Bedford trackday - sat 30th October
Discussion
I'm doing a track day at the Bedford Autodrome on Saturday the 30th.
www.bedfordautodrome.com
http://fastrakdays.com/site/eview.php?e=20
www.easytrack.co.uk/events/view.asp?event_id=309&type=VIEW','attend_details','scrollbars=yes,width=500,height=400')
Anybody else fancy it?
www.bedfordautodrome.com
http://fastrakdays.com/site/eview.php?e=20
www.easytrack.co.uk/events/view.asp?event_id=309&type=VIEW','attend_details','scrollbars=yes,width=500,height=400')
Anybody else fancy it?
juliann said:
I'll be there in the Silver Grey CSL (..XXM), but would be interested in a ride in the Monaro if that's ok - reciprocated in the CSL if you're interested.
I'll take you up on that offer
Just don't expect any powersliding around corners, whilst I'm driving (well not yet anyway
) If any professional racing driver wants to have a go at getting it sideways, with me as a passenger (in relative safety, of course) let me know. I just keep watching that Clarkson / Top gear video
ps - my car is a standard CV8 monaro with a stage 2 upgrade estimated 410 flywheel bhp with 350 bhp & 350 lb/ft at the rear hubs on a dyno (abbey motorsport)Suspension and brakes are standard at the moment, although I'm hoping to have a set of ap racing brakes on by the end of the month.
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 14th October 13:01
GSE said:
I'll be there in the Silver Grey CSL (..XXM), but would be interested in a ride in the Monaro if that's ok - reciprocated in the CSL if you're interested.
I'll take you up on that offer
Just don't expect any powersliding around corners, whilst I'm driving (well not yet anyway
If any professional racing driver wants to have a go at getting it sideways, with me as a passenger (in relative safety, of course) let me know. I just keep watching that Clarkson / Top gear video
ps - my car is a standard CV8 monaro with a stage 2 upgrade estimated 410 flywheel bhp with 350 bhp & 350 lb/ft at the rear hubs on a dyno (abbey motorsport)Suspension and brakes are standard at the moment, although I'm hoping to have a set of ap racing brakes on by the end of the month.
>> Edited by GSE on Thursday 14th October 13:01
See you there...
Got 6 pot (front) 4 pot (rear) AP's on the CSL as standard brakes were rubbish. They are superb with Pagid Yellow RS29 pads - £2500 for the lot inc discs & fluid / hoses.
Should be interesting - similar pwr/wt ratio's, you'll have more torque but I'll have better handling (on my Michelin Cups (unless it rains !!!))
juliann said:
See you there...
Got 6 pot (front) 4 pot (rear) AP's on the CSL as standard brakes were rubbish. They are superb with Pagid Yellow RS29 pads - £2500 for the lot inc discs & fluid / hoses.
Should be interesting - similar pwr/wt ratio's, you'll have more torque but I'll have better handling (on my Michelin Cups (unless it rains !!!))
I don't have the luxury of a set of trackday tyres, yet (other than a set of 14"s from my Peugeot - could be fun
) my car is running on Bridgestone Potenza RE040's at the moment. Whats the low down on those tyres, compared to other makes? I'm encouraged by the price of your 6pot/4pot ap setup. Exactly what I want on mine, if I can get the price down to just over £2k.
I did some rough power to weight calculations
www.hsv.org.uk/topic.asp?p=2&f=69&t=121773&h=28
The S2 Monaro looks competitive, on paper. Handling wise, the rear end is soft, which does help with traction, but I don't think it has the precision of the M3. Which still makes it an awfull lot of fun !
see you on the 30th (fingers crossed for my ap brakes)
Paul
>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Thursday 14th October 15:22
>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Thursday 14th October 15:25
Brilliant day!
Huge fun, great way to learn about your car, but a bit scary at times too.
Most of the cars were Porkers, along with loads of VX220s, Lotus, Clio172s, a couple of Corvettes, a couple of BMWs, and one or two track day only cars - Golf GTI.
The day started foggy and damp, and I was having problems with traction, even on the straights, so I left my TC on for a while, until I became accustomed to the track and how the car handled.
In the afternoon it dried out and I'd built up enough confidence to switch the TC off full time. Throughout the day, I had three brown trouser moments in total - one huge fishtailing episode out of a bend - I hope it looked good from behind - another bit of scary oversteer on a bend (with a passenger onboard) and an understeering moment when I approached a bend to fast, and too late on the brakes. I thought I was about to start crushing cones and churning the turf up, but I realised what was happening and came off the brakes just in time, in order to get the front end to tuck in. It's a big car, the suspension is a bit soft and it rolls a bit, but I'm pleased with the way it handles and it's a lot of fun. It's quite forgiving, and doesn't do anything unexpected. There were several spin offs - glad I managed to hang on to it, all day.
I couldn't keep up with the Lotuses and VX's around the bends, but I had them on the straights. FWIW - I got 135 mph on the long straight - and - courtesy of my AP/HSV 6pot/4pot brake upgrade (I fitted them yesterday) - managed to haul it down for the bends, again and again without any fade whatsoever. Would have had no chance, with the standard brakes.
I have a couple of problems with the car though. The exhaust, that intermittantly would knock on left hand bends, now seems to be knocking a lot more. I'm going to have to get Linden to re - fit it. And the ripshifter - whilst it improves the gearchange / selection, it buzzes like hell when under power. I've had a look at it and I can't see or feel anything loose, I guess thats just how they are. But I might consider putting the original (damped) lever back.
Julian - thanks for the ride in your CSL - awesome machine! This is only the 3rd trackday I've ever done, so you'll appreciate why I wasn't pushing quite as hard as you were. How did you get away with leaving your braking so late!!
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 30th October 22:57
Huge fun, great way to learn about your car, but a bit scary at times too.
Most of the cars were Porkers, along with loads of VX220s, Lotus, Clio172s, a couple of Corvettes, a couple of BMWs, and one or two track day only cars - Golf GTI.
The day started foggy and damp, and I was having problems with traction, even on the straights, so I left my TC on for a while, until I became accustomed to the track and how the car handled.
In the afternoon it dried out and I'd built up enough confidence to switch the TC off full time. Throughout the day, I had three brown trouser moments in total - one huge fishtailing episode out of a bend - I hope it looked good from behind - another bit of scary oversteer on a bend (with a passenger onboard) and an understeering moment when I approached a bend to fast, and too late on the brakes. I thought I was about to start crushing cones and churning the turf up, but I realised what was happening and came off the brakes just in time, in order to get the front end to tuck in. It's a big car, the suspension is a bit soft and it rolls a bit, but I'm pleased with the way it handles and it's a lot of fun. It's quite forgiving, and doesn't do anything unexpected. There were several spin offs - glad I managed to hang on to it, all day.
I couldn't keep up with the Lotuses and VX's around the bends, but I had them on the straights. FWIW - I got 135 mph on the long straight - and - courtesy of my AP/HSV 6pot/4pot brake upgrade (I fitted them yesterday) - managed to haul it down for the bends, again and again without any fade whatsoever. Would have had no chance, with the standard brakes.
I have a couple of problems with the car though. The exhaust, that intermittantly would knock on left hand bends, now seems to be knocking a lot more. I'm going to have to get Linden to re - fit it. And the ripshifter - whilst it improves the gearchange / selection, it buzzes like hell when under power. I've had a look at it and I can't see or feel anything loose, I guess thats just how they are. But I might consider putting the original (damped) lever back.
Julian - thanks for the ride in your CSL - awesome machine! This is only the 3rd trackday I've ever done, so you'll appreciate why I wasn't pushing quite as hard as you were. How did you get away with leaving your braking so late!!
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 30th October 22:57
Paul it sounds like you had great fun, were you able to hold sustained powerslides like they do on TV ? I know it's not the fastest way round corners but it produces the biggest smiles (but probably eats your tyres)
It's a small world as our company was invited to the JP race day at Bedford yesterday so we raced cars like Clio cup's, bishi evo's, Caterhams, VX220, JP1 Jaguar and the FPA Race car. I took my Monaro hoping to get it on the track but we had no time - however all was not lost because I won a trophy for fastest lap in the JP1 Jag
On the way back I was in convoy with my mate in my old Scooby and he said the flames from my exhaust were very impressive when "making progress" - looks like the Linden stage2 is pretty impressive from a spectator point of view too
It's a small world as our company was invited to the JP race day at Bedford yesterday so we raced cars like Clio cup's, bishi evo's, Caterhams, VX220, JP1 Jaguar and the FPA Race car. I took my Monaro hoping to get it on the track but we had no time - however all was not lost because I won a trophy for fastest lap in the JP1 Jag
On the way back I was in convoy with my mate in my old Scooby and he said the flames from my exhaust were very impressive when "making progress" - looks like the Linden stage2 is pretty impressive from a spectator point of view too
Dan_The_Man said:
Paul it sounds like you had great fun, were you able to hold sustained powerslides like they do on TV ? I know it's not the fastest way round corners but it produces the biggest smiles (but probably eats your tyres)
I wish! I lost count of the amount of times I had the back end out, but my driving skills are not good enough to hold a slide, not yet anyway
I just didn't have the bottle to stay on the gas, rather than lifting off, when the back end stepped out. I was also rather conscious that it was a bit busy on the track at times, I really didn't want to spin it. I'd love to stick a pair of old wheels and tyres on the back of the car though, and have a go at learning the technique somewhere. Did you see the "drift club" competition, at Brands? >> Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 2nd November 21:06
Paul
Not having heard your knocking noises its difficult to judge, but i now have a knocking noise that sounds just like an exhaust in contact with the body. But it is actually the Ripshifter!! Did you fit it at the same time as the exhaust.
The clearance around the top of the shifter is a lot tighter on later cars according to the instructions. I had to ease mine a touch but it clearly wasn't enough! The gearbox is very softly mounted and the clearance is tight on the right hand side of the shifter, hence the noise when turning left.
I've got at least 6mm clearance, but will be increasing that. Its easy to do once the centre console is out as the edge of the hole is "rolled".
Hope this helps!
Not having heard your knocking noises its difficult to judge, but i now have a knocking noise that sounds just like an exhaust in contact with the body. But it is actually the Ripshifter!! Did you fit it at the same time as the exhaust.
The clearance around the top of the shifter is a lot tighter on later cars according to the instructions. I had to ease mine a touch but it clearly wasn't enough! The gearbox is very softly mounted and the clearance is tight on the right hand side of the shifter, hence the noise when turning left.
I've got at least 6mm clearance, but will be increasing that. Its easy to do once the centre console is out as the edge of the hole is "rolled".
Hope this helps!
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