PCA AutoX Sept 4 2011

Great day all...I am heading back to my sofa shortly back's sore, but what an amazing day

Allan, amazing for you to step into my car and be off by only 2 hundreths of a second, you could have pulled it off and taken me but you are the gentlemen and enjoy buying one a beer

Charles allowed me to take 3-4 runs in his car, I really drove the lines and tried the limits and pointed out a few things to try...then he drove and it's a NICE car...I as Patrick, hit me what I was driving and hearing him asking me what should be changed to autox...just tires and rims if in the budget and enjoy the rest.

His car felt soft and rolled in the back, felt high...so maybe suspension upgrade...keep the stock parts in case ones changes their mind

David, he is having problems logining in...Hope Charles can see this.

Anyways...nite and chat more later...COD4?:)

Here are a couple videos. Using the cheap camera velcroed to the rear windshield because my usual mount was in the other car.

My uncle did 4 runs back to back at lunch, I thought it was interesting to see them all together with the little differences between each run, so here's the video.

I didn't get my fastest run on video, so here's my second to last run. My next run was at least half a second faster so if I made any obvious mistakes in that video, there's a chance I corrected them in the final run.

karnak wrote: Bzzzzzz.. that UFO is an insect for sure.. but hey.. at least is is a "FO"

I freeze-framed the video... it's a dragonfly (or a small alien that looks like one).

Gary, have a look at This. Seem somewhat familiar? I'm thinking this problem might be more widespread than most Fiero owners realize, especially as these plugs and wires get more brittle with age. 

 

interesting link Patrick. seems the angle of the connector is not doing anybody any favours. i took a look at the harness we had here and it is only the back side harness and the distributor connectors are not there...  there are a couple of dukes at pick a part that will have them though... it should be pretty common.

karnak wrote: there are a couple of dukes at pick a part that will have them though...

Nope.

The "extra" plug I have (to replace the one I robbed off my GT) is from one of those Pick-a-Part dukes. The other duke out there is an '87 and it has the DIS ignition with a whole different set of connections/plugs.

karnak wrote: it should be pretty common.

You're right, these style plugs were in relatively common usage with many different GM models. It's just a matter now of grabbing one or two if and when the opportunity presents itself.

 

karnak wrote: ...a duke in a different car.

Yeah, there are a lot of duke and V6 and V8 engines out there that use that same ignition coil (and therefore the same connector/plug).

On the other hand, there are so many other variations of ignition systems on GM cars (including ones with dukes) that it'll take a lot of lifted hoods out at Pick-a-Part to find what's required.

 

Brian, you are the gentleman for letting me play with your car, even after I spun it.   

Your car is definitely a little looser than I'm used to and my hat is off to you for your skills in piloting it as well as you do.  You have a great feel for your car and it would take me a little more time to develop a similar feel.  After my first spin, I dialed it back a little bit as you can clearly see on the video.  I sure didn't want to go flying off into skidpad construction land.    But everywhere else I was doing my best and (sometimes overdriving - it took all I had to not spin your car into those heavy metal-boxed timing lights when I went semi-sideways into the stop box) and you beat me fair and square! 

Gary's 914 used to be looser than yours and we've been playing with it and now it's quite stable.  I managed a 42.5 without too much trouble (even with the engine trouble) on a fun run.  Could've done 41's in a couple more runs.  Adjustable suspension ftw!    If you ever need to replace your shocks, you know what to do. 

Capt Fiero wrote: You guys are aware that these connectors are avaliable new from Lordco in there Pico catalog right?  They are not that expensive either, a whole lot less than the cost of gas driving to Pick A Part.

Good to know.

The problem with buying used connectors is that you already have a used connector in your car - that just failed. 

Patrick I have to agree with Alan on this one.  All the used connectors you are going to find will be 20 year old brittle plastic that has been heat treated to near glass brittle.

     If I have one laying in my parts bin and I need one,  I'll toss on a used one, however I would never go out of my way to find and install a used one.  

IIRC the new ones were about 13 bucks.  Vs the cost of a possible tow home, or at the least waiting for a buddy to bring me a spare part.  I think 13 bucks is cheap.  Heck I spend more than that on a McDonald's meal when I am really hungry and order nuggets to go along with my burger.

Some great pictures of the autocross Here.

Our favorite shot has got to be this infrared one.

But ya gotta love this little smokin' tomato as well...