While the SCCA still mostly shuns trucks through indifference I'm seeing more and more of these trucks showing up to other events around the country. Goodguys has had a truck class for a long time. A hugely popular autocross series in SoCal (NMCA West Autocross) has a growing truck class. The C10 Nationals event had a truck class. The two LSFest events now have a truck class.
People making trucks that handle seem to be coming out of the woodwork! Wonder if there will ever be a CAM Truck class in the SCCA or something similar.
Here is the article I wrote on a really clean 1968 C10 getting used regularly for autocross: Autocross C10
NickD
PowerDork
10/24/19 11:38 a.m.
Meanwhile my friend Josh is racing a Grand Cherokee
NickD said:
Meanwhile my friend Josh is racing a Grand Cherokee
I think the most collective fun I've ever seen was from a high school shop class that showed up in a jeep Cherokee at our local scca autocross. I was working course when they were running and I could hear a car full of laughter every single time they came through our section. I think they had 4 or 6 drivers in it that day too. Was so cool to see.
Storz
SuperDork
10/24/19 1:34 p.m.
Awesome, huge fan of sports-trucks
AMEC (Adironack Motor Enthusiasts Club) are allowing "small" 2wd trucks to ice race next season.
I haven't read the rules yet.
chrispy
HalfDork
10/24/19 2:16 p.m.
I almost began my autocross "career" with a 93 Dodge Dakota, fortunately we bought an Audi before I had that chance. I still want a "race truck". When I get bored with my Civic, maybe that's the direction I'll go in. 'Merican trucks are allowed in CAM (can't remember which flavor though).
I've had the desire to build an old S10, or 80s model Chevy single, short wide with MASSIVE tires like 315-335 at all 4 corners.............with an LSx mounted in the bed behind the cab.
Alas, I don't have the fab skills for something like that.
z31maniac said:
I've had the desire to build an old S10, or 80s model Chevy single, short wide with MASSIVE tires like 315-335 at all 4 corners.............with an LSx mounted in the bed behind the cab.
Alas, I don't have the fab skills for something like that.
My dream as well. Except, I've been thinking starting point could/should be last gen Colorado/Canyon, or one of the mid-80's Datsun king-cabs. Cut out back of cab below window and create new firewall behind the trans tunnel. Room for a (short) driveshaft might make it easier/cheaper than trying to get a transaxle right. Don't know the actual details.
I had one for a little while. It was pretty fun.
It's been many years since I read an autocross rulebook, but aren't trucks (or at least some of them) specifically excluded because of height/width ratios and so forth?
Tom_Spangler said:
It's been many years since I read an autocross rulebook, but aren't trucks (or at least some of them) specifically excluded because of height/width ratios and so forth?
iirc there are only like 4-5 cars excluded by name in the rules(Sidekick/tracker, Samurai, XB and Smart car) the rest just have to meet the 1:1 rule now.
Vigo
MegaDork
10/24/19 3:45 p.m.
Ah, but most any truck is a quick dash of 'cut out part of the frame and then add some new frame a little higher up' away from getting low. 
Vigo said:
Ah, but most any truck is a quick dash of 'cut out part of the frame and then add some new frame a little higher up' away from getting low.
Ooof. I'm guilty of this. I just hate seeing C-notched rear frames poking through the bed.
In reply to MrChaos :
I think my stock height D350 met the 1:1 rule. I almost tried running it but I was mildly concerned about how the 215/85r16s on the front were going to behave.
classicJackets said:
z31maniac said:
I've had the desire to build an old S10, or 80s model Chevy single, short wide with MASSIVE tires like 315-335 at all 4 corners.............with an LSx mounted in the bed behind the cab.
Alas, I don't have the fab skills for something like that.
My dream as well. Except, I've been thinking starting point could/should be last gen Colorado/Canyon, or one of the mid-80's Datsun king-cabs. Cut out back of cab below window and create new firewall behind the trans tunnel. Room for a (short) driveshaft might make it easier/cheaper than trying to get a transaxle right. Don't know the actual details.
I'm not even sure there is a transaxle that would work in this scenario.
Anyone know?
In reply to z31maniac :
Porsche or Audi unit would probably work. You have to play the adapter plate and mismatch axle game that AngryCorvair is doing right now.
I've toyed around with the idea LS with a Corvette transaxle sans torque tube but that combo is still something like 5 feet long from the crank balancer to the diff cover. You almost need a long bed silverado and then to move the wheel wells back to make that combo work. It would be goofy as hell but a gnarly setup.
z31maniac said:
classicJackets said:
z31maniac said:
I've had the desire to build an old S10, or 80s model Chevy single, short wide with MASSIVE tires like 315-335 at all 4 corners.............with an LSx mounted in the bed behind the cab.
Alas, I don't have the fab skills for something like that.
My dream as well. Except, I've been thinking starting point could/should be last gen Colorado/Canyon, or one of the mid-80's Datsun king-cabs. Cut out back of cab below window and create new firewall behind the trans tunnel. Room for a (short) driveshaft might make it easier/cheaper than trying to get a transaxle right. Don't know the actual details.
I'm not even sure there is a transaxle that would work in this scenario.
Anyone know?
Audi 012/01a or for even more engine setback the 0b1.
RacetruckRon said:
In reply to z31maniac :
Porsche or Audi unit would probably work. You have to play the adapter plate and mismatch axle game that AngryCorvair is doing right now.
I've toyed around with the idea LS with a Corvette transaxle sans torque tube but that combo is still something like 5 feet long from the crank balancer to the diff cover. You almost need a long bed silverado and then to move the wheel wells back to make that combo work. It would be goofy as hell but a gnarly setup.
Does the Porsche engine rotate in a different direction than the LS?
I'd want it to be mid-engined, not rear-engined.
In reply to z31maniac :
I too have always dreamed of doing a nasty square body S10 build. Did all kinds of dumb E36 M3 in a rwd regular cab 4.3 that a couple of my buddies owned (same truck, one sold it to the other) back in high school, so I've always had a soft spot for them. As a matter of fact, I still know where that same truck lives now and have often thought about dropping by and making an offer. Maybe someday.
Anyway, Fasterproms on Youtube has a pretty sweet all wheel drive, turbo LS powered S10 build going on right now. I haven't kept up with it the last month or so, but they were able to move the engine behind the front axle centerline while still keeping it up front. IIRC they even weighed it and it came out damn near 50/50, if not even a little rear heavy. That's probably the direction I would go.
Two autocross cars made the most impression on me. The first was a 1960s rear-engined Abarth that looked for all the world as if it was filmed in fast forward. The second was a bridgeported Mazda rotary pickup. bucket list stuff to be sure.
In reply to z31maniac :
No but people have been modifying porsche transaxles to use in mid engined cars for a while now.
In reply to Furious_E :
using trailblazer SS parts and having to sit in the rear of an extended cab square S10/15.like a good 18 inches further back from stock.
MrChaos said:
Tom_Spangler said:
It's been many years since I read an autocross rulebook, but aren't trucks (or at least some of them) specifically excluded because of height/width ratios and so forth?
iirc there are only like 4-5 cars excluded by name in the rules(Sidekick/tracker, Samurai, XB and Smart car) the rest just have to meet the 1:1 rule now.
In modified classes its not hard to get one to meets the numbers, unlike H stock cars. Lots of trucks can lose several inches from tire height alone and have lots of room to lower the suspension and still have it work, and tons of room to increase track width. I could've sworn there were some fullsize trucks that passed in stock form, but I'm not having much luck with the googles right now.
