren't available through ANY retail supply source and people who have spares and a 1st gen would required handing over a testicle and your teenage daughter in exchange for the bits that maintain the stock body look. They aren't structural - they are cosmetic. In my mind, that makes putting these back on if you don't have 'em firmly in the unreasonable effort to maintain the stock body contour category.

[Ed Funk]

But the stuff is still available, if you look. Hard to get is not the same as impossible to get.

[jjjanos]

But the stuff is still available, if you look.

Proof please. Provide the name and contact info for the distributor.

Hard to get is not the same as impossible to get.

Being listed as available is not the same as being available.

[wbp]

Thousands of salvage yards have the body clading but it will take some shopping to find the good stuff. Anyone who finds themself unable or unwilling to use salvage yard parts really should reconsider a plan to race a car over 20 years old.

[jjjanos]

Thousands of salvage yards have the body clading but it will take some shopping to find the good stuff. Anyone who finds themself unable or unwilling to use salvage yard parts really should reconsider a plan to race a car over 20 years old.

Name and contact number of one that has these plastic pieces because most people running this generation CRX would love to have spare plastic. Claiming there are thousands of salvage yards with useable pieces is not equivalent to actually naming one. Go buy all the useable pieces you can find and sell them at redpepper for more money than you can imagine.

These plastic bits do NOT age well. They become about as brittle as my patience.

[Ed Funk]

I have a c CRX and two parts cars and a fair amount of stock plastic. You want to talk difficult stuff to find? We use to run an Opel in ITB, at least 10 years older than the first gen CRX and not as many sold! If you're going to run an old car, you have to scramble for parts.

If you want to buy stuff, tell me what and how much you want to pay. There---it's available at my warehouse!

[boywonder]

I picked up a complete parts car on Sunday for a decent price in KY and now have a set of good plastic, (minus the header piece) plus a spare nut and bolt for nearly everything on the car. And today I made a friend at a body shop so hopefully the car will be going into the shop this week and will come out less "cosmetically challenged." Woo hoo! :026:

This weekend I painted the wheel wells and finished painting the interior/cage. Also reinstalled the distributor (note: if installed 180º incorrectly it will shoot fireballs...), replaced the battery and with the help of my rally buddy ripped out the mess of unneeded wires. Ordered all the necessary bits to wire everything correctly including the master switch so that it conforms to the GCR.

I also ordered my seat, harness, and personal safety gear today so now I'm totally broke.

Slowly getting there...

[spnkzss]

....so now I'm totally broke.

Slowly getting there...

Don't worry. You're THERE. Welcome to racing.

[boywonder]

LOL, thanks!

[boywonder]

The driver's school was awesome!

Saturday morning I was very nervous about the car and myself and wasn't totally comfortable with anything because of overall inexperience, newness of myself to the car, never driving that track, and my experiences of repeatedly spinning around and around at Putnam in the rain a few weeks ago. So every turn for the first session I was just waiting for the car to kick out, but it never did. They impounded us after every session and after the third session we noticed a large puddle of fuel under the car when my guys went to move it back to the paddock. So they hurried up and fixed it while I was in class, turns out it was a pressure/venting issue. Sessions 4-6 were uneventful; except that coming in from the first session after lunch the car wouldn't idle and didn't for the rest of the day. Otherwise the car was fine and I was getting more and more comfortable in it and on the track. I was getting passed a lot, I was easily the second slowest car at the track but found it a lot of fun when I realized I was carrying way more speed through the corners and could catch and pass people through them. Of course those passes only lasted until the other car found the gas pedal. Practice starts and the race went well on Saturday and I took two seconds off my previous best lap during the race. By the end of the day on Saturday I was feeling very comfortable with the car/my lines and was able to run nearly all the turns flat out, only having to brake for 4, 12 & 13 and feather a bit in the carousel.

After the end of Saturday and my first completed school we took a look at the car and with the help of David (the BMW driver) fixed the idle (vacuum leak) and adjusted the float level.

Sunday was very fun. I felt comfortable from the beginning of the day though I did take it easy the first session because it was overcast and quite a bit cooler than Saturday and I didn't know what grip was going to be like. I was hanging with the faster cars a lot more in the corners and there were several cars that I'd pass twice in the same lap in the turns, only to have them pass me on the straights, so that was a lot of fun. The car was good but started to develop a stumble during the sweepers in the first session so I had the guys keep the fuel level a bit higher thinking it was the pickup in the tank. By lunch I had brought my best time down another second. At lunch we put on the shaved tires (I had been running my full tread RA-1 "rains" at the school because they're lousy in the rain) so I could feel the difference between the tires. We also played with the carb a bit and that fixed the stumble in the turns. My times improved dramatically with the shaved tires, I was three seconds faster in the first session with them. I even passed the Firehawk (ITE 420+hp, sweet car) - I was trying to pass the BMW and the Firehawk came flying up and passed me going into the kink but got stuck behind the BMW going into 12. I managed to secure the inside line coming into 13 and passed him at the apex of 13 and came up beside the BMW. Then the Firehawk slid beneath me and passed us both three wide in the front straight at a gazillion mph while I was almost up to 60mph. But all I care about is that I did pass him!

The practice starts and race went very well, I qualified 5th I think (I don't have the sheets and it's not up on MyLaps yet) and finished 4th. The last race was a lot of fun, especially the last few laps. I was feeling more confident so I started trying to push the braking zone back for 12 after carrying the biggest head of steam that my little car could muster and pinched 12 two laps in a row, running over the curb and lightening the rear end and drifting the turn. Ahhh, good times! :eek:

The car held together with some help from my great crew (Scott, Scott, and Steve) and I now feel comfortable on a track with much faster cars. I also feel comfortable getting passed (that happened a lot you know) and feel fairly comfortable passing - depending on the guy I'm passing. Most of the other guys were fairly consistent/predictable but there were a few that were a bit sketchy and kinda scary to pass. The best part is that I passed both schools and now officially have my novice permit and the car is still in one piece.

All in all it was a great time and I think everyone passed. On Saturday the BMW had a fun off at the carousel - went too high and away he went into the tires and the ITA Civic forgot(?) to brake to make 4 and also went off into the tires. And one of the Spec Miatas and the Integra both spun once on Sunday. Otherwise it was fairly uneventful in the offs dept.

Just want to say thanks to my instructor Bill, the other instructors that gave me tips (Karl, Christopher), the workers and everyone else that helped put on the school. I thought it was run very efficiently and I feel much more comfortable on the track now, which is probably a sign of a good school.

Now I just need to get more seat time and work on the motor a bit. I still don't think it's running at it's potential (20hp less than stock on the dyno is a bit of a clue). I don't know how fast it should be able to go but exiting 7 (80mph, 4th gear) with it pinned to the floor all the way to the braking zone at 12 (103mph max, still 4th gear), I thought I'd at least top out 4th.
Maybe you other ITC Honda guys can chime in. But even as is, it's a fun car and I really want more seat time.

[ITA_honda]

You held your own this weekend.
And I LOVED the pass under the firebird in turn 13! that was sweet and put on a heck of a show for us up in the tower.

Sunday before the practice starts I noticed you having trouble getting the CRX started...what was up with that?

I was the pace car driver both days too

[boywonder]

Yeah, that pass was one of my favorite parts of the weekend, only wish I had it on video.

Still not sure what's going on regarding the difficulty starting the car on Sunday. It's always started right up but it did that a few times on Sunday - each time it took just long enough starting to scare me into thinking I was going to miss out on a session. I'll tear into it this week and see what's up.

[ITA_honda]

Yeah, that pass was one of my favorite parts of the weekend, only wish I had it on video.

Still not sure what's going on regarding the difficulty starting the car on Sunday. It's always started right up but it did that a few times on Sunday - each time it took just long enough starting to scare me into thinking I was going to miss out on a session. I'll tear into it this week and see what's up.

Honda's usually start right up
did it act up at all on Saturday? or just that one time Sunday?

[boywonder]

It started fine on Saturday, but didn't want to start two or three times on Sunday.

[ITA_honda]

It started fine on Saturday, but didn't want to start two or three times on Sunday.

hmmm thats odd. just keep an eye on it.
maybe a fuel pump relay going bad?
cause thats what happened to my car like 5 years ago. I couldnt figure out why it wouldnt start (only when the engine was warm, not cold)
Traced it back to the relay for the fuel pump. That little dang relay!! put a new one in and its worked fine ever since

[boywonder]

It could be something we did to it too. The carb wasn't acting right, (car seems down on power and the thinking is that the secondary isn't opening) so we fiddled with it a bit while at the track and we may have adjusted something too far.

[ITA_honda]

It could be something we did to it too. The carb wasn't acting right, (car seems down on power and the thinking is that the secondary isn't opening) so we fiddled with it a bit while at the track and we may have adjusted something too far.

that may very well be. Now that you're a new racer, you will see how valuable track time is for practicing and adjusting your car!!:026:

[iambhooper]

Nelson Ledge's is a blast. I had my school there in the X1/9.

As for your fuel problems... a couple of things... what fuel pressure are running? do you have a guage and an adjustable regulator? if it's a stock carb, i'm thinking i had mine set a 4 psi. the stock carb does have a float issue typically in left hander's. i would suggest rebuilding it for sure. you also want to find a new or newer issolator. make sure all your vac plugs are in place and zip tied.

have the jets been changed in the carb? what about the fuel pump, what are you using?

when you get a chance to go through the car, and are ready to make some decisions, email me. i have a stock carb that has been well sorted, along with a newish issolator and a mallory marine fuel pump that i could probably be talked out of for a fair price

hoop

[iambhooper]

one more thing. the HP number's. the stock number quoted by Honda was taken at the flywheel, where the number that your dyno reads was taken at the wheels. i believe my car turned 67 at the wheel when i built the .040 motor 3 years ago.

hoop

[RacerBill]

Ryan: Congrats on getting your schools signed off. You have to post the pictures your crew took getting your certificate. Let me know if you are thinking about the Cincy PDX at Bluegrass in May.