Snetterton Track Day 31/01/09 - Micared & Fezza

Get to know you and your car's limits on the track.
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Ben
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Post by Ben »

not to teach anyone to suck eggs, but I would certainly recommend investing in brakes and suspension before investinging in performance - from experience I left my brakes quite late and ended up missing 8 months due to brakes just not coping, once the brembo's went on it transformed how I could use the car ... the biggest single improvement though was changing from normal (Ohlins) shocks and springs to Tien monoflex coilovers, I can now push all the way through the corner and the car feels 100% stable.

Now need to get a better set of tyres and before everyone shouts 888's .. I need a road / track capable tyre, I can't go 888's until I've either baffled my sump or fitted an accusump as I'm sure I'll simply kill the engine with massive corning G's :).

Still need to get a cage too :) ... (that's if I don't go the other way and break the car which I am also toying with at the moment).
Dum spiro, spero
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Stuart
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Post by Stuart »

I have an Accusump here Ben............proven on a GTR too ;)
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Pretty good advice actually about the brakes and suspension, as most of the cars that we own are already more than fast enough to challenge our driving skills. It's the braking and cornering where the biggest improvements lay (for sensible money)
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Jon
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Post by Jon »

Very sensible advice. Before this (my first track day) I upgraded to Brembo's and PF pads and kept the std shocks, but when braking at speed into corners i got what i can only explain as tank slap on a bike. Very unnerving and to be honest bloody frightening :o . Looks like more cash needs to be spent :cry:
If anyone has the answer to when this modding madness will end, please feel free to share :?

blackskygtr
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Post by blackskygtr »

murano3 wrote: ... (that's if I don't go the other way and break the car which I am also toying with at the moment).
WTF ????????????

No Ben thats simply not allowed...........

But if you do! First dibs on the steering wheels and boss and the suspension :-D :-D :-D


Jay
Well the skyline is gone for good But how cool is my little replacement!!!!! 7lbs 12oz of pure joy....

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duncan
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Post by duncan »

Micared wrote:Very sensible advice. Before this (my first track day) I upgraded to Brembo's and PF pads and kept the std shocks, but when braking at speed into corners i got what i can only explain as tank slap on a bike. Very unnerving and to be honest bloody frightening :o . Looks like more cash needs to be spent :cry:
Have you still got std arb's?
Micared wrote: If anyone has the answer to when this modding madness will end, please feel free to share :?
erm can't help you there. :)

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Nik
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Post by Nik »

Micared wrote: If anyone has the answer to when this modding madness will end, please feel free to share :?
Ummmmm NEVER!!!!!!! :D
I may be getting older but I REFUSE to grow up :D
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Jon
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Post by Jon »

duncan wrote: Have you still got std arb's?
Standard shocks and arb's including bushes and drop links. I'm guessing that from your question that these need to be junked in favour of something else? Would i see a huge improvement in using a thicker roll bar? Or could i expect good results from replacing the links and bushes?

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Stuart
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Post by Stuart »

Without seeing the car or, more importantly, your inputs at the time of the tank slapper it's very difficult to give an accurate or useful advice.

There are many things that could induce severe movements as you have described but I would not open the cheque book just yet. Maybe get some proper instruction from a qualified person (Maxx as an example) and see what he thinks of your driving and secondly your car. I am 100% positive that will be the best money you can spend.
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Nik
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Post by Nik »

I have to agree with Stuart on that one.

On my first (and morning of my second) track day, I was driving miss daisy around the track. Well that's what it felt like after I had a tutor session with Ben Devlin just after lunch on my second track day.

I then realised that the car and more importantly, I could do alot more than I was doing previously. I can honestly say that I was nervous when he was telling me not to brake until we were right up to and past the brown pants zone that I had been far too scared of until then.

In summary, for the sake of a few quid it is definately worth getting some tuition. The best money I have ever spent on a track day.
I may be getting older but I REFUSE to grow up :D
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Jon
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Post by Jon »

I'm embarrassed (very) to say that i booked tuition in advance, but got so carried away with wanting to chase Fezza around the track that i totally forgot about it and ultimately missed a great opportunity to learn a lot for little money, a mistake I won't make again. To put things in perspective, there was a guy piloting a Pug 106 who was a million times quicker than me despite having an obvious power disadvantage! I'm all for throwing cash at the car (after all that's what the government are saying, spend,spend,spend) But I'm guessing an investment in driver training would be money far better spent. A sentiment that seems to be echoed on here for good reason.

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