New to SCCA AutoCross, Newbie Options

[John]

Hello folks,

John here,

I am considering turning my street car into a temporary autocross star.

I attended an autocross last weekend that seemed to me to be a bit laughable.

It was a southern indiana SCCA event. I walked the course with my wife when most cars should have been going through tech. I went because my buddy wanted to do something with a Mustang that he recently acquired.

After the first few runs started, I was wishing that I had ponied up the $40 to join in the fun. Regardless, I would not know how or what class my car would fall into. Mine is built as a 1970 914-6 with a 3.2 engine, 7" wide wheels, stiff springs, sway bar in front, and SC brakes.

Looking through the SCCA rules, I can't determine what class I should say that I am in. I really don't care that much as I would rather drive than watch, but I mainly do PCA DE events (30+ years exp).

Any advise is helpful. I was considering telling them it is stock or super stock modified (SSM), but my engine seems to over do it. Perhaps I should say it is a 2.0 - 6.

[J P Stein]

If you're going to play at SCCA with a hot rod 914, the Rule Book is a necessity.
It is available "on line" but I was never well off trying to study it on a puter screen......a printed copy allows you to jump back & forth to find ALL the reqiurements of a given class. SSM would seem to be a slam dunk for ya, as Woody says. That rule book NEEDS time and attention....it's not simple to follow.....but maybe I'm a slow leak. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Randal]

If you're going to play at SCCA with a hot rod 914, the Rule Book is a necessity.
It is available "on line" but I was never well off trying to study it on a puter screen......a printed copy allows you to jump back & forth to find ALL the reqiurements of a given class. SSM would seem to be a slam dunk for ya, as Woody says. That rule book NEEDS time and attention....it's not simple to follow.....but maybe I'm a slow leak. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

JP's advice is priceless. Read the book and understand the various classes before you decide to do anything.

No fun being outclassed.

[J P Stein]

JP's advice is priceless. Read the book and understand the various class before you decide to do anything.

No fun being outclassed.

Priceless (?), but free and worth every nickel.
A few observations from over the years.

There is a large difference beween PCA & SCCA autocrossers. Both have a large percentage of what I call "casual autocrossers" .......guys & gals that show up to have fun with their cars. Both get full measure of their monies worth....or they don't come back very often.

This percentage is smaller at SCCA events. What I term "Hard core AXers" tend to gravitate to the SCCA and towards the pointy end of the TTOD/upper classes scale.

The OPs hot rod 914 is gonna be right in the middle of them. He is gonna have "fun"
IF his doors are firmly attached. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I did the same thing a few (OK, several) years back and kinda wish I had responded differently to that challenge....and saved a lot of my few of my hard earned bucks. It was a pee pot fulla fun, tho........if you enjoy that sort of nonsense. In short, my car became an AX only car & non-street legal. In retrospect, I shoulda kept it street legal......and just taken my medicene which the "hard core" guys were dishing out......for free. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)