building my gti for autocross looking for input

[piknockout]

First off, you should definitely go out to a few events. There is a lot that you can learn about car control that will help to make you a better driver both on the street (emergency situations) and on a road course. I applaud you for keeping it off the streets. Just remember, autocross is first and foremost about having fun and learning to become a better driver. After you've started to learn how to drive fast, then you worry about being competitive.

And as far as competitiveness, your car as it sits would be classed in Street Modified (SM). SM is a very difficult class to compete in at the top level, with the top car at Nats last year being Daddio's 500whp EVO running 295 r-comps all around, a car and setup that can make use of its big power and actually put it all to the ground. While you're pushing significant power, being able to use all of that power on an autocross course will be difficult, especially on corner exit and especially without an LSD and r-comps. While the car can hang with many EVO's I'm sure on the street, at the drags, or on a road course, it just cannot do so well on an autocross course. I would just about guarantee that if you put a great driver in an HS prepared Mini (non-S), and then had him drive your car in its current state on course, he would probably be faster in the Mini. Does it make sense what I'm saying?

Now if you seriously do want to prep the car for autocross and stay in SM, you can do so and be competitive on a local/regional level. There are several GTI's out there doing so in the area. But first things first, you'll need some r-comps...and meaty ones at that. Probably a setup running 275's in the front with probably 245's in the back. Second, you'll need that LSD installed to help put the power down. And speaking of power, you'll need to re-work that system. Probably a smaller turbo that will spool quickly and smoothly with no more than 300whp.

But as stated in the beginning, come on out and HAVE FUN, learn to drive better, and then see how far you want to go with your current setup, or just keep your car the way it is and buy something else to soley autocross that you know is competitive in its class. You can get a prepped ES MR2 for around $5k or so I believe as an example. Hope this helps and hope you make it out.

[boost20th]

Originally Posted by piknockout

First off, you should definitely go out to a few events. There is a lot that you can learn about car control that will help to make you a better driver both on the street (emergency situations) and on a road course. I applaud you for keeping it off the streets. Just remember, autocross is first and foremost about having fun and learning to become a better driver. After you've started to learn how to drive fast, then you worry about being competitive.

And as far as competitiveness, your car as it sits would be classed in Street Modified (SM). SM is a very difficult class to compete in at the top level, with the top car at Nats last year being Daddio's 500whp EVO running 295 r-comps all around, a car and setup that can make use of its big power and actually put it all to the ground. While you're pushing significant power, being able to use all of that power on an autocross course will be difficult, especially on corner exit and especially without an LSD and r-comps. While the car can hang with many EVO's I'm sure on the street, at the drags, or on a road course, it just cannot do so well on an autocross course. I would just about guarantee that if you put a great driver in an HS prepared Mini (non-S), and then had him drive your car in its current state on course, he would probably be faster in the Mini. Does it make sense what I'm saying?

Now if you seriously do want to prep the car for autocross and stay in SM, you can do so and be competitive on a local/regional level. There are several GTI's out there doing so in the area. But first things first, you'll need some r-comps...and meaty ones at that. Probably a setup running 275's in the front with probably 245's in the back. Second, you'll need that LSD installed to help put the power down. And speaking of power, you'll need to re-work that system. Probably a smaller turbo that will spool quickly and smoothly with no more than 300whp.

But as stated in the beginning, come on out and HAVE FUN, learn to drive better, and then see how far you want to go with your current setup, or just keep your car the way it is and buy something else to soley autocross that you know is competitive in its class. You can get a prepped ES MR2 for around $5k or so I believe as an example. Hope this helps and hope you make it out.

hey thanks alot i have a friend that teaches at pocono and a track in VR he drives a black 1978 911 worked.great guy he has been showing me some things around the track the lsd is going in as we speak and the retune on the engine is also under way maybe we could meet up at the tracks one day do u think i would do better on a road course

[shuttlegoose]

yeah i wouldn't even think about autocrossing that to be honest with you. First of all the 3067 will put down way to much power for a fwd car and also it will spool slow. You wanna stick to a big track where you might see 3rd gear to use some of that power. i just saw a 89 crx with about 100hp beat my time by like 15 seconds haha so power DEFINITELY isn't everything, that and it was my first autox

[xEJ20x]

From lookin at the set up you posted....it seems that youre power setup is a bit too much for it.

Ask 4drstunner and UnderpoweredRS, they both have alot of power and wheelspin alot on the course.


But at least go to one and see how things turn out.

[4cefed4]

My chipped stock turbo 1.8T puts out too much torque for autocross use. I dyno'd at 290 ft-lbs on race gas, and without a LSD it's almost better to run a stock boost map for the more technical courses. Your best bet is to check out: http://www.scca.org/documents/Solo%2...lo_Rules_2.pdf to see what mods are allowed in what class. As pretty much everyone else here has said, if you bring your car as-is to an event, you'll be racing in SM which has some REALLY quick cars. How competitive a class is seems to vary a lot from region to region. When I lived in Buffalo, NY I would race STS with my car, and usually end up somewhere in the top half. Here in NJ, STS is swamped with some fast civics and integras, and I have a better chance at winning DSP on street tires than I do finishing in the top half of STS.

For autocross mods that you haven't mentioned yet, in a MK4 it's all about tires, negative camber up front, 300+ #/in springs, stiff shocks, and a fat rear sway bar. VW suspension geometry goes to sh*t if you lower the car more than an inch from stock, so a good bed for most people is to get some coilovers and jack them up for track days. Next event at Englishtown is the saturday before father's day. There's usually four of us with MK4s, take a trip there and you can see what it's all about.

[turboman808]

Really a lousy car IMO. My brother has one still. It's good for a daily driver. For autoxing the car was just terrible. Doesn't like to turn at all LOL

But while you will get your ass handed to you just have fun. Heck I took a 2007 4 door civic autoxing on stock tires. Man I was slow but I had fun.


I would see if you actualy like it before spending a **** load on tires. You definetly need the LSD if you want to even get respectable times. They help a ton in front wheel drive cars.

Also a real beefy rear sway bar will help you to get the car rotate. It will feel almost like the car is incontrolable but thats what will get you the fastest time in a fwd car. flick the wheel to get the rear to rotate then hammer the pedal with the front wheels pointing in the direction you want to go.



Whats funny to me is ya listed all this junk that tells me nothing other then you spent alot of money on things. Whats does any of that have to do with autox or road racing? Give me a dyno graph and tell me you corner weights and wheel alignment then we can see where you are at.

[TGilb2007]

I gotta agree with everyone here. You have a TON of power going to the front wheels, but very little to control all of it in tight corners. Granted, you have an amazing build, and quite the impressive mod list, but for auto-x, you are not gonna fair too well. Either take the current build to a road coarse, or find a different project for Auto-X.

[alwaysinboost]

you're getting some good advise here.

If I were you I would just go out there and have fun. you aren't going to win any championships no matter what car you are in so just enjoy the car and learn how to drive it correctly.

[boost20th]

Originally Posted by 4cefed4

My chipped stock turbo 1.8T puts out too much torque for autocross use. I dyno'd at 290 ft-lbs on race gas, and without a LSD it's almost better to run a stock boost map for the more technical courses. Your best bet is to check out: http://www.scca.org/documents/Solo%2...lo_Rules_2.pdf to see what mods are allowed in what class. As pretty much everyone else here has said, if you bring your car as-is to an event, you'll be racing in SM which has some REALLY quick cars. How competitive a class is seems to vary a lot from region to region. When I lived in Buffalo, NY I would race STS with my car, and usually end up somewhere in the top half. Here in NJ, STS is swamped with some fast civics and integras, and I have a better chance at winning DSP on street tires than I do finishing in the top half of STS.

For autocross mods that you haven't mentioned yet, in a MK4 it's all about tires, negative camber up front, 300+ #/in springs, stiff shocks, and a fat rear sway bar. VW suspension geometry goes to sh*t if you lower the car more than an inch from stock, so a good bed for most people is to get some coilovers and jack them up for track days. Next event at Englishtown is the saturday before father's day. There's usually four of us with MK4s, take a trip there and you can see what it's all about.

i have coil overs pss9 im loking to see what tires are the best to run i just changed the wastegate spring back down to 16 psi spring and the boost at 16 im just waiting to run on the dyno and retune with unitronics 630cc big turbo software im going to take everyones comments and just try to run a road course i should do alot better on there thanks to everyone for ur help

[boost20th]

Originally Posted by turboman808

Really a lousy car IMO. My brother has one still. It's good for a daily driver. For autoxing the car was just terrible. Doesn't like to turn at all LOL

But while you will get your ass handed to you just have fun. Heck I took a 2007 4 door civic autoxing on stock tires. Man I was slow but I had fun.


I would see if you actualy like it before spending a **** load on tires. You definetly need the LSD if you want to even get respectable times. They help a ton in front wheel drive cars.

Also a real beefy rear sway bar will help you to get the car rotate. It will feel almost like the car is incontrolable but thats what will get you the fastest time in a fwd car. flick the wheel to get the rear to rotate then hammer the pedal with the front wheels pointing in the direction you want to go.



Whats funny to me is ya listed all this junk that tells me nothing other then you spent alot of money on things. Whats does any of that have to do with autox or road racing? Give me a dyno graph and tell me you corner weights and wheel alignment then we can see where you are at.

on my old setup stock block super 60 turbo 440cc injectors 16 psi it pushed 367whp with 320 torque. with the new one setup ill find out maybe in 2 weeks there are some things im working on

[boost20th]

Originally Posted by alwaysinboost

you're getting some good advise here.

If I were you I would just go out there and have fun. you aren't going to win any championships no matter what car you are in so just enjoy the car and learn how to drive it correctly.

i have autoxed with some of the older guy i know its all about fun for me i just want to improve the car some im running with some of these cars they are all of my rich friends im the only broke ass lol

[FocusDude]

Which region do you auto-x with?