[84GTiRookie]

I am running a pretty well set up Mk1 Rabbit GTI in STS this year. Interested in the successes/ insights of others doing the same?

 

[flogger]

I'm in a smallish but fairly competitive region and have run ST classes in my 83 gti for a long time (although this year I made some suspension and tire changes and am now running very under-prepared in FSP).
Compared to the spec civics I've usually been about 2 - 2.5 seconds back on a 60 second course compared to national trophy winners. I have managed to PAX FTD regionally a couple of times and came in third overall in our year end regional PAX based driver standings twice. I even won the STC class in a divisional event last year. A1 Rabbits are a lot of fun, but IMHO they should be classed in STF, not STS. I can't argue with the physics of the spec civics. Low CG, better power/weight and a proper camber curve make the Hondas a very fast appliance.

If you want to run STS in a Rabbit, plan on having fun coming close enough to the national level civic guys to think that there's something wrong with their car or their driving. I've done it a few times and I still get an evil kick out of it.

 

[84GTiRookie]

I'm in a smallish but fairly competitive region and have run ST classes in my 83 gti for a long time (although this year I made some suspension and tire changes and am now running very under-prepared in FSP).
Compared to the spec civics I've usually been about 2 - 2.5 seconds back on a 60 second course compared to national trophy winners. I have managed to PAX FTD regionally a couple of times and came in third overall in our year end regional PAX based driver standings twice. I even won the STC class in a divisional event last year. A1 Rabbits are a lot of fun, but IMHO they should be classed in STF, not STS. I can't argue with the physics of the spec civics. Low CG, better power/weight and a proper camber curve make the Hondas a very fast appliance.

If you want to run STS in a Rabbit, plan on having fun coming close enough to the national level civic guys to think that there's something wrong with their car or their driving. I've done it a few times and I still get an evil kick out of it.

Good to hear. It sounds like we share pretty much identical experiences and perspectives. One adjustment I haven't run is rear camber. Do you run rear camber? Results with? Also, I have to run 1/2 a tank of fuel or more to avoid starvation. What tank are you running, and how low can you fill the tank? Thanks! Good to hear from some else that's fought the same fight. R. L. B.

 

[flogger]

Haven't messed with rear camber or toe. I figure the platform has so much inherent understeer why try to get more rear grip? I've got the front working well enough now, though, that I've considered it. On a side note, I have discovered that the car is pretty sensitive to track changes via wheel spacers.

My tank is a Spectra? ( I think) that I replaced 13 or so years ago due to a crack that developed around the line that goes to the fuel pump. The new one had what looked to be good baffling, but I discovered it would starve at a little more than ¼ tank, which was better than the original one which starved at ~ ½ tank. After a nasty up on two wheels 3rd gear tank slapping incident at Grissom Aeroplex, I've always run a full tank. It solves the tank slapping and fuel starvation and helps a bit with the inherent understeer situation, but I admit it's not good in terms of power/weight. Still, it's nice not to have any thoughts of possible fuel starvation when I get staged and ready to go so that I can concentrate on the task at hand. If I was serious about running Street Prepared I'd use a fuel cell. Basically, my car is an underprepped ST car that happens to have R compounds on it right now, so no fuel cell, drivetrain swaps or Quaife install for me (although I've got one sitting on the shelf)

 

[onewildhare]

Running an 84 Rabbit Convertible

I have had the same fuel starvation when down to half tank. I run FSP also. I'm usually 2-2.5 seconds off. I never have anyone else in my class.

 

[flogger]

Despite sounding kind of similar in that we both reference being 2-2.5 seconds too slow, I think onewildhare and I are describing very different things. What I'm saying is that when I ran in ST configuration, I would expect to be ~ 2-2.5 seconds on a 60 second course behind the Spec Civic ST (now STS) guys who had trophied at Nats. My more current example is that at my most recent event, a divisional, I ran in FSP with my R-compounds, but my raw time was .4 seconds faster (over 2 days, ~90 seconds) than the winner of STS, who was a former national champion running a fully prepped and dialed in Spec Civic on fresh RE-71s. The reason I'm saying onewildhare and I are describing different results is that I looked up and saw his actual results online since I was curious because I used to be in a neighboring region to his and I didn't recognize his name. He's dead on the money wrt fuel starve, though.

 

[MusicCityGTI]

It is interesting that I read so much about fuel starvation on the MK1 platforms and yet I've raced mine for almost 10 yrs and have never once felt any sign of starvation even when running an almost empty tank.

I'm in SM so am allowed more mods and have taken full advantage of those allowances. It is true the Honda's have a more advanced rear suspension, but we have torque which those pesky Honda's don't. Given the right course, this can be an equalizer.