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Bog standard at the moment. Still lots to do to it. We have an Accusump to fit which does the same job as a baffled sump, and we're looking at some KW Clubsports plus fully adjustable arms and polybushes for the suspension.
Now it's stripped it's extremely tail happy which is fun if you know what you're doing but it's going to end in tears for novices. Oh, it also has traction control switched off permanently
. so I'm looking at stand alone traction control systems to fit like the Race logic one that the scooby and evo boys like where you can adjust the %age of slip.
Got some track tires fitted today which should help so we're off to Brands next Thursday for a shakedown.
Now it's stripped it's extremely tail happy which is fun if you know what you're doing but it's going to end in tears for novices. Oh, it also has traction control switched off permanently
. so I'm looking at stand alone traction control systems to fit like the Race logic one that the scooby and evo boys like where you can adjust the %age of slip.Got some track tires fitted today which should help so we're off to Brands next Thursday for a shakedown.
I meant to post this up before Xmas. So here it is taken from the 350Z forum for anyone who's interested.
Arrived just after 7 to them gritting the track. Never a good sign and it was a good indication of how the day would go.
Most people there were teams testing plus the usual "rent a caterham" outfits which was fortunate really because even with mostly experienced drivers on the track I lost count of how many red flags there were!
We are lucky to have David Brown involved with our venture who is an instructor for MSV and we had him with us for the day but the bottom line is, with new unscrubbed AD08s, wind chill of -6 for the whole day and a track that remained damp and icy all day, PLUS no traction aids I think it is no small miracle that we managed to keep it off the grass and out of the gravel for the whole day.
It was impossible to get any heat into the tyres which was the common thread all along the pit lane so there was never really a point where we could get a real feel for the car. However, it was good to get it on track and we have come away with a list of further work, most of which we knew already, that we need to get done before our next outing in Feb or March before the season starts properly.
While we were there we managed to get the car on the weigh station which was good. 1460kg with half a tank of fuel, so, as everyone on here knows already, this is not a light car to take on track! But we could also see that the weight distribution has changed due to the strip out and now seems to be about 60/40 as opposed to the 52/48 that the manufacturer claims. I'm certain some adjustable suspension will help to remedy this but we may end up with some balast too. Any advice is welcome on this point.
I also had a chance to dry run some of our cameras, the views of which you can see below....
If I can get the file sizes down I may post some footage up. This video editing is new to me and I don't have any decent software either. So, something else for me to work on.
It's going to be a busy Christmas in the garage I think.
Arrived just after 7 to them gritting the track. Never a good sign and it was a good indication of how the day would go.
Most people there were teams testing plus the usual "rent a caterham" outfits which was fortunate really because even with mostly experienced drivers on the track I lost count of how many red flags there were!
We are lucky to have David Brown involved with our venture who is an instructor for MSV and we had him with us for the day but the bottom line is, with new unscrubbed AD08s, wind chill of -6 for the whole day and a track that remained damp and icy all day, PLUS no traction aids I think it is no small miracle that we managed to keep it off the grass and out of the gravel for the whole day.
It was impossible to get any heat into the tyres which was the common thread all along the pit lane so there was never really a point where we could get a real feel for the car. However, it was good to get it on track and we have come away with a list of further work, most of which we knew already, that we need to get done before our next outing in Feb or March before the season starts properly.
While we were there we managed to get the car on the weigh station which was good. 1460kg with half a tank of fuel, so, as everyone on here knows already, this is not a light car to take on track! But we could also see that the weight distribution has changed due to the strip out and now seems to be about 60/40 as opposed to the 52/48 that the manufacturer claims. I'm certain some adjustable suspension will help to remedy this but we may end up with some balast too. Any advice is welcome on this point.
I also had a chance to dry run some of our cameras, the views of which you can see below....
If I can get the file sizes down I may post some footage up. This video editing is new to me and I don't have any decent software either. So, something else for me to work on.
It's going to be a busy Christmas in the garage I think.
and some more updates from the 350Z forum....
A quick update tonight.
Now the holidays are over it's time to get on with this again....
Made up some floors for the zed now which tidies things up a bit inside.
Now, will the bonnet close if I put this here?
Accusump, about to be installed behind the bumper. But it's a tight fit! We'll see......
To be continued.......
A quick update tonight.
Now the holidays are over it's time to get on with this again....
Made up some floors for the zed now which tidies things up a bit inside.
Now, will the bonnet close if I put this here?
Accusump, about to be installed behind the bumper. But it's a tight fit! We'll see......
To be continued.......
Currently looking at suspension options. If budget permits this is the favourite at the moment
If budget doesn't permit then a set of KW clubsports will do the job. I run these on my LCR and have found them to be excellent but I think the KWs for the 350Z convert the rears to coilovers instead of the separate spring and damper set up which is my only reservation. The Ohlins kit keeps them separate like the standard set up.
Any opinions on this are welcome.
Along with the coilovers we will also be doing ARBs adjustable arms and some degree of poly bushing although not sure how much yet.
In other news the Accusump is almost done. Mounted in the boot as there was no possible way it would go behind the bumper in the end. No big deal according to the manufacturers as long as the hose running from it is a large enough bore so I've upped it to AN10 and now just waiting for new hose connectors to arrive.
More pictures soon.
If budget doesn't permit then a set of KW clubsports will do the job. I run these on my LCR and have found them to be excellent but I think the KWs for the 350Z convert the rears to coilovers instead of the separate spring and damper set up which is my only reservation. The Ohlins kit keeps them separate like the standard set up.
Any opinions on this are welcome.
Along with the coilovers we will also be doing ARBs adjustable arms and some degree of poly bushing although not sure how much yet.
In other news the Accusump is almost done. Mounted in the boot as there was no possible way it would go behind the bumper in the end. No big deal according to the manufacturers as long as the hose running from it is a large enough bore so I've upped it to AN10 and now just waiting for new hose connectors to arrive.
More pictures soon.
Finally routed hose from Accusump in the boot through to the oil cooler at the front today. Still no hose fittings so that was as far as I could go today.
After enlarging an existing but blanked off hole in the bulkhead, I used a cable gland to make a watertight seal through to the wheel arch.
and the other side....
This is all protected by the wheelarch liner. The rest of the route was straight forward although I may put a heat sheild over it where it comes close to the exhaust manifold.
After enlarging an existing but blanked off hole in the bulkhead, I used a cable gland to make a watertight seal through to the wheel arch.
and the other side....
This is all protected by the wheelarch liner. The rest of the route was straight forward although I may put a heat sheild over it where it comes close to the exhaust manifold.
And now we're up to date..........
So, it finally went here.....
and connection into the return side of the oil cooler with a non return valve.
And switch mounted leaving room for our traction control module coming soon.
Suspension next.
Had a good conversation with Mark at Abbey last night which threw up some more options, so final spec is still up in the air but I think we're getting closer.
Thanks to Steve at Lizard for putting me onto Mark. I'm sure he's helping me more than he should considering we might be competing against him one day! Or maybe he's cunningly leading me in completely the wrong direction
So, it finally went here.....
and connection into the return side of the oil cooler with a non return valve.
And switch mounted leaving room for our traction control module coming soon.
Suspension next.
Had a good conversation with Mark at Abbey last night which threw up some more options, so final spec is still up in the air but I think we're getting closer.
Thanks to Steve at Lizard for putting me onto Mark. I'm sure he's helping me more than he should considering we might be competing against him one day! Or maybe he's cunningly leading me in completely the wrong direction
Excellent thread...What's happening with the Leon now?
You opted for a bucket seat yet or has the mrs still not got her own car?
Looking forward to doing this with my Leon in the near future, im itching to get it stripped out and get on track where it should be!
Tom
You opted for a bucket seat yet or has the mrs still not got her own car?
Looking forward to doing this with my Leon in the near future, im itching to get it stripped out and get on track where it should be!
Tom
Excellent thread...What's happening with the Leon now?
You opted for a bucket seat yet or has the mrs still not got her own car?
Looking forward to doing this with my Leon in the near future, im itching to get it stripped out and get on track where it should be!
Tom
Glad to see people still reading my thread
The Leon has taken a bit of a back seat over the last few months while I've been developing the 350Z. And it hasn't been on track for over 18months now
.I think this year is going to be taken up with the zed to be honest as we've already got 7 track days booked plus my ARDS test coming up in a couple of months time ready to go racing next year.
So far though all our time on track this year (3 days) have been wet!!
But it's not so bad when you do track days in style like us
If people are interested I'll keep this thread alive and update news on the Leon as and when it happens. But the plan is still to have it as a proper track toy. It's already really nicely sorted and keeps up with much more expensive machinery
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Glad to see people still reading my thread
The Leon has taken a bit of a back seat over the last few months while I've been developing the 350Z. And it hasn't been on track for over 18months now
I think this year is going to be taken up with the zed to be honest as we've already got 7 track days booked plus my ARDS test coming up in a couple of months time ready to go racing next year.
So far though all our time on track this year (3 days) have been wet!!
But it's not so bad when you do track days in style like us
If people are interested I'll keep this thread alive and update news on the Leon as and when it happens. But the plan is still to have it as a proper track toy. It's already really nicely sorted and keeps up with much more expensive machinery
im definately interested, keep it updated on the Leon, great inspiration for people like me
Good luck with the forthcoming ARDS test
Tom
A quick update as I haven't been on here for a while. Been a busy year turning my trackday obsession in to a business.
Our 350Z has a couple of stable mates now, although the BMW has been ours for a few years its now getting some proper use and is inline for some decent upgrades over the winter.
And this is the car we're going to take racing next year..
The Clio is on Jenvey Throttle bodies, Mark Fish gearbox and Grabber diff. 215bhp and 950kg. So it goes pretty well. especially on slicks
Response from our sponsors has been excellent and I think they are all going to sign up again next year for the corporate events and one or 2 are already comitted to sponsoring our race car so it look like next year is going to be busy!
Also since my last update the 350Z had a brake upgrade as the standard Brembos really weren't up to the job of hooning around a track all day, so we nabbed a set of F50 Brembos, originally from Palmersport up at Bedford but the calipers they sold me were shot to pieces (thanks Brake Caliper Refurbs who inspected them, wrote them off and then supplied a shiny new set for a bargain price). www.brakecaliperrefurbs.co.uk
New brakes have been very good but we need a new set of discs for next season.
The Nissan has performed faultlessly all season and has survived 11 trackdays with just one oil change, one set of tyres and one set of pads! Oh, and just one excursion backwards into the tyre wall last month
Our final trip out in the Nissan was with BTCC driver Olly Jackson who spent the day with us up at a very wet and slippery Donington. A very educational day and I've no idea where he got that 4 seconds on me from?
So over the winter the Leon is coming off the road for a full stripdown, cage, seats and harnesses. A new clutch and a full overhaul before joining the others for a season of track driving next year, so adding another option for our sponsors to drive and compare the characteristics of fwd turbo car versus rwd NA in the Nissan.
Should be fun I'll try and update again soon.
Our 350Z has a couple of stable mates now, although the BMW has been ours for a few years its now getting some proper use and is inline for some decent upgrades over the winter.
And this is the car we're going to take racing next year..
The Clio is on Jenvey Throttle bodies, Mark Fish gearbox and Grabber diff. 215bhp and 950kg. So it goes pretty well. especially on slicks
Response from our sponsors has been excellent and I think they are all going to sign up again next year for the corporate events and one or 2 are already comitted to sponsoring our race car so it look like next year is going to be busy!
Also since my last update the 350Z had a brake upgrade as the standard Brembos really weren't up to the job of hooning around a track all day, so we nabbed a set of F50 Brembos, originally from Palmersport up at Bedford but the calipers they sold me were shot to pieces (thanks Brake Caliper Refurbs who inspected them, wrote them off and then supplied a shiny new set for a bargain price). www.brakecaliperrefurbs.co.uk
New brakes have been very good but we need a new set of discs for next season.
The Nissan has performed faultlessly all season and has survived 11 trackdays with just one oil change, one set of tyres and one set of pads! Oh, and just one excursion backwards into the tyre wall last month
Our final trip out in the Nissan was with BTCC driver Olly Jackson who spent the day with us up at a very wet and slippery Donington. A very educational day and I've no idea where he got that 4 seconds on me from?
So over the winter the Leon is coming off the road for a full stripdown, cage, seats and harnesses. A new clutch and a full overhaul before joining the others for a season of track driving next year, so adding another option for our sponsors to drive and compare the characteristics of fwd turbo car versus rwd NA in the Nissan.
Should be fun
I'll try and update again soon.Good to see you drop in Rob! Great read as always.
I love how it's become a business for you now, and I've always had a thing for Renaultsport Clio's and fancy buying one on the side one day as Pistonheads are always posting them in 'shed of the week' section! I saw a PH1 172 for £500 the other week and thought 'track car!?' as they're a bit easier to run than the Leon's.
Cracking stuff though mate. Impressive how the 350 was so good on tyres and pads over 11 sessions on track. I'm not surprised it didn't break though, Nissan's are so well put together. Look forward to the next update! Try get the Leon to 915kg too must be the aim, ha
I love how it's become a business for you now, and I've always had a thing for Renaultsport Clio's and fancy buying one on the side one day as Pistonheads are always posting them in 'shed of the week' section! I saw a PH1 172 for £500 the other week and thought 'track car!?' as they're a bit easier to run than the Leon's.
Cracking stuff though mate. Impressive how the 350 was so good on tyres and pads over 11 sessions on track. I'm not surprised it didn't break though, Nissan's are so well put together. Look forward to the next update! Try get the Leon to 915kg too must be the aim, ha
Great to see you back and enjoying the cars
Please keep us updated with information and pictures when you strip out etc the Leon as this is the next stage on mine now and be interested to see what you do and what seats you go for etc
I did Oulton Park in mine in August and it was fantastic, could do with better brakes,less weight and an oil cooler though as these for me were the weak areas on the car.
If you haven't already done Oulton then id recommend it (Full International track)
What did you think of the Yoko Parada's?
Tom
Please keep us updated with information and pictures when you strip out etc the Leon as this is the next stage on mine now and be interested to see what you do and what seats you go for etc
I did Oulton Park in mine in August and it was fantastic, could do with better brakes,less weight and an oil cooler though as these for me were the weak areas on the car.
If you haven't already done Oulton then id recommend it (Full International track)
What did you think of the Yoko Parada's?
Tom
Very soon Tom. I'll be starting to strip the car down in the next couple of weeks. Needs a new clutch too so I'll probably be fitting a lightened flywheel and paddle clutch. Then it's rollcage, seats, harnesses etc.
Fortunately we are friends with the owner of Corbeau Seats who is also one of our sponsors (and also the father of BTCC driver Ollie Jackson!) So we'll be getting seats and Luke harnesses for the price of a few bottles of wine. So even though they wouldn't be my first choice of seat and harness I'm not going to complain!
Also got the Clio and the 350Z to prep ready for the new season so going to have my work cut out in the next couple of months. AND we're now looking for another Clio!
I'm running out of space
Fortunately we are friends with the owner of Corbeau Seats who is also one of our sponsors (and also the father of BTCC driver Ollie Jackson!) So we'll be getting seats and Luke harnesses for the price of a few bottles of wine. So even though they wouldn't be my first choice of seat and harness I'm not going to complain!
Also got the Clio and the 350Z to prep ready for the new season so going to have my work cut out in the next couple of months. AND we're now looking for another Clio!
I'm running out of space
Excellent news!
What clutch you considering? I've just had the Helix kit including flywheel one fitted to my LCR, it is a little heavier than standard but gives me lots of confidence so far, feels like its built to last!!
Brilliant news about the seats and harnesses, nice to have good contacts like that
Sounds like its going well if your looking for another Clio
I shall continue to follow this with great interest, keep us updated with everything and keep up the good work
Cheers
Tom
What clutch you considering? I've just had the Helix kit including flywheel one fitted to my LCR, it is a little heavier than standard but gives me lots of confidence so far, feels like its built to last!!
Brilliant news about the seats and harnesses, nice to have good contacts like that
Sounds like its going well if your looking for another Clio
I shall continue to follow this with great interest, keep us updated with everything and keep up the good work
Cheers
Tom
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