[belacyrf]

I've posted once already because I was soon to buy a miata. Well I picked it up today so now I'm saying Hiya.

I'm selling my old car (its actually sold pending payment and pick-up) but my old car was a bunch of fun, I was just at that point of either dumping another 10K in it to get to the next level or selling it. So I figured I'd sell. I wanted a RWD car badly!

Here is the car I'm letting go: :?

And here is the new girl:
1995 Miata w/ 62K miles currently with Racing Beat body kit.

***** DISCLAIMER *****
THE WHEELS ARE THE FIRST THING TO GO
***** DISCLAIMER *****

Here's the new girl

This is just a quick pic I snapped when parked to show it with the top up.

Finally a post worked shot for fun

Here's the pending mod list:

• Flyin Miata Turbo Kit (8 PSI VooDoo at first)
• Flyin Miata Dual Tip Turbo Exhaust
• JIC Coilvoers FLA-A2 coilovers
• Leather Shift Knob
• Advan RG2 16x8 wheels in Bronze
• Toyo T1R 245/35/16 tire
• Alarm / Pwr Windows / Pwr Locks kit from Wolf Miata
• Track Dog Racing Splitter
• Radiator Cowl Cover
• Powder Coated Valve Cover
• Team Miata Roadster embroidered Floor Mats
• Shift / E-Brake / Seat Belt Leather
• Racing Beat End Links
• Mazda Competition Engine Mounts
• Moss Low-Pro Headlights
• Rspeed Strut Tower Bar
• Go Miata Roadster Logo Katzkin Leather Seats
• Samco 1.8 Radiator Hose Kit
• PWR Radiator
• Boss Frog Double Hoop Roll Bar
• Wilwood Big Brake Kit
• Seat Heater
• Hydra Nemesis programmable ECU

 

[slutz4]

Re: Posted once or twice but now Saying Hi

wow thats a very impressive focus/

nice looking mx5 as well, the list you started looks like a good setup, do you think youll keep the stylebar, or get a rollbar?

 

[belacyrf]

Thanks! I'm going to miss that focus, but I think the miata will prove to be much more enjoyable.

The style bar is going away, I will be selling it as soon as I buy the roll bar. It looks really nice, but I want something a bit more hard core.

 

[violation]

lake forest, eh? i'm up the street in irvine.

 

[belacyrf]

Heya.. my wife works in Irvine.

 

[Sharpie]

Looks like you've done your homework. Congrats on the new ride.

 

[renesisdrms]

welcome! your focus looks not bad for a fwd car. my one concern is that i hoped you've have a lota fun tracking with the car. since it ain't a run-of -theif-mill focus, it'll be a shame if you didn't get a chance for that nice turbo to shine at the track, while getting your driver feel down. i gotta admit, switching fwd to rwd, even when you tune ur fwd towards oversteer, it didn't come natural to me when in rwd. i always tend to try and catch it instead of drift it in most likely fear of a disaster.

so how'd u like ur mx-5 so far? gotten it to drive for u nicely on some back roads yet?

 

[belacyrf]

believe it or not, I tracked the focus often BEFORE the turbo. Once I put the turbo on, I had dropped so much cash in the car, I wasnt' willing to track it. The car was to nice to push as hard as I would want to push, and the suspension components on those cars aren't extremely strong.

Ive seen a rear trailing arm and control arm give up, so I was a bit nervous, so track time came to a halt and I just used it for fun around town and spirited on ramp entry

As for the FWD / RWD change, I'm still making the progression. I'm used to RWD in my kart but it's a different feel. I have yet to push the miata, because the one or two times I did get the back end out, I did as you said.. I tried to save it (ended up fish tailing) instead of letting it drift like I do my kart.

But I know what I get the suspension beefed up, I'll take it to buttonwillow or the Streets of willow and see what it can do. Right now the brakes aren't the way I like them, and alignment is off. Need quite a bit more neg camber and some firmer damping and I'll be set.

But so far I absolutely love the "raw driving" feel I get with the miata. It's a ton of fun.

 

[frictionfighter]

welcome, and may i say thats the first focus i seen that doesn't suck.

 

[Sean Jay!]

HAHA! i've been eyeing that one on autotrader! I bought the 91 with 70k mi instead. (It was local)

I'm here in Irvine as well.

 

[belacyrf]

Haha... well I was specifically looking for a 94-95. I wanted the 1.8 but still having OBD-1 (good for us Cali types)

Thanks for not buying it hahaha

 

[renesisdrms]

yup.obd1 is the way to go. obdII is too touchy. well i'm glad you got to track ur focus. anyway...hope u get to hook up ur new ride. if there isn't any bases already coveredd.

 

[djsqiigles]

nice car you should come out to the meet this friday.

http://clubroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4368

 

[belacyrf]

Ummm I'll show to those when I get the car to a point that I dont feel bad about showing it. So sometime in Feb

 

[violation]

can you tell me about karting? i'd love to get into it but nobody i know wants to with me...
and you're local!

 

[belacyrf]

Absolutely I love talking karting!

Right now it's just been fun for me but I'd like to club race at some point.

I have a friend in SD who I kart with who moved to virginia a while ago, but is coming back in march, so I've not gone much recently. But I just got my engine rebuilt and some new parts installed so I'm prepped to get back out there.

Here is a couple quotes about karting I posted on another board I frequent, basically discussing the different karting classes in general (very general)

Decent Kart = TaG or greater (TaG = touch ang go, which means electric start)

Rotax is a TaG engine. Other TaG engines are: Parrilla Leopard, Sonic TX 125, Vortex ROK.

All of these engines rev over 14500 RPM's some as high as 16 to 17K rpms!!!


TaG Karts on quality chassis used = 4K
ICC Shifter Karts on quality chassis used = 5-6K
Used Stock Moto Shifter (the new spec hopefully for shifters) = 4-5K

New TaG Karts on quality Chassis = 6-8K
New ICC Shifter Karts on quality Chassis = 10K+
New Stock Moto Shifter = 6-7K

Maintenance depends, so I'll tell you what my Rotax runs:

Rotax rebuilds are expected to happen around every 50 hours (that's alot of time)
New piston and bottom end could be about 900.00 or more, just a motor "refresh" would be near 400+.

I got in an accident once and bent a tie rod. Cost 12.00 to fix and get out racing again

I got in a harder accident, bent tie-rod, steering column, , king pin, and axle! Alot to replace. Total replacement cost was about 200 or 300 because I used all Freeline parts (I have a Birel chassis, one of the top 3 and using their freeline parts aren't cheap).

But maintenance between outings???
Clean your chassis, lube your chain or replace it if needed (chain should be replaced pretty regularly, and they are 30.00). Sprockets are 14.00.

Karting, nothing is expensive but the engine, but these engines are solid! However the costs can add up

Here is another quote from a question about shifter karts

Now a shifter is definately where it's at, but there are downsides as well.

Here's what you have to consider.

There are a TON of racing classes for shifter karts, but the primary ones are ICC, ICA, and Stock Moto.

ICC is the fastest of the fast 125CC (40HP racing karts). The engines last 10-15 hours. This class is for those who want to go hard-core and if you decide to dedicate yourself to the racing schedule, you're looking at 10-20K a year in support costs (just supporting yourself).

ICA is 100CC and I believe they have different brake configurations (like no front brakes or something).

But Stock Moto is where to be (aka Stock Honda). That is the fastest growing shifter class thanks to it's "spec" nature using a fairly bullet proof engine. I believe the moto engine gets 50 to 100 hours (I've heard varying stories). But it keeps the engine spec (no tooling around in there) so you are racing on a fairly even platform. I think it's only 100cc but in a shifter that's plenty.

Plan on 5-6K for a used race ready shifter that isn't too old. Karts DO age and their frames start becoming soft and lose their handling. The frame is part of the suspension. You might be able to go for a low end and get one for 3-4K but thats going to be nearing the end of its' life.

Karting buy in is MORE than just the kart. Its the tools, the suit, the safety gear etc... It's alot more expensive than you would first assume. But once you build up your stock, it's really inexpensive!


Personally I think shifter kart classes still to have to clean up their act a bit before they are truly a viable class. Stars of Karting (the drivers who's next step is a racing ride), and the so cal group "Pro Kart Challenge" are the only ones who seem to have a working system, every other system is hit and miss.

Do yourself a favor, go to New Castle and rent one of their Rotax karts. It's a non-shifter but I'm sure youll be surprised. Rotax is definately the best thing going in karting right now. Completely spec (must be inspected and sealed by a licensed vendor). You get 50 hours to an engine and the class structure is excellent.

Rotax
Local Club Participation = Trip to Regionals
Regional Top 10 or 20 (not sure) per class = Trip to Nationals
Nationals Top 3 per class = Trip to Worlds (currently held in Portugal)

Hope this helps!

Let me know what you wanna know and I'll try to help! And depending on your size, once my buddy gets back and we go back out, we can bring you with us and you can give a real kart a try. Indoor karting is nothing like the real thing

 

[spike]

The car looks hot in white with the racingbeat body kit.

The focus is badass too!!!

 

[violation]

Thats good info.. i'll definitely want to tag along if you go karting. Are you running Stock Moto right now then? How'd you get started in the first place? And what's New Castle? A Google search turns up a karting raceway in Indiana...
Do you have a tow vehicle w/ trailer too?

Oh, and do you run in a series? Or just pick and choose which races to enter (like casual autocrossing)?

 

[belacyrf]

Sorry New Castle is a track in Indiana, I copied and pasted previous quotes, and I was replying to a guy in Indiana.

For So Cal, Moran is the best track here. But it will only be open until 2007 and maybe a bit of 2008, but they've already sold the land, so it could disappear at any time.

I dont run Stock Moto, I run a TaG kart (TaG = Touch and Go "Electric Push Button Start").
I have a Rotax, which is a non shifter kart, but it has a great series, probably the best in So Cal. Gatorz

Racing in a series in karting is just like auto-x. The more events you enter, the better chance you have of winning, but you dont "have" to enter all the events.

As for how I got started. I tried indoor first. Then a buddy and I purchased a used HPV 100cc kart. This was a non shifter, non electric start kart. It was really fast for someone who has never driven a kart.

Then we sold that one, and both bought a Rotax each.
The Rotax series is cool. All you have to do is "attend" 4 race event (regardless of where you place) and then you get a trip to regionals (this year regionals was at Willow Springs, next year probably more toward texas).

If you place in the top 12 at regionals you get Nationals, and top 3 per class at Nationals goes to world.
Rotax is partnered with Champ car, so it gets decent pub.

All in all you just have to try it. I gaurantee you, if you like racing, this is the way to do it.

One thing to note.. all classes have minimum weights. The best stature is a tall skinny guy for karting. I'm a short medium guy, but I still have to add about 10 lbs to the kart to compete.. So just keep in mind, karting is fun no matter what, but for racing, weight really matters.

Oh and Rotax International Class min weight is 365 Rotax Masters is 405 (kart weighs about 185-200 lbs)