Share Pictures From Your Early Days at Autocross

I think this is from 1972 . 1969 Cooper S. My first gymkhana was in 1965. 

1999 at the Allegheny County Airport. I bought Mom's Civic DX for $500. It needed CV joints, but I found that complete "race" axles were cheaper. Then I found out about swapping in Integra parts. Then I found Mike Ancas' Book on Civics. Then I found Mike. Then I found GRM. The rest is history. 

The Civic eventually saw track duty, dig those centilevered slicks! 

Circa 1995, one of these cars was sold to people who want to race it again, the other is apparently in a field waiting for rescue or the grass to claim it. 

glueguy (Forum Supporter) said:

ooooh, I'll play

What wasn't hot in FS in 1985.  1984 Pontiac Phoenix.  Through judicious use of the ala carte options, this is how you got a 5 door Citation X-11.  2.8 HO V6, F41 suspension but sadly in FS fighting TPI Trans-Ams and Holley 4bbl four-eyed Mustangs.  Pontiac only came with the 205/70-13 tires.  This was shortly before I bought my first set of takeoff wheels, from an X-11.  Sadly no pics of that setup.  Circa May 1985, Dayton, OH, WOR-SCCA, Hara Arena

 

Not on course but I thought the grid shot was tastier.  Feb 1988, Lakewood Ampitheater, Atlanta SCCA.  Still on the OEM 225/60-15 Gatorbacks at this point since it was about 6 weeks old.

I started autocrossing at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in 1992 with my Sentra SE-R. 

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

Is that Mike Ancas’ CRX? 

I have more photos from my early autocrosses. I need to scan more of them. 

Picture in Picture:

Tiny, but there I am in about 2004-2005. 

Still have the car.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Indeed it is, recently sold and may return to racing someday. 

My 1992 Subaru SVX at the SIA plant in Lafayette IN for the 2007 Subaru Challenge.  

All you young-uns!  And yes, you could get color film for an Instamatic camera in the mid 1970s.   Boomer brag time... damn I'm old.

Mid 70s... this little home-built won something like 40 FTDs in the SE USA.

^^^That rocks Purple Frog!

As those who I've met here can attest, I'm not young I just got in to autocross late.  That pic I posted was taken during my second stint when I returned to kill cones.  

In reply to Purple Frog :

So tell us more about the car; engine suspension etc.

Circa 1985.  I used to buy a lot of tires.

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Indeed it is, recently sold and may return to racing someday. 

Hope Fred gets back on track!

I've autocrossed some variety. Not shown is my Austin mini 1275 and a couple of other VW GTIs.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

The Pontiac 6000 photo got me. Bravo, sir.

From my old J-body love days:

In reply to porschenut :

2.0 or 1.8?

My early days at autocross are also my last days at autocross. Somewhere there's a rear 3/4 view action shot of this old bucket, probably on different wheels, making a hard left with the inside front wheel absolutely dancing across the pavement. But since that photo is buried somewhere in the sands of time, here's a static shot [EDIT: image replaced by a fresh scan of the same print] of the same car a few years later.

There's also this. I drew this in high school, back when I was young and enjoyed things, and the car club I autocrossed with at the time (in their A14-powered DM Datsun 1200) has apparently been using it ever since. Good to know they're getting some mileage from it.

Holy smokes.  Found the picture mentioned above and managed to scan it without setting the office on fire.  Here it is, preceded by one taken immediately prior.  The car was on early Supra wheels with, IIRC, fresh P195/60R14 Dunlop D60 A2 rubber.  This had to be somewhere around 1994 or '95.  The hood was still blue then, which meant it had not yet been stove in by a DILLIGAF hit-and-run driver in the three minutes it took me to pick up an order from a Chinese restaurant.

Apologies for the long distance shots. These were probably taken with a fixed zoom camera from Long's Drugs by a non-photographer standing safely outside the (hey Lana) Danger Zone.

Broken window regulators. Stock seat with the cushion cut off (and my helmet was still above the windshield) free tires I ran as a reverse stagger because I wanted the least bad two on the front, and I forgot to pack tape. 

I really need to get back into it this year. 

Taconic Autosport Club, 1971, my first event, photographer unknown, My Canon/Tamron 80-250, Ektachrome 64  Nanuet NY 

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Dang, that is wicked. (Also, kids, at one time you’d see positive camber at an autocross.)