Re: H Stock Jetta III autoX mods

[Iain Mannix <mannix@privateI.com>]

At 8:22 PM -0500 12/12/1997, Jim Buck wrote:
>Crane, Damien wrote:
>>
>> Hi everyone
>>
>> I have a friend who is planning to attack the autocross circuit next
>> summer with his 94 Jetta.  Right now it is completely stock.  He is
>> planning to spend about $1000 on it (but I'm sure that will grow a bit
>> -- but not too much)
>>
>> What should we do and in what order to make the car as competitive as
>> possible (remaining in H Stock is a requirement)
>>
>> Thanks, Damien
>>
>> PS I am loving this list.
>
>If I were in your friend's shoes, they would stink.  Anyway, I would
>look into competing in "Street Touring Class" or ST1.  This newly
>approved SCCA class allows most "street" mods, and I think will really
>be fun to be in next summer.  Plus, you get the bonus of enjoying those
>mods year round.  Let's face it:  Jettas are not competitive H stockers.
>Hey, that's just the luck of classing.  But in ST1, you can do all the
>fun stuff to your car, and if you're still not competitive...so what!
>You'll still have a cool, modded street car.  Here's a list of some of
>the allowable modifications:

I thought about this, but my reasoning behind not mentioning it was based
on two words - $1000 and "competitive."  IMHO, a well built ST car will be
WELL over $1000, and I believe an HS Jetta is going to be _more_
competitive in HS than it would in ST for $1000.

>
>-All stock class modifications (H-Stock, in his case)
>-Any shocks OR springs (aka lowered)

Are you sure about the "OR" part?  I've not read the rules to closely, but
IMHO, allowing "any" springs on stock shocks is stupid.  I'll have to re
read, but it seems to me that "any" spring could mean a set of cut to fit
Camaro springs(IE, stiff) or custom wound for stock perch sizes - this is
exactly what I'd do if I were in ST - stiff as hell springs(any, right?),
stock front bar, 28mm rear(or bigger), and I'd guess(hope) they'd allow
aftermarket shocks.  Well, wait, "all stock class modifications" - that
includes shocks - so, yeah, I'm in.  Lots of negative camber, they dropped
the 2 degree rule.....

>-Any interior mods (short shift, shift knob, pedal covers, seats)
>-Front upper stressbar (ala Neuspeed, ABD)

No lower? Oh well.  Be OK without it....

>-Any swaybars (front OR back)

Right, big rear, stock front(and appropriate front springs to compensate)

>-Any diameter rim, up to 7" wide

13x7 with 215/50-13......

>-Any exhaust behind the cat
>-Any diameter steering wheel, so on and so on.

Good exhaust, small steering wheel, etc.

>
>You get my drift?

Yup, and this is the problem with ST, IMHO.  Idiots like me will see "any
spring" and go out, buy or have made a set of super stiff "lowering"
springs, get a set of nice, light 13x7s, good exhaust, etc - build a car
which was not intended.  The above car, with the stiff springs, stock front
bar/aftermarket rear bar, no muffler, tweaks & tuning plus a set of 13x7
wheels would be _almost_ as fast as my DSP GTI.  Street Prepared was a
class originally designed to allow slightly non stock cars have a place to
play without being bumped into Prepared - and people exploited those rules.
If someone were to do what I describe, there would be tons of "no fair"
cries from those who played by the intent of the rules - lowering springs,
15x7s, big exhaust, etc - and I would not see the difference between this
and the current SP.

All I'd lose between my car(which is a fairly well set up DSP car) and a ST
car is ride height adjustment(IE, I'd have to cut springs to fit, big
deal), 5-10 horsepower from the stock intake/exhaust, 2" wheel width, ummm,
what else - not a whole lot.  The SP rules allow a lot more which I have
not taken advantage of, but I believe the bulk of the gains are in the
suspension - maybe the Neuspeed Touring springs do have a purpose - and I
could come close to my current suspension through the ST rules.  This would
cost WELL over $1000.

Say $600 in wheels - cheap, though, for a good set, $200 for widened steel.
$200 for a swaybar
$80 upper stressbar
$500 shocks
$500 tires(given)
$200 exhaust
Any interior modifications?  What's it say about seats?
$400ish for a race seat
$400-??? in springs

Whatever else you spend on pedal covers, smaller steering wheel - we've
already "spent" $1800 or so, not including plugs, wires, coil(it is legal
in Stock, I checked), getting rid of the rubber bushings in the stock rear
shocks, bagging AC, etc - I know this is not what the rules intend, but
people might look at ST as a class to win, and if I were going to do it,
this is roughly the path I'd take.  I'd plan on spending 3k on the car,
realistically.  Start with a 92 16v GTI and throw all of this stuff at it?
Well, not the 13s....hmm, 13" wheels are good....dunno, maybe an 87 GTI,
maybe a Rabbit, who knows - but, OTOH, what if someone does all of this to
a Corolla FX-16?  Umm, yikes. MX3?  Lots of cars out there.  Eek, a Honda -
look out.  Don't know, Jim, but what I see for ST is _well_ over $1000 to
be competitive.  Having fun is an entirely different story, but for some,
being competitive is directly linked to fun - it is to me, at least:).  OK,
gotta run - are you going to ST next year?  If you do, take it to the limit
first time out, shock them!  Heh, some careful wording has to be put into
place for this class, or else it'll become simply Semi-Street-Prepared, IE,
_almost_ unstreetable cars:).


I.Mannix




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