I guess everyone is more or less in the same boat here...trying to figure out how to gain that extra second while sitting at home! After our last race day I started to do some maintenance and repair work on the RX-8 (yes, brand-new quarter panel and fenders and shiny new paint!). During that process I decided to get rid of my barely functioning A/C compressor.
But since I was only 0.5 PIPs away from sliding into GT4, I now have to move into that class. So getting rid of that monstrosity of air pump in the other side of the engine compartment was the next natural step. With my exhaust getting so hot that you can barely keep your hands on the shifter bezel, I don't think I have a problem getting my cat to working temperature...
But now I have quite a bit of wiggle room for more improvements while still staying in GT4. I have to decide where I want to allocate my efforts: trying to save some weight (to compensate for the driver's inability to stay away from good food?), or suspension improvements? Thankfully I have no problems with my brakes - except of the calipers coming loose, but safety wiring will take care of that. I will go with more negative camber front and rear to combat the extreme wear on the outer edges of my tires, and if finances allow me I will step up in tire width. One way or another, I need to find an extra second per lap to get the same amount of points in GT4 as I received in T1.
I, too, have thought a lot about the proper gearing. As opposed to Matt, I actually use my shift lever quite a bit. I try to keep my engine above 5800 rpm! Well, not quite, but below 4500 there is not much happening, and if i let the rpm drop below 4000, a mother pushing her baby stroller can outrun me! Therefore I shift a lot. I would love to get a bit taller gearing as I hit my rev limiter in 2nd gear between turn 3 and 4, as well as 4 and 5, but staying in 3rd gear doesn't give me much acceleration between the corners. However, halfway down the front straight I shift into 4th, and then I barely gain any speed anymore. So what is the solution? Going with slightly taller tires and hope that pulling 3rd gear a bit longer on the straight is compensating for the loss of acceleration? Or going with dramatically shorter gearing, so that all 2nd gear corners become 3rd gear territory, and fourth gear actually still pulls? I think the latter would be the way to go; unfortunately changing gears or even finding ring and pinion gears for an RX-8 is not as easy as for a Camaro. Decisions, decisions...