FC project is nearing completion...

[JDuncan]

I'd be interested in knowing about your autox wheel setup. The 16x9.5" wheels. What size tires are you running and have you had to make body mods to accomodate them. As beautifully done as the widebody kit has been done on the O'Bleans car, I can't afford a major body mod such as that, but I have been trying to figure out what would be the setup for the car.

I was looking at Diamond Racing 15x10's with a 5" backspacing and running a 22x10x15 slick but have no clue if it would fit. I don't trust what I read online half the time about what fits since I have managed to run bigger tires streetwise than the popular opinion believes will fit. Currently running 235/40-17's on her.

What is working for you?

 

[Jims5543]

Who knows maybe we will see each other in Topeka. I am still on the fence about going. I just got my paperwork in the mail about 2 weeks ago to pre-register.

I just dont feel like making the 1400 mile 24 hour drive with my car on a trailer.

I drove up from Florida to Indy for the Rotary Revolution and promised myself I would never do that again. It was a horrible boring drive.

But then I get this bug.......

.........and the next thing I know I am in my truck towing my car for 1400 miles.... What is wrong with me? LOL!

Good luck with the project it sounds like you have a really good plan. If you need any parts or are stumped on a setup or idea I will be more than happy to try to help out.

 

[JDuncan]

I was excited to make it to the revolution this year, but the wet dismal weather worked to kill that excitement pretty quickly. I ended up falling asleep in the middle of the day and leaving saturday night to return home. We had a local region autocross on Sunday anyway that I didn't need to miss.

 

[Jims5543]

I'd be interested in knowing about your autox wheel setup. The 16x9.5" wheels. What size tires are you running and have you had to make body mods to accomodate them. As beautifully done as the widebody kit has been done on the O'Bleans car, I can't afford a major body mod such as that, but I have been trying to figure out what would be the setup for the car.

I was looking at Diamond Racing 15x10's with a 5" backspacing and running a 22x10x15 slick but have no clue if it would fit. I don't trust what I read online half the time about what fits since I have managed to run bigger tires streetwise than the popular opinion believes will fit. Currently running 235/40-17's on her.

What is working for you?

The rims were custom ordered centerlines. They are 16x9.5 rims with the same backspacing as a 2000 Mustang GT. Why a Mustang GT? Because up to the point where I bought those rims I was running a set of Mustang GT 17x8 rims with 225/40/17 Hoosier DOT's on them. The tires are hoosiers 16x10x22 they are an R compound. In hindsight I would have liked to have tried to fit a ture 16x10 rim on the car. The rims ran $200 each and weigh less than 12 lbs each. The whole tire rim combo weighs in at under 30 lbs. I took 60 lns out of my car in unsprung weight. It totally changed the cars handling and acceleration characteristics. I had to re-learn the car after I got those.

The trick to the not rubbing part of this is actually in the suspension. I am running 400 lb. front and 250 lb. rear springs. I am also running a racing beat front and rear sway bar. I am toying with swapping back in the stock front one to see if my turn in improves. I have ZERO BODY ROLL. That is the key to using that tire setup. The tires actually stick out from the fenders about 1". The smaller 16" rim diameter and 22" tore diameter helps a lot. I have to put the car on 2x4's when I put on the slicks in order to get my jack out from under it. With my streets this is not a problem.

Hope all this rambling helps.

 

[Jims5543]

I was excited to make it to the revolution this year, but the wet dismal weather worked to kill that excitement pretty quickly. I ended up falling asleep in the middle of the day and leaving saturday night to return home. We had a local region autocross on Sunday anyway that I didn't need to miss.

Yes the dismal weather screwed everyone. I never wanted to go back to Florida so bad in my life. 40 and rain makes us thin blooded southeners cry like babies.

I had fun Autocorssing in the rain. I had an Evo school in the rain and it taught me a lot about how well slicks do in the wet. I was having problems w/ hydroplaning and had to drive a somewhat unorthodox line but it was a good enough line to get FTD......... A damn cone jumped out in front of me after the finish...LOL! So I got 2nd place even though I was 1.3 seconds faster than 1st....damn cone!!

When I woke up to high 30's and more rain Sunday I got in my truck and laft missing the open track day and loosing my entry fee. I wasn't going to race on an open track in the rain with my street car. 150 in the wet is not my idea of fun. I just wanted to be back in Florida. I am a wimp. LOL!

 

[whiplash]

Good points.

BTW - Steve O'Bleans sold his FC this past off season so the BP class is up for grabs this year.... Hmmmm.....

The engine looks nice and clean. Porting looks good too. I am guessing Street Port right? I am not good at identifying port jobs from pics.

I really dont know you or your Autocrossing background but if I could suggest one mod to you. I did this mod and it drastically changed my Autocross times from trailing by 10ths to getting consistant FTD's, sometimes by seconds over the next fastest car.

I modded the driver.

http://www.autocross.com/evolution/

After taking their Phase 1 and Phase 2 courses I came back the next season a whole new driver and took my 1st FTD after their school. This FTD by the way was at my 6th event EVER. I had a hell of a car and was not coming withing 70% of its full potential.

The best thing that ever happened was when a guy named Steve Brollier stopped by a school to say hello to Jean and Marc Dana. He saw my car running the course (Evolution practice day) and asked me if he could take me for a ride in it..... He made my car do things I never thought it was capable of doing. I realized I was driving it like a pansy after that and needed to learn how to trust it better. I walked away that day and it was all starting to make sense to me.

I have tons of stories about my experiences with Evolution. I believe in them so much that I sponser a Rotary only Autocross school every spring with them instructing. (I also did a Mini cooper one - another love of mine the Mini)

Look them up its worth every penny. Especially if you want to be competative.

Actually Steve Oblenes traded the TII for a B-Mod car....The couple that has his car now are both great drivers too... Haven't talked to Steve all summer...