ka-t or skip barber?

[S14DB]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006A9I2A/

[brokeAs240sx]

Originally Posted by itsmeviet

i have a stock KA planning to go ka-t. would u rather do ka-t or http://www.skipbarber.com/driving_sc...hp_school.aspx and crappy bolt ons?

You're in Irvine... you just MISSED the autox school/practice this past weekend... $110. Don't let the price fool you, lots of scca veterans and champs in this region that love to help people. Maybe not as high performance or as much seat time as the Skip Barber school... but that all depends on how you look @ things. Even w/ just that event, there was SO MUCH information given to me that I'm still absorbing some of it a few days after the event.

There's also the EVO driving school for autox that happen every so often for $200-260. Worth every penny in my opinion, I went to that one last year before I attempted autox. The EVO school alone helped me catch up w/ ppl during "back roads" running, and put me in a much better position during autox vs the other novices when I started.

W/ the two days (been doing autox since late last year), I learned A LOT. I actually took my stock 240, instead of the fully suspensioned out one (coilovers, bars/rods/arms, brakes, tires, etc). Learned where I was having trouble w/ the modded car but couldn't pin point the issues - one of them was w/ turning too late & weight transfer/management, something that the coilovers and z-brakes were "hiding".

Anyway, I'm actually put in SM class (w/o turbo!) and compete w/ the crazy cars, always come in last... but who cares! you learn so much.

For AutoX in this region, it's actually recommended to run a ridiculous class by the veterans... why? because a lot of them compete in the lower classes that run first (stock, sts/stx/stu, etc), and are only allowed to instruct/ride-a-long to give pointers after they've done their runs. And classes like SM/SP usually run at the end of the day... all works out in the end.

Even after almost a year of autoxing, lots of hard/backroads driving, I'm still a newb, and can even improve my driving on stock suspension. Schools are great, power is great, they are all great... but it all breaks down into how you respond to certain things.

I know this is a long-winded response, and if you are still reading by now, I personally feel that there are many viable options you can do before putting $3k down on just one school... or on just a turbo. There's so much that I can pick up from less expensive schools that are still very effective, seat time, etc... I can go to the Skip Barber school later when I plateau and got all the basics down... just my opinion.

A Road Plan:

Evo School -> 3-4 autox events -> SCCA school/Evo School -> 3-4 autox events -> hpde event/school -> several more autox's & hpde's & drift days -> Skip Barber School... eventually

[0100]

Originally Posted by brokeAs240sx

A Road Plan:

Evo School -> 3-4 autox events -> SCCA school/Evo School -> 3-4 autox events -> hpde event/school -> several more autox's & hpde's & drift days -> Skip Barber School... eventually

Awesome plan and great post!

[itsmeviet]

Originally Posted by brokeAs240sx

W/ the two days (been doing autox since late last year), I learned A LOT. I actually took my stock 240...

those are some great tips. anyways, im going to my first track event this weekend at willowsprings, hpde. im gona hold back on the skip barber for now and do wat you guys recommended,hpde's and auto x. cant wait. btw, im getting called a bitch for backing out of turbo!! lol

[Edgar]

Skip Barber hands down.

[l20bdime]

I went to skip barber as a graduation present. It was only the 1 day class. It was fun but I seriously didnt learn anything. we spent more time waiting for all the slow drivers so they wouldnt get left behind. Just do events on ur own.

[OptionZero]

You gain experience but not much knowledge doing it on your own.

it helps tremendously to have an instructor by yourside focusing on the track while you focus on the car.

NASA HPDE's are pretty well organized.

[AceInHole]

chiming in w/o reading anything:
1. autocross is probably the best way to learn to drive. "autocrossers make great road racers" is the saying. there's a flip side to it but i'll just let it be :P regardless, most autocross instructors know their shit (pats self on back ) and can get you started on a good path.

2. more performance driving seat time before a driving school will help a ton. you don't want to go through a school and not have any questions, and prior experience will definitely make you wonder about some things that people at an hpde can help you with. otherwise you might go through an entire school without learning some of the things you'll end up wanting to know most. that said, the driving schools are definitely worth the money, but you'll want to get as much as you can from it by going there with a good basis of what you might need to work on most.

regardless, if it comes down to not being able to afford a turbo and a driving school, you might want to hold back on the turbo and invest in other things first :P the turbo itself CAN (90% chance of WILL) cost more than you expect.

[tre]

KA-T -> Road/auto/drift/drag event -> (maybe school if you'r ea baller with money)

lol autocrossers make good road racers and you'll leave it at that :P

Hell if you want the BEST experience especially will get your VERY comfortable with traffic/other cars. Oval track.

[Fred Allen Burge]

Well, I'm a little late to the conversation but I like the question. I say KA-T all the way. You'll learn a ton by doing the project yourself and you'll have fun with it everyday you drive it. The school sounds fun but only while it's in session, after that you've got some good skills and some great memories but they all fade in time.

Fred

[NemeGuero]

No way.. learning how to drive ANY car is more important than having a car you don't know how to drive..

[AceInHole]

Originally Posted by Fred Allen Burge

Well, I'm a little late to the conversation but I like the question. I say KA-T all the way. You'll learn a ton by doing the project yourself and you'll have fun with it everyday you drive it. The school sounds fun but only while it's in session, after that you've got some good skills and some great memories but they all fade in time.

Fred

A KA-T will blow up much sooner than you'll lose driving skill. Unless you have a mental disorder, in which case a KA-T will blow up much sooner than you'll lose driving skill.

...wait a minute....

[redsuns3838]

i think you should track the car a lot, and once uve hit your glass ceiling, take the skip barber course. but it looks like he travels around and it probly only comes once a year so maybe you dont wanna wait?
either way i see track/ class as a better choice than just pouring the $ into your engine.
u cant really go wrong with either choice.

[kY.gordon]

go to school. only if i had 2700 to blow on school.

[Rayne]

Originally Posted by S14DB

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006A9I2A/

+1 and plenty of track time at local events.

[sw20>>s14]

its more fun to go fast in a slow car than to go slow in a fast car...

not to mention a lot safer...

cant stress enough how many high powered cars piss me off on the track and make it a lot more dangerous for me...i love it when power mongers subdue to point by'g a stock KA...hehehe...

[brainfood]

Originally Posted by WhiteGLX

a stock 240sx keeping up with modified EVO's? From all my track events ive done, i dont see any stock 240's moving that fast, seems like a pretty bold statement, sorry if im stepping over the line here. Ive been on track with high HP evos that could driver very well, which worked to my advantage but i also run an SR....a KA just has no where near any kind of pull to keep up anywhere on track with an evo.

Its truth I have seen it.... well mostly truth. Think about the fact that he means mostly stock motor (not suspension) and that HTM and Streets are more even playing fields against higher powered cars. But yes track time > mods. Not sure I agree with the school I am sure you can go out to 25 or 26 local track days with that money shit if I had 25 track days under my belt I would bust a way madder drift. Just my opinion though.

[marshun]

nothing beats personal experience. have you tried just reading up and watching videos and stuff? thats what i did and i even got to shoot the shit with a teacher for racing classes (when we had a track anywa) and he said theres nothing really wrong with my driving (autox). i just gotta keep doin whatever i've been doing cause its workin. i've never taken a class.

i realize it may sound like im tootin my own horn. but serious focus on your driving is all up to you . but if it takes school to do it, then do the school

[backroadtouge]

wellll ive taken a school, not liek that big of one like skips because i already new how to drive and control my car well, but hey it was a birthday present. It was a one day thing inwhich i got to do alot of ride along laps with a pro, then take a class and drive myself with the pro in the passenger seat instruction and all that goodnesss. BUT seriously, sittin in class i felt liek i learned a few things (i was like "lol i learned this in gran turismo")
it wasnt really until we got on the track that it all started to come together.
plus we raced modded c5 corvettes
and i was passing all the old guys that went! so i knew i started to get good!
All in all the school did help me a) get more seat time, and that case, in a MUCH faster car and b) i can find the race line much faster now at my driftdays.

so 2700 seems like alot and it is, but the teaching stays with your because heck ITS RACE SCHOOL ADN YOUR SPAZZING THE WHOLE TIME YOUR THERE!
Though i guess if you feel liek you know how to drive good, take a smaller, less expensive class. ANY class where you get a pro there talking about your driving will help anyone who takes it!