LS1 powered RX-8 classing and introduction

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Sat May 14, 2016 10:49 pm

Hello,

Obviously I'm new here and the June 4th event is possibly the first event I should be able to attend. So I figured I'd introduce myself. After a year of shoehorning time into my life to build it my project is now days away from being road ready. I've been looking for a place to Autocross it since that, and running HPDEs, was the dream. What you guys do here seems like the most fun I could have autocrossing.

At this point I've managed to install an LS1/T56 dropout from a 2002 Pontiac. An aftermarket front sub-frame was used to mount the engine and trans and a custom drive-shaft connects it to the stock rear diff I had to "custom" mount as I didn't reuse the PPF. I'm also going to be running 255/40r18 over the stock 225/45r18s. These are the big changes and I'm wondering where I'm classed. I read the rules and I'm pretty sure I'll be M0 but if anyone wants to offer a different opinion I'm all ears.

Here a video of the very first start up. I'm getting tires on Wednesday and then off to and alignment and then I will finally be able to drive it.
https://youtu.be/bR7NMSi6t7Q

I hope I can make it on June 4th but I'm waiting to register right now as I really need to put some miles on it to make sure it all works. Unless you'll let me run my 2005 Frontier King Cab as a back up. Then I'll register right away. lol

Postby **Loren** » Sat May 14, 2016 11:02 pm

Neat project! Should be a hoot to drive.

The RX-8 should be an M2 car by default. The engine swap would bump it to M1. It sounds like you've only done the minimum modification required to get the engine in the car. So, unless it exceeds any of the other standard "mod category" limitations, you could probably run it in M1. In the video, I see all glass, full interior, looks like a street car... The intent of M0 is more "race car".

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Mon May 16, 2016 9:23 pm

Thanks. I've only been able to drive it up and the street so far. I can't wait to really get into it.

After pouring over the rules again I can see how it fits into M1 now. Not sure if that's good or bad as there's much more competition there. Thanks for taking a look at it.

Jamie · Postby **Jamie** » Tue May 17, 2016 3:10 pm

Just be happy it doesn't fall into M2...!

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Sun May 22, 2016 8:07 pm

I'm not sure about that. I was just looking at yesterday's results and M1 is 993s and S2000s.

Postby **Loren** » Sun May 22, 2016 8:56 pm

It's all about the driver. M2 is a really tough class! M1 has been picking up lately, though.

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Sun May 22, 2016 9:33 pm

I was just kidding. I'm just excited to drive the car. Competing is secondary at this point. I can imagine M2 being competitive. There's a fairly long list of Miata's in that group.

I took it for a fairly long drive today to flush out some bugs. I'm still aiming for the June 4th event if there's room to register when I feel like it can make the drive out there.

CaptainSquirts · Postby **CaptainSquirts** » Mon May 23, 2016 11:19 am

WastedAccounts wrote:I'm not sure about that. I was just looking at yesterday's results and M1 is 993s and S2000s.

Can confirm, M1 is pretty stacked. Only way I get points is if the good drivers don't sign up haha...

twistedwankel · Postby **twistedwankel** » Mon May 23, 2016 1:49 pm

I came really close to professionally converting a blow'n RX-8 to an LS3 T56 torque monster. Then I found a C5 that cost less. Cool you can do your own work to make this project affordable. Let me know if I can help. I'll either have a grey rx or Vette on any given day. Check the vette club for test and tunes monthly at airport great place to sort a new car out without direct competition and enough time between runs to make changes. Doesn't sound like you have the coilovers, big wheels, bars to be competitive in M1 yet. Nothing stopping you from running a higher class like M0 with similar HP cars. I run my car one class higher too:). Worked OK until the Porches took over. Now I need big wheels, big RE-71's AND Loren driving to catch them.

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Mon May 23, 2016 9:14 pm

CaptainSquirts wrote:
WastedAccounts wrote:I'm not sure about that. I was just looking at yesterday's results and M1 is 993s and S2000s.
Can confirm, M1 is pretty stacked. Only way I get points is if the good drivers don't sign up haha...

Nice, I do enjoy a good challenge. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, right?

twistedwankel wrote:I came really close to professionally converting a blow'n RX-8 to an LS3 T56 torque monster. Then I found a C5 that cost less. Cool you can do your own work to make this project affordable. Let me know if I can help. I'll either have a grey rx or Vette on any given day. Check the vette club for test and tunes monthly at airport great place to sort a new car out without direct competition and enough time between runs to make changes. Doesn't sound like you have the coilovers, big wheels, bars to be competitive in M1 yet. Nothing stopping you from running a higher class like M0 with similar HP cars. I run my car one class higher too:). Worked OK until the Porches took over. Now I need big wheels, big RE-71's AND Loren driving to catch them.

Thanks. I went back and forth on just buying a C5. The price was similar enough but I just didn't want a Corvette. I did want a V8 powered sports car though and I had an RX8 in 2006 that I loved the way it handled and you can get a chassis with a dead engine for less then $2k anymore. Way cheaper then an FD roller.

Which vette club runs these events? I never even thought to look there for some reason. Do they allow other cars to show up?

And no, besides the LS1 the chassis is stock with 126k on the clock. The thing's a damn boat right now. The gearing is stupid short too at 4.44. I have a 3.9 diff that should help. I was looking at the rules again it doesn't appear there's any restriction for suspension upgrades, is that true?

Postby **Native** » Mon May 23, 2016 9:26 pm

Changing springs will bump you from stock to mod, but since you're already in mod, knock yourself out. There's some limitation about altering suspension geometry, pickup points, etc, that could put you in M0, but just springs etc is fine.

Postby **Loren** » Mon May 23, 2016 11:57 pm

The real Mod class "intent" is that any non-cosmetic mods should be reversible. Bolt-on stuff. If your suspension mods don't require cutting and welding, they are fair game in FAST Mod. If they do require cutting and welding, then you're looking at M0.

My usual advice applies... start with shocks. Even though you "can" do what you want with the suspension, improving the suspension of a well-designed sports car is not nearly as easy as messing it up! Give yourself time to sort out the engine swap AND time to learn to be an autocross driver, THEN worry about suspension mods. Do what the car NEEDS right now, which is most likely a good set of shocks and maybe bump stops. Restore it to the level of handling that it came with from the factory... which is what turned you on to the car in the first place!

CaptainSquirts · Postby **CaptainSquirts** » Tue May 24, 2016 9:03 am

WastedAccounts wrote:
CaptainSquirts wrote:
WastedAccounts wrote:I'm not sure about that. I was just looking at yesterday's results and M1 is 993s and S2000s.
Can confirm, M1 is pretty stacked. Only way I get points is if the good drivers don't sign up haha...

WastedAccounts wrote:Nice, I do enjoy a good challenge. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, right?

Every event that I attend the more I realize that smooth is faster. When I first(and now, but a lot less) I just had the mindset of just attacking the course hard. This wold make me overshoot all my corners and thus screw my lines up. I'm trying to be more smooth now and focus on the lines. It's obviously easier to drive a course slow and be smooth at the same time, but that slow smooth driving will def show in your times(kinda in a negative way). Now attacking the course and being smooth at the same time is where you get them sick times. But again not sure if you've ever done autocross before or not. If not, you'll have a hard time reading the course the first couple goes. So if that's the case, I would just worry about navigating around the course but also kinda go all out to get the feel for the car to know it's limits.

I'm not a veteran like many here and I've only been doing this for almost a year? So probably take what I said with a grain of salt

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Tue May 24, 2016 2:24 pm

Native wrote:Changing springs will bump you from stock to mod, but since you're already in mod, knock yourself out. There's some limitation about altering suspension geometry, pickup points, etc, that could put you in M0, but just springs etc is fine.

Good to know. I have no intentions of altering the stock setup in that way.

Loren wrote:My usual advice applies... /quote]

It's good advice. I'd love to just run out and throw on some Ohlins coilovers but I was planning on just running it the way it is. The stock suspension is not set up for this power though. It's pretty wild when you really get on it. I'm guessing some fresh struts would help tremendously.

CaptainSquirts wrote:not sure if you've ever done autocross before or not. If not, you'll have a hard time reading the course the first couple goes. So if that's the case, I would just worry about navigating around the course but also kinda go all out to get the feel for the car to know it's limits.

I'm not a veteran like many here and I've only been doing this for almost a year? So probably take what I said with a grain of salt

I've done a couple of autocross events and by a couple I mean two in a car and two on a motorcycle (Buell Battletrax events, they were really a lot of fun). I'm now wondering if one of them was with you guys actually. It was out that way but it was like 5 years ago. Anyway, I'm excited to see how I handle this thing on the autocross track.

twistedwankel · Postby **twistedwankel** » Wed May 25, 2016 11:12 pm

[quote="WastedAccounts
Which vette club runs these events? I never even thought to look there for some reason. Do they allow other cars to show up?

[/quote]

Matt,

http://www.floridacorvetteracing.com/index.php

This event accepts any car that is safe to drive by a licensed driver. There is a limit of 40 cars as I recall so there is a shit ton of runs if you stay all day until sundown. I only go there when my cars (or I) suck or my wife wants me to spin out with her in the car due to a crappy handling issue or brain farts (AND they let her use a clean john ladies only in the RV). You will always see a number of FAST people here tweeking their rides to be killer at next FAST points event and getting a decent home cooked lunch in the process. You will get a lot of runs and can leave after lunch if you want. Or stay and work and drive. This is NOT any kind of "event" other than a Test and Tune. Times are recorded according to fastest time for the day but not in competition. Just generic. I find them refreshing sometimes.

You can let "real" drivers co-drive you car just like FAST if you want. I let Andrew beat me in my RX8 on rain tires with blown shocks (we didn't know that) once when his tires corded. These events are never in conflict w/FAST and ONLY held at Brooksville Airport.

Note that FAST has two events/month so this isn't something you'll do very often. It doesn't count for anything. I do these odd events usually to scrub in a new set of tires or let a friend try and kick my butt in one of my cars:) Which is getting way to easy as I get older.

Doug

twistedwankel · Postby **twistedwankel** » Wed May 25, 2016 11:24 pm

Matt,

Make sure you sign up for all of the FAST events for the rest of the season (ending in August) AND consider starting out in 2nd gear

The new season starts in Sept so there's a lot of learning available. I hope you've found a decent alignment shop. I finally got -1.9 camber on the front of my RX8 bone stock. Woohoo.

Doug

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Fri May 27, 2016 10:50 pm

twistedwankel wrote:consider starting out in 2nd gear

I believe you are correct, second gear is a great starting gear.

I signed up for the June 4th late event. All I need is an alignment now and hope that it will make the drive out there. Can't wait. I'll check out the corvette events too. Thanks for the link.

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Tue May 31, 2016 8:36 pm

Welp, through what is honestly not mine or the cars fault I can't make the June 4th event. Contractor is needing a late start on a project and to make up time they need to work Saturday. My new target is the June 18th event now. This gives me a but of time to install the new gears and work out some other issues. Gauges for one since none of them work besides the fuel gauge.

twistedwankel · Postby **twistedwankel** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:15 pm

WastedAccounts wrote:Welp, through what is honestly not mine or the cars fault I can't make the June 4th event. Contractor is needing a late start on a project and to make up time they need to work Saturday. My new target is the June 18th event now. This gives me a but of time to install the new gears and work out some other issues. Gauges for one since none of them work besides the fuel gauge.

If you sign up by tomorrow June 2nd the Vette club has a t+t on 11th....just sayin'. Pay at the door. I was more than a little concerned about a foreign powerplant computer talking to my Nippon computer in the RX8 too (which is why I only talked to a serious professional builder). Good luck with that. Hope you are a Geek. A speedo would be nice but you can use a GPS for that:) Since the Factory oil and temp are basically on/off switches they aren't all that reliable anyhow. Aftermarket would be better.

WastedAccounts · Postby **WastedAccounts** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:48 pm

Well I signed up for the 11th but after finding problems and then installing a solid diff mount kit to fix them this weekend my exhaust no longer fits. It was pretty much too loud anyway so I've ordered some parts. I might not make that event this weekend but I'm still trying. Unless I hit a magic streak I'm not even going to bother with the 18th right now after these two failures.

Back to the foreign powerplant, some people have begun making canbus converters that make the gauges work. Still prototypes or beta platforms that they're charging for though. Most people just retain the Mazda PCM and some sensors to keep stuff working. I bought the chassis without a motor, trans or PCM though so I'm out of luck there. The speedo is suppose to just work off the ABS wheel speed sensors but mine does not. I really just wish I had a temp gauge to keep on eye on it. Running around with a laptop in the passenger seat running VCM Scanner is getting old. I'm trying to get a windows tablet working with VCM scanner but the display can't keep up so the gauges are all choppy. I should have spent more then $48 on I'm guessing.