CS or STX...
 

So I got my '13 FR-S back in June and have done two autocross events, one with a local Miata club and one SCCA solo, with plans to do one more in October before the dreaded Illinois winter arrives and I have to start the daily rally stage commute to work. :D

I've really enjoyed the times I've gone out to autocross, like a lot. However, my car is completely stock (except for a Berk track pipe) including Michelin Primacy's still. While it is a lot of fun to spend most of the day sideways, it is definitely not competitive. Over the winter I plan on getting all the goodies together to make my car more competitive, so that next season I just need to worry about the driver mod. :bonk:

Which has led to a debate that is raging within me. I'm trying to decide if I want to run next season (my first full autocross season) in CS or STX. STX would allow for more mods, which is always fun but expensive. I figure CS would be cheaper to optimize the competitiveness of my car (minus the driver) since the restrictions are much greater, and it would provide me a better opportunity to learn the limits of the car in a closer to stock form. So based on the experience of you more veteran autox'ers, what do you think would be the smarter class to run in?

Side question: If I do end up running CS, I have a 2nd set of OEMs that will be used for winter and I'm debating if I should swap the rubber in the spring for autocross or pick up a 3rd set of wheels in 17x7 (likely RPF1s). Either way I plan on running Direzza ZIIs, but am curious to hear if you guys think the weight savings of a 3rd set of wheels would be worth the cost or if I should simply run my extra set of stock wheels.

Any and all input is appreciated! Thanks!

a proper set of tires and alignment is 80% car prep for stock class. It's affordable and lets you focus on the basics and just driving.


Jumping into STX without the right mods, or a limited amount of mods, can certainly still be fun, and for some people more fun than running an otherwise stock car... but if learning to drive is your goal, there isn't really a reason (as far as I personally see it) to jack your car with goodies.


So if you want to mod your car for the sake of moding or looks, then jump into STX and let the cards fall where they may and judge your own progress


Or save your pennies and stick in Stock for a year or two.

If you have about $8k you can do a full STX prep on the car, otherwise run in C Street. That's if you plan to be competitive. If you want to mod your car with some simple mods including coilovers but not be completely outclassed, then STX is for you.

Strano front bar, set of Hankook RS3s, and call it a day in CS :D

I run STX with only coilivers and 245 RS3s on 17x9 rims. The last few events I have been I the top 10% in pax with only these mods. I am saying you can be competitive with thoughtful mods

I am going STX this season, but only because I want the car lowered. CS is fun, cheap, and not a whole lot slower than a no power adders STX car.

I really appreciate the input, everyone! I'm thinking CS will be the way to go, mainly because of the cost. I'm trying to put some money away for a house or condo and I need to appropriate some money towards the LeMons team I joined. I can get a significant discount on some nice coilovers, but luckily having the car look primarily stock doesn't really bug me. I think CS will provide me with a better opportunity to work on upgrading my driver before worrying about the car. lol

What are your guys thoughts on running OEM wheels vs. a set of aftermarkets for CS?

Wheels are nice to have but not needed. Just run OEMs if you want to save money. Won't be a massive difference. Just wait until you see better wheels for cheap, used, then jump on them.

Thanks! Yeah, it seems like there are always some good deals out there to be had, just need to be in the right place at the right time.

Nope. The tire choice is limited in 16s. Also, the sidewalls are too tall to reach proper height. 17s give you a much shorter sidewall for better turn in, while 17" wheels weigh minimally more than 16s available.

Check out the thread in my signature (in red) for detailed information on CS setup

I'm a grand total of $800 into my car prep. The Hankooks in 215/45/17 were $116/each... $56 shipping... $40 mounting.... $190 Strano bar + $15 shipping.... $15 for a set of camber crash bolts for my front struts.... and a freebie axleback exhaust from a friend. Still running on the OEM wheels and I bought a 2nd set of OEM wheels recently for $200 (that I'm not including in my calculations :p)

Even at that level of prep and CS's craptacular PAX, I've been pretty consistently in the top 10 at all our local events lately. At the one last weekend, I was less than a second raw and about .4s PAX behind a guy in an STX RX-8 that won the ATL Match tour and came in 2nd at Wilmington (out of 18). Felt pretty good about that :)

You don't have to spend a lot to make the car fast and fun.

Yeah, I picked up a 2nd set of OEMs w/ tires and TPMS for $350, to use for winter. Those will become track wheels in the spring.

It seems like everyone is listing the Strano bar as what they went with. Why is this bar so popular vs the Cusco, Whiteline, Hotchkis, and other manufacturers?

The nice thing about Chicago region is there is great competition in both CS and STX, so it is a lot of fun and you get pushed to go faster. Up until Jul I was running STX with only non OEM camber bolts and wider wheels & tires, and the car was surprisingly competitive locally. Any nationally prepped cars would blow me out of the water. The thing I like about STX is there is lots of room to mod the car over time, so for instance when I added the RCE yellow springs & Koni shocks I don't have to change classes and loose season points. Later if I do a cold air intake or get a tune - same thing, I can keep going in STX.

On the wheel related front, I will say that I bought inexpensive wheels because I liked the style and fit with a more aggressive offset, but if I had it to do over I would have waited until I could afford to buy something lighter weight. It was a noticeable difference in handling with the heavier wheel/tire combo, and even though I like the increase in overall grip, I miss the lighter feel.

Check out tsscc.org if you are looking for a few more events to squeeze in this year.

It's cheap and it works. And as long as you don't get him started on how evil street tires are, Sammy's a good guy and I like supporting his business.