Paul Stafford <pauls@hpsrrjp.sr.hp.com> writes >
> I am about to buy an LBC, and am harboring images of actually autocrossing
> it. Since I have no experience doing this yet, I thought I'd ask for
> some opinions on what cars might be more suitable than others for this
> purpose.
You sent this request to the autocross mailing list. This is a good place to
talk about autocrossing tires and driving methods. You will find lots of
British car drivers here, but most of the same people also be found on
british-cars%autox.team.net
IMHO, this discussion will be more profitable on british-cars, and follow-ups
should go there. I assume you are familiar with the british-cars list, as
I never see anyone else use the term LBC.
I am posting this to autox to ask people to move it to british-cars and give my
Honda-driving friends a break.
I am posting this to british-cars to give my Triumph-driving friends a head
start on flaming me :-).
> I'm considering the following cars: TR4, TR6, MGB,
Out of this short list, I would pick the MGB. (Be sure to get one 1974 or
earlier, the Rubber-Bumper ones suck.) The driveline is tough as nails.
The cockpit is roomy, the styling is pleasant, and the handling is very good.
Front and rear sway bars, even cheap ones (we can tell you how to get them
really cheap when the time comes) and sticky tires make it a great handling
car. Get a roll bar, even for street use. Running the car in Street Prepared
(because of the swaybars) will be more driving fun, and your tires will work
better and last longer. Stock LBCs generally have not enough roll stiffness to
work with modern sticky tires. Loti are an exception because of their superior
suspension geometry and low weight, but they don't fit your other requirements.
> and whatever others the experts might recommend.
I like the Sprite/Midget cars for autocross. They are smaller and more agile
than an MGB (and most other cars, save Lotus), although less powerful. They do
need a few things that MGBs can get along without, though, and they are less
comfortable on the freeway.
> The car needs to remain street legal,
I will let the California folks handle this part. Keeping a B street legal in
Minnesota is much easier.
> primary purpose is touring the wine country, and other weekend driving.
> It needs to be a convertible, for my own personal gratification and pleasure.
> I would like to do some minor mods to make it more competitive in autox,
> though- things like wheels, tires, shocks, sway bars, and other things I'm
> sure I never heard of yet.
You could just add swaybars and sticky tires to the MGB. I suggest BFG
roadrace compound in 185-60-13 on stock Rostyle wheels. You can get wider
wheels later. If the shocks are OK, keep them for now. If they are bad, don't
replace them, go to a tube-shock conversion, which is legal for Street
Prepared.
>My budget can be stretched as far as $4000 or so.
If you gave me $4000 and turned me loose in California, I think I could make up
a damned quick Midget. MGB prices there may be low enough, too. Be ready to
do some work.
> Of the cars I've mentioned, are there things to watch out for, like
> unavailability of wheels,
You want an MG with steel wheels standard, four lugs nuts holding them on.
The center-lock wire wheels are not good autocrossers and the cast wheels for
center-lock hubs are quite expensive, but gorgeous.
> weird and difficult to tune engines /chassis,
> reliability and/or durability issues on rear ends,
I am told the Triumph rear end stuff can be troublesome.
> thanks for your time!
> Paul Stafford (707) 577-4935 w, 528-9045 h
Don't mention it. I always like to start a good argument, and the ones that
are coming should be helpful to you in your quest.
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans Street, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 w (612) 298-5324 phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
"The workingman's GT-40" - Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman
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