Hi folks!
As per my newbies introduction post, I'm back in an MR2 after an eight year hiatus. I owned a low mileage '00 PFL around '09-'12 but had to sell it due to a lack of space. Since then I've had a Mk5 Golf Gti (still currently owned), Saab 9-5 Aero, 911 Carrera 4S, MG ZT V6, a few bargey Mercs and some others not worth mentioning :) It feels great to be back in a lightweight, involving, open top car again.
The car is an '05 in Silver with black leather. It's done 93k miles, is in a reasonable condition apart from a small scrape on on the driver's sill and the odd minor scratch here and there. The front end has been painted fairly recently by the looks of things, not particularly well tbh but the front slam panel, chassis legs, wings etc. are all straight so I'm 99% sure it was just a freshen up rather than crash repair. The roof is in a poor state but that doesn't bother me too much as it'll live under cover anyway. Overall the car was by far the best one I went to view.
It's almost entirely standard at the moment, with the only mod I'm aware of being the gutted pre-cats, carried out by a previous owner. The chap who sold me the car was a member on a couple of the Facebook groups and I think on here also, as he was pretty clued up on the Mk3 foibles like the pre-cats, oval bores, drain cleaning etc. Always good to buy from an enthusiast.
On the way home from collecting the car... perfect weather for it and a trip across the Cairn O' Mount was the ideal way to settle in to ownership:
(https://i.imgur.com/ypAm1ak.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MOxN2mK.jpg)
The main reason for buying an MR2 was to use as a cheap n' cheerful fast road and track day car. I had an evening at Knockhill booked the week after I picked the car up so I wanted to ensure all was well prior to hitting the track.
I'd ordered up a service kit from Opie Oils with Titan Race Pro oil, K&N filter etc. but UPS failed to deliver on time, so I spent the Saturday morning scrabbling around local factors picking up what I could. The Mobil Super 3000 oil wasn't ideal for the planned track workout but it was the correct spec and I knew I'd be changing it again soon anyway.... plus the local prices for Mobil 1 were bonkers! Similar story with the spark plugs - NGKs will go in at some point but the Bosch Super 4s will do for now. The bulbs they gave me at the parts store were H4s for PFL lights, not the H7s I needed, but I didn't realise until I went to fit them. >:(
(https://i.imgur.com/gU8YQQB.jpg)
Nice to see a decent oil filter had been used at the last oil change...
(https://i.imgur.com/3ZBpjoR.jpg)
Two of the coils aren't in good shape but the local factors didn't have any in stock on a Saturday afternoon so I'll need to get them ordered up. Any advice on pattern parts for these, or better to stump up and go for the Densos?
(https://i.imgur.com/EEiCeGO.jpg)
I find it useful to print off a service check-list to remind me what to check and for keeping in my files for future reference...
(https://i.imgur.com/DP238zo.jpg)
Air filter to be replaced this week once it arrives. Power steering fluid is ok just now, but I'll probably change anyway - same goes for the gearbox oil.
The underside of the car will need a tidy up, there's some surface corrosion that I'll clean up, rub back, treat and paint to prevent any serious degradation. The discs and pads were new all round and the fluid had been changed recently when the previous owner serviced the rear calipers, plus the front springs look new and the bushes aren't in fantastic shape but they're all intact and don't seem too brittle. The tyres were relatively new Avon ZV7s with good tread, correct sizes, with no damage.
So all in all it was looking OK for the first venture out onto track in it on a rainy (as per usual!) Knockhill. Three hour open pit lane meant it wasn't going to be too hard going, plus it's always a bit easier on brakes, tyres and cooling when its wet.
(https://i.imgur.com/VwuiQ4r.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/mSZTkQp.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/3z3yY56.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/xvWSDbw.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/YP3S2k1.png)
The car ran pretty sweet. I took it easy for three laps, came back in to check it over and all was well. I managed another four sessions of around 15-20 laps each, including a bit of waiting back in the pit lane and paddock for cars to be recovered after spins/offs. The tyres aren't the best to be honest - I dropped the rears to 30psi for the last two sessions which provided a bit more predictable loss of traction but I could tell the fronts were flexing quite a bit at 26psi. I thought about increasing the pressure in the fronts slightly but they were doing better than I expected so I left as-is for the rest of the evening. I'll play around with the pressures over the next few events but I'll probably end up on AD08RS before too long.
The car still needs to be a road car first and foremost, so it won't be too extreme, the intention is to go for a clubsport spec, rather than all-out track-day special. Plans are to use as-is for the immediate future, all going well. Once the current pads are shot I'll fit some EBC Yellowstuffs along with braided lines and 5.1 fluid. Suspension wise I'm looking at Whiteline ARBs, selected PU bushes, along with new lower arms, drop links etc. I might go for Meister R CRDs eventually but not in the near future. I'm also toying with the 2ZZ idea, but I'll wait until I've moved house to a place with a proper sized garage/workshop for that, if it happens at all.
Upcoming events includes another couple of evening sessions at Knockhill, a 1000 mile tour of Scotland next month and hopefully a day at Croft too. Next year I'll be taking it over to the 'ring, plus other UK track days and tours throughout the year.
I'll keep this updated as and when things progress.
Cheers.
Great stuff! Glad to see you enjoying the car already and it seems to be a good un.
Looking good. Really fancy Knockhill myself. Rainsport 5' are a good compromise for road and track if its raining a lot. Sidewalls are a bit soft but all weather grip is decent.
They are indeed, 5-10psi more helps to give them some support.
Quote from: AdamR28 on August 23, 2020, 14:33Great stuff! Glad to see you enjoying the car already and it seems to be a good un.
Thanks! I sure am enjoying it, long may it continue :)
Quote from: JB21 on August 23, 2020, 15:24Looking good. Really fancy Knockhill myself. Rainsport 5' are a good compromise for road and track if its raining a lot. Sidewalls are a bit soft but all weather grip is decent.
Cheers :) You should make the trip up if you can, it doesn't look all that on TV (BTCC, BSCC etc.) but it's a great little circuit. Although it's short and has relatively few turns, it's got loads of elevation change and three turns are blind on entry so it's quite exciting from that respect.
I had the old Rainsport 3's on a previous car, think it was my old Volvo, and I seem to recall them being much better than I'd expected. A lot of the Track Scotland guys rate them too. I hope to pick up a second set of wheels at some point so specific wets would be a good shout to compliment some more 'dry-focused' rubber.
Quote from: AdamR28 on August 23, 2020, 16:33They are indeed, 5-10psi more helps to give them some support.
Good to know, cheers!
Quote from: Ardent on August 23, 2020, 18:09Cracking post @Roj
Cheers! Hopefully more to follow :D
Looks good, its a few years since ive been upto knockhill and due another visit, let me know when your next on i will try and get booked on for some scottish wet laps :D....think i did get a half a day dry there once though :D
Glad to see more track focused cars on the forum!
Looking forward to it.
Quote from: thetyrant on August 25, 2020, 15:47Looks good, its a few years since ive been upto knockhill and due another visit, let me know when your next on i will try and get booked on for some scottish wet laps :D....think i did get a half a day dry there once though :D
Will do, would be great to see more Roadsters up there :)
Quote from: Gaz2405 on August 25, 2020, 17:49Glad to see more track focused cars on the forum!
Looking forward to it.
Cheers, me too!
Printing off a service checklist is a cracking idea. I wish I'd done that!
I did Knockhill a few years back. Went round in an MGF and a Formula 3 lookalike with a Ford engine 1.6. Great fun and the track was slightly damp, brilliant. ;D
It was my birthday last week and I decided to procrastinate from work a bit and install the short-shift kit my better half had bought me.
Old shifter...
(https://i.imgur.com/pXK7oUy.jpg)
New short-shifter...
(https://i.imgur.com/okCjnJX.jpg)
Old knob back on...
(https://i.imgur.com/gTrTA6G.jpg)
I have to admit, I wasn't impressed with how stiff the shift had become. Short, yeah, but pretty horrible to punt around the gate. I'd used plenty of good quality ceramic grease, so I was a bit miffed as to why it was so stiff. I actually had a sore elbow after the first 15min test drive. But I'd read that it would ease up, so what better way to do so than a 1k mile road trip?!
I planned a route that would last five days, heading South West from Aberdeen to Kinloch Rannoch, then take the long road through Glen Coe to Plockton on the west coast, head North to join the North Coast 500 loop on the way up to Lochinver, then finish the route over the last couple of days.
I've lived in Scotland most of my life, save a few sporadic years in England, so I'd driven a lot of these roads previously. However I'd not been north of Ullapool, so the far northern sections would be new to me. I was a bit excited!
First day, stopped off in Balmoral to hike up to Albert's Cairn...
(https://i.imgur.com/430Fjgy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/37G0Zqe.jpg)
Kinloch Rannoch...
(https://i.imgur.com/YdSnCE4.jpg)
Glen Etive...
(https://i.imgur.com/IHSDETi.jpg)
Bealach Na Ba...
(https://i.imgur.com/pH05tZC.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/J9xhUZb.jpg)
Just amazing scenery...
(https://i.imgur.com/a3WZIhI.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xuI1oSD.jpg)
A drop of plonk in Tulloch Castle for the final night...
(https://i.imgur.com/t7C0mVj.jpg)
My girlfriend took more photos than me and if I can figure out how to host and upload I'll add a timelapse video she took which is quite impressive.
The weather was mostly great, with a few showers here and there. We had the rood down most of the time which makes a huge difference to the sense of occasion without taking your attention off the road ahead.
After a day or so I realised that the shift wasn't actually stiff, it's just that I was trying to get the shifter into positions it wasn't going to anymore. It became much more intuitive pretty quickly, although 3rd to 2nd will need some work.
The car performed faultlessly, dealing with the rough roads, pot holes and broken up passing places without any problem. Unfortunately it has developed a crack in the windscreen, I think from when I took evasive action from an eejit who pulled out from behind a van that had stopped to let me past. Booked in for a replacement screen next week, then it's off down to Knockhill for another short track evening the following week.
All in all, a great week was had :)
Cheers.
Quote from: thetyrant on August 25, 2020, 15:47Looks good, its a few years since ive been upto knockhill and due another visit, let me know when your next on i will try and get booked on for some scottish wet laps :D....think i did get a half a day dry there once though :D
I'm heading there on the 21st but it's only a 2hr evening session so I doubt it would be worth the drive up if you're a distance away. I'll keep you posted of any full days that come up though.
Quote from: Chilli Girl on September 6, 2020, 20:16I did Knockhill a few years back. Went round in an MGF and a Formula 3 lookalike with a Ford engine 1.6. Great fun and the track was slightly damp, brilliant. ;D
It's a great wee track. The elevation changes and the ever changing weather make up for the lack of turns :)
@Roj if you've not done it for a while, I recommend getting some wd40 in and around the gear shift cables and bushes in the engine compartment. Having someone shift the stick around while you spray it will ensure the lube gets everywhere it needs to.
My own installation of a short shifter initially was very stiff but after lubing up in the back it improved dramatically. I also changed out my transaxle oil which may also have helped.
I think it's always going to be a little stiffer than the standard shifter as you have less leverage, but over time it's easy to get used to.
Quote from: househead on September 10, 2020, 14:32@Roj if you've not done it for a while, I recommend getting some wd40 in and around the gear shift cables and bushes in the engine compartment. Having someone shift the stick around while you spray it will ensure the lube gets everywhere it needs to.
My own installation of a short shifter initially was very stiff but after lubing up in the back it improved dramatically. I also changed out my transaxle oil which may also have helped.
I think it's always going to be a little stiffer than the standard shifter as you have less leverage, but over time it's easy to get used to.
Thanks for the tip. I've got some BRD poly bushes to go in so I'll give everything a good lube up when I get round to fitting them. Gearbox oil change is on the to-do list too... along with clutch fluid, EPS fluid, another engine oil flush and change... Never ending!
Would love to go to Knockhill, shame I don't live anywhere near the north. Played it on project CARS and it seems like a mega little track.
Where did you get your short shift kit from?
Quote from: treeroy on September 10, 2020, 16:57Would love to go to Knockhill, shame I don't live anywhere near the north. Played it on project CARS and it seems like a mega little track.
Where did you get your short shift kit from?
At least you get plenty other tracks to play on, we're stuck with one! Croft is the next closest and that's a 5.5hr drive for me.
It was just one of the many unbranded kits on ebay. Not a great deal to get wrong and cheap enough to give it a try.
Quote from: Roj on September 10, 2020, 20:17At least you get plenty other tracks to play on, we're stuck with one! Croft is the next closest and that's a 5.5hr drive for me.
It was just one of the many unbranded kits on ebay. Not a great deal to get wrong and cheap enough to give it a try.
Yeah that's true, guess i take it for granted that I live in Motorsport Central. Within a 100 mile radius of me there's probably more tracks than anywhere else in the world.
Speaking of which need to get my MR2 on track, never done a RWD car on track before !
Thanks I can see the short shifter kit on ebay. From your picture it looks like the gear stick is shorter than the original, does the knob feel much lower? Although the gear stick is strangely tall for a convertible i actually like the stock height as I can reach my phone mounted on the dash with my wrist resting on the gear knob.
Quote from: treeroy on September 11, 2020, 13:05Quote from: Roj on September 10, 2020, 20:17At least you get plenty other tracks to play on, we're stuck with one! Croft is the next closest and that's a 5.5hr drive for me.
It was just one of the many unbranded kits on ebay. Not a great deal to get wrong and cheap enough to give it a try.
Yeah that's true, guess i take it for granted that I live in Motorsport Central. Within a 100 mile radius of me there's probably more tracks than anywhere else in the world.
Speaking of which need to get my MR2 on track, never done a RWD car on track before !
Thanks I can see the short shifter kit on ebay. From your picture it looks like the gear stick is shorter than the original, does the knob feel much lower? Although the gear stick is strangely tall for a convertible i actually like the stock height as I can reach my phone mounted on the dash with my wrist resting on the gear knob.
It is a fair bit shorter, yes. I thought I had a photo of them both side by side but I can't find it. I'd say it sits a good couple of inches lower than standard.
A few people have been able to move the pivot point of the standard shifter up the shaft so that the top of the lever sits lower and the throw is reduced. You could move it 20mm or so which wouldn't be as pronounced as the ebay kit. I think you just need to remove the shifter, clamp the pivot ball in a vice and tap the shaft down until you're happy. You could then buy the cage bushes and you'd have a halfway house between the ebay kit and standard.
Entirely unexciting update time...
I swapped out the air filter and cleaned the MAF as the new filter arrived the morning we left for the road trip. The removed panel looked pretty clean, more evidence the car had been serviced fairly recently prior to me buying it (spark plugs were pretty good too). Couldn't feel much difference after the MAF clean, but it wasn't caked in crud so maybe it's been cleaned in the past too.
My replacement coils arrived while I was on the road trip last week and I just got round to installing them last night. I was going to go for the OEM Densos but I noticed Magneti Marelli on the autodoc site for a third of the price of the Densos. Worth a punt - they're a good brand and as long as they last a few years I expect they'll outlive the engine. 2-off installed on cylinders 2 & 3. 1 & 4 were in great condition, possibly been replaced in the past.
Split original on the right...
(https://i.imgur.com/xW99jam.jpg)
While in about the engine I thought I'd go for a premature (1500 miles since the last one) oil change, primarily as I have another track evening coming up but also because I wanted to try my 'dipstick' oil pump.
Got the good stuff this time...
(https://i.imgur.com/qu7rofW.jpg)
This pump is what a lot of German cars use now as they don't have sump plugs, even the dealerships have to suck the oil out through the dipstick tube. Connects to the battery and usually takes about ten mins to pump 4L. It has done a good job on cars in the past.
(https://i.imgur.com/zvYw8FW.jpg)
The dipstick was showing almost full but only 2.5L came out using the pump. I then opened the sump drain and another ~0.5L came out, plus the usual amount from the filter when removed. So I won't be using the pump on this car any more! Not sure why it didn't suck it all out, I guess because it's not designed with that in mind from scratch. Shame, as it makes oil changes a lot less messy than draining.
Then this morning I took it in to have the windscreen replaced. Auto Windscreens in Aberdeen did a great job. I forgot to take a pic of the crack prior to dropping the car off, but the new screen is great, it's so nice getting a crisp, clear new screen with nothing to distract your focus.
I'm at Knockhill again this coming Monday night, though it's just another short evening session. Looks like it could be dry this time after the rain on the last outing, so I'm keen to see how the car performs.
@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
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.
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.
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.
Another quick one tonight:
From fried egg...
(https://i.imgur.com/LkUKDoc.jpg)
to fried alien egg...
(https://i.imgur.com/y1E1Jln.jpg)
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 :)
Making good progress!
The Titan Race oil is excellent.
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 :)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/xScnIwx.jpg)
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.
So, living up to it's 'budget' designation... temp fix on the exhaust:
(https://i.imgur.com/yOWVegi.jpg)
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.
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/xYyuN9s.png)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/VilXoyg.jpg)
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!
Was this car at the recent Tracktion Track Day?
Fairly certain we are both in this pic
(https://i.ibb.co/sV71CQt/126522841-807960066429166-8798532029022493931-o.png) (https://ibb.co/tJR2zc3)
img share news (https://imgbb.com/)
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?
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.
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.
@Roj Why don't people ever listen about tyres.
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.
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 :)
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!
Quote from: AJRFulton on December 2, 2020, 10:28Quote 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.
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/Bx0qFxM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QOz8jcJ.jpg)
The new stuff:
(https://i.imgur.com/SOU5Pmf.jpg)
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!
(https://i.imgur.com/k8orLTp.jpg)
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:
(https://i.imgur.com/lx3G0jp.jpg)
Croft:
(https://i.imgur.com/hC05LX9.jpg)
Then it was back to the '2.
Finally back on the road...
Cairn O' Mount:
(https://i.imgur.com/KC5N3dd.jpg)
Cockbridge to Tomintoul:
(https://i.imgur.com/uHFseuk.jpg)
Then a few minor mods...
Removed this little lot:
(https://i.imgur.com/UJ11LQt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/J1kG8kD.jpg)
The new in-car entertainment :D :
(https://i.imgur.com/N8wGfcX.jpg)
I also removed all unnecessary plastics in and around the car, saved a good few kilos there.
Out playing with the big boys:
(https://i.imgur.com/bAXzXyS.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/VOVIDDI.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/qwYtGuP.jpg)
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:
(https://i.imgur.com/M6bcUrL.jpg)
After:
(https://i.imgur.com/jFULd8b.jpg)
Then today was dropping in a new lightweight battery:
(https://i.imgur.com/p6uwoYc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ZCdYgFS.jpg)
(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.
Are you planning on doing SLS 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!
Sooooo, this just arrived...
(https://i.imgur.com/gaOSCNh.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/IWEOrVo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RDw6gY9.jpg)
However, it comes with the all-important hardtop, fitting kit and some funky reclining bucket seats.
(https://i.imgur.com/u79xP9u.jpg)
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 ;)
RZR shifter installed...
(https://i.imgur.com/gG4GthS.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/fJqqjrO.jpg)
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.
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?
Quote from: shnazzle on October 31, 2021, 14:18Love 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?
Yep, that's something I need to address. I tried without the OEM brackets and the cables rattled about a bit. Back into the brackets hasn't made any difference to the shift, so this is prererable until I can knock something up to sit level. The mounting points for the cage to the floor are slotted so you can adjust it to suit the natural lay of the cables.
Shifter looks impressive! i find the shift on my car so accurate and precise i cant imagine why you would need to fit something like this but if its working better for you that is all that matters :D
When are you at Croft ? if im free might pop over for a nosey :)
Quote from: thetyrant on November 1, 2021, 12:00Shifter looks impressive! i find the shift on my car so accurate and precise i cant imagine why you would need to fit something like this but if its working better for you that is all that matters :D
When are you at Croft ? if im free might pop over for a nosey :)
This coming Monday, 8th November. If you can make it along you're welcome to take it a spin round the paddock to see what you think of the box & shifter combo :)