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[kraversxr2]

I have autocrossed my 93 XR2 twice with just a few mods.  It was a lot of fun, even though I was new to the sport.  Has anyone on this forum really ran a Capri seriously for Autocrossing?  I ask this because I keep hearing that the Transmissions on these cars are weak.  I'm trying to decide if I want to mod my Capri for Autocrossing or buy a different car that would be better.  I see a lot of Honda civic's autocrossing.  They are FWD as well.  What makes them better than the Capri for autocrossing?  I thought there was someone on here who had a Capri that they Autocrossed pretty regularly.  Thanks for any replys.  Kev.

[luvit]

for 3 years i was offensive driving. i was that guy everyone should hate.
now, whenever i see a crazy driver, i think there could be a story behind his rushing.. but i'm not justifying the actions.
i drove over 160mi twice every week, and then 5 days a week i was rushing just prior to rush hour or he tail-end of rush hour traffic.
the only reason i stuck with that job is because i loved driving the capri.. i drive an NA with 2.5" exhaust and it helped made wee hours of the morning or late night distant driving tolerable.
since there are miata clubs or MG clubs which autocross, i've always wondered the same for capris.
i would be tempted to join-in on such a thing, but i may not have any money left-over to travel, once i put it into my capri.. lol.

[Rocketman]

"Weak" is a bit subjective.

If you've got a stock or mildly modded XR2 and you're doing auto-x, you're not really going to reach the limits of the trans.

If you've got a giant turbo and standalone, pushing 20psi and launching at the drag strip, hell yeah it's going to break.

There's two weak spots in it:
-The differential. It's an open diff. It does NOT like one-wheel wonders, it does not get proper lubrication when one wheel is spinning way out of control. The causes the spider gears to gall to the carrier shaft and eventually shear the carrier rollpin, and the diff explodes. You can kill an XR2 diff with a bone stock car if you sit around and do burnouts all day.
 
-The gearsets. They're thin, they're not made for big power. Not an issue until you reach the 250-300whp range. Not an issue for a stock car or even a heavily modded XR2, it would take a pretty good build for this to be a concern.

Auto-x, you might be spinning one tire a lot, but if you keep it under control you won't have an issue. Want a leg up? If your class allows it, have an MFactory limited slip diff installed. This completely eliminates the weak spot.

The clutch? Great. Stock ones might slip but there are plenty out there that are up to the task.
Might want to look into a better fluid for the transmission. 80w90 or "Syncromesh" are quite popular, a major upgrade ove the factory installed ATF.

There are a few people who do legit auto-x, but they don't post here much. My friend Charlie in Arizona swapped an XR2 drivetrain into his festiva and races it pretty hardcore, and no transmission issues. Yes it's a lighter car and that can make a bit of a difference but he's got a LOT of track miles down.

My $.02
-Rocketman

[kraversxr2]

Thanks Matt.  That helps me understand a little better.  I don't want to hurt my car, but I want to run it and have fun.  I may look into the LSD.  I think I saw an older post on here where someone had one of those for the Capri and it was like $900 just for the part.  I'm just wondering why a honda civic is acceptable, but when I show up with my Capri everyone tells me to get a MIata? 

[Rocketman]

Perhaps they're ignorant, and would rather default to the "tried and true"? This is often the case with many things, and I'm quite certain I'm guilty of this mentality with certain things myself. Maybe they're just afraid of your car? haha.

You'll see a lot of civics, yes. They're light, make decent power (for their weight), and there's a hell of a lot of aftermarket out the that make them easy to configure to be competitive.

This does not mean you can't take a Capri out there and whoop their asses.
 
FWIW the Mfactory diff as shipped runs about $730. Then there's installation. But you should not need it for what you're doing. Suspension, brakes, and sticky tires are what will help you in auto-x

[Advancedynamix]

It's important to remember that Autocross is a program intended to improve driver skill and car handling ability.  People often take it too seriously and pretend to be racing, but at the end of the day we are going around cones in a parking lot.  With that said, the best car to have is the one you like driving. I have seen skilled drivers beat every Miata at the event in a mini-van several times. Driver skill and ability to set the car up properly are often times more important than the vehicle you are driving. The Capri chassis is very capable, even though it's longer and heavier than a Miata.  With a front drive vehicle you can brake later and accelerate earlier.  If you drive a FWD like a RWD then it will be slower, but if you learn to embrace FWD you will quickly learn that it is not a handicap. 
Your stock tranny should be fine, but I'd swap out the ATF for some 20-50wt Valvoline Synthetic 4 cycle motorcycle oil (they sell it at pep boys with the other motorcycle oils).  This stuff is like a magic potion in these transmissions.  I have laid down over 40K track miles on a used transmission that had 150K on it when I got it and I've had zero reliability issues.  It shifts a little stiffer when cold, but once up to temp it's very nice and it protects the gears and diff pins much better than even the best synthetic ATF, and it's half the price of redline.
Another tip, shift as little as possible.  It's usually faster to lug the engine a little rather than downshifting, even though it may feel faster to downshift. Also, your diff pins will than me for that advice. Most importantly, have fun!