Long time, no update!!

So a whole bunch of small stuff has been happening over the last 4 months, but been a bit too busy to update!!. Still haven't had a chance to get out and drive it since 5-6 months ago, but some good progress has been happening. As usual there was a bit of drama and a few things that popped up on the way, but nothing that bad and will all probably end up with a better setup in the end anyways. So the new additions to the car are: 

 - Rear trailing arm bushes

 - Extended lugs

 - Custom AMR Engineering coilovers

 - Gauges are now connected

 - K Tuned Front subframe brace

 - Mugen 4-1 Headers

 - Moroso Oil Pan

 - All wiring has now been fully cleaned up.

          - All non used plugs removed

          - Most wiring hidden away

          - Fuse box relocated to inside car

          - Ignition removed from around steering column to dash panel

 - Seat sliders removed and fixed position mounts installed (lower too)

 

So a fair bit of work...nothing too major but all small things that will add up to a better package (hopefully). So after all the work of designing a front splitter earlier this year that's now been binned and a new design has had to be made. When I changed from the 4-2-1 headers to the 4-1 headers, there wasn't enough room. So the front subframe had to be removed and a K Tuned subframe brace installed to create enough rooms. This should give me some more front end stiffness which is very much needed in my car, but unfortunately it also meant that the front tow hooks had to be removed...which was where my front splitter attached to. So I am trialling a few different designs now, and hopefully in the next few weeks I can have something sorted out.

 

So that's about it for now...coming up in the next month new Lexan windows will be made and installed, rear guards flared, new exhaust made up, new FCS fuel tank and a re-tune for E85 fuel. Hopefully all up I should loose about 50kg and gain another 10kw, will keep me happy for a while I think.

 

Hopefully for end of December it will be back up and running ready for the 2014 season!!

A bunch of ED mods and updates!!

So that loud bang I mentioned in my last post after I loaded the civic onto the trailer...that was the hairline crack in the rotor turning into a massive split!! So didn't realise this until 2 days before I was meant to be at Phillip Island for  John Bowe driver training day!!

 

In the mean time, I had ordered and installed a new set of tyres. Went for 225/50/15 this time over the 205/50/15's I was running last time, and this time decided to try out the Advan A050's. Also to help these fit a bit nicer in the guards I did a spacer for them pushing them out an inch or so. Fits nicely over the tyres now with plenty of clearance, will also allow for some good ventilation and airflow. The rears didn't fit so nice, but I have someone coming to help flair out the guards in the next week or so, so they can fit a little nicer. The suspension has been adjusted giving more preload to the front and rears for a firmer ride, while raising it up slightly to allow for the slightly higher sidewall on the new tyres.

 

On top of this I finally started some aero work. The rear bumper has been cut down so not to trap as much air in it, and I have designed and installed a front splitter that will allow for quick and easy removal with the brackets I had made up for it too. Pretty happy with the results actually, and works in nicely with my front lower arm tie bar. Hopefully the results on the track will reflect some good results as I am pretty happy with it's stiffness and design. Also I have installed my J's Racing rear wing, which will hopefully give me a bit more downforce at the rear to assist with the additional front downforce.

 

And as of this week, it looks like I have sold my KW suspension setup...something I had been thinking about for a bit, and AMR had offered me a great price on a custom setup which I will be getting made up a lot stiffer to assist with the splitter and soon to be made rear diffuser. Only one more track day until a lot of changes happen.

 

Basically I am planning on, AMR coilovers, change from 4-2-1 to 4-1 headers and retune to E85, a ton of maintenance and bushing upgrades, rear diffuser which also means a new exhaust layout, and a lot of weight reduction. Planning on loosing about 50kg from the car to get it into the 800's, so far door trims have been taken, new lightweight fuel tank is on the cards as well as replacing glass for lexan windows which I will make up myself and some new aluminium fixed seat rails. On top of this I will be getting a front strut brace made up to fit in with the ITB setup, as I think this might be the key to my turn in issues and the car feeling a little lazy to turn in sharply.

 

 

Honda Nationals - 20/04/2013

So the week after the VSSC R2 at Sandown it was the Honda Nationals. Like Sandown, not much really happened to the car. Basically ran it as it was.

Winton is a track I still really am not used to. Felt like I was doing all I could, but the times just didn't reflect how I was feeling in the car. Previous best was 1.43.2 which wasn't that great and ended up walking away with a 1.42.2. It's a second off, but really I think I am still at least 2 seconds off where I should be, and about 4 seconds off where I want to be.

Think more time and a better setup is needed here...But there were also a few things on the day that held me back a little. Upon arriving at Winton I realised my rear tyres were basically bald...not great for traction. Then combined with a fairly averagely run day (but not bad for first go and the amount of first timers on the track), but this meant that a lot of oil was spilt on the track, not a good thing on a good day, but even worse when running tyres with no tread. The amount of red flags happening that day meant getting a good run was impossible, I didn't get one session that didn't get a black flag, and then finally on my last run where I had a bit of free air ahead of me, my tyres told me they had enough by sending me flying mid sweeper shooting me over the grass, then back over the track and into the dirt.

But being at a Honda specific day was great fun and it was great to see all the awesome Honda's there. It has given me a bit more motivation to get a good car setup for next year and get some more practice at Winton so I can get a much better time!!

Also mid day I noticed a hairline crack in my front rotor...the main reason why I didn't want drilled rotors, but didn't have much choice when I was purchasing. As I was loading it up on the trailer and strapping the car down I heard a massive bang...check the straps and all looked ok...so went home...but more on that in the next post...

Best time: 1.42.2 (new PB)

Very late, but Sandown 14/04/2013

So it's been a long time since this has been updated...so here come a few updates for a few track days I have done since.

So for this day, not much really happened to the car...basically ran it as it was run at Phillip Island but finally got a cover sorted out so no more water into the engine as before!!

Was a good day, about a year since I last ran at Sandown and was never really fully happy with my times and never felt I had a good day there. So was trying to get a good improvement over my last time of 1.32.5. Car felt good and drove well...still a few things as per the Phillip Island post that I need to address, but everything worked as it should.

Ended up with a time of 1.29.5

Nice and short this one....

Updates & Phillip Island 10/02/2013

First track day for the year and first round of the VSSC for 2013!!

So I finished last year on a pretty good note, ended up taking out the VSSC Class E - under 1600cc modified class and got a nice little trophy for that. Car was feeling good, a little too much understeer, but was very predictable and times were getting lower and lower each time I went out and taking off big chunks each time. The aim for this year is to progress higher in the overall standings which I finished 17th last year, with very slow times at the start of the year. Aiming for a top 10 this year.

So 2013, started it off by finally changing my front control arms to a new pair with some polyurethane bushings that I installed in them. Pretty easy task, except due to my lower control arm brace, to do this the whole sump had to be removed. Due to me forgetting it was a 2 piece design it was a 10hr remove / refit of the sump and a 1hr change of the arms...wasn't happy but at least it got done. Sump isn't sealing up 100%now though, few drips of oil but will get under and fix that up later. Did a service too which was way over due, and also addressed some of the minor issues the scrutineers have bought up and got them all fixed up. My fuel surge tank is now all inclosed in along with all the fuel lines and other minor issues sorted out too.

Went out for a photoshoot with BP22183 (check him out - http://bp22183.blogspot.com.au/) Got some great shots and through those shots GripShiftSlide got onto me asking for some details and to meet up for some shots. Ended up meeting with them down at Phillip Island, so check it out the feature at some stage - http://gripshiftslide.com/

So headed down to Phillip Island, hit the track for the first warmup session and the car felt like crap...so came back off and found out that overnight while the car was loaded on the trailer and hooked up to the car that it rained a little which with my bonnet vents it basically funnelled all the water straight to my spark plug chambers so they were basically swimming in water. So ripped up a towel and soaked up all the water, luckly nothing got into the engine and I managed to get it all sorted dry. Went out for the second session and the car was miss-firing up high, around 7-8k rpm. Came back in again after a lap and found there were a few more drops of water on my spark plug leads, let them dry off good and the 3rd session the car was feeling great again. Posted a 1.57 straight up, with cold tyres and brakes, so knew there was plenty more left. Car was feeling good, the understeer had almost dissapeared and it was acting very neutral, as the track had just been resurfaced I thought it was feeling pretty slippery, but that could have just been the car being pretty cold and also the fact I didn't have time for anther wheel alignment so that would have been out. After that 3rd session I got in another 2 sessions with a 1.55 in the 4th and a 1.54.46 in the 5th, smashing my new PB by a second!!

So all up it was a good day, as usual more things to address, all minor though. Need to create a cover for the engine when not in use so water does not get down into the spark plug chambers, want to lower temps in the engine bay still so going to heat wrap the manifold and exhaust, the last bushings to replace are the rear trailing arms and the front strut bushings so they are on order. Also as I am down to the 1.54's I will start collecting my aero additions, as this is the stage I always said that I would do aero upgrades. J's Racing wing has arrived, just waiting on Special Projects splitter, diffuser and side skirts. The tyres are also getting low, so think I will replace them now, so the next round at Sandown I can wear them in ready for the Honda Nationals in April.

So thats it, hopefully next time the car is out it will be a bit quicker again, always learning new lines and driving techniques so I think another couple of seconds off are possible with the car how it is now, and once aero is added it should take off another chuck hopefully.

Best time: 1.54.46