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If anybody requires a helmet…
scroll down for helmet sale…great price.Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Watch the video also:
PMOSSBERG2013-03-06 11:46:35
Bill,
I wandered around the autox4u web site.It’s really not clear to me where a kit car woudl fit into their vehicle classifications.Would you share how your kit is classified?How about roll bars/roll cages…are they required?And seatbelts, do they require three (or four) point? Or is a lap belt sufficient?Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
If we get enough cars, I guess we could establish a TDr-Vee class? At least have some in-house tdreplica.com bragging rights? eh?
Because it is a kit car it falls into a Mod(Modified) class. They place me in E-Mod because it is based on an actual production car. For Autocross a roll bar or cage is not required. All you need is a lap belt , a helmet and a desire to drive. They will subject the car to a tech inspection. They make sure the wheel bearing aren’t loose, the tires are OK, the car is empty and the battery is secured. Wheel covers and /or trim rings must be removed.
Check out the novice section. A lot of questions I wouldn’t think to address can be found there.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Thanks Bill. Exactly the info I was looking for, and was unable to find on the site.
Roy, I suspect there’s a slight mixing of topics here. I rather doubt the SCCA would establish a class for us. And the auto-cross at Carlisle is more of a fun run against the clock, for bench racing bragging rights. It’s not a pure competition like an SCCA event would be.Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Paul, I am sure that you are right, the SCCA would have no interest in such a small field. I was just suggesting a tdreplica.com club championship. And it wouldn’t really matter what the track layout was since it would be the same for all of the TDr contestants. …just for fun. No offense Bill, but really tricked out front engined TDrs seem to be “no fair”.
I would suggest that we would start with a broad VW only “class” (with maybe another special front engined class for Bill et al go-fast guys)About 1970, I started going to these events at a K-Mart parking lot on Sundays in Charleston, SC. Lots of noise and burning rubber and screetching around the corners with all the muscle cars. Corvettes, Porsches, Jaguars etc. Then one day, a Mini-Cooper S pulled up to the starting line. Everybody chuckled….he rather quietly zipped around the course. I suspect that he never took it out of 2nd gear. The chuckling stopped when he scored the best time of the day. The big engined muscle cars and sports cars were really embarrassed. The Corvette guys were really pissed. “Something was wrong.” There was a lot of questioning of the clock accuracy. The next week I watched as he showed up again. Same result. The third week they established a Mini-Cooper class. Pretty much the same story when one day a stranger showed up in a tricked out BMW 2002. Kinda like the early Audi Quattro experiences eh?These AutoX things really are a lot of fun.Correct me if I am wrong, Bill, but I think the SCCA letter class system is based (in part, at least) on engine displacement. E being something like 2.5 liters and under? I know that’s how it used to be.
Stock, mod, etc are then based on how far you’ve strayed from what the factory supplied. So we’d all be “mod” because we’re not Pinots, Chevettes, Beetles.
Ed, you’d have to consult the current rule book. I’ve been running in E-mod for a long time. Don’t know the specifics anymore. I believe you can download it through scca.org
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"It’s nasty outside here. So I spent the last couple of hours trying to figure out the answer to this “what class would we be in” question. I give up. Gonna take somebody a lot smarter than I am to come up with the answer. Obamacare is simple compared to this. The best I could come up with is “other”.
I ran a charity event with a Porsche club. All the Porches were classed and all others were “E” for “everything else”. Besides my MG, was a Z06 Vette, STI’s, EVO’s, and a Spyker. All in the same class. That was the day of the rain.(consult your 2012 calendar)
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Well, both the VW Beetle (and New Beetle, 1.8 Turbo), and the MG T series are categorized as HS in this class listing.
Since my car is about 60 percent 1969 Beetle (and 15 percent ’67 Beetle) by weight, with another two percent or so MG T series, and is not substantially modified from its stock configuration, I would argue the thing be slotted in as HS.
I should not be penalized–thrown in with the “Mod” category guys who weld together tube frames and fab up coil-over suspensions jammed with guardrail-sized sway bars and nine-inch-wide soft compound tires, etc.–for the fact that “British Coach Works” does not appear among this organization’s recognized marques.
The Pinto and Chevette are also an HS as well, BTW.
OK, just sent an email to who I hope is the appropriate authority, Howard Duncan. I expect he’ll settle this matter officially. Here’s what I wrote:
hduncan@scca.orgOK. Mr. Duncan: here’s a question you’ve probably not fielded yet:
I and a few buds run ancient fiberglass copies of the MG TD. Most of us
are in VW Bug-based death traps with stock or near-stock mechanicals
(mine, for example, sports a 1300cc case from a ’66 Bug–possibly
embiggened to 1500 or 1600 by a previous owner, but certainly not
churning out more than 55 horsepower on a good day).Last year two of us jammed around the autocross track at the Carlisle
Kit and Import show, and now several others are talking trash.The question has arisen: in what class would our cars be placed?
The question is complicated by our resident expert, Bill Ascheman, who
managed to campaign his home-engineered T replica powered by a 2.3 Ford
engine to an E-Mod regional championship a little more than a decade
ago.He says these cars are all E-Mod. But I don’t even see that class on
your website. Also, “mod” seems to mean, in SCCA parlance, “modified
from stock so as to go faster.” Other than Bill’s, our cars are not
really modded from stock, except for the addition of chrome doodads,
badges and the like (I am especially proud of/dependent on my St.
Christopher badge). But “stock” in our cases means “stock Fiberfab” or
“stock British Coach Works”–marques not mentioned in your
organization’s otherwise comprehensive list of automotive manufacturers.Since my car is about 60 percent 1969 Beetle (and 15 percent ’67
Beetle) by weight, with another two percent or so MG T series, and is not substantially modified from its stock configuration,
I would argue it should be slotted in as HS–same as a VW Beetle or an
MGT (or a Chevette or a Pinto, the other two cars these old kits were
gleeping parts from).I would be pleased to hear your thinking on this matter.
Best regards,
Edward Ericson Jr.
Thanks Ed, I should have done that 4 hours ago. But I figured that if I can do my own business and income taxes, I can figure out which class we would be in. ..Figured wrong!
And the answers. As usual, Bill is mainly right. Here’s what I got back:
First,
it is pretty much impossible to keep up with all the kit cars than have
been and continue to be on the market. While some kit cars may not
provide any
advantages over the donor car, some can have considerable advantages in
performance. A production car can have a certain expectation of
similarity between the same models; a kit car cannot especially when it
is virtually a hand-built, one-off model. So when
it comes to classing vehicles, kit cars fall into a ???specialist???
category which in SCCA Solo is the Modified category. All the other
categories are based on the original production model ??? Stock, Street
Touring, Street Prepared, etc. are based on the original
but less as you ???move up??? in preparation level. When you get to the
Modified category, there is very little of the original car left (if
any).Technically,
???clone??? or kit cars are designated for DM (Modified class D ??? engines
up to 2000cc) and EM (Modified class E ??? engines of any displacement).
So
Bill is about half correct. But Section 1.1, Mandatory Provisions, of
the 2013 Solo Rules (page 23) allow an SCCA Region to class cars
independently from the Solo Rules. So I have no concerns at all if the
Region allows your VW-based car to participate in
HS. But it???s up to the Region, not the SCCA National office. However,
if you ever consider entering an SCCA National Solo event, I suggest
that you enter DM or EM.
In SCCA parlance, ???mod??? just means ???modified from stock.??? The level of modification is not discussed.
JHope this helps. I???ll be glad to discuss this further.
Doug Gill, SCCA Solo Technical Manager
So… Looks like me and Roy and Paul are DM ’cause we’re under 2 liters, Bill is E because he’s over 2 liters. But we’re all in the same class with the guys running Atoms & Exocets, so we’re not going to win.
Except when style points are added.
Not in it for the win…in it for the FUN. 😀
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Hey Guys, do they have loaner helmets there? I had leads on 2 here at home but they were both too small. They both said I had a “big head”. Now they both have fat lips.
Yes, they do…but I.m not sure how big they go.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Roy,
I looked at that yesterday – I have a xl head ( almost xxl ) according for the charts ( 24 1/8 ) – anyway – I found DOT approved open face helmets on ebay ( new ) for as low as 19.00 plus 10.00 shipping in all colors. Take a look – I plan on ordering a Matte black unit w/ visor for like 23.00. I figured – cheap enough.
I am sure they have on Amazon as well.They fit me easy last time and I have a big head. I don’t think mine is as big as Bill’s though.
I agree Ed, – Bill has a big head. Dale, thanks, but although $30 +/- wouldn’t break me, I think that I will use one of their loaners. You young kids may get more than one use out of your helmets.
Got my Pertronix late yesterday. Will install and tweak the ignition timing to AutoX specs on the next rainy day. Seriously, I do wish there was somewhere around here that one could practice. I really have no idea what tire air pressure would be best for MiGi. I know what I like for sunny day rides, but I expect that it is much too low when you push your TD as in serious driving.Shu, how about posting that link for the ultra cheap helmets? At that price I won’t have to fight with my son over mine.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Ditto on the helmet.
Roy: Bill might correct me but my understanding of how to find your correct Auto X tire pressure goes as follows:
1. Pump up your tires to your best guess of what you think it ought to be for the run. 6-7 pounds over normal might be a good place to start.
2. Draw a line across the tread to the outside sidewall on each tire with some white shoe polish.
3. Drive like a maniac on whatever practice course you got (or the real course, if that’s allowed–better yet).
4. Look at your shoe polish lines. If your pressure is just right the line will start/end right where the tread line meets the sidewall. If the line disappears somewhere on the side wall, you need more air. If the line disappears somewhere on the tread, you should let a little air out.
edsnova2013-03-09 16:22:44
Thanks Ed. That is a good post of things that novice AutoX racers need to be aware of. I really have not found a course, or even a parking lot around here that I can practice and do what you suggest. That actually was my question. I know that it varies with the car, the driver, the tires, the course, temperature and probably a few other things that I have forgotten. So, I may adjust pressure once on the course after the first lap, if allowed. A very long time ago, when I was racing at Watkins Glen (or was it Lime Rock), I had under-inflated tires and rolled one. 😉 (Don’t tell Bill.)
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