GVR4 mods quantified

[skivittlerjimb]

Rear lock up is probably due to the fact that the rear pads were brand new, while the front pads are the DS3000s, prob. down to about 25% now. The rears are just ordinary metallic pads I had on the shelf, no idea what brand they are. It really wasn't something that slowed me down at all. Just my lackluster driving does that.

At Calabogie I had whatever the previous owner had installed for rear pads, and didn't get lock-up, but then I didn't get great braking performance, either. The bite of the DS3000s is fantastic in comparison to the Hawk HPs on the front that I burned up at Calabogie. I may not want to go back to a non-race front pad for track events. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif

Unf. I won't be at NHIS next weekend but I will be at Tremblant, Al. You guys going to that one? Fantastic track, free lakeside camping available at the track, a visit to Montreal along the way... you know you want to go! It's right after Maine Forest Rally on Monday and Tuesday, July 30th and 31st.

-Jim B.
280/1000
1432/2000

 

[Bimmubishi]

Jim, we'll be going to X Games that week so we're going to skip MFR this year. We're doing NHIS and then maybe a hillclimb. I don't know about the rest of the season but later in the year we're doing Redline Time Attack and GT Live in VA.

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Well I've been back to this same track a couple more times this year. Most recent was Labor Day weekend. Won my class by a whisker (.07 seconds) and had the 4th fastest car time there (there were three shifter karts there that were as well... two were faster than all the cars) out of about 20 cars.

Lucked out in terms of results when a turbo Miata that is somehow in the same class had a water pump take a dump. Usually that car is battling with the 400+hp STi that runs 3 seconds quicker than I do. Also lucked out in other ways. /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/blush.gif

Ended up unknowingly not just double, but triple gasketing an oil filter during an oil change about a week before the track event. Drove a good 5+ hours that way. First timed laps on Saturday morning made it through the first couple of turns fine, but on the 2-3 shift at ~7k rpm, the filter gasket trio had had enough of my stupidity. About two turns later, and ~3.5 qts. of Mobil 10W30 was deposited on the racing line in a nice thin film. Doh! Shut 'er down in plenty of time to keep any damage from occurring, but man was I feeling like an ssa. /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/bawling.gif

Every was very cool about it, but of course I received lots of good-natured teasing. About :40 of stay-dri spreading and sweeping later, and we resumed the event, and no one really noticed the oil at all. With a track so porous, it seeped in pretty quickly.

Only missed three timed laps, and did fine on Sat., getting back into the 58.xx range easily in the cool temps. Cy was right, though, Porterfield R4S aren't true track pads, and that coupled with a bit of air in the brake system somewhere meant it was difficult to gauge brake pedal feel and lock up point. With proper racing brakes and properly bled lines, I'm sure a 57.xx was very possible on either Saturday or Sunday.

Anyhoo, only real mods since last time were going from the DSM link ECU with only a quick tune and tons of tip-in knock, back to the Keydiver ECU that came with the car that is set for my 880cc inj. and 3.5" GM MAF set up. I'm itching to get the car a wideband, fresh plugs, shore up any remaining boost leaks, maybe a new knock sensor, etc., and get it on a set of rollers and see what sort of usable power I can get with the DSM link back in it. Definitely on the short term to do list.

Oh yeah, I also rid myself of the front bumper reinforcement. Not sure I want to do that long term, though. Ultimately I'd rather have something that is light and minimalist, but that rigidly ties together those front frame rail ends where the reinforcement bar mounts. I may have someone local fabricate something using just the pieces of the reinforcement that mount to those two spots with an x-brace or ladder brace tieing them together. We'll see.

Lowered my best lap time by .19 and average lap times for the event were .48 better than my previous best effort. Here's the Sunday results. All in all a weekend well spent. Some pics to follow.

-Jim B.
280/1000

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Two wheels in the air a bit off the curbing:


Digging that saggy bumper look:


Yeah, this is as fun as it looks:


Back to reality, no pit crew, no sponsorships, no paddock babes. Just getting under the car one more time for some reason or another:


-Jim B.
280/1000

Photo credits to Dave Guertin (1-3) and vermontracing.com (4)

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Resurrecting this old thread again. Cut my best time at this track so far, 58.04. Probably had some fun run laps in the 57.xx range but timing woes throughout the weekend kept me from knowing for sure. Won my class beating two WRXs, both with suspension mods and between 230-260 whp. Faster cars in higher classes including a heavily prepped '04 STi, Joey Kale's 95 Impreza with STi motor, a supercharged Miata, a Factory Five Cobra, and a gutted, snarling, turbo 1.8 early 80s Rabbit with huge race slicks (hillclimb car).

280 is essentially the same as last year except for the 9.0-1 compression from the new motor Alex G. built. Toyo RA-1s helped, too, but the brakes were not the best they could be. New rear lines from Curtis are in but a rounded fitting on the hard line between the two soft lines kept me from replacing the fronts before the event. Fluid was a bit sub-par and even with a bit of bleeding before and during the event, the pedal was still a bit spongy a few laps in.

Thermostat late opening issue appears to be sorted out after swapping to mostly water and Water Wetter. I did notice the radiator fan is wired a little funny so I'll have to figure that part out. For the most part, though, engine temps were not a concern.

Really, other than a minor flat-spotting one of my new Bridgestone RE-11Rs (street/autox tire that I drove on the first part of the weekend), the car had no issues and was a blast to drive at speed again. It had been since last August that I'd driven the car at anything approaching 10/10ths and it was long overdue. On to the pics and video:

With the new Evo 8 wheels


Hard under braking


Giving the RA-1s a workout in the 3rd gear sweeper


Another view with the Rotas


Some in-car video

FTD 95 Impreza with STi motor

-Jim B.
280/1000

 

[Polish]

Looking at your times in the first post to now you've made great progress over the past years. Great job, keep up the good work. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif