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It's too quiet in here.


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Hey Everyone,

I have been watching this section for a really long time and truth be told, this might be my favorite stuff to read. But I have to say, all I can hear are crickets chirping in here, for quite some time now. Forums in general have been pretty quiet since we all got hooked on Facebook, Instagram or whatever else might be at the tips of our fingers with just a swipe today. This section in particular hasn't seen much activity in some years, and I think it is one of the more "fun" places to do some reading. I am hopeful that maybe there are still quite a few of you who come in here and might want to see something new. So short story long, I'm interested in chirping too, if anybody wants to listen.

It is no joke that the World feels a bit upside down at the moment. It's like a scene from "I am Legend" if you are still lucky enough to be driving to work these days, except the potholes are deeper. Nobody has any idea when we will all get back to our version of "normal". But who needs normal anyways? So here I am.

My absolute favorite thing about this club is our people, and there are so many different worlds coming together it blows my mind. Every single event brings such a variety of vehicles, driving styles, and attitudes. It would be next to impossible to showcase every single member, but I think it would be an intriguing challenge to try to touch on as many familiar faces/grilles as I can. I believe this also helps in the long run with people just getting to know each other. In my experience, after you attend a few events, you start to recognize the cars, and especially if you are out on the track with them, you end up talking and getting to know them a little bit. This could possibly become a slightly less adrenaline filled version of that same excitement.

This is just an idea in my head of course, but please let me know if there is any interest in something along these lines. 

 

Dason

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dason - good on you. You’re right, this is a great opportunity to keep up with our automotive connections the only way we really can in these highly unusual times.

...and I’m not on any social media either - just not my bag. But I’d like to know what everyone is working on.

I kept blowing the tires off in turns 3-4-5 so I’m putting a different set of headers on my car in an effort to move the torque peak up a bit and free up a bit more hp. I went from 1 5/8” shorty’s to 1 3/4” full length headers. As soon as the weather is good enough I will bolt them on. If the dollar gets better I might get stiffer springs but exchange is just too high right now.

Dason - any plans for your car??

anybody else trying something new??

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Fantastic idea Dason.  To Matt Corrie.  Back in the day I was dealing with a similar problem for a different reason and changed my diff to put my revs where I could use them in 5 and in 7/8.  My car had a power band from about 5000 to 8500 but was pretty sluggish below 5.  You can make a spreadsheet with all your different gear ratios and tire sizes included.  In my case I knew what speed I needed to get down to to make corner 5 so I picked a final drive ratio that would put me just over 5000 in second coming out of 5.  I was losing a couple of car lengths with the stock ratio and this eliminated that problem.  Not enough for a pass on that back straight but since it worked the same in 7/8 I could set up passes on the front straight coming out of 8 or 9 or whatever it was.  Yes, it was a rotary.

Scott

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Same as me David - I have a garage but it’s skinny,  can’t work on suspension or brakes in there. But that’s cool. With the nice weather it’s good to be outside!

Scott - I have been contemplating a gearing change for that same reason.... I have 3.42 right now. So 3.73 is logical. With the double-overdriven T56 i could run 4.11 with no problems. But changing the headers to alter the power band Is a new challenge for me, I have no experience with this and am looking forward to the results.
As it sits, I’m in 3rd gear from turn 3 until the start-finish line where I pull 4th and keep it there til T3 again...kinda boring, but as a rule I don’t take the motor past 5800 and learning to carry momentum through the corners is a great exercise in physics, specifically Newton’s 1st law of motion. I dunno, maybe I should re-visit the gearing...

that being said, the rear of my car was exhibiting an uncomfortable lack of control despite my best efforts to put it where I’d like it to be. in preparation for the season finale in sept 2019, I got a new sway bar for the rear (never had one before) and also clamped a coil down in an effort to follow the manufacturers recommended settings when using Hoosier tires - they said minimum is to run 10% more spring with their tires. 
well, due to weather I didn’t get to the track in September, so it’s going to be a new deal for the first track day of 2020 - whenever that will be. Either way, I’ll be ready!

Edited by mcorrie
Grammmerrr
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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...

Edited by donrolandofurioso
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I was also looking forward to testing a few new upgrades on the GTI this spring. I installed new KONI Sports adjustable shocks and was looking forward to tuning them at the track, as well have some wider stickier rubber coming from Speedfactor and  maybe JBRacing. Plus I read Going Faster!: Mastering the Art of Race Driving so I'm sure that would have knocked off a second or two!

I was starting to have some fun driving on the dry roads the last couple of days but that's on hold now too! The 928 poked its tail out today then went back into isolation.

Brad

 

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IMG_0876[1].JPG

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Reply to DonRolando:  I suggest staying in 3rd for corner 3 and 4 and dropping to 2nd for 5.  You can't gain as much on the two short straights as you can by being able to accelerate more furiously once you get out of 5.  Also staying in 3rd give you a little more gas pedal control over spinning tires.   I was running a 512 and dropped to a 465 with outstanding results.  I think all Mazda's diffs fit any Rx7.  I picked mine up used on Ebay and it worked fine.  I'll see if I can find the formula for calculating rpm to speed with different tire and diff combos.  You need to know the gear ratios of each of your tranny gears.

Scott

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On 3/27/2020 at 6:16 PM, mcorrie said:

 

Dason - any plans for your car??

Shame on me for this, but I have absolutely zero plans for my favorite car at the moment. I did get a bit click happy around Xmas though, and I have a brand new set of really sticky tires waiting patiently in the basement.

But in all honesty, I'm not sure how much more track time I will do with the Viper. I'm pretty happy with my lap times. The car stayed the same but the driver got lots of tuning, and I think it's working. I'm at a point where I'm starting to feel guilty about how hard I'm pushing it, and if something serious happened to that car, I would not be able to live with myself. So I have given myself a plan to eventually have a dedicated track car, although I am not sure what, or when.

There are so many great options out there. I think my favorite idea so far,  is to follow the path of Brooke and Andrea, using a newer car. I think my Veloster Turbo has great potential as a track car, so it will likely get some fun changes as it gets closer to paid off. But that is assuming I don't do something impulsive by then, and bring something else home. 

For now, my goal is to stick with the Volunteer stuff, and I will slowly plug away at the little old Toyota motorhome I bought last Fall. It's a strong platform and the motor is solid, but it needs some love and a few modern touches. It was supposed to come home this weekend from storage, but the weather shot me down on that plan. Looks like I don't have to rush to be ready now at least for a while, so all I have is time.

 

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@beppcaGoing Faster is the best book on Driving I’ve read.  I bought that when it was first released many moons ago. The Skip Barber guys have been at it for a long time and rest assured that what you read there is quite practical and applicable. Specifically on how they explain the types of corners and how to approach them. 
 

@Rare Snake pics of the toyotahome!! Those things are great! And for the most part, it doesn’t matter what you drive, as long as your get out there a drive - but rest assured we are all SUPER grateful for the volunteer work you do!!

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That is one sweet Toyotahome. Looks friggen minty.  

Not sure if you've used it yet, I bet you will have much more fun than you thought you would. That is a cool unit and much better then sleeping on the ground, especially when it is raining. 

Don't change the interior at all, it will come back in style in about 20 years. I love it. 

 

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Thanks!

I had it out for the final event last Fall, during that wicked storm and hard rain for two days. Ran awesome, and I was totally blown away that even the fridge worked, luckily that's where I put the whiskey anyway!! Only found a couple little quirks I need to take care of. But heck, half a tank of gas from La Salle to Gimli and back...that's better than the car I usually take!  haha

Edited by Rare Snake
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