yeah a weekend at the track might only cost $300-350 or whatever in entry fees, but it can easily be a $1000 weekend altogether. Hell, probably more than that in a car like a GT3 with pricy brakes.

2/8/2015 5:37:57 PM

You have to pay to play. There aren’t too many cars that can do 130+ at the upper S’ at VIR all day long, get damn close to 170 on the straight, and still drive home that are cheap.

That said, considering the size of the brake hardware +the immense cooling thrown at it, many people claim 20+ track events on a set of pads/rotors on this car. I’m about to be running STOP TECH blanks for about $170 each for the front, Pagid yellow pads for $380 or so. Not bad. Tires, that’s not cheap, but again, it takes money to go fast. That said, if you look at overall running costs over 20 events, I would not be surprised to go through 3 sets of rotors and 5 sets of pads on an M3!

2/8/2015 9:08:03 PM

oh yeah, i'm sure my corvette would have had at least that appetite.

i plan on finally tracking the 7 some this year...it took a while to get a hood fabricated, then get the handling set up so that it wouldn't be terrifying and dangerous, and then I was out of work for 4.5 months...but it was 70 degrees here today and I start my new job in 1 week.

Now I just need to figure out how to tow it. I sold my Ram, and the '66 pickup isn't done yet. I guess I'll be renting a truck, or maybe renting a truck and borrowing/buying a trailer.

2/9/2015 2:09:39 AM

GT2
https://youtube.com/watch?v=in_lehKi248

2/9/2015 9:45:26 AM

That’s good for them and all, but I have no interest in anything of that nature. I’m in love with my GT3, and a 996 GT2 would just be peachy as well. For the 997, I’d be tempted to go with the 997 turbo. Upgraded brakes, variable vane turbos, and a much better AWD system should be great in an all purpose car... I have not driven one, would like to though.

Anyway, updates on my junk... Stop Tech rotors on the GT3. As suspected, Cayenne rotors have the correct offset and size. Was able to get both rotors for less than half the two piece Giro Discs replacement rings... The GiroDiscs ARE lighter, but let’s see how these do. Found out the car already has cup underbody brake ducts as well, so that was nice.

Note: The previous owner had washers installed between the calipers and the carriers, strange. I wonder if that was to clear the aftermarket rotors? Anyway those are gone. Track tires are mounted on a separate set of wheels, and the roll bar was modified to move the harness mounts up higher with beefier tabs. Will post pictures at some point.

While I’m at it, update on the MINI Cooper S:
Piecing together the brakes are almost complete (going with factory John Cooper Works stuff + additional cooling). Was able to find brake calipers/carriers used, even with new rotors/pads, should still be VERY reasonable... Love that car! Will try to duct in additional cooling. Changed plugs in it also.

Contemplating trying to con a friend into driving it to VIR for me so I can potentially drive both on track.

2/18/2015 11:21:54 PM

2/18/2015 11:27:43 PM

On a related note my Cayman S is horrendous in snow/ice with it's Michelin Pilot Super Sports

(Integra is in the shop waiting on a part )

2/19/2015 10:22:02 AM

Ya, I’m wussing out on driving the GT3 in the snow as it has no ground clearance AND no undercoating. I’d imagine the Cayman would be fun and terrifying lol While we’re on the topic, surprisingly my Volvo V70 is FAR better in the snow (FWD, no LSD) than my MINI (Cooper S, R53, also FWD and no LSD) on the very same tires.

Speaking of the MINI, the brakes are almost on. The calipers I bought came with 3 pads, so the car’s apart waiting for a new set of pads to arrive, apart at a friend’s shop. Which is just as well, I was able to get decent pads coming in tomorrow (fingers crossed w/the weather), in case I do end up putting this thing on track next weekend.

Factory brakes:


Comparison in rotor size with JCW:


JCW rotors and calipers on the car:


Tomorrow, it will also get cooling ducts to the front brakes if I have enough time after getting to the shop before they open to button it all up. Which is... pretty inconvenient.

[Edited on February 24, 2015 at 10:41 PM. Reason : infoz]

2/24/2015 10:35:26 PM

JC Whitney?

2/25/2015 9:27:25 AM

Boy did that change this thread's direction in a hurry.

2/25/2015 9:36:25 AM

why are they white?

2/25/2015 9:58:31 AM

Ceramic (paint maybe) Duh

2/25/2015 2:21:24 PM

Plasti-dip don't work on brakes.

2/25/2015 2:35:40 PM

My Integra is fantastic in the snow! Unfortunately it's been in the shop for the last 14 days and counting

2/25/2015 2:47:22 PM

They're Textar blanks, I believe coated like that to keep the hub faces from rusting. The STOP TECH blanks for the GT3 came coated black.

I'll put it here also, going to be at VIR this weekend, message me if you want a ride.

2/25/2015 2:48:48 PM

14 days? What for?

2/25/2015 2:49:15 PM

I took it in for a very bad drivetrain vibration under load and they diagnosed it as a bad intermediate driveshaft (chances are it's still original). It's been taking the shop forever to source a replacement part (nobody manufacturers new ones anymore) and it appears that every parts shop they've contacted has a catalog error that lumps the GS-R in with the rest of the Integras, which doesn't work since it has a bespoke transmission.

(took a while to get a part in initially, as the parts supplier in FL said my shop never ordered the part, 5 days after they did order the part. After that debacle they ordered a part from another place which took 2.5 days - and that part wasn't correct).

2/25/2015 5:01:15 PM

Ja, I’ve noticed that getting a driveshaft can be difficult for all sorts of cars lately. Speaking of, I am able to get axles (next day) through my friend’s shop for well under $100 a piece for an Integra, let me know if you need help. I just checked a 94 GS-R and a 98 GS-R as well as a 92 (ran that one as a manual, which I assume yours is).

While I’m on this rant, I remember helping a friend install a power steering pump sourced from Auto Zone into his e46 323, it took us 3 tries before we got a pump that worked. I don’t understand how these places can get away with selling parts that literally don’t fit!

2/25/2015 8:43:58 PM

Came for VW pics .... left with fwd beater brake photos.

2/26/2015 7:45:24 AM

^^Thanks but hopefully they've got it figured out now. FYI, All GS-Rs were sold as manuals. Automatic transmission never an option.

2/26/2015 9:24:20 AM

synapse, just noticed the jcwhitney comment, JCW is the “John Cooper Works” package. They were a pretty awesome tuning firm that made some neat and pretty hardcore pieces for these things. The guy who runs the outfit’s dad used to do similar kits for the original MINI Packages included one for the engine (polished supercharger/under drive pulley, headwork, tuning, exhaust, suspension, brakes, etc). My car currently has several modifications making quite a bit more power than stock, and I can get the brakes to fade on the street, so something needed to be done. I also added cooling.

As a note, next to the Integra Type R, this is one of the most fun FWD cars I’ve ever driven.

TKE; the 92 was the only chassis where the interface required a selection of transmission? Weird. Anyway, glad it’s getting sorted.

2/26/2015 10:37:17 AM

Quote :

"just noticed the jcwhitney comment, JCW is the “John Cooper Works” package."

Was joking...I remember those catalogs full of crap fondly.

2/26/2015 5:45:41 PM

ha, it didn’t even occur to me you were joking. I remember those too, I was always amazed they had SO MUCH stuff for VWs...

2/27/2015 10:48:44 AM

Shop called me....said the spline is all worn out. Sourcing a replacement one from CA...

Car ready next Friday

2/27/2015 11:55:31 AM

Wait, so it wasn’t the shaft?

On the GT3, test fitted front wheels from a Carrera for the drift event. Track tires are 315 slicks, these are 205 snow tires. Drift!

2/27/2015 3:28:08 PM

LOL, those wheels from the front of a 993 Carrera? Only way I can imagine a 205 fitting on a Porsche wheel of that design.

It's the spline on the shaft...man at this point

Ironically, today while at a Shell station filling up today a man drove up next to me in a '92 Integra. He then commented that if he had such a nice car he wouldn't drive it in this weather. I then explained that I, too, had a '92 Integra but it was currently in the shop, lmao

[Edited on February 27, 2015 at 4:33 PM. Reason : k]

2/27/2015 4:33:09 PM

Well, to be fair, I’m sure your car looked like a modern art display at all times. Do you wash it every time you come to a stop? I took the GT3 out yesterday and today, it’s great when the splitter shoots a ton of snow up over the hood lol

Speaking of, so the wheels are actually from a 993 twin turbo. The tires are 225s, I was mistaken. This should be interesting

Here’s the trailer set up, ready to go:

2/27/2015 9:33:37 PM

At this moment, the Cayman is probably the dirtiest it's been while under my ownership. Was last washed on Feb 1st, and is covered in road grime and salt at the moment

I'll probably take it to a brushless automated wash later this week to get all that crap off (esp the undercarriage), but a full detail and Zaino polish treatment will be happening as soon as the next mild weather weekend comes around.

3/2/2015 9:10:58 AM

You accept clients?

I know how you feel, I haven’t washed the GT3 since I bought it, and I couldn’t resist the urge to take it out in the snow... It sorely needs a cleaning but I’m headed to CMP in a few days and VIR the following week. Poor car, doesn’t get the external cleaning love that it so deserves. :/

3/2/2015 11:50:21 PM

I damn well miss having RWD with all the storms we've had the past few years.

With that said, I'm damn glad I have had a FWD beater this year because I sure as hell wouldn't have gotten where I needed to be if I was stuck with a RWD Sports coupe.

[Edited on March 3, 2015 at 12:10 AM. Reason : ,]

3/3/2015 12:09:10 AM

since nobody posted this yet:

http://jalopnik.com/the-2016-porsche-911-gt3-rs-is-here-to-destroy-every-ra-1689117276


because gt3




.looks awesome

3/3/2015 9:42:54 AM

Flame suit on:

That Porsche's worst nightmare



[Edited on March 3, 2015 at 10:34 AM. Reason : .]

3/3/2015 10:32:35 AM

You're not doing it right. Post this car instead before putting on flame suit:

3/3/2015 4:32:36 PM

That's a really hot STI, why did somebody photoshop a Honda front bumper on it though?

3/3/2015 5:47:54 PM

^^ that civic is m0re powerful than a

2001 Porsche 911 Carrera
1998 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
1993 Porsche 911 Turbo (almost)



btw, it is 7 seconds faster around the Nurburgring than the NSX-R, and 26 seconds faster than the NSX. (and just as fast top end)

3/4/2015 8:47:11 AM

I wonder how the NSX would fare with the same tires

3/4/2015 7:58:22 PM

Agreed. Ditto more modern braking hardware.

3/5/2015 8:43:56 AM

So a tiny update. My new brakes have still not bedded completely, which is just crazy...



As a side note, that picture also shows the radiator exhaust and the brake duct for all of that air being
directed to the brake (top left of the picture). This is a different set up than the turbo (which just had
fender liner vents immediately in front of the brakes, without ducting (instead of being directed from
further in by the frame rails as is the case with the GT3). The Carrera has the radiator exhaust under
the car. All 996 chassis 911s have brake ducts affixed onto the lower control arms to get more air from
under the car as well.

Speaking of bedding the brakes, I’m en route to Carolina Motorsports Park, here’s the car/trailer set
up, all loaded up. Annoyingly, my trailer wiring is missing from the car, and with the tires and tool box
loaded, none of the car’s tail lights are visible... I bought a trailer wiring kit and converter. I’m going to
see if I can install discreet brake and turn signals to it while at the track this weekend, since I should
have a fair bit of downtime -not instructing-...

Anyway, here’s what it looks like at a stop;



Cheers.

[Edited on March 6, 2015 at 9:56 PM. Reason : pics!]

3/6/2015 9:53:59 PM

While we’re at it, here’s the newest drifting video from last weekend;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX6Z4_mJIR4

More video to come from the race track this weekend

3/6/2015 9:57:15 PM

So I’ve spent most of today rewiring my car and trailer so it can have discreet turn signals and brake
lights + parking lights... Oh, and I did that at the track!

I’m running a PCA event, and true to form, there’s 3 991 GT3s being tracked, so nice to see. Here’s
a video of myself and my car’s previous owner in his MKII 997 GT3 in front of me going through traffic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaT5SPCazH0

yay!

[Edited on March 8, 2015 at 12:39 AM. Reason : formatting! ]

3/8/2015 12:39:15 AM

your front half (up to the turn after the kink) and his back half would make a perfect lap.

3/8/2015 1:04:15 PM

trailer lights? just use old school hand signals

3/8/2015 4:13:09 PM

UPDATES:

Re: Vid/lines. My first time at CMP in 3+ years, first time with this car, first time on Hoosiers, first heat
of the day... So, not trying to set any records, but looks like I got a 1:48, which.. doesn’t seem that
bad. Track record for TTU w/a GT3 cup was a 1:40. Tom’s new GT3 looks and sounds amazing. I’m
jealous. I wouldn’t mind some things like front axle lift, variable engine mounts and variable exhaust.
Not looking to buy one tomorrow, but it’s quite the car.

Re: Trailer lights. I can be pretty particular about this sort of thing. I think it makes no sense that in
the U.S., your brake light can be shared with a turn signal. In the case of the trailer, the third brake
light is completely blocked by the wheels/tires, so no lights on the trailer was a big deal. As of
yesterday, the trailer has European style discreet amber turn signals, red brake and parking lights. I
need to go back over the car’s wiring, want to insulate the wiring. Currently it runs between the
bumper and the heat shields but that area gets super hot, so can’t be too safe.

And here’s a pic:


[Edited on March 9, 2015 at 8:18 PM. Reason : formatting! ]

3/9/2015 8:16:26 PM

^ nice house you got there!

Porsche Cayman GT4 RS revealed!!!!



(lol just a render by someone, after porsche said they would consider an RS if there was customer demand)

3/9/2015 9:58:11 PM

GT4 first drive

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/porsche-cayman-gt4-review-first-drive-2015-03-09

3/10/2015 3:03:49 AM

Quote :

"I can be pretty particular about this sort of thing. "

You can be particular about stuff? WHO KNEW?

You're starting to remind me of this guy: http://teamcoco.com/jordan-schlansky

3/10/2015 11:05:01 AM

That was pretty funny. Yeah, I’m a lot like that actually.

Here’s the final product on the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRzDk5GAE3g&feature=youtu.be

3/12/2015 5:02:07 PM

Well done!

3/12/2015 8:47:33 PM

lol Right!? I just don’t understand why more people don’t care about this when towing trailers...

3/13/2015 4:21:00 PM

VIR full today;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJN9rnPTOCg

3/16/2015 9:40:16 PM