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Hi, I'm Catachan! I started a racing team called "Skeptic Racing" back when I was racing Miatas because there were so many "rules of thumb" that no one remembered where they came from anymore, and that I had doubts about. The idea of Skeptic Racing is that when we want to improve the car, or our driving, we look for existing hard data about why we should not do something that everyone else says not to do, and if we can't find it, then we try it and collect the data so we can share it with the community!
In this thread I wanted to document my process of building an MR2 Spyder for XSB. I recently purchased a car with some modifications already done to it, and I wanted to list what I had, and detail my experiences with my own improvements to the chassis. I intend to document information such as wheel and tire sizes, alignment specs, spring rates, suspension settings, ride height, and more.
I also intend to include discussions of my impressions of the car after each event. I am a member of the Central Carolinas Region of the SCCA, so most of my events will take place near Charlotte, NC.
My first event with the car was this past weekend. It was a two day event that started Saturday June 18, 2022, and finished in the afternoon on Sunday June 19, 2022.
The car setup was as follows
Notes:
The wheels and tires were the factory wheels and tires that came with my previous race car, a 2019 30th Anniversary Edition Mx-5 Miata. They were fun to drive on, but not very performant. They are too large in diameter, and I had issues with rubbing in the front under sustained cornering. The rubbing was worst on the driver's side, which makes sense since the weight of my body would compress that side more.
Impressions:
Holy cow, this car is FUN. As you can see from my results, I am slow. I have a long way to go to catch up to the rest of my class, but wow, this car is fun. I can't stress that enough. Handling is extremely neutral, and the car encourages me to drive it more correctly than a Miata does. I noticed immediately that I was avoiding trying to trail brake into corners much more than I ever did in my Miata. Even on the square fitment of tires, the car did not feel loose, and while I was a little concerned that I would be disappointed by the MacPherson Struts in the front and the Swing axle suspension in the rear, I actually discovered that they kept the tires on the ground excellently, and the responsiveness of the car in the slaloms was like a dream.
Immediate Next Steps:
I've already ordered a few performance or safety items for the car.
Future Steps:
In no particular order, I'm planning the following upgrades as well:
In this thread I wanted to document my process of building an MR2 Spyder for XSB. I recently purchased a car with some modifications already done to it, and I wanted to list what I had, and detail my experiences with my own improvements to the chassis. I intend to document information such as wheel and tire sizes, alignment specs, spring rates, suspension settings, ride height, and more.
I also intend to include discussions of my impressions of the car after each event. I am a member of the Central Carolinas Region of the SCCA, so most of my events will take place near Charlotte, NC.
My first event with the car was this past weekend. It was a two day event that started Saturday June 18, 2022, and finished in the afternoon on Sunday June 19, 2022.
The car setup was as follows
| Configuration Name | Value |
| Wheels | 17x7et45 square fitment |
| Tires | 205/45r17 UTQG 280 Bridgestone Potenza S001 |
| Shocks | Factory |
| Spring Rates | Factory |
| Alignment | Unknown (I haven't gotten it on a rack yet to check) |
| Transmission | C60 (Celica GT 6 speed MT) |
| Engine | 1ZZ |
| Sway bars | Factory |
| Differential | Lotus Elise Replica Helical Diff |
| Day | Fastest Time | Split to Leader |
| 1 | 75.105 | 6.361s |
| 2 | 76.055 | 7.393s |
Notes:
The wheels and tires were the factory wheels and tires that came with my previous race car, a 2019 30th Anniversary Edition Mx-5 Miata. They were fun to drive on, but not very performant. They are too large in diameter, and I had issues with rubbing in the front under sustained cornering. The rubbing was worst on the driver's side, which makes sense since the weight of my body would compress that side more.
Impressions:
Holy cow, this car is FUN. As you can see from my results, I am slow. I have a long way to go to catch up to the rest of my class, but wow, this car is fun. I can't stress that enough. Handling is extremely neutral, and the car encourages me to drive it more correctly than a Miata does. I noticed immediately that I was avoiding trying to trail brake into corners much more than I ever did in my Miata. Even on the square fitment of tires, the car did not feel loose, and while I was a little concerned that I would be disappointed by the MacPherson Struts in the front and the Swing axle suspension in the rear, I actually discovered that they kept the tires on the ground excellently, and the responsiveness of the car in the slaloms was like a dream.
Immediate Next Steps:
I've already ordered a few performance or safety items for the car.
- New Top
- Hard Dog Roll Bar
- Bronze Konig Hexaform wheels(15x8et25 front, 15x9et35 Rear)
- Falken RT660 tires (225/45r15 front, 245/40r15 rear)
Future Steps:
In no particular order, I'm planning the following upgrades as well:
- Coilovers (brand to be determined, I'm taking suggestions on brand and spring rates)
- Racing Seats (HANS compatible)
- 6 point Harnesses (HANS compatible)
- Steering Wheel
- Sway bars
- 2GR swap (This will almost certainly be the last thing I do!)
- Camber bolts (I may already have them but I need to check)
You should do a 2AR swap.
