180sx Advice Needed.

[BASHO]

get some decent soft tyres. since you're on a budget, i would recommend looking into KU36s or federal RS-Rs.

then find a skid pan day, to learn the oversteer points and all the finer abilities to control the car, that you really can't do on the road. they usually are quite cheap and never heard anyone that hasn't enjoyed them.

Skidding practise excellent idea , the tyres that are on are very good I'll post up exactly what they are when I pick up the car--oh yup ball joints are being done also .

[warps]

Or better yet bring it to willowbank for the next autocross / dirt sprint. You'll get to drive in on slippery surfaces (semi slicks are the best, as the track packs down hard throughout the day) and you'll definitely get to feel what it does at high speed (I was hitting the limiter in 3rd, so fast enough to have some fun). You'll also get to see and talk to some very experienced drivers, and pick up a few pointers on driving the car at its limit. It's a good safe environment, with very little to hit and minimal chance of doing any damage. At worst your car will get dirty and you'll hit a witches hat or 2.

Motorhkanas are fun and all, but they don't give you a real feeling for what your car will do at speed. The first time the tail steps out at 100km/h might be scary and a surprise, and I'd rather do it on a flat gravel track than on the tarmac. The first autocross I entered at Willowbank was taken out by a 1.6 litre MR2 on stock suspension. Can't be too bad a thing, hey?

Next sprint at Willowbank is 19 Sep. For about $100 (if a non club member and you don't have your own Dorian - cheaper if you are a member and have a Dorian) it's good value for money.

[BASHO]

Or better yet bring it to willowbank for the next autocross / dirt sprint. You'll get to drive in on slippery surfaces (semi slicks are the best, as the track packs down hard throughout the day) and you'll definitely get to feel what it does at high speed (I was hitting the limiter in 3rd, so fast enough to have some fun). You'll also get to see and talk to some very experienced drivers, and pick up a few pointers on driving the car at its limit. It's a good safe environment, with very little to hit and minimal chance of doing any damage. At worst your car will get dirty and you'll hit a witches hat or 2.

Motorhkanas are fun and all, but they don't give you a real feeling for what your car will do at speed. The first time the tail steps out at 100km/h might be scary and a surprise, and I'd rather do it on a flat gravel track than on the tarmac. The first autocross I entered at Willowbank was taken out by a 1.6 litre MR2 on stock suspension. Can't be too bad a thing, hey?

Next sprint at Willowbank is 19 Sep. For about $100 (if a non club member and you don't have your own Dorian - cheaper if you are a member and have a Dorian) it's good value for money.

Thanks for that, I am having the car totaly checked out next week so as long as theres nothing I can't fix, or get fixed, in time I'll be in it , it's just getting it's dealer roadworthy and we know that'll expose every fault ---AH HEM

I like the idea of not much to hit.

[Mr Eps]

hahahaha - basho you're REALLY making me want to drive an MR2!!!!

i was tinkering with the notion of getting one many moons ago but just thought they would be too impractical for me... being a 2 seater and no storage space..

i have three things to tell you:

thing 1) you're using this car as a daily driver, chances of you experiencing oversteer in the wet and the car exploding into a fireball and ninjas coming out and kidnapping your family because you don't take the SW20 to motorkhana are PRETTY SLIM providing you're obeying the law

thing 2) the MR2 is midship rear platform (you already know that) but what you MIGHT not know - is that the fuel tank etc adds about 70kg over the rear wheels... in japan, a lot of MR2 owners reposition their fuel tank to the front "bonnet" of the car... creating perfect weight distribution over all four wheels.. so if you're into tracking the car and motorkhanas and stuff you should TOTALLY do this... but just don't crash your car, k?

thing 3) im gonna come out n say it - SW20 > 180sx... they're an unsung hero... they're much like the soarer... forgotten because the dipshit things people do to them. ie people get an MR2 and put cheap nasty bodykits or ferarri lights. you car looks wicked - but if there's ONE thing i'd change on it aesthetics wise... it'd be the sleepy eyes for the pop up headlights... i'll see if there's a pic on the internet...

how's this look??? it's ricey i know... but it's the best pic i can find!

edit try again linkfail

edit again im gna kill my phone. click link???

i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee332/BjornSmith/toyotamr2.jpg

Edited August 26, 2010 by Mr Eps

[Mr Eps]

[Mr Eps]

[warps]

If you do want to get out and do some events, the Willowbank Autocross events are normally arranged by IWMAC http://iwmac.org.au/, although there are a couple of other clubs who also run days there.

Also, there's a khanacross that's run at Pimpama every few months by the CGTMC http://www.gctmc.org.au/. This is just up the road from me, and again suitable for road cars (although I've never run there personally). They have an event coming up in October, and another in December. They also run one at Maudsland, and used to run one at Arundel on Brisbane Rd (at the RDA centre). Don't know if they still do that one though.