aw614 said:How narrow are the stock wheels? The azenis look pinched, 14in?
14x5 inches.
aw614 said:How narrow are the stock wheels? The azenis look pinched, 14in?
14x5 inches.
aw614 said:How narrow are the stock wheels? The azenis look pinched, 14in?
The tires are pinched. The Azenis were about the only 14" sticky tire we could find and we had to go with 195/60's. We got them on the wheels, but they're right at the edge of fitting. They're also shorter, so I was concerned we'd run out of MPH in 2nd gear (probably around 50).
We talked about running original style Michelin X 165R14s to be totally period correct, but thought we needed one advantage with our butter-knife at a bazooka fight.
In reply to Carl Heideman :
Since you were running in exhibition class, you could weld those MG wheel centers into some 15" hoops from a more modern car and no one would even notice.
SCCA Street classes actually allow you to up or down one inch in diameter, but we decided to keep things period-correct.
Next year, though. We'll be there.
Carl Heideman said:The tires are pinched. The Azenis were about the only 14" sticky tire we could find and we had to go with 195/60's. We got them on the wheels, but they're right at the edge of fitting. They're also shorter, so I was concerned we'd run out of MPH in 2nd gear (probably around 50).
I've assuaged my concerns about running out of room in 2nd gear on 205/50-15s by remembering that it has so little power I'd need an awfully open course to get there...
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Do the rules allow a width increase? That was more of what I was thinking. The tires wouldn't be as pinched ,but the wheels would still look stock.
No change of rim width is allowed when going plus one on rim diameter. But going to the 15" rim opens the door to the Bridgestone RE 71 in a 195/50 15, a better tire that will be less pinched than the 205.
Cool story but as you said there is always next year. Family and safety come first. My son lives in Florida, only about 50 miles from you and he too is crossing his fingers and hoping for the best until Dorian figures out which way it will go. Good luck to all.
So... 2020 Nats is a long way off. Can we look forward to some lower-key MGB autocross activity any time soon?
I know, I know, right now is just unclenching and taking the plywood off the windows. No hurry.
I’m kinda digging the pinched look.
Ransom said:So... 2020 Nats is a long way off. Can we look forward to some lower-key MGB autocross activity any time soon?
I know, I know, right now is just unclenching and taking the plywood off the windows. No hurry.
Uhmm, MGB . . . Lucas electrics . . . Hurricane D . . . lots of water. Just sayin
The MGB looks right at home on 15" wheels - ask anyone that owns an MGC, which came with 15x 5 wheels. I ran 15x5.5" Triumph wire wheels on my convertible.
Ransom said:So... 2020 Nats is a long way off. Can we look forward to some lower-key MGB autocross activity any time soon?
I know, I know, right now is just unclenching and taking the plywood off the windows. No hurry.
We're planning on running it at a local event Sept 14. We'll see how we like those pinched tires.
When I first got into autocross in '09, there was a guy who would occasionally show up in a '73 911 and run in B-Stock (I think). He had a set of A6's mounted on a spare set of wheels that he would install at home in NNJ and then drive on them to the event in Philly. He said once in awhile he'd get caught in the rain, which was.... entertaining.
Once I finally get the new engine in my Spitfire, I plan to get a set of A7's for it and run in FSP. It'll still get smoke by a half-prepped Civic, but it'd be fun once in awhile.
I once ran 225 BFG's on Miata 14x5.5 wheels for, well reasons, it made sense at the time and it worked way better than it should have done. Talk about pinched, it looked hilarious.
We ran the car with the Furrin Group last weekend and ended mid-pack in HS. The car was loose and a leany, but it was a real hoot and everyone enjoyed it. We knew the clutch was on its last legs before the event and started slipping pretty badly after a few hard launches, so we've got a little additional maintenance for the winter.
Carl,
What about a re-valve of the shocks and/or a heaver oil?
David
In reply to Carl Heideman :
That. Is. Awesome.
I hereby propose a "vintage autocross" movement. Whether it be formal classing, or just a loosely disorganized effort on the part of random people everywhere. These classic cars need their exercise.
I would 2nd that motion!
slowbird said:In reply to Carl Heideman :
That. Is. Awesome.
I hereby propose a "vintage autocross" movement. Whether it be formal classing, or just a loosely disorganized effort on the part of random people everywhere. These classic cars need their exercise.
It's already existed for a few years.
Heritage Classic with SCCA.
I have no real feelings against or for it. But from what I understand, it came to be under less than ideal circumstances, partly cause it's not properly managed.
Except it's not really offered nationally and nobody actually runs it except people with air cooled porsches. Which while IMO are very much in the spirit of the class (historic street driven sports cars that have no place else to run) it's not quite what the class was intended to be and so everyone gets angry about it (also the people that wrote the rules are idiots and left a loophole that allows 911s up to 89 in with ANY 911 drivetrain). I believe we're 5/5 at local events across a few different groups for at least one person complaining about it because they don't understand the rules, including someone attempting to get us kicked out of a test and tune event (and their group) over it.
In reply to spacecadet :
Interesting, hadn't heard of it before. I skimmed a rules doc from 2015 but it seems to me like they have to follow the standard SCCA method of bein extremely specific about what is and isn't legal.
I wonder if "run what ya brung, skinny tires only" might be a suitable informal ruleset for organizing local/regional events.
Old cars in the modern world can be enjoyed as original, but there's too much appeal to modernizing if you actually want to use them to fit the historic classes as written.
Whatever the case with the lack of non-American-CAM, my current notion is to try to do something a little bit like the F-160 "class" that ran locally in vintage motorcycle racing. It was a formalized but not recognized (by the sanctioning body) subclass of 250 vintage, allowing Honda CB160s with a limited set of modifications. The racing was great and people had a lot of fun, and it got going at least all over the west coast despite the fact that as far as I know it was never a "real" class with the sanctioning bodies, just a group that raced each other in whatever class allowed the bikes.
In any case, I might wind up formally in XP, but hopefully eventually other folks will bring out cool old cars and we can race.
The average age of a Brit car owner has to be over 65. I doubt very much they are going to wake up anytime soon with a sudden urge to be hooning their geriatric chariots around an autocross course.
Where racing a classic does come into play is that it teaches car control. The driver needs to learn all of the tricks to controlling a large mass with limited friction circle because unlike new cars, the classics do very little to aid in this effort! Drive a classic until you stop going faster, then rather than mod the classic, go try it with a modern car and you will be amazed how much easier it seems.
In reply to NOHOME :
I'm not expecting the current crop to suddenly change pursuits. I'm expecting some number of folks to continue to be interested in old cars, and I'm expecting them to do so in the era of MegaSquirt, 300hp V6s in the junkyards, and everything else that makes today wonderful.
It won't be hordes, but it's hard to see how the bug wouldn't bite some. I mean, look around here! I'm bitten!
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