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261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
I checked my frontend alignment last night and found some problems. I'll note first that I lowered the front of the car before the last event and didn't have time to redo the whole alignment. I checked camber and toe. But not caster. I also didn't think caster would have changed or been so far off.

Before the first event I set caster to +6 degrees. Last night I measured +4 degrees, far from where I want it to be. Therefore, there wasn't very much camber change when turning the wheels. I increased caster to 8 degrees as suggested in the Griggs installation document. Static camber increased to -2-7/8 degrees and when steering 20 degs in either direction camber change increased to -3-7/8 degrees on outside and to +3/4 degrees on inside. I also noticed a lot more jacking effect. Hopefully this simple change will get me back to where I was last year.

Eventually, I want to take the car to get an alignment on an alignment machine. Luckily, we have a local shop that is very friendly with our car club. Otherwise, I wouldn't trust a shop to know how to do it or what values to set the car to.
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
I had my third straight weekend of autocross the past weekend. Now have a couple week break to really look things over and hopefully get engine converted over to distributor less ignition. This last event was 2 days at NCCAR, which is a small road course in North Carolina. They set up an autocross on half the track, which was just over 1 mile. After walking the course twice on each day and just the general size of NCCAR, my legs are done. Luckily I just purchased a Turbo Ant electric scooter. However, I made the mistake of only buying one cause I thought between the car and the scooter Ashley and I wouldn't both be needing it at the same time.....a second one was ordered today 😁
PXL_20230409_135958528.jpg
Saturday
Only I went out for the Saturday event and it was a wet one. Most people cancelled, which left us with 23 participants. NCR made it work though, but with three heats we had to work two heats and drive one. Safe to say I was quite wet, but I planned ahead and brought wet weather gear except for shoes, but I had a complete set of dry clothes and shoes in my truck just in case. I did not push the car hard enough to tell if the caster increase made any kind of difference. Additionally, I thought I had fixed the fuel/RaceTCS issue by checking wiring and flashing new firmware. But after run #3 the car was running super rich and smoking again. I bypassed the RaceTCS unit again. I think I'm going to have to send it in for them to figure out what is going on. The course was fun although I knew I was driving it slow. It was interesting driving an autocross course on a road course with cambered curves, elevation changes, and narrow roadway (~2-3 lane road). On a good note, I won CAM-T (also only competitor 😏).

Sunday
Ashley came out with me, and the weather was much nicer although still chilly and windy. The course was reversed from Saturday's. This was Ashley's first time to NCCAR. Other than the day before it was my first time back since 2016, which was a time trial event not autocross. Sunday doubled the number of participants but still a low amount and again we had to work two heats and drive one. But it was dry 😁 This course really required looking ahead, so that was my big focus for the weekend was eyes up.

Ashley ran first and did well. She drove mostly clean and tried to push herself. But I was working on course and she's still getting comfortable with the higher speeds and pushing the car to the limit. But she broke into the 79 second range which we found out was decent. They weren't handing out time slips, didn't have the timing board, but were announcing over the speaker and FM radio. However we couldn't hear the speaker and my car doesn't have a FM radio. We both found it difficult to push harder not knowing any times.

Then it was my turn to drive. First run the course felt fast and I hit rev limiter on section before the finish which made the car feel like it lost all power. Apparently, it doesn't bounce off the rev limiter like newer cars. So for all remaining runs I shifted to third for the final section (which was basically a slalom). Still had no idea what my times were, but I knew fastest of the day was 67s but if you were low 70s you were cooking. Third run someone told me I was 74s and the GT350R codriver was 72s so now I had a benchmark. Last run I just sent it, while trying to stay clean....71.9 sec!!! Which landed my 8th overall in raw for the day. So stoked with that after my poor performances at the other autocrosses. The car still felt a little understeer in the beginning but once the tires warmed up it felt really good. It's hard to say it's perfect now since this wasn't on a flat surface as normal for autocross. And being the only CAM-T car again I won class. Trying to get as many points as I can, because I can't make all of the events and a trophy would be awesome.

Unfortunately, the forward-facing camera got messed up and I have none of my runs recorded and only a few of Ashley's. Super bummed about that. I'll have to see what I can do about a YouTube video. But changed some settings on the GoPro, so hopefully doesn't happen again.
PXL_20230409_172656124.jpg
 
Last edited:
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Big news!!! The engine officially runs with a Crown Vic EEC-V and Godzilla coils!!! I'm so ecstatic, had a few issues in my wiring harness and battling a EMI noise issue that is not allowing me to datalog with the Quarterhorse. All that is left is to get the engine street tuned (which datalogging is required), then it's ready to rip. Got 2 weeks or 1 weekend until the next event so time is tight. Hopefully I don't have to rip it all back out to reinstall the distributor and EEC-IV to make the next event.

YouTube video will be coming soon. Videos are about 2 weeks behind real time.
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
I checked my frontend alignment last night and found some problems. I'll note first that I lowered the front of the car before the last event and didn't have time to redo the whole alignment. I checked camber and toe. But not caster. I also didn't think caster would have changed or been so far off.

Before the first event I set caster to +6 degrees. Last night I measured +4 degrees, far from where I want it to be. Therefore, there wasn't very much camber change when turning the wheels. I increased caster to 8 degrees as suggested in the Griggs installation document. Static camber increased to -2-7/8 degrees and when steering 20 degs in either direction camber change increased to -3-7/8 degrees on outside and to +3/4 degrees on inside. I also noticed a lot more jacking effect. Hopefully this simple change will get me back to where I was last year.

Eventually, I want to take the car to get an alignment on an alignment machine. Luckily, we have a local shop that is very friendly with our car club. Otherwise, I wouldn't trust a shop to know how to do it or what values to set the car to.
Video for this post is up. Caster has several benefits. During turning it adds or subtracts camber in the correct direction. It creates a centering force and steering feedback, but if over done can require too much force to steer. It also creates a jacking event by raising one side and thus transferring weight to the opposite rear. This can help make the car more oversteer/less understeer. But for some cars or configurations this can be a negative. But for me I think these are all positives for my car and for autocross.

 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Got to try out the ECU setup this weekend. Ashley and I drove 3 hours south to run with NCR at Cherry Point on Saturday. Car loads off the trailer just fine and drives to McDonald's for lunch with a few drivability issues. But of course right when needing to move to grid the car won't start. I'm supposed to be working on course and Ashley is driving. So she goes to work for me while I try to get the car started. Get it started, no idea what was wrong. I swap out with her and she makes her runs.

Ashley was driving super aggressive and was just on it all weekend. Unfortunately, she didn't get a clean run, just barely knicked the cones, but that placed her 3rd in ladies, which she has never placed with this club before. The course proved difficult for a lot of people with others only getting one or no clean runs. Then it was my turn, I knew Ashley had ran a 56 something. After my second run I hadn't beat Ashley's time (like I said she was on it). I looked at the TrackAddict data, which I decided to run this event again, and saw she was way faster than I in the slalom. With that knowledge I went out and held more speed throughout the course. I definitely overdrove the back half of the course which was super tight. But I was able to manage a 56.9 clean and a 56.5 dirty. This was also good enough for 1st in CAM-T. I know the car was capable of a 55s run which was required to get into the top 10, but I just couldn't get that back half figured out in the 4 runs we had.

Although Ashley didn't get a clean run she was feeling really good about her runs and being so close to my time and I couldn't be prouder. So with that we drove the 3 hours back home, so we could run with our local club Tidewater Sports Car Club on Sunday.

I ran first on Sunday and immediately was setting FTD and FTP (yea I know first heat, but we had some fast drivers in first heat). The 2nd gear pull on the car is amazing. It's definitely quicker than with the old engine setup. That probably comes down to Michael at EFIDynoTuning knowing what he's doing. We only got 4 runs as there were 119 drivers (45 of them Novices!). I couldn't keep my runs clean but doesn't matter because one clean run was able to net me 1st in class, 2nd in PAX, and 3rd in Raw at the end of the day.

Again Ashley went out and just threw it down. Unfortunately on her second run the car just shut off half way through the course and wouldn't restart. Embarrassing having to get towed off track, but wasn't the only car that day. I clean up the battery connection (I need to replace the ground battery connector) and she fired back up. Ashley's third run was quick but again dirty. She had one run left. Her times without the cones were faster than every other lady. On her last run I told her you are faster than everyone else but you need a clean run, dial it back to 90% and the win is yours. Takes off for her last run, hauling ass, makes it half way through no cone calls so far, gets to the fast section where we were hitting rev limiter, goes through the 180deg sweeper to the finish, no cones!! Propels her to 1st place in Ladies! Was slower than her other times, but it was clean and therefore faster.

Ashley is feeling super confident and it won't be long until me and her are going to be battling for fastest in the household. Such a great weekend. Overall we brought home three 1st places (two custom engraved glasses and 10mm socket) and one 3rd place (custom koosie).

Safe to say the caster changes paid off. The car felt amazing to drive, still not perfect but I think good enough for the rest of the season with little to no more changes. 😏
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
How noticeable is the difference in front end grip with the SLA setup? Any comparison to drivers you were close to before vs now?
I've actually been fighting understeer up till this last event. Tire wear is way better, although inside edge still isn't getting much wear. Probably need more camber.

I'm still chasing the GT350R, which was my main competition last year (bump class with all of CAM). I think the car is capable of more than what I drove this weekend. I think it is hard to use this weekend as a comparison because both events had an uncharacteristically high number of cone calls for all drivers. On Saturday a driver that has won CSP national championship and is usually FTD or very close didn't have a single clean run. Sunday was a surprise to be 3rd in raw.

Is it worth the thousands of dollars over a good MM front end, I don't know.
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Although I have already posted that I have the engine running with EEC-V, distributor less, and coil near plug I just released the YouTube video installing everything and starting the engine for the first time.


I did run into a few issues that I'll list here so hopefully save other people the headaches I went through
  • If using the J3 port remember to clean the protective plastic off the terminals
  • Verify coil plug wiring, I had power and signal swapped
    • I tried to verify but finding info on the Godzilla coils at the time I built the harness was difficult.
  • Install two coil interference capacitors
  • Use stock power and grounds as much as possible
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Got to try out the ECU setup this weekend. Ashley and I drove 3 hours south to run with NCR at Cherry Point on Saturday. Car loads off the trailer just fine and drives to McDonald's for lunch with a few drivability issues. But of course right when needing to move to grid the car won't start. I'm supposed to be working on course and Ashley is driving. So she goes to work for me while I try to get the car started. Get it started, no idea what was wrong. I swap out with her and she makes her runs.

Ashley was driving super aggressive and was just on it all weekend. Unfortunately, she didn't get a clean run, just barely knicked the cones, but that placed her 3rd in ladies, which she has never placed with this club before. The course proved difficult for a lot of people with others only getting one or no clean runs. Then it was my turn, I knew Ashley had ran a 56 something. After my second run I hadn't beat Ashley's time (like I said she was on it). I looked at the TrackAddict data, which I decided to run this event again, and saw she was way faster than I in the slalom. With that knowledge I went out and held more speed throughout the course. I definitely overdrove the back half of the course which was super tight. But I was able to manage a 56.9 clean and a 56.5 dirty. This was also good enough for 1st in CAM-T. I know the car was capable of a 55s run which was required to get into the top 10, but I just couldn't get that back half figured out in the 4 runs we had.

Video for this event:

Results:
Ladies.png

CAM.png
 

Dave_W

Cones - not just for ice cream
979
1,271
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Connecticut
Ashley would easily have gottten 2nd if that had been a clean run.

I think you're correct in your analysis that the big offsets on the return were where you probably could make up the most time.

What could help is to ask yourself after each run, "Is there somewhere I felt 'rushed' or 'behind' on that run?" Just think about the 1 or 2 worst spots. Then try to figure out why you got behind, and how you want to fix it the next run. Just before the next run, remind yourself of those corrections.

I think there are two general things that would help this particular scenario. You likely already know this, but a reminder doesn't hurt. And I'm writing this as much for other readers (especially novice autocrossers) as for you.
  1. Look ahead, further ahead. As you're in the element before the first eyebrow, spot both the first AND second eyebrows. The second eyebrow determines your exit line out of the first eyebrow, so if you're not sure where it is, you don't know how "open" or "tight" to drive the first eyebrow. I'd probably drive a line further/earlier left before the first eyebrow and got more rotation done before the cone, so I can "backside" the cone and give myself more room to transition to the second eyebrow.
  2. During your course walks, plan both where you want to position the car (how close to the important cones) and where you want the car pointed. Where you had the car pointed towards 12 o'clock (or 12:30-1 o'clock if you were really getting "behind") as it passed the first eyebrow apex cone, I would have planned in my course walk to have the car pointed at 11-10:30 o'clock at that point. Also, during my second course walk, I'm usually thinking out a plan of "when I'm here, I need to be looking there" which helps with #1.
It sounds like you may have been a bit frazzled with car issues again, at least on your early runs. Autocross is very much a mental game, and distractions can do just that - distract you from your plan for your run. Try doing a quick 30-second meditation before each run to clear your mind and help you concentrate on your plan for the course. It may sound a bit hippie-dippie, but it works.

Lastly, the way the start was designed was more of a ProSolo / drag launch than a Nats-type Solo2 start with a 90-degree turn before the start beam. I don't like these at local events, as they can be driveline-killers. But a "soft" launch on this type of start can cost you a few tenths right off the bat. From the video it's hard to tell if you were launching as hard as you could have, but it seemed like the rpms dropped a bit too much and you let off the clutch a little slowly. I'd try a few hundred more rpm (think 2-step limiter) and releasing the clutch faster. You don't want to actually side-step the clutch, but you want to be close to it. I think that easing off the clutch slowly can cause more heat damage to the flywheel face from the clutch slipping.

So, congratulations on your win and Ashley's trophy, fingers crossed Ashley can keep her speed and clean up the cones next time, and keep up the improvements. Good luck at the next event!
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
It sounds like you may have been a bit frazzled with car issues again, at least on your early runs. Autocross is very much a mental game, and distractions can do just that - distract you from your plan for your run. Try doing a quick 30-second meditation before each run to clear your mind and help you concentrate on your plan for the course. It may sound a bit hippie-dippie, but it works.
This was very much the case. I quick reset would be good. I sometimes take a few deep breaths to try to focus.

As always I love your analysis and wisdom. Thank you. This venue is huge and the course walks take about 10 minutes to complete, so I think we only got 2 course walks with the second one being rushed. That should be enough for us to know where to go but sometimes those finer details get overlooked. And looking ahead is something both of us are working on. At our old site it was easy to look ahead since the whole site was only 500' x 300', these new larger sites require a lot further.

Lastly, the way the start was designed was more of a ProSolo / drag launch than a Nats-type Solo2 start with a 90-degree turn before the start beam. I don't like these at local events, as they can be driveline-killers. But a "soft" launch on this type of start can cost you a few tenths right off the bat. From the video it's hard to tell if you were launching as hard as you could have, but it seemed like the rpms dropped a bit too much and you let off the clutch a little slowly. I'd try a few hundred more rpm (think 2-step limiter) and releasing the clutch faster. You don't want to actually side-step the clutch, but you want to be close to it. I think that easing off the clutch slowly can cause more heat damage to the flywheel face from the clutch slipping.
The launches were probably terrible for both of us, but I have excuses! One the tachometer doesn't work yet with the new EECV computer. Two we were using a launch control setup until it started messing up and I didn't incorporate it into the EECV swap. Three there is a 2 step function in the EECV tune, which when at 0 speed the engine won't rev higher than set limit. The tuner set it to 2700, where I had the launch control set to 3000. It's an easy change to make in the tune, just hard to adjust on race day. I like the launch control setup cause I had a potentiometer on the dash with 5 different programmable settings.

So, congratulations on your win and Ashley's trophy, fingers crossed Ashley can keep her speed and clean up the cones next time, and keep up the improvements. Good luck at the next event!
I'm super proud of her. It seems the day we will be challenging for fastest in household is quickly approaching. 😁
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Autocross Week is fast approaching. I need to leave this Sunday for the 7 hour drive to Pennsylvania. I've been prepping the car but at this point I haven't really driven much on the street and definitely not long periods of time. I'm a little worried and stressed about it. But I am confident in the car and my abilities, just a lot of unknowns.

To add to it, I thought it would be a good time to make a small change to my alignment....bad idea. I wanted to get a little more negative camber, which I got but then I needed to readjust the caster. That's when things went south. The rear suspension tube on the front lower control arm is threaded and adjusts in/out to change caster at lower control arm. Well, the threads apparently got screwed up at some point and the tube would not adjust outward anymore. I was able to remove it from the car and use an impact to get the tube off the rod end to find a couple threads at the end of the rod end chewed up. I'm waiting on parts that should be delivered soon to get the car back up and going. But I have basically zero time for shake down before loading up. That's racing right?!?

For those unfamiliar with Autocross Week its a race and drive style event similar to the drag and drive events they have been doing for years. There are 3 venues and 4 days of autocross. The car has to drive to each venue, which by the end of the trip will total around 500 miles. It sounds like a fun challenge and way for me to get new competition as well.
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Autocross week looks awesome, I wish it wasn't so far away or maybe do one regionally. Good luck!!
Ha! I see some of the events you're doing and wish they weren't so far away from me.

Thanks. What can go wrong... 😅
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Although Ashley didn't get a clean run she was feeling really good about her runs and being so close to my time and I couldn't be prouder. So with that we drove the 3 hours back home, so we could run with our local club Tidewater Sports Car Club on Sunday.

I ran first on Sunday and immediately was setting FTD and FTP (yea I know first heat, but we had some fast drivers in first heat). The 2nd gear pull on the car is amazing. It's definitely quicker than with the old engine setup. That probably comes down to Michael at EFIDynoTuning knowing what he's doing. We only got 4 runs as there were 119 drivers (45 of them Novices!). I couldn't keep my runs clean but doesn't matter because one clean run was able to net me 1st in class, 2nd in PAX, and 3rd in Raw at the end of the day.

Again Ashley went out and just threw it down. Unfortunately on her second run the car just shut off half way through the course and wouldn't restart. Embarrassing having to get towed off track, but wasn't the only car that day. I clean up the battery connection (I need to replace the ground battery connector) and she fired back up. Ashley's third run was quick but again dirty. She had one run left. Her times without the cones were faster than every other lady. On her last run I told her you are faster than everyone else but you need a clean run, dial it back to 90% and the win is yours. Takes off for her last run, hauling ass, makes it half way through no cone calls so far, gets to the fast section where we were hitting rev limiter, goes through the 180deg sweeper to the finish, no cones!! Propels her to 1st place in Ladies! Was slower than her other times, but it was clean and therefore faster.
Video for this event. This was such a good day. Hopefully, we can repeat it more this season.
Ladies:
Ladies.png
Provisional:
CAM.png
PAX:
PAX.png
 

Dave_W

Cones - not just for ice cream
979
1,271
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Connecticut
Congratulations to both of you! Matching shirts and trophies! Nice "mental game" work by Ashley to slow down a tad so she could get a clean run and the W.
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Congratulations to both of you! Matching shirts and trophies! Nice "mental game" work by Ashley to slow down a tad so she could get a clean run and the W.
Thanks. Yea we volunteer for our local club, so those are required club shirts. I do Membership and she designs and sells Merch.
 
261
277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Virginia
Haven't been great of keeping this up to date. My YouTube is closer to realtime, but I'll try to bring this up to date.

CAM rules for 2023 had a line stating horns are required equipment, which I had removed long ago. Additionally Autocross Week also states a horn is required. I installed a universal horn in the factory location and used factory wiring, relay, and horn. But instead of using the steering wheel button as I don't have a clock spring I ran the interior wire directly to a push button in the center console.


Since I changed to EEC-V the engine fan has not been controlled by the ecu. The EEC-V outputs a PWM signal to a fan controller, while the EEC-IV just controls a on/off relay. I've been using a switch to turn the fan on and off, but that doesn't control it very well as it can overcool or if gets switched off (which is has) can quickly overheat the engine. I used a fan controller from a crown vic fan, a fan motor from a taurus fan, and a fan blade and housing from a SN95 mustang. Overall it works, but at recent autocross with 80-90 ambient it's still getting into the 220-230 degF range although I have it set at 202 degF. I don't know what the temperature was with the EEC-IV setup, but I might need to start looking into other cooling upgrades. I still run a stock radiator and I don't know what thermostat is currently installed.


Lastly, I'm deviating from my every Friday release schedule to get the Autocross Week videos out. Day #1 dropped today. First day is check in and Summit Racing paid for a go kart session for everyone. We did a "qualifying" session and then four fastest from each of those sessions did a 20 minute feature race. I just barely made it into the feature race, #16. I quickly made up a lot of places, but got greedy on one corner going on the outside of someone and went off and got beached. After waiting for someone to come push me out I lost almost all of my places. With the remaining time I was able to get up to 13th position. But I definitely had found some pace and my quickest lab was good for 4th fastest overall. Go karts were so much fun and something I want to do some more of. This was really my first time with proper carts other than some amusement park ones when younger.

 

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