Last weekend's autocross was a success! Unseasonably warm temps meant good grip, even on an undulating and dusty/dirty surface. The course was fast, which is fun, but doesn't help my horsepower deficit/chance of posting a competitive time. Good news: I filled the tank before leaving town (so I was at 13/16th or so starting my competitive runs) and didn't have any fuel starvation issues this time. I didn't have any fender rub either, so I'm pleased.
Almost disappearing parked amongst the Miatas! 🤣 The event was hosted by my 'second' club, which is based in the next city over, and has some competitor crossover with my 'primary' club, as well as hosting some events together, so I had fun socializing and catching up with friends.
I'm pleased with my progress in terms of coming to grips with this chassis. I picked up time on my first three runs, and hit a bit of a plateau after that, with small variations and tiny incremental improvements of tenths/hundreths here and there, which lets me know I'm consistent, and hopefully nearing the limit of what I can achieve with the car.
I was definitely having trouble putting all the raging 64hp down, and the course worker in the stop box told me he saw daylight under my inside rear tire across the course on the fastest corner, a sweeping decreasing radius left. One photo shared online supports the idea that the left rear didn't have full contact with the ground. I guess it isn't a surprise with stock suspension and upgraded tires. The LSD I have should help with the one-tire-fire, but I'd also like to optimize the suspension. The car feels good on corner entry with trail braking, and rotates nicely. The challenge is what happens at the apex and after.
The suspension is bone-stock and 29 years old. I feel like it rolls quite a lot, but it isn't as bad as some sedans and luxury cars.. Since it has tiny wheels and a super-short wheelbase, the ride quality isn't great as it is. I've got folks left and right suggesting I put the Ohlins coilovers I already have on the car, but I'm worried that lower/stiffer will ruin it as a fun backroads street car, and make the already really twitchy handling nearly impossible to catch when overstepping the bounds. Starting with a fatter front swaybar is a thought, but I have no idea where to source such a thing. Addco claims to custom-make anything. 🧐 More thought is required. Any suggestions welcome.
How about swap to coilovers, but adjust them so they are not lowering it too much. Coilover springs are relatively cheap, maybe get some that are stiffer than stock but not teeth shattering. The dampers alone with minor or no lowering and stiffening should be an improvement.
In reply to akylekoz :
Thanks for the suggestion. Sometimes I over complicate things before I even get started. Might as well try the parts I've already got. I'll have to check/measure to be sure, but I seem to recall that the stroke of the shock on the coilovers is shortened quite a bit, which means that adjusting them to normal ride height results in a zero droop suspension setup, which isn't exactly desirable from what I can tell, but then again, what do I know?
Another autocross tomorrow morning. Weather is back to our seasonal cool/damp, and the venue is the tight and technical PIR south parking lot, which bodes well for the giant-slaying potential of the little Cappo! 😁
In reply to ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) :
trying to find some info on a Capp i recently purchashed. 97 EA21R - 3AT. MegaZip is about the best resource at the moment, curious if you have some information on where to find parts manual-service manual or anything? i seem to have one extra solenoid then all diagrams and images i can source on the ole interweb.
In reply to BlackCapRedKurt :
Apologies for not responding sooner; I just saw your message! There's a bunch of manuals in the documents section of one of the Cappuccino groups on Faceballs. I wish there was a good forum because finding or searching for anything on Facebook is frustrating and often fruitless. I can try and look on my computer at home when I'm not on my phone (like I am now) and see if I have any information to help you. I'll let you know what I find.
Took the Cappo to a really fun Cars-and-Coffee-type meet this morning. I found the perfect spot when I arrived! I saw lots of people I know, lots of cool cars, and early Saturday meant minimal idiots in traffic trying to kill me/run me over. I went in targa mode, with the roof panels in the trunk. I never put the roof on, and got a couple sprinkles during the meet, and some mild rain on the way home, but nothing major. 😁
These are used aftermarket swaybars I bought a while ago off Yahoo Japan Auctions. They are purportedly from the Japanese tuner Take Off, and seem to be quite rare. I got them exactly as seen here. Not pictured are the oversize clamps for the rear, as they are a split aluminum block that isn't easily attached to the bar. I have no bushings for the rear body side mounts. I do have new end links for both front and rear.
The Take Off front measures just over 25mm, or just about an inch. The stock front bar is 20mm, or just over 3/4 inch.
The rear Take Off rear measures 18mm. I haven't measured the stock rear bar, but I'd guess about 16mm or 5/8ths of an inch.
The plan is to strip the hardware, test fit, and once confirmed, clean them up and paint or powdercoat them. (I've learned the hard way in the past about putting effort into cleaning up used parts before attempting install/test fit and being burned.) Then source bushings as needed, and install.
While I have it up on the lift do suspension, I might do a little exhaust work as well.
The Cappo recently turned 50,000km, which means oil change time! I did oil and filter today, and snagged a sample for oil analysis. Especially gratifying will be fixing the one tiny leak this car has, an occasional drip from the sump drain plug from a re-used washer (not done by me.)
I'm toying with the idea of taking this to my club's annual slalom challenge next weekend. In the morning we run a long slalom out and back, with running start. The afternoon is an autocross relay with teams of four on an autocross course (think running relay, only with the "handoff" being stopped cars facing opposite directions instead of running runners going the same direction.) The narrow width and short wheelbase are appealing, but the event is a 2.5 hour interstate drive (which isn't this car's forte) or a 3+ hour backroads drive (with gates opening at 7am...💀...Nope!) so I might chicken out and take the FR-S.
I did not take the Cappo to last weekend's event, and that definitely proved to be the right decision, as it absolutely dumped rain...got love Juneuary in the Pacific Northwest! I hope it helps the upcoming Forest fire season! Fitting inside the Suzuki with the top up and a helmet on is so snug that it isn't exactly optimal, so it is a better car for dry events, and the FR-S can handle wet-weather duty, especially when a few hours from home, and the first stop on a four-day weekend road trip.
Much slip-slidey fun was had at autocross, but back to the Cappo.
I got the aftermarket sway bars stripped back and cleaned in preparation for powdercoat.
I also ordered and received: colder plugs that are recommended for the turbo upgrade, and new seals for the upgraded injectors that go with the turbo upgrade. I also sent the upgraded injectors off to be cleaned and flowed.
I've got a serious itch for an Alfa GTV-6 lately, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I don't know for sure if I would sell the Cappo to make the Alfa happen, or try to pull some financial levers to swing both, but I figure I might as well install all the goodies I have for the Cappo and drive it a bit more before I decide either way. 😄
I bought a GTV6! I still can't decide. I'm not selling anything just yet. Unfortunately this requires paying for offsite parking for one vehicle. First world problems!
Maybe it's lens compression, but looks like enough room for the Cappo plus a Kei truck, small fleet of motos, or choose your own adventure right there...
XLR99 (Forum Supporter) said:
Maybe it's lens compression, but looks like enough room for the Cappo plus a Kei truck, small fleet of motos, or choose your own adventure right there...
Might be the angle. The garage felt huge when I moved in, but now I've got it pretty packed. Here's the view looking into the garage. If I cut the wheel on either the Cappo or the Alfa, there's space to pull out through the door. If I park both of them within 6-8 inches of the wall/stuff piled along the wall, there's just room to swing the driver door fully open on one of the two at a time into the aisle between the two. There's four bikes stacked tightly behind the Cappuccino, which can thread the needle out between the cars to go on a ride. Behind the bikes is a workbench with just enough room to stand right in front of the bench. Behind the Land Cruiser is the parts washer, milling machine, and storage cabinet. The second tool box, lathe, and parts storage shelving are just out of sight along the wall opposite the back of the Land Cruiser and the hot water heater.
Whew! There's still a few organizational things to do that will allow a little bit more optimization, but those will either gain me inches, or just make it so that I don't have to move and shuffle so many pieces to do certain tasks. They certainly aren't going to make room to fit another vehicle. 
I guess I haven't been driving this car enough; the battery hasn't been happy lately! I has been discharged several times now, so I ordered a replacement. I will be checking to make sure I don't have a parasitic draw somewhere.
Since the rest of the four-wheeled fleet are all currently down for various repairs or upgrades, lately I've been using the Cappuccino or one of the motorcycles...right as the rainy season hits! At least the Cappo roof is nice and tight and doesn't leak. 
