Annual tech?

[Anonymous]

Has this been discussed before?

[Jamie]

Not that I remember. Will our insurance allow it?

[Alizarin]

I'm not so sure it's a completely good idea, anyways. Didn't we have somebody once that found out their lugnuts were loose (or a wheel bearing going bad was it?) by somebody in tech pushing on their tires? We'd also have to make sure people understood that if they make modifications to their car that they would have to be reinspected.

[Charles]

(or a wheel bearing going bad was it?)

I think all of my wheel bearings are bad it's on the list........

I would also support annual tech if insurance allows it.....

[impalanut]

Isn't annual tech usually done for a race only trailered cars?

[Anonymous]

SCCA autocross does it for any car. You just have to be a member. You show your annual tech card when you register and they give you a tech dot.

Your helmet is also teched and you get a sticker for that.

[Loren]

I'm reminded of Howard's recent story of forgetting to torque the lug nuts on his car and it being caught by our tech inspection. That's just one small example of why I'm not a big fan of annual autocross tech.

[Solar]

I'm reminded of Howard's recent story of forgetting to torque the lug nuts on his car and it being caught by our tech inspection. That's just one small example of why I'm not a big fan of annual autocross tech.

That was Me and Meaty (I think) doing Tech in Brooksville, that's right, we were very thorough. 8)

[Anonymous]

So, annual tech for everyone except Howard?
Although, if he teched his own car, don't you think he would have found the same thing?

We could do something like, give everyone a card, and make them tech their own car in front of the tech inspectors. When they finish, the tech inspector signs their card, once they do this 2 or 3 times, then they are good for a year.

This will teach everyone how to tech a car. Honestly if you care about your car, there should be nothing that a stranger can find that you didn't already know about.

Annual tech wouldn't be required. If you are lazy and would rather have someone else worry about the safety of your car, you could still do that.

Teching your own car is good enough for all the groups that run HPDE's at Sebring.

[WAFlowers]

I'm against it.

And while we are at it can the tech guys check the level of my oil when they are looking at my brake and clutch fluid levels?

[Anonymous]

I'm against it.

Reasons?

Are you saying that you don't trust the people that show up at FAST events to be able to arrive in a car that doesn't have parts randomly flying off of it?

Or no trust that people aren't going to cheat the system and try to run with floor mats, or broken studs, or corded tires or loose batteries. I guess I have too much faith in humanity. If my car can't pass tech, I don't go to an event until it does, I hope that everyone else does the same.

Maybe you guys are right, people in general are too stupid when it comes to cars. We need tech inspectors to make sure that peoples cars have at least the most basic safety items. Course workers would be in significantly more danger if not. Sad.

[Loren]

There are people (lots of them) who try to sneak past tech with shoestrings holding their battery, seats and seatbelts not properly bolted in, lug nuts missing or loose, empty beer bottles rolling around under the seat, and any number of other things that they may or may not know about. Such is the nature of autocross.

Yes, our course workers could be at greater risk by not doing a good tech inspection.

Comparing to a track event is not quite apples-to-apples. People tend to take track events more seriously, and the drivers are usually at a higher level (both as drivers and as adults). Losing a wheel due to loose lugs at the track when you're driving 95 mph around a turn with walls on both sides can get you killed! Losing a wheel at an autocross usually isn't that dangerous... except for the course workers who have to dodge said loose wheel. (I've seen it happen) I think most people realize this and prepare their cars accordingly when they go to the track.

Ironically, most track clubs don't do their own thorough tech inspections because they don't want the liability of being the one who said "this car is okay". They check to see that you meet their minimum safety requirements and stop there. They leave it to the driver or the driver's mechanic to say "yes, the wheel bearings are good, the brake pads are good, the tires are good..."

Corner workers on a race track are also typically behind a barrier of some sort to protect them from parts flying off of a race car. They are also FAR better trained than an autocross course worker who may or may not have the slightest idea what they're doing.

Track and autocross are two very different things.

[Solar]

Tech is like proof reading a document you just writen, as far as you can see the document is fine, but when someone else proof reads it, they find a mistake or two.

I don't think the issue is that people would purposely pass their car through tech knowing that their care has a problem. Tech is for people like me that forget to remove some stuff from the floor, or someone that might think their battery is secure, only to find out the hold down bolt broken.

Has Tech really been an issue? I know sometimes Tech is going on right up to the drivers meeting, but I don't think it's ever delayed a event.

[Anonymous]

I just think it's a waste of time. I can tech my car better than anyone else can. The tech inspector and myself could be doing something else.

Teach people how to tech their own cars and you end up with less tech problems. The only reason you would forget to do something, is if you didn't actually tech your car, you just got it ready. I actually tech my car myself all the time.

[Solar]

Well it's easy for someone that does roofing to say they don't need a inspection from the city for a new roof. And someone that doesn't know roofing that installed a new roof may feel the same way. Both have to be inspected because it's only fair, and it's a safety issue.

Really though, how hard is it to get your car Teched at a FAST event? I just pop my hood when I'm ready, and when I come back there's a pass sticker/dot on my windshield.

[miazda man]

plus you have novices at every race that you can't expect to know every thing to look for on there car. the tech inspector is back-up for all of us.
i don't see the harm in keeping it this way

[WAFlowers]

I'm against it.

Reasons?

I need reasons? What is your reason for asking?

I'm assuming that an annual tech would be for the more dedicated members; the sort of people who buy an annual number for their car. So not everyone would have an annual tech and we'd have to tech some cars anyway.

FAST is a fun-oriented club much more casual (IMHO) than SCCA (which I was in years ago -- it may have changed since then). I have the feeling not everyone who might qualify for an annual tech would be rigorous in checking their own car before every competition.

Or maybe I'm just projecting my own failings.

[Anonymous]

I don't like people touching my car, so I refuse to let it be teched when I am not there. I also don't like wasting 15-20 minutes before an event, when I could be walking the course again, or doing something to help set up the event.

I am really surprised that no one wants annual tech. I guess you don't mind people messing with your car (Brooksville) or wasting time (SPC).

[Charles]

I don't really like anyone harassing my dots during tech either and at the same time would rather roam around helping with something or socializing.

I think it's slightly annoying but then again just because someone wants to come out and drive their car hard doesn't mean they know how to even change their own oil much less stop the wheels from falling off.

If Jeremy or others need a dot, you guys can borrow one of mine

[Dave-ROR]

I'm fine with annual tech for FAST members.

Hell my S2000 was rarely "teched", the stack of 20 dots on the windshield usually resulted in another being added and the tech inspector going to the next car, sometimes they'd walk around the car.. but I think it was only fully teched 2-3 times this year.