Let's get this party started: What are YOU doing to enjoy your racing passion?
41 - 60 of 88 Posts
WOW, that's a LOT of spring! I would have thought it would be stiffer on the back instead of the front.
Thanks for sharing!
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31,810 Posts
Two-fold... one is the 3.56 F/D that Nick mentioned, which is only in 2008-2011 non-SES cars. The second is that we found a transaxle with 42 miles on it. Somebody crashed into a dealership and totaled a new Focus.
We used to have a 3.82 F/D 2005-spec transaxle, but we were hitting the rev limiter too often in second and the 2-3 shift sucks, so when we went from Torsen to Kaaz, we elected to change the F/D while we were at it. The old 2005 Torsen box sits in the shed as a spare.
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31,810 Posts
You need a LOT of spring to overcome not having a front bar. With the rear bar in place, the effective rate is still quite high.
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10,158 Posts
Sold the battleship last year since I wasn't using it during med school
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Currently rocking a stock 2004 D23 car for the foreseeable future. Will have my MD spring 2013 and hopefully be back on track within a couple years of that!
At the very least I intend to get back into instructing and crewing while I am out of the driving game.
Glad to see that there is still some action around here! Keep up the good work, ladies and gents!
Currently rocking a stock 2004 D23 car for the foreseeable future. Will have my MD spring 2013 and hopefully be back on track within a couple years of that!
At the very least I intend to get back into instructing and crewing while I am out of the driving game.
Glad to see that there is still some action around here! Keep up the good work, ladies and gents!
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1,510 Posts
Good lookin car. I finally painted the turbo hood for the rx7 and put it on, a lot lighter than the GXL hood and the scoop will get some air under hood, can't have too much cooling with a rotary. Still researching the best, most cost effective approach to the suspension. I know what I want to do with the car but I'm really trying to do as much as I can with as little as possible, not spending a fortune on it will make it easier to beat the **** out of it and not worry about it. I think the next thing I'll do is pull all of the A/C ****, doesn't work anyway and I can drop more weight and simplify the engine bay and delete a belt, all for free.
On another note, finally got to wring this thing out a bit. Took it down Palomares Rd which is a very fun, twisty canyon road around here. This car is gonna be fun, it handles great as is and has plenty of power if you keep it revved up, the springs are quite soft though and it needs an LSD.
On another note, finally got to wring this thing out a bit. Took it down Palomares Rd which is a very fun, twisty canyon road around here. This car is gonna be fun, it handles great as is and has plenty of power if you keep it revved up, the springs are quite soft though and it needs an LSD.
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1,510 Posts
This summer I’ve been to the Glen instructing/driving both the long and short course with PhoenixCMR. We run the long course for a day and a half, and then run two or three sessions on the NASCAR course. What a difference in feel by eliminating “The Boot”. You drop about a minute from the lap time and you really get up a good head of steam coming into turn 10. It makes the track quite busy and doesn’t offer a time to relax like the long course does.
A friend with a Boss 302 had his student’s Subaru break on the first session of the first day so he was free to drive any time. He put over 500 miles on track.
PhoenixCMR runs three groups with the intermediate and advanced groups running 40 minute sessions, so you can burn through a ton of fuel.
After the 4th of July I headed to Road America and Blackhawk Farms from PA for a mini track tour. It was 107 on the outside temp gauge on my buddies F250 as we drove through Chicago. Thankfully it dropped about 25 degrees by the time we reached Elkhart Lake. FYI, you can get to Road America from Northern PA (888 miles) in a day.
Two days of 75 to 80 degree weather made for some fun in my PWSC’d SVT. I hadn’t been there in five years and forgot the toll it takes on brake pads. It’s a good thing my friend had some spares in the trailer from his son’s SVT.
After two day of fun on RA’s 4 miles we headed to Blackhawk Farms near Beloit IL. It was a new track for me. As I ran the first session, I thought, what a dinky, hokey little track. Once you figure it out though it is a hoot.
It has a number of crooked straights and high speed corners that begin to flow nicely once you screw up your courage. There is little runoff area in some spots and the trees are very close to the track which makes you wonder just how fast you really want to drive.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to run all of my sessions due to a faulty IAT sensor that crapped out after a morning session. The spare that I’ve carried for three years that came with the car was also a dud. The only Ford one in IL was 1 ½ hours away at a dealership so I didn’t get many sessions on track. Must not be much call for Lightning IATs as the one I bought had been on the shelf since 2006 according to the label.
Next week it is back to the Glen and at the end of August I head over the border for the annual Mosport event, ehh.
A friend with a Boss 302 had his student’s Subaru break on the first session of the first day so he was free to drive any time. He put over 500 miles on track.
PhoenixCMR runs three groups with the intermediate and advanced groups running 40 minute sessions, so you can burn through a ton of fuel.
After the 4th of July I headed to Road America and Blackhawk Farms from PA for a mini track tour. It was 107 on the outside temp gauge on my buddies F250 as we drove through Chicago. Thankfully it dropped about 25 degrees by the time we reached Elkhart Lake. FYI, you can get to Road America from Northern PA (888 miles) in a day.
Two days of 75 to 80 degree weather made for some fun in my PWSC’d SVT. I hadn’t been there in five years and forgot the toll it takes on brake pads. It’s a good thing my friend had some spares in the trailer from his son’s SVT.
After two day of fun on RA’s 4 miles we headed to Blackhawk Farms near Beloit IL. It was a new track for me. As I ran the first session, I thought, what a dinky, hokey little track. Once you figure it out though it is a hoot.
It has a number of crooked straights and high speed corners that begin to flow nicely once you screw up your courage. There is little runoff area in some spots and the trees are very close to the track which makes you wonder just how fast you really want to drive.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to run all of my sessions due to a faulty IAT sensor that crapped out after a morning session. The spare that I’ve carried for three years that came with the car was also a dud. The only Ford one in IL was 1 ½ hours away at a dealership so I didn’t get many sessions on track. Must not be much call for Lightning IATs as the one I bought had been on the shelf since 2006 according to the label.
Next week it is back to the Glen and at the end of August I head over the border for the annual Mosport event, ehh.
No pics, forgot the camera. Event report.
Car still runs hot if I hammer it for over 15 minutes. Took out the grill and that helped. I am going back to an OE pump and pulling the AC system in an effort to get to no overheating problems.
Oil gets to 260° and stabilizes; higher than I'd like but much better than before. I plan to improve the ducting.
The DTC-60s rock, but the car lacks pedal feel and as a result I am hitting the ABS a lot. I am thinking about a new master and booster for the off-season. Or fixed calipers.
BMW CCA runs a good show. Massive arms race in the instructor group. Cars I consider fast getting passed with ease.
C (Intermediate) group driver of a Porsche - "I got blown away by some guy in a yellow Ford Focus. A FOCUS!"
Both my student groups gave me extend applause after the last classroom session. Not a courtesy clap, but genuine applause. That was gratifying.
I can still play with most of the e30 guys, unless they have race rubber or are M3s.
At least a quarter of the cars at the event were on Star Specs. That is like the spec HPDE tire at this point.
Fellow instructor in an E46 M3. "I was behind you last session. That was spectacular. I waved off your pass because I wanted to watch you some more."
Having Colin come with me was a great decision. There was some excellent father and son time. He was even paying attention in class at times. I told my student groups that I started at 21 and figure that was a decade too late.
Back at it in 2 weeks!
Car still runs hot if I hammer it for over 15 minutes. Took out the grill and that helped. I am going back to an OE pump and pulling the AC system in an effort to get to no overheating problems.
Oil gets to 260° and stabilizes; higher than I'd like but much better than before. I plan to improve the ducting.
The DTC-60s rock, but the car lacks pedal feel and as a result I am hitting the ABS a lot. I am thinking about a new master and booster for the off-season. Or fixed calipers.
BMW CCA runs a good show. Massive arms race in the instructor group. Cars I consider fast getting passed with ease.
C (Intermediate) group driver of a Porsche - "I got blown away by some guy in a yellow Ford Focus. A FOCUS!"
Both my student groups gave me extend applause after the last classroom session. Not a courtesy clap, but genuine applause. That was gratifying.
I can still play with most of the e30 guys, unless they have race rubber or are M3s.
At least a quarter of the cars at the event were on Star Specs. That is like the spec HPDE tire at this point.
Fellow instructor in an E46 M3. "I was behind you last session. That was spectacular. I waved off your pass because I wanted to watch you some more."
Having Colin come with me was a great decision. There was some excellent father and son time. He was even paying attention in class at times. I told my student groups that I started at 21 and figure that was a decade too late.
Back at it in 2 weeks!
Sell some wheels and get out there Nick!
41 - 60 of 88 Posts
