Secret Street tech inspections?

[Zero102]

It has been quite a few years since I went down to secret street so I am wondering how picky they are about body rust when they do their inspections before letting you run the strip or auto-x.

I am currently prepping a 1985 300zx to be an auto-x toy for the summer and it has somewhat substantial rust damage (holes through the quarter panels and rocker panels) and I am wondering if anybody knows whether they would allow this on the track or not?

The car will be perfectly mechanically sound, the brakes, steering, and suspension will all be new, the battery will be properly secured and the interior will be free of loose objects. The car is nowhere near fast enough to require additional safety equipment, but I am concerned because when I went down a few years ago they sent me home because a piece of the side skirt on my 944 turbo was broken and was hanging down roughly 1/2" below the car.

I will be removing any loose body pieces and ensuring that none of the exterior of the car will separate while I am driving. I would prefer not to bother fixing all of the surface rust and patching the holes if I can possibly avoid it as it gives me more time to spend on the mechanical bits and gets me to the track earlier in the season. The damage is not severe enough to affect the aerodynamics of the car and the structural members will all be repaired.

Has anybody run a car in similar condition down at secret street? Have they given you any trouble about it?

[MGCM]

By chance is that 300zx white?

[Jetta-2.0]

OP if you post pics it might help with your answers. Also this past year that i went, there was a car the front bumper with damaged, and they told the owner to take it off or go home, so he took it off and raced right there and then with no bumper and all his intercooler and every thing was showing.

another car i saw was pretty much still in the works project and the guy just wanted to see what the car can do, they took there time on it a bit and they guy bairly passedthe only thing that would of failed him was a battery cut off switch

[962 kid]

Secret street tech inspections are hit and miss. My brother's car failed tech even though it was one of the most immaculately modified cars to pass through SS gates. The tech inspector demanded that his sealed, non-vented, leakproof battery needed to be in a sealed, vented moroso battery box.

Meanwhile, buddy in the lane beside us made it through tech with his exhaust literally running through the interior of his car and dumping out the rear quarter panel.

[streethondas]

^^Agree first time my car didn't pass because my battery holder wasn't on...

[J-hop]

Originally posted by streethondas
^^Agree first time my car didn't pass because my battery holder wasn't on...

that is pretty standard, not to bright to try to auto-x (or drag for that matter) with something like an unrestrained battery. A lot of the stuff they do is for YOUR safety, and the safety of other racers, not just because they want to make it hard on you.

I would think if metal is falling off your car they wouldn't want you on their track. Also you'll have to look into if the rust in the rockers will cause any sort of structural issues, I don't know much about the design of the 300zx but if the rockers are a structural/load bearing point I don't think they are going to let it on the track.

[Zero102]

Sorry to be so late posting back on this. Initially the rust I was talking about was not structural. Unfortunately after taking the car apart to replace all of the worn bits I found out that there was major major structural rust and we are scrapping the car. My new project is a white 87 rx7 gx, and it has virtually no rust. Thanks for all the responses and I hope to see some of you out there. I won't be running for a couple weeks yet as I am still working on hauling away the shell of the 300zx before I can start on the rx7, but I have about 50% of the parts I need so it should go quick once I do get started.

[CUG]

They apply rules arbitrarily.

[Toma]

Certain rules there is no getting around....

Battery tied down (factory or better)
Rad overflow bottle
Lug nuts all there
Tire tread
No sandals
No muscle shirts
full length pants.
dual throttle return spring (carbs)

But Race City tech is NOT like Atuo X inspection where they check tire rods and ball joints etc.

Pretty common sense.

The battery rules I did find silly, but it's an NHRA/IHRA rule.... It's been years since I have done tech, but last I checked, there was no discrimination in the rule book between types of battery and the requirement for box.

As I recall, the rule was that if the battery was relocated, it had to be held down by two 3/8 bolts minimum, and separated from the driver with .032" aluminum or an approved box (Moroso is the only one I think that passes that is plastic). Also, if you move the battery, it must have a master cut-off switch.

I realize something like a dry dell, there is little danger, but even an optima contains electrolyte... so they probably leave the rule dumbed down to eliminate doubt.

Whatever, it's the rules, I dont bother moving my batteries anymore anyway. By the time I run 14 feet of 0 gauge cable, the added weight pisses me off lol.

There are some ratarded rules that I saw enforced occasionally last year....

Keep in mind, we race all over, go to the US, race there etc...

No pushing your car with the hood up. Duh. Fucking stupid "race city only" rule. It got so bad, I got yelled at for having my hood up in line period, even when the line was going no where.

Must have a hood. This is stupid, especially an EFI car with a filter ....... I understood the rule with a exposed carb.... but...

Lug nuts.... creative interpretations for the length of lug nuts with shank style lugs.... and how far they had to protrude past the wheel - - actually the rule reads "must protrude into the hex portion of the nut by the distance of the diameter of the stud" So, if you have 11mm studs, the stud must pass into the hex portion of the nut by 11mm.

Had all kinds of tech people last year telling me my studs had to go PAST the nut etc...

eesh....

That's all I can think of for now.

[Z_Fan]

I've raced with nuts merely 3 turns in to the threads on the stud.

:poosie:

Toma, you still dating your University girl or you up your game a notch and land a high school chick?

[Toma]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
I've raced with nuts merely 3 turns in to the threads on the stud.

:poosie:

Toma, you still dating your University girl or you up your game a notch and land a high school chick?

lol... you are such an asshole lol

[Go4Long]

stupidest all time moment last year was the tech inspector telling me my AGV GP-Tech was not certified and "wouldn't be allowed to use it on any sanctioned track in north america"

I said "so it should be good to go here then?"

he also stated that he could tell immediately that the helmet wouldn't be certified because it wasn't heavy enough...real crack squad of sleuths there...

[Toma]

Originally posted by Go4Long
stupidest all time moment last year was the tech inspector telling me my AGV GP-Tech was not certified and "wouldn't be allowed to use it on any sanctioned track in north america"

I said "so it should be good to go here then?"

he also stated that he could tell immediately that the helmet wouldn't be certified because it wasn't heavy enough...real crack squad of sleuths there...
No idea what that helmet is, but if it is not certified by the Snell foundation, and does not have the Snell sticker and inside tag, it really isn't legal on a sanctioned drag strip.

Or, if the snell tag is outdated....

[Go4Long]

that's kinda my point actually...they'll let you run in a 12 year old, $150 (when it was brand new), scratched and beaten HJC, but not a brand new top of the line $950 AGV GP-Tech which rates 20 times better in crash tests.

[Toma]

Originally posted by Go4Long
that's kinda my point actually...they'll let you run in a 12 year old, $150 (when it was brand new), scratched and beaten HJC, but not a brand new top of the line $950 AGV GP-Tech which rates 20 times better in crash tests.
Ahhhh....

Gotta look at it another way. With so many helmet manufacturers, and even stuff like the AGV being made in China, they had to pick a reliable rating standard they were comfortable with.

Simple DOT was not good enough for Motorsport crash/fire protection, they settled on Snell.

I understand that a $800 helmet is probably pretty safe, but they did not send their helmet to the Snell labs for whatever reason....

Ditto seat belts, like the 5 point harness.

Once you remove the factory belts, your new belts MUST carry an SFI rating, and expire every 2 or 3years or whatever it is.

It doesn't matter if its a F1 approved seat belt manufacturer, they simplified the tech procedure, and decided that it needs to carry SFI approval.

Without such simplifications in standards and rules, it would be mayhem trying to keep up with who makes what, and is it any good.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Go4Long
stupidest all time moment last year was the tech inspector telling me my AGV GP-Tech was not certified and "wouldn't be allowed to use it on any sanctioned track in north america"

I said "so it should be good to go here then?"

he also stated that he could tell immediately that the helmet wouldn't be certified because it wasn't heavy enough...real crack squad of sleuths there...

he probably gave you that BS line because you weren't listening to what he was saying and were showing a nice disdain for authority.

I agree with toma on that one, they chose a rating and went with it, if you want to use THEIR track then deal with it. It is not the job of the tech inspectors to search google for these test results, interpret them, and put their stamp of approval on your helmet. That is Snell's job so maybe you should be writing AGV and getting pissed at them for not having their helmets snell tested and wasting your money. Doesn't that seem more logical?

[Z_Fan]

Originally posted by Toma


lol... you are such an asshole lol

Just a little jealous probably. :poosie:

[gearheadeh]

Probably an obvious question: Does the No loose objects rule apply to Floor mats too?
What about an empty CD holder velcroed onto my visor?

[ercchry]

Originally posted by gearheadeh
Probably an obvious question: Does the No loose objects rule apply to Floor mats too?
What about an empty CD holder velcroed onto my visor?

floor mats are usually a no for any motor sports as it can be a hazard if they get bunched up behind the brake pedal.

if the cd holder is empty and velcro'd in why would you not just remove it?

[Sentry]

Originally posted by gearheadeh
Probably an obvious question: Does the No loose objects rule apply to Floor mats too?
What about an empty CD holder velcroed onto my visor? Neither of those have been an issue for me passing tech.

[Maxx Mazda]

Ive never failed a tech session, I didn't think the rules were that tight anyway.

Hey do they still check that the car won't start without the clutch pushed in? My car wont but my buddy runs a remote starter so it will start without the clutch being pushed in.

[ercchry]

if that was a rule you would not see a single old car or s13 on the track