Any SCCA people on here? Racing cars in parking lots around cones, lol...

[bobzilla]

I wish we had a larger sports car community in central Indiana. Putnam park seems only used by PCA BMWcca and occasional tests. IRP road course is unmaintained last I knew. I'm sure there are auto crosses around but I'm not a SCCA member anymore so I probably would rejoin if they actually are manager better than in the past.

Other towns I visit always seem to have something scheduled I can look up when I have downtime.

When is the last time you've been to an Indy event? It's a really good program with a lot of hard working volunteers that bust butt. Very friendly, very welcoming and always a good time.

The he region is also running 3 track nights at Putnam Park this summer. Check out indyscca.org for times and locations for all our events. Come and have fun. Just don't be mad if you get beat by a Kia

 

[RevoWood123]

I used to auto cross back in high school and for a couple years after. My cousin and I used to race a Miata, we had a blast. I kind of got away from it when guns found me, but I wouldn't mind getting back into. I remember reading about a company who did an engine swap on the Miata, I think they were out of Texas, where they put a 5.0L 302 V8 (mustang) engine in the car and they called it the Monster Miata. Some girl in Louisvile actually had one for a while.

 

[jfw46544]

Fly'in Miata is doing LS3 swaps. Corvette motors in Miata's. Got to love it. Good people there but I need a much thicker wallet to even think about something like that.

 

[J10on4ds]

Thanks to all who replied so far... I'm not really "done" with the Miata. There have only been 3 times in the past couple of years where I HAD to borrow the wife's soul just because of space issues. Granted most of the time I have to pull the passenger seat out so I have room for my tool box and crap... But it's only 4 bolts, lol. There are some concerns about adding a turbo to the Miata. The biggest one being I'm considering putting realistically putting about 6k in a car that I will NEVER get back out of it..

 

[J10on4ds]

Opie, I have no doubt on the older Mazda rotary... But the new one in the rx8's SUCK...

 

[J10on4ds]

BugI02,
I agree with you 100 times over. Espically for me turning is where the fun is.

 

[J10on4ds]

I've always lived under the philosophy that's it's more fun driving a slow car fast than it is driving a fast car slow.

True... Of both cars and bikes!

 

[BugI02]

Back in the day (early to mid 80's) I had to run (SCCA Pro Rally) against a Mazda RX-7 driven by some guy named Rod Millen ......Unbelievable power he was getting out of that rotary engine, and it didn't hurt that this particular RX-7 was Four Wheel Drive (he had Mazda development and backing). Very reliable the rotary engines were, I think they only have like seven moving parts in them. It always came down to Millen and some guy named John Buffum who had a turbo charged Audi Quattro (factory backed).

Millen and Buffum......hmmmm..... I think I might have heard of those guys somewhere lol. Did you know Eric Jones, sometimes known as Rex Carrs? Drove a Datsun

 

[Bradsknives]

Millen and Buffum......hmmmm..... I think I might have heard of those guys somewhere lol. Did you know Eric Jones, sometimes known as Rex Carrs? Drove a Datsun

I knew of Eric Jones, but did not know him personally....if we are talking about the same Eric Jones....He was from England and transplanted to Ohio. Didn't he pass away about 5 years ago?

 

[jfw46544]

J10. I pulled the FM ll turbo and engine out of my 2001 Miata. Also Hydra ECU. If you get serious about turbo, let me know. No idea on price. I'll have to see what the market is like on these.

i get a chance to talk to interesting people in my line of work. John Buffum called a few weeks ago. "Is this the world famous John Buffum?" I asked. He laughted and said "only in your minded" and thanked me for remembering him. Nice guy.

 

[J10on4ds]

You guys and your big names that is awesome... I'm not sure I know all of my neighbors last names, lol.
Do they still have rally's like that around here... Not interested in racing in one but would consider going to watch...

 

[J10on4ds]

I'd consider me getting pretty serious at this point. The wife has said she likes the new renegade? (We have a SOLID, only one car payment at a time policy).
So throwing money at a car I already know is cheaper than getting something else and starting over.
That is the setup I was looking at... What kinda #'s we're you getting HP wise? I think 225 ish would be a pretty realistic, reasonably long term compromise... From what Ive read anyway... Thoughts?

 

[Shadow8088]

I did my fair share of SCCA racing in my youth back east... '83 BMW 318i Stick. Thing handled like it was on rails.

 

[BugI02]

I knew of Eric Jones, but did not know him personally....if we are talking about the same Eric Jones....He was from England and transplanted to Ohio. Didn't he pass away about 5 years ago?

Yes. He had run a British marque shop called Overseas Motors for years and died of inoperable lung cancer, likely from all the asbestos that used to be in clutch and brake linings. In his last year many of us who knew and loved the man restored his 510 rallye car and threw him a huge 'going away' party, but by then he was too weak to drive it. It was obvious that he had touched many lives.

 

[indyjohn]

Some years ago I owned this and dreamt of charging it full tilt down a narrow gravel road toward a stand of trees only to pitch it sideways at the last moment and make Petter proud. Alas, it was my daily driver and I couldn't afford to wrap it around a tree.

 

[Gadgetmonster]

That sir would have been one fast Autocross car.

Some years ago I owned this and dreamt of charging it full tilt down a narrow gravel road toward a stand of trees only to pitch it sideways at the last moment and make Petter proud. Alas, it was my daily driver and I couldn't afford to wrap it around a tree.

 

[Gadgetmonster]

My sons and I were eyeballs deep in SCCA for a few years.
One son was driving and modifying his Subaru, the other son a Red Prelude and I was driving the Black Prelude.
Great times with my kids.
They learned valuable lessons on car handling and working as a team.

View attachment 45050 View attachment 45051 View attachment 45049

 

[femurphy77]

My sons and I were eyeballs deep in SCCA for a few years.
One son was driving and modifying his Subaru, the other son a Red Prelude and I was driving the Black Prelude.
Great times with my kids.
They learned valuable lessons on car handling and working as a team.

View attachment 45050 View attachment 45051 View attachment 45049

That site down at the old ballpark was NOT conducive to high horsepower cars. No room to stretch your legs! I moved up here from Oklahoma and had been used to high speed courses where we actually got to exercise our 4-500 horse smallblocks. MAN that was fun, I could just never bring myself to unload my car at the ballpark.


This is where I used to play; 1300x1500 feet of pretty decent asphalt that had some minor elevation changes. We'd set up a long straight along the east side and the v8 prepared cars could easily top 100mph.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I think the parking lot races are a great way to test the limits (car, and skill) in a very safe & fun manner. The people involved in the events I've attended in the past have been most helpful and courteous.

As to the Miata. That car was built for curves so have fun with it. I just recently re-acquired my 97 and can't wait to get it back in shape

 

[jfw46544]

I'd consider me getting pretty serious at this point. The wife has said she likes the new renegade? (We have a SOLID, only one car payment at a time policy).
So throwing money at a car I already know is cheaper than getting something else and starting over.
That is the setup I was looking at... What kinda #'s we're you getting HP wise? I think 225 ish would be a pretty realistic, reasonably long term compromise... From what Ive read anyway... Thoughts?

Was as the best with a very good tune and a stock lower. You are pretty close with the 225 hp for daily.