'05 Budget Track Hack

Started by Roj, August 23, 2020, 14:12

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Roj

Quote from: Joesson on September 17, 2020, 17:13@Roj, your " Egyptian " tour looked interesting, so is the oil removal pump.
My daily has a sealed for life gear box that has a fill hole but no drain. Your pump may suit if it could handle the more viscous gear oil. Could you please post details of your pump.
PS
I use the Mobil oil, any particular reason you changed to Fuchs

I can't recall the brand of mine (and its bagged up and in the shed now) but there are many identical items on amazon and eBay. I think mine could be this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076J63NF7/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_y84yFb727DKAW

The advert states it should only be used on warm oil due to the viscosity, but warm gear oil should be ok too.

I'm not entirely sure why it didn't work so well on the '2, so maybe it's just not suited to all applications. But at under £20 it's probably worth a punt for your intended use.

I used mine to transfer the used oil from the drain pan/bucket into the old Mobil bottle, so it's pretty useful even just to minimise mess at that point. As much as I tried I used to always end up with a slight spillage when pouring it from the pan into a funnel/can.

I've read and heard great things about the Fuchs Race oil. It's designed for high revs, high load applications. My car will be spending a lot of time at high revs so I just want to be sure its got the best chance of surviving.

Joesson

Thank you for the info @Roj , I'm not certain that I would want to try removing the engine oil from either of my cars via the dipstick orifice but I can empathise with the collateral damage when decanting etc.
Fuchs does seem to be popular for those that track their 2's although in 2015 Toyota were using Mobil 1 in their LeMans cars but that is at a different price level to the Mobil 3000 that I use.

Roj

Quote from: Joesson on September 17, 2020, 18:43Thank you for the info @Roj , I'm not certain that I would want to try removing the engine oil from either of my cars via the dipstick orifice but I can empathise with the collateral damage when decanting etc.
Fuchs does seem to be popular for those that track their 2's although in 2015 Toyota were using Mobil 1 in their LeMans cars but that is at a different price level to the Mobil 3000 that I use.

I'd be more than happy using Mobil 3000 for daily use, it's certainly at the better end of the scale of oil performance.

Roj

Another quick one tonight:

From fried egg...



to fried alien egg...



I won't be spending big bucks on the aesthetics of this car but I needed to replace a bulb anyway, so may as well jazz it up a bit while there :)

AdamR28

Making good progress!

The Titan Race oil is excellent.

Roj

Quote from: AdamR28 on September 17, 2020, 20:21Making good progress!

The Titan Race oil is excellent.

Thanks... slowly but surely!

Tbh I shouldn't be spending any time on the car just now as I have too many other priorities, but I can't help procrastinating from the boring stuff when its sat outside :)

Roj

#31
So I went for a short 2hr track night at Knockhill last night. First time out in the dry in this car. Initial impressions were decent, did my usual warm up lap, then a few at 7/10ths, then back in for a general check over, adjust tyre pressures etc. The next session was good, started getting up to flat out pace, although traffic was building up - some people need to learn when to pull over and others need to learn when to get past! The traffic meant I struggled to get into a good rhythm over a series of laps, but I found myself keeping up with some cars that should have been quicker on spec and the car was behaving fairly well. The soft sidewalls on the Avon ZV7s became an issue pretty quickly, and quite a few times it felt like the car just wouldn't settle. Still on standard suspension too so this was understandable. Some stickier tyres with a stiffer sidewall and fewer tread blocks to move around will make a huge difference. Although that will then lead to ARBs, coilovers, bushes.... :D

I took my mate out for a few passenger laps and all was going well until I could hear a high pitched rasp coming from the rear. Pulled in after a cool down lap to discover the exhaust was blowing at the NS flex joint on the cat downpipe.



Good excuse to get myself a new sports cat and system! I'll give a local place a call to see what they'll quote for a custom system, however I think budget will dictate going for a Malian from the guy on the facebook groups so I've messaged him to enquire about lead times.

Then I went out with my mate for a few laps in his F80 M3 Comp - that was an experience - 1:01 laps compared to my 1:08s! I decided to head out for a few final laps before the track closed, thinking that if I got flagged for the exhaust noise it would matter during the last session. No black flag, a few extra, blooming noisy laps!

All in all a good night, can't wait to get back out.

Roj

So, living up to it's 'budget' designation... temp fix on the exhaust:



JB Weld to the rescue. I took my time and used small amounts and squeezed it right into the crack while pulling at the lower section to ensure it was open as much as possible. Then kept applying thin layers on top and squeezing it all tight. Left it to set overnight and it's solid as a rock tonight. No blowing at all. Result!

I'll use the car sparingly until the next event on the 10th October, a tarmac rally test day on service roads and taxi ways around RAF Leuchars. I used to work there many years ago, so it'll be interesting to punt the '2 along roads that were otherwise off limits to civvie cars.

New exhaust should be here mid-October all going well, so fingers crossed the bodge job lasts until then.

Roj

A pic from Knockhill on Monday night. You can see the rear tyre roll in this pic and it's not even under particularly extreme load  here.



I installed BRD poly gear linkage bushes last night. They really have made as big a difference as people have suggested, I was shocked how much more precise the change is now. The short shift kit now feels much better than the standard shift, which wasn't the case when it was first installed.

Unfortunately, on the test drive to check the shifting, the exhaust bodge job lasted all of about two minutes. It started blowing again at the first bump in the road, the exhaust moving around enough to dislodge the material in one lump.



Luckily I've sourced a second hand oem cat local-ish from a member of the UK roadster Facebook groups which I'm going to collect tomorrow. I've ordered new crush gaskets, bolts, studs nuts and springs from Mr. T, will be in stock on Tuesday and they'll apply a club discount too, which is nice (although how much they've yet to say). I might hold off on ordering the new exhaust until the new year as it isn't an essential purchase now, plus I think the money will be better spent on brakes and tyres.

I'll be needing new brake pads soon, thinking of going to EBC Bluestuff front and Yellowstuff rear, a combo which seems to get decent reviews on here from the track regulars. I looked at Ferodo DS2500 (not cheap) and Pagid RS29 (effin' megabucks!) but the current tyres will limit their performance so not much point in splashing out until the rubber situation is sorted. Pagid's certainly aren't in keeping with the 'budget' intentions of this car anyway!

AJRFulton

Was this car at the recent Tracktion Track Day?

AJRFulton

Fairly certain we are both in this pic


img share news

Roj

It sure was 🙋‍♂️

That's a cracking wee '2 you've got. Goes well, especially through the bends. I was going to stop by and check it out/say hi but I don't think we were in the paddock at the same time often.

Do you race in one of the series at Knockhill?

AJRFulton

#37
Quote from: Roj on December  1, 2020, 20:08It sure was 🙋‍♂️

That's a cracking wee '2 you've got. Goes well, especially through the bends. I was going to stop by and check it out/say hi but I don't think we were in the paddock at the same time often.

Do you race in one of the series at Knockhill?

My car is a 2ZZ and it was struggling big time on the straights.

My 'good' engine had blown up at the start of the season, so that's a high miler from a breaker. It's having issues with valve float right at the top end and the VVT had packed up too. Going by my VMax on the day it can only be putting out 135-140bhp. However, it was a case of run it till it broke just to get seat time in 2020. Was delighted with how the chassis side was performing, but it wasn't fast. Last season with the 2ZZ that was doing 59-60's, at the Tracktion day it was 62-63's.

However, found it interesting following the 2 silver cars. Was cool to see how much time the race modified car, with big brakes, sticky tyre, proper suspensions and stiff chassis could take out the standard car in the twisty bits.  At least I'm assuming your car is standard or near standard?

Was it yourself that had spun with the B.M.W near by at the Chicane? Not sure what had happened there but it looked a near miss.

I sprint in Superlap Scotland (something you could look into if you're a keen track go'er, it has road car classes).

Also race in the Mod-Sport Championship. Ambitions of doing some time attack and endurance races next season.

Roj

Ah, that's not ideal. I thought it was maybe stock engine for a certain class or something, but you were still edging away from me up the hill... probably lower weight and better traction out the hairpin. What does your car weigh in race trim?

I'm fully stock, well apart from a short-shift kit and poly linkage bushes. Just picked the car up in the summer and still learning how to drive a mid-engined car again after ten years away from them, it's taken a few sessions at Knockhill to get the tyre pressures dialled in for the relevant temps. The Avon ZV7s that came on the car are the main weak point just now.... as well as me! They're actually ok for a mid-budget tyre but playing with the pressures is always a compromise between traction and feel. They're not great under braking either, even with standard pads they'll lock up/trigger the ABS if I'm clumsy or if I need to react to something in front of me.

With a clear lap and non-ideal temps plus a smir of rain I was getting consistent low 1:07s, with a few laps just a few hundredths off of edging into 1:06s. I reckon with some stickier rubber and stiffer sidewalls, some better pads/lines/fluid, bit of weight reduction and some more laps I'll be down into 1:05s. But then I'll want to upgrade the suspension too, strip the interior.... and then it'll be "may as well go 2ZZ"... it's never ending :D

I managed to keep mine pointing straight - the one that spun was my mate in his pre-facelift '2. I was passenger at the time and I was bricking it when my other mate in his TT came over the chicane and nearly went head-on into us. It was his first  ever track day, so he was a bit nervous, and that spin was on his third lap. His main problem was his winter tyres. I'd told him to get some decent tyres on there but he wanted to wait until summer for those. I had a few laps of the car and it was properly crap, literally had no clue what the tyres were going to do next, it was driving a bar of soap!

I'll get down to some SLS days next year and say hello, once spectators are allowed back. Can't see me competing there any time soon as planning on entering the Scottish Sprint and Hillclimb Champs next year, but that'll depend on time and money.

You should get a build thread up for your car, I'd be keen to see more about it.


1979scotte

@Roj

Why don't people ever listen about tyres.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

AJRFulton

#40
Quote from: Roj on December  2, 2020, 08:06Ah, that's not ideal. I thought it was maybe stock engine for a certain class or something, but you were still edging away from me up the hill... probably lower weight and better traction out the hairpin. What does your car weigh in race trim?

I'm fully stock, well apart from a short-shift kit and poly linkage bushes. Just picked the car up in the summer and still learning how to drive a mid-engined car again after ten years away from them, it's taken a few sessions at Knockhill to get the tyre pressures dialled in for the relevant temps. The Avon ZV7s that came on the car are the main weak point just now.... as well as me! They're actually ok for a mid-budget tyre but playing with the pressures is always a compromise between traction and feel. They're not great under braking either, even with standard pads they'll lock up/trigger the ABS if I'm clumsy or if I need to react to something in front of me.

With a clear lap and non-ideal temps plus a smir of rain I was getting consistent low 1:07s, with a few laps just a few hundredths off of edging into 1:06s. I reckon with some stickier rubber and stiffer sidewalls, some better pads/lines/fluid, bit of weight reduction and some more laps I'll be down into 1:05s. But then I'll want to upgrade the suspension too, strip the interior.... and then it'll be "may as well go 2ZZ"... it's never ending :D

I managed to keep mine pointing straight - the one that spun was my mate in his pre-facelift '2. I was passenger at the time and I was bricking it when my other mate in his TT came over the chicane and nearly went head-on into us. It was his first  ever track day, so he was a bit nervous, and that spin was on his third lap. His main problem was his winter tyres. I'd told him to get some decent tyres on there but he wanted to wait until summer for those. I had a few laps of the car and it was properly crap, literally had no clue what the tyres were going to do next, it was driving a bar of soap!

I'll get down to some SLS days next year and say hello, once spectators are allowed back. Can't see me competing there any time soon as planning on entering the Scottish Sprint and Hillclimb Champs next year, but that'll depend on time and money.

You should get a build thread up for your car, I'd be keen to see more about it.



I have a set of BC Racing BR's - I took them off and upgraded last year. Nothing wrong with them, a few years old and will only have did track mileage - just kept them there as a spare that has became obvious I will never again use. Have a box of all sorts of spring rates too so.... if you're looking for a cheap way to uprate the suspension there wouldn't be a great deal of money in them.

Car weighs about 930kg - with the 2ZZ working it's a quick car - there won't be too many sub 200bhp cars that will beat it around there (by cars I mean things you could buy out a showroom when new - not a Caterham, radicals, etc).

The track was treacherous at the start, it took about 5-6 laps to switch the tyres on and get grip. But I think those conditions are the most difficult to drive in, 3-4 degrees and too dry for wets/inters, but damp enough - was greasy and hard to get heat into the semi slicks.

Explains a lot from your mates car with the tyres, it was struggling in the corners - tbf he probably felt he was doing well on his winters - he'd have the grippiest tyres on track until everyone elses tyres got heat in them.

I may start a thread - the car was originally built by a member on here for the MR2 Cup - then came into my hands. I'm about to rebuild (another) engine though.

AdamR28

Quote from: AJRFulton on December  2, 2020, 10:28I may start a thread - the car was originally built by a member on here for the MR2 Cup - then came into my hands. I'm about to rebuild (another) engine though.

Would definitely be interested to have a read of that :)

Roj

Quote from: 1979scotte on December  2, 2020, 09:21@Roj

Why don't people ever listen about tyres.


To be fair to him he appreciated that they wouldn't be ideal, but neither of us expected them to be as bad as they were. I expected low grip levels under load and a bit of movement, but they were honestly lethal in all aspects!

Roj

Quote from: AJRFulton on December  2, 2020, 10:28
Quote from: Roj on December  2, 2020, 08:06Ah, that's not ideal. I thought it was maybe stock engine for a certain class or something, but you were still edging away from me up the hill... probably lower weight and better traction out the hairpin. What does your car weigh in race trim?

I'm fully stock, well apart from a short-shift kit and poly linkage bushes. Just picked the car up in the summer and still learning how to drive a mid-engined car again after ten years away from them, it's taken a few sessions at Knockhill to get the tyre pressures dialled in for the relevant temps. The Avon ZV7s that came on the car are the main weak point just now.... as well as me! They're actually ok for a mid-budget tyre but playing with the pressures is always a compromise between traction and feel. They're not great under braking either, even with standard pads they'll lock up/trigger the ABS if I'm clumsy or if I need to react to something in front of me.

With a clear lap and non-ideal temps plus a smir of rain I was getting consistent low 1:07s, with a few laps just a few hundredths off of edging into 1:06s. I reckon with some stickier rubber and stiffer sidewalls, some better pads/lines/fluid, bit of weight reduction and some more laps I'll be down into 1:05s. But then I'll want to upgrade the suspension too, strip the interior.... and then it'll be "may as well go 2ZZ"... it's never ending :D

I managed to keep mine pointing straight - the one that spun was my mate in his pre-facelift '2. I was passenger at the time and I was bricking it when my other mate in his TT came over the chicane and nearly went head-on into us. It was his first  ever track day, so he was a bit nervous, and that spin was on his third lap. His main problem was his winter tyres. I'd told him to get some decent tyres on there but he wanted to wait until summer for those. I had a few laps of the car and it was properly crap, literally had no clue what the tyres were going to do next, it was driving a bar of soap!

I'll get down to some SLS days next year and say hello, once spectators are allowed back. Can't see me competing there any time soon as planning on entering the Scottish Sprint and Hillclimb Champs next year, but that'll depend on time and money.

You should get a build thread up for your car, I'd be keen to see more about it.



I have a set of BC Racing BR's - I took them off and upgraded last year. Nothing wrong with them, a few years old and will only have did track mileage - just kept them there as a spare that has became obvious I will never again use. Have a box of all sorts of spring rates too so.... if you're looking for a cheap way to uprate the suspension there wouldn't be a great deal of money in them.

Car weighs about 930kg - with the 2ZZ working it's a quick car - there won't be too many sub 200bhp cars that will beat it around there (by cars I mean things you could buy out a showroom when new - not a Caterham, radicals, etc).

The track was treacherous at the start, it took about 5-6 laps to switch the tyres on and get grip. But I think those conditions are the most difficult to drive in, 3-4 degrees and too dry for wets/inters, but damp enough - was greasy and hard to get heat into the semi slicks.

Explains a lot from your mates car with the tyres, it was struggling in the corners - tbf he probably felt he was doing well on his winters - he'd have the grippiest tyres on track until everyone elses tyres got heat in them.

I may start a thread - the car was originally built by a member on here for the MR2 Cup - then came into my hands. I'm about to rebuild (another) engine though.

Thanks for the offer on the BC's, that would be great but I'm going through a house sale and impending purchase at the moment so every penny is a prisoner until that's all settled. I'll give you a shout next year to see if you still have them :)

The winters were dodgy at all times, even when it was still cold and wet. I reckon the sipes must have been moving around meaning you had no feel for what grip was or wasn't there.

Roj

Been a while since I updated this. I've not managed to get near where I want the car, mainly due to moving house twice this year and changing jobs. Adulting isn't all it's cracked up to be!

The biggest change to the car has been the fitment of the 2.1ZZ 'Frankenstein's 'box', the amalgamation of Celica T-Sport 1st to 5th gears and final drive and the stock FL 6th and LSD. This, coupled with a Competition Clutch lightweight flywheel and Exedy standard spec clutch, has made a world of difference to the way the car drives. It just buzzes up through 2nd, 3rd and 4th now, there's hardly any rev drop between them and it feels amazing. Cruising in 6th isn't too much of a bind either, although it does sit at higher revs due to the lower FD. The only downside is there's a bit of a drop between 4th and 5th which feels like you've hit a brick wall. Not such an issue on the road as you'll be doing 90mph-ish slotting into 5th, but I think it might make longer straights on track days a bit of a pain. It should be great for hillclimbs and sprints though.

Getting the 'box out wasn't an issue, I followed Schnazzle's excellent guide for replacing the clutch to keep me right, although it' fairly self-explanatory once you get in about it. Had a bit of an issue getting the reworked box back in though, after a few weekends of wrestling with it I ended up calling a mobile mechanic to help me out which I wish I'd done after the first day of swearing at it lots, doing my back in and generally losing the will to live. Top tip - loosen the offside suspension at the bottom of the shock so you can jiggle the driveshaft into the 'box side housing.





The new stuff:


If anyone tackles this in future and uses ARP bolts, online info regarding the tightening torque for them is conflicting. Lots of different views depending on what lube is/isn't used. No such conflicting info once you actually open the pack and find the instructions though! 


While the car was off the road I had a few track days booked that I didn't want to miss, so I used my daily driver MkV Gti. First time out was a disaster - I had an hour of tuition booked at Knockhill on one day then a track evening the next night. During the tuition the brakes cooked. I managed to get some Motul RBF in to prevent any boiling fluid but couldn't source decent pads for the next day, so I could only get about three laps in before they went off. I knew it was just pad transfer but couldn't do anything about it, they were well bedded in but just couldn't cope with the heat. Managed to get a set of track spec PBS pads, new Pagid discs and a second set of wheels with Zestino Gredge 07Rs rubber before I went to a full day at Croft then another night at Knockhill. I also had the boost diverter valve replaced and the ECU remapped to optimise it for 99RON which made quite a bit of difference.

Knockhill:


Croft:


Then it was back to the '2.

Finally back on the road...
Cairn O' Mount:


Cockbridge to Tomintoul:


Then a few minor mods...
Removed this little lot:




The new in-car entertainment :D :


I also removed all unnecessary plastics in and around the car, saved a good few kilos there.

Out playing with the big boys:


This road trip was a real eye-opener - the supercars struggled to keep up with the '2 on the single track roads due to their lack of ground clearance. The 600LT had to stop at every cattle grid and raise the front end! Different story on the wider roads though, but I'm still taking it as a win for the plucky wee roadster :)

During a recent trip south visiting family I dropped into J-Spec to pick up another spare set of wheels. The plan is to get rid of the FL 16s and just run PFL sizes in semi-slicks and wets.



I also picked up a pair of JDM Celica seats from Andy that will do as a stop-gap until I get some proper buckets, cage and harnesses.


These are a bit rough but they're fine for my needs. I've still to fit them but they're on the to-do list. Tidied up the driver's side bolster that will become the passenger side now.  Before:


After:


Then today was dropping in a new lightweight battery:



(the cable tie is just there until I confirm my homemade clamp works :)  )

That's about it for now. I'm booked onto Croft early November so I'm going to try and fit the following in between now and then:
Toyosport Manifold
Malian 200cell cat
Malian centre exit
Chain tensioner and seal
Front control arms
Camber bolts
Alignment
Braided brake lines
RBF600
Pagid discs
Apec pads (as recommended by AdamR28)
EPAS fluid
Refurb x2 sets of 15" wheels
Semi-slicks and wets for the wheels - probably go for used race series tyres as they're super cheap: Giti GTR2 and PS3s in 195/50/15 square
Service
Clean up underneath
Fit Celica seats
Fit Dev's door bushes

That should keep me busy for the next few weeks :) Then it'll be off the road again over winter to get prep'd for the next season where I'll hopefully be able to compete.

AJRFulton

Are you planning on doing SLS Roj?

Roj

Quote from: AJRFulton on October  4, 2021, 17:49Are you planning on doing SLS Roj?

Plan is to do as many rounds of the Scottish Sprint and Hillclimb champs, and fit some SLS in when time suits just for the experience. Then maybe do a full season of SLS the following year, depending on how the first one goes and depending if I go for an engine swap or change cars.

I'd like to eventually end up in mod sports or another race series but not sure the bank balance will agree with that!

Roj

Sooooo, this just arrived...



A spur of the moment purchase. I still had an alert set on Gumtree for local-ish MR2s and this popped up. It's an '05, almost identical to my other one. It's been sat for two years, so no MOT and no idea of what will be required to get it through. It's also got THE WORST paint I've ever seen on a car. It appears to have been washed with a combination of a brillo pad and a bucket of rocks. It's absolutely covered in scratches, and not just superficial - deep into the paint.





However, it comes with the all-important hardtop, fitting kit and some funky reclining bucket seats.



It looks pretty good underneath though, including the subframe, and the vendor drove it ~150miles to deliver it, so I thought I may as well jump in feet first. I'll get it up on stands, get a good prod around and confirm it's worth saving. If it is, I'll get it roadworthy, MOT'd, service it etc. and swap the panels and seats over from the other car, sell the buckets and then use it as a fun road car while the track toy gets a bit more serious. Annoyingly I just gave away my Fisher Price stereo and inadvertently chucked out my working aerial during the house move, which would've come in handy for this one as it's got a daft rubber thing stuck to it and a dodgy old sony single din POC wedged into the dash.

If it's not worth saving, I have a hardtop and a rolling car for spares for the other one.

I have something awesome inbound for the track toy, on its way from the Canary Islands if that's a good enough clue for anyone ;)

Roj

#48
RZR shifter installed...



Excuse the gorilla tape holding the carpet together, that's just to see me through the next month or so then the carpet will be pulled. Still need to relocate the window switches to where the coin holder currently resides.



Still sorting the fine adjustment - the horizontal throw is set to short (middle of three available) and the longitudinal throw is similar to the eBay kit this replaced but can go much shorter or back to OEM spec. I'll probably keep it as is until the next track day and adjust if needed. The shift feels amazing, it's buttery smooth yet solid, precise and quick. The elevated position is taking a wee bit of getting used to but I've only been driving a 2-mile loop to get it dialled in, a bit more use should have it feeling natural. Even just those few miles so far have confirmed that it, along with the other gearbox work (ratios, FD, LWFW) is the best mod I've done yet, albeit I haven't really done loads. It's sorted the one bit of the car that really annoyed me.

Also in shot is a Celica JDM cloth seat from J-Spec. Bit of a better fit for the track and a couple of kg saved per seat, still have the passenger one to go in. Less obvious in the pic is the soft top has been removed and the seat belt points and cross-brace reinstalled.

I picked up a set of almost new 195/50/15 Pilot Sport 3s for £100, so they'll do for my wet tyres. It'll be interesting to see how it goes with a square set-up - I'm just looking for fun and improving my own ability just now, faster lap times can wait.

Looking forward to Croft in a couple of weeks.

shnazzle

Love that shifter. Considered it a while back. 

Would you maybe be better off putting some spacers under the cable brackets next to the hand brake? Seems a sudden angle there which may cause wear and tightness?
...neutiquam erro.

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