bobaines

Now that looks like a happy car!!! Nice.

Gus

read through the post with interest - the 964 is a fun car to autocross no doubt about it. To make the transition from a front wheel drive to a rear wheel rear engine car in autocross is a major learning curve. The rear engine rear wheel drive is so different, that it will and is going to take you time to understand what is going on. The biggest change that you have to focus on is learning to use the cars natural weight shift to your advantage. Learn to use the rear end swing off power to work to your advantage. Learning to lift at the right time to set the rear, point the car in the right direction and then power through. Take a little more time to learn the car by going a little slower in the events, learn to work the pedals, brake earlier and get on the power sooner, don't lift in a corner if you are under power. If you have to lift, anticipate putting the correction in. Remember "SLOW in FAST OUT" - NOT "FAST in SLOW OUT" Sounds like you are moving on down the road. One thing that will help you ID the right tire pressure is to use a tire crayon or marker to note tire scrub on the side walls. This will give you an idea of how much tire roll you are getting, play with this each run and you will begin to find the right tire pressure. Also grab a pyrometer from Home Depot or another store - laser is the best - this will give you an idea of your tire temp cross sections and a good idea of tire pressure and suspension performance. Recommend for autocross that you add just a little toe out - 1/16 (will give a qucker turn in)- and put as much negative chamber in as you can get on the stock setting. Giddy -up

Vandit

When I compare my driving from 10mo ago when I first created this thread to my driving in the recent vids I posted, I've made progress in my 964 driving technique.*

I know I'm rolling the heck out of the poor rear tires. I found that I have to run them around 30-32psi hot in order to keep the rear end under control. Any higher and I spend the run trying to catch the rear.

As a result, the outer tread block is now pretty worn and actually started chunking a bit when I run on more abrasive lots.

I probably won't touch alignment until I get the suspension replaced, then I'll go all in on aggressive camber.

Vandit

Went autocrossing again over the weekend, still on the same stock suspension, old Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s, and my bad driving. Luckily they had a photographer out there taking pics, so I got lots of pics of my car out on course.
















Counter-steering failure


Foreseeable outcome






I don't think i'm getting enough body roll in the corners


No autocross event I've attended in this car would be complete w/o me going through a cone gate, **** first.

Babalouie

How's it handling nowadays?

Vandit

Still pretty wild and easily gets out of my hands when I try to drive up to the limit and I end up pointing in the wrong direction. Hopefully that will change in the coming months (got some upgrades lined up).

Gus

Yes, you really need the suspension upgrade. Way to much body roll and the height really needs to come down. But, you know this-looking forward to reading about upgrades and improvements.

Vandit

One of the local guys got part of my run on video, including the spin. Check it out from :32 through :53 for the 964 action. Looks like I was really trying hard to hustle the car around the course.

Vandit

^No love for my awesome display of overdriving the car? lol

boxsey911

I enjoyed watching it.

p.s. I didn't realize Lotus was so popular over in the US!

Vandit

Yes, the Lotus are very popular at the autocross events.

The silver Corvette is a ZR1. 638hp out on a little autocross slalom course.

Harvey Mushman

I have been successful with my 92 coupe this year. PCA auto-crosses net consistent class firsts and almost always faster than Cayman/S/R. SCCA AX is far too specialized for 964 to be competitive but still lots of fun. Set up would be deadly at DE events. NEVER lift! AX set up as follows:
PSS10 3front/8rear, softer front/much firmer rear
Star Spec 225/255 32front/34rear or 30/30 for slippery surface
TRG sways 25/22 front medium/rear hard
Quaife LSD
Porterfield pads (ALL stock high performance street will fade),slot rotors
lowered as much as front threads allow
lose all weight possible even you
Softening the front will prevent understeer; bar,psi,shocks
Tightening the rear helps to rotate rear at low speeds
Quaife LSD lights both rears at start and allows full throttle earlier as both rears grab, faster is when LSD is made to work harder, sliding rears is GOOD, sliding fronts is not.

Vandit

Nearly 3 yrs later and i'm still at it, but now the car has fresh suspension and much better tires, plus I have more seat time. I know it can still go faster, but i'm slowly getting there. Big improvement over my 2011/2012 autocrossing days.


Silly (and slow) sliding shenanigans late in the video.

HiWind

Glad to see you're still enjoying it V! No idea how you keep track of the course tho!

Have you considered some harnesses?
Looks like you're spending a lot of energy staying in place.

Oh and I also tend to swipe the windscreen wipers once in a track day...
Worth removing the fuse pre-kickoff?

911Jetta

+1. Great tip.