autocrossed a b13 ser?

[SlowerThanYou]

Has anyone ever autox a b13 ser how did it perform? Im dropping the old civic and wanted to get a different car and wanted to know how good they where in the handeling department. thanks

[Loren]

You're not in the Honda forum. What's a B13?

If it's a stock Honda Civic (or similar) built since about the mid-80's and in good condition, it will autocross adequately and understeer a bit like almost all FWD cars do. With a little bit of suspension work, it can be quite entertaining to autocross in.

[mofugga]

Originally posted by mikecivichb
Has anyone ever autox a b13 ser how did it perform? Im dropping the old civic and wanted to get a different car and wanted to know how good they where in the handeling department. thanks
loren, reread this & then edit your post ;)

[Loren]

Originally posted by mofugga
loren, reread this & then edit your post ;)

Oops. I was connecting with his handle, which references Honda. Lessee... SER = Uh... Nissan, right? Okay, so it's not the Honda forum OR the Nissan forum.

This is a broad forum with the focus being on "autocross and road racing" rather than specific makes. Not many of us know what the B13 designation means. They've been making "SE-R" models since the early 90's (I remember test driving a new '94 Sentra SE-R back about the time I bought my Saturn), I certainly have no idea which one he could be talking about.

Same advice applies, though... a "sporty" FWD car is going to handle adequately. Suspension work can make it better. Consider the above reply edited! ;)

Man, I'm glad we're all in a good mood tonight. Spent some quality time under my car today. :D

[w0rd]

I think this is a b13.
I can't see it being any more fun than a modified Civic though.

http://kerazypersian.com/sentra.jpg

[mofugga]

loren, just cuz you don't know what a b13 is doesn't mean noone knows what it is

[krekavhts]

you'll beat the miata's that never show up.

now for some helpful advice. autocross it. nissans have good chassis's, probably not as good as the civic do to weight and for sts will never compete with the civic SI's but who cares, its all about having fun. i drove a so called pig of a FWD car, integra GSR, and i loved it. Hell i think my brother is driving it at events, nowthat i have moved away, and he beat our resident moderator in his miata. Advice for understeer is a healthy rear sway bar and some slightly stiffer springs all around. its pretty easy to get a FWD car to go from Under to Over steer especially on street tires so be careful.

[Loren]

Originally posted by mofugga
loren, just cuz you don't know what a b13 is doesn't mean noone knows what it is

There's a pointless post that I should delete.

[Loren]

Originally posted by krekavhts
you'll beat the miata's that never show up.

And there's another one.

Edit: Thank you for adding some content to the above-referenced post. It is truly appreciated.

[krekavhts]

:o

[Loren]

Originally posted by w0rd
I think this is a b13.
I can't see it being any more fun than a modified Civic though.
Thanks for the visual, bro. I agree, it's just another generic FWD car.

Having been down the "try to make a FWD car handle like a sports car" road myself, I concluded that it makes more sense to start with a better platform. mikecivichb, since you're shopping for a different car anyway, have you considered looking at something that is better balanced and designed from the ground up to be driven rather than to haul groceries? Obviously, a Miata is high on my list, but there are other cars that would fit the bill. Other Japanese sports cars, BMW's, etc.

Just a thought.

[SlowerThanYou]

yea I have I wanted something around 5k being it will be an Autocross car. I have Autocrossed in the past and fell in love. I liked the Sentra SE-R because of it has a nice background of performance parts that's available. I thought about a Miata but it just doesn't do it for me you know. I thought about a older BMW like a 325 but any aftermarket upgrades will be hard on the wallet being European and being BMW. what else would you suggest? thanks. Oh yea this car also has to be my daily driver. Also sorry about the mix up in the beginning, Thanks Again.

[mofugga]

Originally posted by Loren
There's a pointless post that I should delete.
care for me to point out all your pointless posts?


mike, look into an early 90's mr2

[krekavhts]

you want the best car for both worlds. get an 89 civic si. reliable as hell, and fast as "explative." the civic si when setup is incredible. it will own miata's, 325's, sentra's etc. Our local superhero Jesse went to a prosolo driving an SI and took out STX with a wimpy little 106hp vs. 300+ WRX's. the si is a fantastic choice for a daily driver + autox car. tons of parts, cheap to keep up, and hell they can be pretty cool looking as well. don't think of them as a grocery getter, thats just crazy talk. honda builds some of the most advanced suspensions in the industry and there motors are well, pretty much the best. manual tranny's are great as well. obviously i am honda biased, but go to www.scca.org and look at the registration list for STS and you tell me who's crazy. SI is money.

[krekavhts]

props to an early 90's mr2, equal or better than miata cause its engine actually makes torque and way cool looking. targa top and mid engine. look for non-turbos, lighter and a more drivealble engine.

[SlowerThanYou]

I have a 89 civic hatch wright now I loved to autocross it. Just want something newer. Tired of it.

[Loren]

Originally posted by mikecivichb
yea I have I wanted something around 5k being it will be an Autocross car. I have Autocrossed in the past and fell in love. I liked the Sentra SE-R because of it has a nice background of performance parts that's available. I thought about a Miata but it just doesn't do it for me you know. I thought about a older BMW like a 325 but any aftermarket upgrades will be hard on the wallet being European and being BMW. what else would you suggest? thanks. Oh yea this car also has to be my daily driver. Also sorry about the mix up in the beginning, Thanks Again.

Help us out a little. What are your requirements? Are you tall and need a lot of headroom? Legroom? Do you require a back seat? 4 doors? Trunk space? A hatch to carry big stuff?

Info like that will help us make suggestions that might fit your needs better.

You really can have huge fun autocrossing just about any car. Even a poor handling car presents you with it's own unique set of challenges!

[krekavhts]

see about mazda protoge's. not sure what they cost for late 90's but wow are they fun to drive. really good driver from the jax region drove a 99 for a few years nationally and really liked it. its a great car stock and i can only imagine what they are like with a little work.

sorry about the si, i just really like those cars. didn't know you already had one, so i guess you already knew

[SlowerThanYou]

5'9" dont care about space or trunk room or anything as long as I can get in it and sit and drive.

[Mars_302]

Why not a 240 instead mike?

[SlowerThanYou]

I thought about a 240. Do they make good autox cars?

[mofugga]

Originally posted by mikecivichb
I thought about a 240. Do they make good autox cars?
not really

[Loren]

Originally posted by mikecivichb
I thought about a 240. Do they make good autox cars?

You need to find some good examples of these cars (MR2, Miata, 240SX, etc) and drive them. Just driving them will show you more of the differences between your Civic and them.

I've taken a few autocross runs in 240's and found them to be pretty satisfying. Much better than I expected them to be. They don't LOOK like it, but they are a fairly light weight and balanced car. A little down on power in stock form, but power isn't everything... and that problem can be corrected if you are so inclined.

You're welcome to take a drive in my car if you'd like to get a feel for a stock-engined Miata with decent suspension.

There are plenty of 240 guys around who might let you take a drive in their car... John? Same with MR2's... Jesse?

Something to consider: Some of this discussion talks about how "good" or "bad" a car is at autocross. Some of these opinions are based on how well these cars finish in the classes that SCCA has assigned them to. The fact that a car can't win it's class doesn't mean it's not a good autocross car, it just means it's not a COMPETITIVE autocross car. You need to have a good idea of what your goals are before you commit to buying a particular model. If you're just out to have fun, then all that matters is that driving the car puts a smile on your face. If you want to go out and WIN autocross trophies, you need to study the class structure and find a car that you can afford, that you like, and that is capable of winning at the level you want to prepare it to.

[SlowerThanYou]

Thanks for all of your input loren. Im going to check out some more cars in the morning, Ill let you guys know what I find. Thanks Again

[shadowboy]

Originally posted by mikecivichb
yea I have I wanted something around 5k being it will be an Autocross car. I have Autocrossed in the past and fell in love. I liked the Sentra SE-R because of it has a nice background of performance parts that's available. I thought about a Miata but it just doesn't do it for me you know. I thought about a older BMW like a 325 but any aftermarket upgrades will be hard on the wallet being European and being BMW. what else would you suggest? thanks. Oh yea this car also has to be my daily driver. Also sorry about the mix up in the beginning, Thanks Again.

a 1987-88 porsche 924S

they are relatively cheap (you can find a clean one for around $5k if you look), and mechanically identical to an early 944.

EXCELLENT chassis..very forgiving, relatively inexpensive (compared to, say, a 911) to maintain (if you do your own labor, and they aren't any harder to work on than a civic, imo), and the 924 S makes quite the sleeper, since it is mechanically identical to the 944, only doesn't have the fender flares (meaning less aerodynamic drag & lighter than the 944, making it faster).

[SlowerThanYou]

I decided to keep the civic and still autox it and Im getting a bike also for some weekend fun. Thanks again for all the input.

[BUDO]

Si EK'S ARE FuN FOR THE AUTOX