Help classing a beater CRX

mikeY

I have a hard time picturing the fact that my beater CRX may be actually classed as far up as "SM" or "Prepared" given the mash up of parts that it is currently. Here's what the car has:

1988 CRX Si

Car has valid aircare.

Engine mods:
- stock D16A6
- K&N cone air filter, DIY piping
- lightened flywheel, stock clutch
- short shifter
- cheap no brand 4-2-1 exhaust header
- Walker universal cat
- OE spec catback exhaust system

Suspension:
- Unknown branded lowering springs
- tokico blue shocks (non adjustable)
- custom rear sway bar
- aftermarket rear LCA
- stock rear brakes from '90 Si
- stock sized alloys with all seasons

Interior:
- Driver's seat swapped to Sparco Sprint Jr, using stock seat belt.
- momo steering wheel
- missing carpets because it rotted
- missing spare tire
- missing spare tire jacks
- missing parcel shelf + divider card (all rotted out)
- everything else is there, panels and plastics

Exterior:
- Sunroof removed, and replaced with DX model sheet metal. I was so tired of the roof squeak.
- rear wiper delete

Besides putting back the spare tire and jacks, what are the other easy things I could do to help lower its performance class?

lowside67

No carpet = EP.

If you fixed that, the next higher modification would be the sunroof swap which would put you in CSP.

Beyond that, the other mods would put it in STS.

solorex

Your spare tire, jack and tools are irrelevant those can be removed. Since I can't imagine you want to put the sunroof back in again your car falls into CSP. Not really a bad place to be at all, come out and have fun.

mikeY

I see. I would prefer not to take the seats out and put another set of old carpets back into the car, so I guess EP it is! Which is fine, I didn't intend to win any places. There's just no easier and legal way to stretch the car's legs.

I assume it is fine to join any slush event # even though I didn't attend the first ones?

lowside67

Yeah that's no problem at all, come on out in January to the next one.

solorex

http://www.stockinteriors.com/

But really, you should be able to find carpet on online forums and/or rent a steam cleaner for the day if you wanted to clean up a used carpet. But if you have never autocrossed before it really doesn't matter what class you are in, come out and once you get hooked (which you will be) decide if you want to be competitive or not.

PDM

lowside67 wrote:

No carpet = EP.

If you fixed that, the next higher modification would be the sunroof swap which would put you in CSP.

Beyond that, the other mods would put it in STS.

Actually aftermarket rear lower control arm swap is not allowed in ST. Only the upper arms.

lowside67

PDM wrote:

Actually aftermarket rear lower control arm swap is not allowed in ST. Only the upper arms.

Doesn't the CRX have a multi-link rear suspension?

On double/unequal arm (e.g., wishbone, multi-link) suspensions, only the upper arms OR lower arms may be modified or replaced, but not both. Non-integral longitudinal arms that primarily control fore/aft wheel movement (e.g., trailing arm(s) or link(s) of a multi- link suspension) may not be replaced, changed, or modified.

PDM

As far as I read the rules, cars like BMW's and 240's have multi link, and Hondas of Cricket's era are considered trailing arm. AFAIK, the lower arms are a no-no to touch as I have not seen any top placing STC or STS Honda ever touch those arms other than bushings. (you'd spot the aluminum arms a mile away and I've never seen those on any car I've run against) We change the upper arms irregardless for camber adjustment, but never touch the lower arms out back or up front on STC or STS Hondas except for bushings.

mikeY

On double/unequal arm (e.g., wishbone, multi-link) suspensions, only the upper arms OR lower arms may be modified or replaced, but not both. Non-integral longitudinal arms that primarily control fore/aft wheel movement (e.g., trailing arm(s) or link(s) of a multi- link suspension) may not be replaced, changed, or modified.

I read that too, but wasn't totally sure. Lower arm as depicted in this diagram:

solorex

In all honesty the only performance benefit of an aftermarket lower arm is lower weight. Otherwise a stock arm with good bushings is fine. Does the same rule apply for SMF? If it does I have been illegal for a while now... since I have both the lower and uppers replaced on mine.

lowside67

solorex wrote:

In all honesty the only performance benefit of an aftermarket lower arm is lower weight. Otherwise a stock arm with good bushings is fine. Does the same rule apply for SMF? If it does I have been illegal for a while now... since I have both the lower and uppers replaced on mine.

Nah, anything is legal to change in SMF except the actual mounting points.

I think that is still legal to change that lower arm in my opinion, but as Don said, the performance advantage seems to be from changing the top, and you definitely couldn't do both so that may be why you don't see cars in nationals running a changed lower arm. Either way, if that was the only mod to the rear suspension, I'd be willing to risk protest at a National Tour, I think that's a correct interpretation of the rule. Even if the car is deemed to have a trailing arm rear end, the only difference is that you can't change the trailing arm... But I'm not a steward for SCCA so my opinion is only that... opinion

Mark

mikeY

On a side subject...

I entered my 1994 Ford Escort LX as STP for the upcoming slush, but I think it's the wrong class.

I am running stock VW alloys (14x6), whereas the stock Escort steelies are sized 14x5. The steelies have snows mounted right now and I don't want to ruin my snow tires for the upcoming TSD rally.

Besides that, I have a front strut tower bar. All other components on the car is 300,000km old.

lowside67

You are legal for STC and I'd go there, it's about a million times easier than STP

Cheers,
Mark