2013
Sooooo, for 2013, I decided to de-mod my car for STU class (one rung below ASP), prep it as well as possible for the class, and really work on improving my driving skills. STU brought less power and smaller tires, which lowered the limits of the car and wouldn’t cover up my mistakes as much.
Prepping for STU brought a host of required changes—reverting to stock boost map, no boost control, skinnier tires (max of 245), adding a catalytic converter, stock LICP, etc. While I was at it though, I wanted to make the car as competitive as possible so I didn’t have car prep as an excuse. That brought along some un-required changes.
So, in 2013, I went a little bit more nuts than other years. I did all the mods to be legal for STU, I bought the coilovers Toothy had on his STU car, I bought the wheels and tires cdeutsch had on his STU car, went through a few different strut bar setups to land on the lightest possible, went through a few different battery setups to land on the lightest possible, did the rear diff mod, and a few other little things.
I also made it to a couple more events including an Intermediate Autocross School taught by some National Champions who regularly teach for the SoloPro school. That was the single biggest help—I knew and read all about driving techniques but this showed me and instructed me first-hand on how to actually put them into practice. I knew “slow in, fast out” for the longest time and thought I was putting it into practice but this school really showed me how to do it, how it helped, etc. After that school, I won STU class twice, and started finishing consistently in the top quarter of events as opposed to the middle, all while running on fairly old, worn, and generally considered sub-optimal (with all the hot new tires out) Z1 Star Specs. My best finish was MOWOG 5 where, out of 101 drivers, I finished 10th overall in Raw Time, 23rd on Index, and won STU.
2014
For driver mods, I took part in two GoKart leagues and fared pretty well in each. Both leagues had some tough competition but I was able to post respectable finishes, I got comfortable with passing, I got better at finding the driving line, better at looking ahead, and better at being smooth.
I’ve also started working out again and watching what I eat, so I’ve lost 20 pounds since just before Thanksgiving.
I got a 2012 Focus hatchback in the Titanium trim level as a Daily Driver, meaning the Evo can be louder and more uncomfortable, it’s been parked all Winter, and it means I don’t have deadlines for projects so I can do all my own work.
The coilovers have been sent to HVT (formerly AST USA) for a rebuild, where they’ll also receive new Vorshlag camber plates which add more caster, Torrington bearings, and longer rear springs with the same rate. When the coilovers come back I’ll put them and go for a slightly more aggressive alignment than what I ran last year.
While the coilovers are off, I added a front swaybar adjustment bracket and Whiteline endlinks, and replaced all the hardware with Titanium to minimize unsprung weight and resist corrosion. I also adjusted the rear swaybar to be a bit softer.
I sold my previous set of wheels to Spaz, which were Volk CE28 Time Attacks with Dunlop Z1 Star Specs, and replaced the setup with Volk CE28’s in Bronze, 17x9 +35, with Dunlop Z2’s. I’ve always loved Bronze CE28’s so I had to jump on them; if I was buying new I’d go with 17x9.5 to reduce tire sidewall flex, but the 9” wide wheels served me wheel last year so I’m not complaining.
I’ve also acquired rear bump steer correction bushings, some parts of the data acquisition setup I plan to run, and a different dash gauge pod.
Current setup
Engine
-3” AMSOil air filter
-Vibrant MAF adapter
-Samco intake hose
-Buschur ported and coated O2 housing
-3” downpipe with custom 100-cell cat
-Custom 3” aluminum catback with two aluminum mufflers, terminating at rear axle (has a v-band to connect an axle-back with a third muffler if I want)
-Lithium battery with custom mount
-Cusco Exhaust manifold heat shield with DEI heat shielding underneath
-Mishimoto radiator
-STU tune from RS Motors (stock boost tables)
-CBRE extreme ported and coated exhaust manifold (formerly Curt Brown’s own exhaust mani; to be installed)
-Hood dampers (totally worth putting on a mod list; love these things)
Drivetrain
-Rear Diff Mod by RS Motors
-Works clutch line
-Works shifter base bushings
-Torque Solutions underhood shifter bushings (to be installed)
-Blox Front Motor Mount (to be installed)
Suspension
-AST 5200 double adjustable coilovers
-Vorshlag Camber Plates (to be installed with rebuild)
-Custom alignment
-DC Sports Titanium front strut tower bar
-DC Sports Titanium rear strut tower bar
-RS Trunk Bar
-Whiteline 24mm adjustable rear swaybar
-Perrin adjustable rear endlinks
-Prototype CiroDesign Racing front swaybar brackets
-Whiteline front endlinks
Brakes
-Baer Eradispeed 2-piece rotors front
-GiroDisc slotted 1-piece rotors rear
-Hawk HPS pads
-Grimmspeed Brake Master cylinder brace (pre-production version)
Interior
-TWM Big Type R weighted shift knob
-Binary seat lowering brackets (driver’s side only)
-Custom Alcantara shift boot with red stitching
-Schroth Rallye4 harness (only used for autocross)
-Broadfield Customs 52mm Dash gauge pod (to be installed)
-A couple Prosport Premium Gauges (to be sold and replaced with Defi)
-Buddy Club Low Down seat rails with extra welds to reinforce weak points (to be installed)
Exterior
-Wingless trunk
-JDM Evo VII Tail lights
-CF front emblem
-Debadged rear except for “Evolution MR”
-Blacked out side markers & rear reflectors/ turn signals
-Tint all around (not sure what percent)
-Mini Antenna
Wheels & Tires
-17x9 +35 Volk CE28N
-245 Dunlop Direzza Z2
-Stock MR BBS painted flat black with Continental DWS(winter/ roller setup)
Most current pics I have, which show the old wheels:
2014 Plans
General plans for 2014 are to suck less as a driver, prep the car even more competitively for STU, and drop weight. More specific plans:
Driver mods
-Seat time anywhere I can get it
-As many local autocross events as possible
-Data acquisition and video
-A regional SCCA Solo event and/or SCCA Nationals in Fall
Definite Car mods
-Install parts left to be installed
Possible Car mods
-Front swaybar
-Lighter driver’s seat (looking at Recaro Profi or Recaro Pole Position)
Threaded Mode