[trackday_prep] Bigtimmys Track Hack

[Bigtimmy 1]

Well I'm up to about 250 miles on the running in front, everything is going well, and I'm happy with the way the car feels.

 

I lowered the back end a week or so ago as I thought it sat too high. It loks a lot better now.

 

So another couple of hundred miles over the next week or so and the car should be ready for its first track day on the 20th Feb.

 

Other than that, nothing to report, all is well.

 

I have still got to finish off the interior and tidy it up a bit and hopefully I should get that done later this week or early next.

 

In the meantime here are a couple of photos of the newly lowered car.

 

 

[Bigtimmy 1]

Well the big day is only one sleep away. I checked the car over today and put another 100 miles on the clock and was going to change the oil before the big day, but it is just so clean I can't see the point.

 

Anyhow the big day is tomorrow, the truck is packed up with all my spares and tools and Jerry cans. The exact list reads as follows.

 

Car

Keys

Driving and car documents

Jerry cans, spout and fuel

Impact gun and spare battery

Torch

Oil

Water

Antifreeze

Screenwash

Brake fluid

ATF

WD40

Set of plugs

AFM

Coil

Dizzy

Ignition module

Dizzy cap, rotor arm

Leads

Disposable gloves

Rags

Big toolbox full of useful tools

Trolley jack

Helmet

Tyre inflator

Tyre pressure gauge

65 litres of fuel

Spare set of wheels and tyres, Toyo Proxes PX4 195 50 15

Wheels and tyres Speedline 2108 wearing 185 60 14 Toyo R888

Myself!

 

It looks like being a nice albeit cold day, the forecast is for dry and sunny, I do hope so!

 

I'll post some photos up once I get back.

[Bigtimmy 1]

Well there we are then track day...done!

 

6am start, snow on the ground 2 hour journey there, bacon butty, coffee, briefing, 165 miles round and round, 2 sessions of instruction, home, pint!

 

It was without doubt the most fun I have had with my clothes on for a very long time!

 

I was the first person to arrive, apart from the circuit staff and was a bit worried that it might have been called off, but it hadn't. I unloaded the car, gave it a wipe down, checked the levels and got a butty and a coffee. The briefing was good and informative and then we had about 5 sighting laps as it was still very damp on track. After the sighting laps I went back into the pits and checked all the levels again, all fine.

 

I loaded in my mate who has driven the circuit a few times before and knew the lines. Another 5 or so more laps and a quick check I went out for my first time in anger and wow how much fun was that! 11am I had some tuition and the instructor was very good and said I was taking good lines through the corners, but was turning in a bit too early on one or two and missing the apex on another couple.

 

After the instruction I took on board what the instructor had said and went out for some more laps and got my lines as near perfect as I could. After lunch the track dried out quite a lot more and it became much grippier and made for much more committed driving. Later in the afternoon I had another session of instruction and the instructor had been watching from other cars he had been in throughout the day and was impressed with my lines and he taught me some trail braking techniques which made the exit speed of the corner much quicker. A few more laps and I had racked up over 160 miles and it was time to go home.

 

The car behaved absolutely perfectly, I couldn't have asked for more, apart from a couple of small issues.

A small blow of oil out of the broken dipstick top, solved with some insulation tape

A clunk under hard cornering but only on the left hand ones, coming from somewhere on the drivers side front

The gear linkages need a bit of adjustment as it pops out of first third and fifth when you lift off the power...not ideal!

 

I made short work of the front passenger side tyre during the afternoon session, and checked with the instructor who said it was about right for a front wheel drive car around Ty Croes, but I will swap the front and backs around for the next track day which I definately haven't booked for the 14th March..no definately not!!

 

Anyhow, all the stuff I packed into the back of the truck wasn't needed, well not by me anyway, one of my mates binned his Evo into a tyre wall and had to use a screwdriver to pop his tyre back on, and my jerry can spout was in constant use! I'll unpack it all and leave it in the boxes ready to load back in for the 14th!

 

Anyhow here are a couple of photos

 

Into the corkscrew

 

Good view, not that I saw it!

 

Having some instruction

 

Classic Ty Croes

 

By the way, the photos are huge so might take a wee while to load up when you click the thumbnail, if you are still on dail up just forget it it isn't worth the hassle!

Edited February 21, 2010 by Bigtimmy

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Brilliant stuff!

 

Nice write up and you clearly, really, stupendously enjoyed yourself. Perhaps very proud of your car too?

 

I'm looking forward to some track tuition/pointers, as I suspect I'll make similar 'mistakes'. I hear turning in early is quite common.

 

I usually try and make Wales meets, so perhaps I'll see you leek side one day.

[Bigtimmy 1]

Cheers Dr S, still got a stupid grin on my face even now two days later, proud of the car too, it held up well and didn't let me down.

 

So it's Monday afternoon and the sun is shining here in North Wales so I unloaded the car, washed it, unloaded the Landy and decided that I should take a look at the few problems I had on Saturday.

 

The oil leak issue can be solved with a shiny new dipstick which isn't broken..simples!

 

The "clunk" I heard from the drivers side front was a driveshaft bolt which holds the long section of the offside driveshaft into the bearing housing a la photo below

 

Driveshaft bolt loose

 

I think that this might just explain the clunk I think!, this however wasn't the only issue, I think that this has pulled the Driveshaft CV boot off as well, a la photo below...

 

Driveshaft CV boot off

 

This in turn has sprayed the engine bay, subframe and exhaust manifold with CV grease...lovely, which in turn would explain the slightly oily smell that was wafting through the cabin every now and again during the afternoon session!

 

It also looks like the nearside gearbox oil seal is leaking slightly, I'm not sure that it is fitted the right way round, but is certainly the other way round to the offside one, perhaps someone could shed some light on that for me. For info the nearside one is fitted so you can see the metal springs(?) around the seal itself.

 

Other than that I am chuffed to bits with the car, it handled really well and has given me more smiles per mile than any other car I have owned in my 14 years of motoring!!

 

Built in France...perfected in North Wales!!

Edited February 22, 2010 by Bigtimmy

[Bigtimmy 1]

OK, so here we are on the eve of another trackday and I haven't updated this blog in quite some time, it would appear that my boatyard needs some love before the season starts and I've also been on an RNLI VHF Radio course today...on a feckin Saturday damn it. Still only 2 weeks until I have to work 7 days a week for the next 6 months...woop woop!

 

Anyhow, rather than going and getting lashed at the pub, I thought I would spend some time updaing this, getting a good nights kip before setting off early in the morning to Ty Croes.

 

So what have I been up to?

 

Well I pulled the shafts out and took a look at the seals and I thought the N/S seal might have been leaking a bit and it looked like it might have been in the wrong way round, photo below

 

 

What do you think?

 

Anyhow it's done 200 miles since I put the shaft back in so I'll call it ok.

 

I also replaced the intermediate driveshaft bearing, because it was out and was rubling a wee bit - better to be safe!

 

Below are a couple of photos of the rig before the last track day

 

 

In the shed

 

 

Ready for the off

 

 

Looking Pro!

[welshpug 1,661]

yup, that's in back to front and possibly a tad too deep, doh!

[Bigtimmy 1]

On the way up to the last track day I wanted to take a spare set of wheels and tyres with me, for the wet, but had to put them in the car on the way up and wasn't overly happy with that.

 

So after that I decided to get a tyre rack to store two sets of spares. After a good look round and some research into prices and a distinct lack of anything suitable on fleabay I decided to build my own. Once again I had Mr Clarkson's mantra ringing in my ears..."How hard can it be?" Yeah right!

 

Steel Ordered, plans drawn, pipe bender organised, shed ready!

 

The pipe bender didn't work so plan be was drawn and two days later we had a new tyre rack which works!

 

 

Checking to see that it works

 

 

A bit of paint

 

 

Job Done

 

Other than that I put a set of polycarb windows in, apart from the drivers side one a sI like my electric one too much!, they weren't much trouble to fit and I used a set of base model rear window rubbers which went in a treat.

 

I've had the brakes off and checked them over and scrubbed them and they feel good for it too, and I removed the rear plastic, smoothed off the metal fixings and painted in Kermit green as well as adding a few more stickers!

 

So the photos below were taken on Friday and show the beasty off as she is.

 

 

The bad side

 

 

The good side

 

 

If you're seeing this on the track MOVE OVER in your heap of jap crap!

 

 

Most peoples view on the track....I wish!

 

 

All strapped up and ready to go, complete with full tyre rack!

 

Well I'm sure there will be more to update tomorrow evening when I get back!!

 

Laters !

[Bigtimmy 1]

yup, that's in back to front and possibly a tad too deep, doh!

 

Bother..I didn't fit it either.

 

After a hard track day last time it hadn't leaked enough to drop any oil on the floor and it hasn't leaked any more during its running around over the last few weeks and being as I don't have time now to change it I'll use it again tomorrow and change it for the new ones I bought from J Turnell on here which look nice I have to say!

 

I know that disaster is only a seal away but I'm confident it'll be ok.

 

Fingers crossed!

[Bigtimmy 1]

Well there we are then, second track day done!

 

Only 142 miles on track today due to a combination of red flags during the two sessions, usually just as I had gone down the pit lane..bugger!

 

Still on the upside I had great fun again and the car was well behaved again, apart from a slight issue at around 16.15 when, with 45 minutes to go the little L shaped bar that holds the rear pads in the caliper popped out somewhere round the track and resulted in the pads nearly coming out.

 

There was a good mix of cars today as well, from a KTM Xbow to an old skool mini and some lovely looking Beemers which were very quick.

 

Unfortunately a guy in an a mid 90's 911 decided not to let me past for about 8 laps, probably having cock size issues, but he really couldn't drive the thing round corners and as we all know 911 V 8v 205 on a straight is no contest...what a cock!

 

All in all another good day

 

Roll on the next one.

[Bigtimmy 1]

Here we are in late April and I haven't really touched the car since my last track day, other than to change the wheels back to road tyres and put the pad retaining pin in and wire it up so it can't escape again.

 

Since my last track day I have been super busy at work and haven't had a day off for absolutely ages. Still I musn't grumble, I work in a boatyard, by the sea, and when the sun shines it is the most awesome job in the world, trundling up and down the beach in a tractor launching boats and generally looking after about 60 speedboats and sailing boats. It's certainly better than a kick in the teeth!

 

Anyhow I bit the bullet late last week and booked a couple of track days, all at Ty Croes, the first of which is a week on Friday (30th April). It will be my first sessioned track day so it'll be interesting to see how much mileage I get done during the sessions.

 

I also thought I should perhaps start looking at the car.

 

During the last few weeks I have bought some more bits for the car, sold Team Kermit, sorted a white wing for Team Whitey and relocated the battery to the boot with an isolator switch where the clock used to be.

 

I had decided that running the 205 shafts with the 309 bottom arms might end in tears so have sourced a set of 309 shafts and 1.9 hubs from Baz, thanks again! I have also purchased a Trans X diff from Miles, thanks again!, which should arrive later in the week.

 

So having sold Team Kermit I had to source a wing for the car so went on the scavenge and ended up finding one on a car at my mates place and removed it in the pouring rain in the dark, an odd choice I know but needs must! It was blue, but a quick blurt of white and hey presto white wing. Whilst the wing was off I sorted a few bits of rust that were developing and dis some undersealing.

 

White wing not that exciting!

 

Then the following week I decided to relocate the battery into the boot, so that was duly done over a week or so of 10 minutes here and 10 there. I decided whilst doing this I sould put an isolator switch in as well so decided to remove the radio hole, clock and switches and replace the whole area with a carbon fibre panel....so I made one up and cut it to size, fitted the isolator, hazard switch and fog switch. Job jobbed

 

Vacuum bagging the carbon dash panel complete with brew!

 

My new shafts and hubs arrived today so I decided that in preperation for the diff arriving I would jack the car up and put it on the stands and drain the gearbox oil.

 

I bought the hubs knowing that they needed new bearings and they arrived this afternoon as well so after work I set about removing the old bearings from the hubs, such a lovely job which involved about an hour and a half, a can of swedish beer, a blue nosed spanner and a selection of large and larger hammers and drifts.

 

They are all sorted now and will be shotblasted and powder coated tomorrow ready for the bearings and bolting back onto the car.

 

I'm sorry for the long post but there was quite a bit to catch up on. I'll post some more, (shorter), updates over the next week as work progresses.

[Bigtimmy 1]

A day or two later and it's done!

 

Subframe as it came out

 

I have had the bits shotblasted and then decided rather than powdercoat them it would be better to epoxy prime them.

 

Shotblast Sion

 

Subframe Primed

 

Subframe and ARB Painted and shiny!

 

So when the paint has dried tomorrow I will be bolting it all back together. I have also bought some new drop links, ARB bushes and some other bits that will keep the whole lot working sweetly for a few more miles. Then once the diff arrives I can bosh that in, change the gearbox oil seals and hey presto job done!

 

More soon!

[Sandy 191]

Abersoch Coffee with lovely rich Abersoch Milk.... mmmmm!

[Bigtimmy 1]

Well, it's now deepest darkest January, infact it is supposedly the most depressing day of the year today, what a great thought!

 

Anyhow, I completely forgot to update this thread after fitting my diff and doing another couple of track days.

 

Briefly the diff works a treat and gives the car a whole different feel, which I like.

 

I did another three or four track days during 2010 and had an absolute ball.

 

Only once did me and the car fall out, when I lost a few "important" bolts, and after fixing those the oil cooler cracked and pissed oil everywhere, luckily I had just come into the pits as it happened.

 

The last day I did was in September and was with NORLOG who are a group of Lotus guys, who turned out to be a really nice bunch. I took a few of them out in the pug and they liked it so much that they have invited me to this years trackday, so thats one booked!

 

I have also booked another one for mid Feb, which got me thinking....

 

At the end of last year I was happy that I'd got the balance of the car right regarding brakes and suspension, but I did think I was lacking a bit of power with me running an essentially standard engine and injection system.

 

After umming and aahhing about whether to do an MI16 or GTI 6 conversion I decided to settle on an uprated 8valver.

I managed to pick up a lightly fettled one from Alex (Boombang) which has a lightened and balanced bottom end, twin 40's and a new, albeit relatively standard cam in it.

 

When it was built, about 20k miles ago it had a raft of new parts fitted, rings, shells, etc and it was dyno'd at 135hp @5500rpm with a peak torque figure of 141lbft @4750rpm.

 

So not massively up on power but quite a torquey engine.

 

So this months project is to get that fitted with a new cam, which I have bought from the for sale section here and a set of twin 45's that I picked up last year.

 

Then it'll be off to AB Motorsport in Chester to get it set up properly and see what she makes.

 

Any thoughts from anyone about power figures on that setup.... ??

 

I'll update again as I go along.

[qwerty 9]

Just finished reading you tremendous thread mate, really enjoyed reading the progress, its giving me the boost i need to get on with mine

 

cant wait to do my first track day, sounds like you having a blast!

 

looking forward to see what your new engine makes

 

hats off!

[Bigtimmy 1]

Cheers muchly!

 

I collected my new head on Friday, but have been struck down with gout of all things so I aren't as mobile as I should be at the moment, and am just currently sorting all the parts out for the head off / on job, then I can crack on hopefully later this week and get it sorted and well on the way to being in the car.

 

Then it'll be off to AB in chester for some setup and an RR run.

[Bigtimmy 1]

Here we are then, a bit of an update.

 

Great track day at Ty Croes on Sunday 30th Jan, met up with a few guys from here which was a giggle, drove the car quite well throughout the day and did about 150 miles on track.

 

Monday morning I decided to crack on and get the engine out.

 

Close of play on Tuesday and it's out and stripped down ready to put the bits on the new engine.

 

Ready to come out

 

White engine bay, still surprisingly white after a year!

 

Out and ready for a stripdown

 

Stripped all the bits I need

 

Tomorrow will involve running some fuel lines and tidying the injection loom.

 

Nice to be giving the old girl a bit of a makeover....again!!

Edited February 1, 2011 by Bigtimmy