NitroDann's Long Awaited Garage Thread

[NitroDann]

It's not a 'do now' thing.

It has a completely buggered lifter and needs an alternator reg soon.

Dann

[NitroDann]

Slugracers completed exhaust, and the first 3" SE system out the door.

All jigged up and ready to build these should have a week lead time.



Dann

[SlugRacer]

Great work Dann!

I'm very happy to have the prototype

[NitroDann]

Yesterday at Wakefield Park with Pat, running in MX5 challenge which was put in with the Super TT guys (evos, gtrs, V8s etc).

We arrived at Goulburn around 11pm friday night, I got a free shower at the truckstop which was actually alright, and we slept, up at 6, got a pie and a coffee, off to Wakefield.

We were second at the gate, beaten by the guy who started the NSW Excel one make tar series.

In, passed scrutineering no hastles, drop the tyre pressures on the slicks, check, double check, triple check.

Out for qualifying, first lap out, first time down the straight the splitter failed.

I tested it to about 150kg jumping on it so I was amazed, when he came in a quick check showed that it generated so much downforce it tore chunks of steel out of the bodywork!



Here is a piece I retrieved from the other side.



Its held on with 6 bolts and only the front 2 had issues, so lesson learned, the splitter is way way more efficient than Id even hoped so it was remounted with a temporary but strong solution. So great news about the front aero design, also looks like the cooling issues the car has always had have been solved with these recent changes.

Here is the excel series and the pulsar series in together.


And a few pics from the field.






Unfortunately it peed down all arvo and this was pats first time at the circuit in about a year, so with slicks in the rain and no practice it ran 1:08 at the fastest, there were very few laps with dryish conditions.

Here's a pic stolen from Targa Racing's facebook showing conditions.



So Pat was a little disappointed, he understandably wanted a weekend of dry conditions to get his eye in on the new setup, and back into the groove and put down a low 5 maybe a 4. But it is what it is. Quite a few people didnt even show up for the event, due to the weather which is why MX5s were in with the Evos and GTRs.

I am over the moon, my goals were for the new setup to see the weekend out without incident, to prove the power on track, to see the cooling issues have been solved, to prove the aero works and the stability of the car, and the big one, to prove that with modern electronics, and boost controlled by throttle position on a 3d map, that an mx5 with 30-40% more than the big shops cars can actually be dríven and deliver power smooth enough to use it.
Everything was achieved, the car was as quick out of corners and down the straight as any other car in the field, pulling car lengths per gearchange on the wrx and evos, and easily as fast as anything else out there, it was even smooth enough to drive gorgeously on full slicks in the pouring rain without a slide or spin in sight.

Its always said in Australia that over 180rwkwish MX5s only get slower, I wont accept that, we went out with around 250rwkw and proved silky smooth control using technology thats underutilized in the Aussie mx5 scene.

So for me it was a 9/10 weekend, would have been 10/10 if we didnt miss a session due to the splitter. But you live and learn, and I feel like Ive learned as much in this last 12 months as the rest of my auto life.

Dann

[Lokiel]

Pat's MX5 looks great except for 2 things:

1. The black square borders around the front vents look bloody awful - round 'em off.

2. Side mirrors need to be plasti-dipped black.

[NitroDann]

You might get yours back ready to make 400whp but I reckon you two should head to the drags together

Dann

[Sean]

108 on a wet track is still motoring pretty nicely.

[noobee]

was at eastern creek north yesterday with Ken and his rx7 and half the drivers(including Ken) packed up at the first sprinkle,mid afternoon.
Mick

[NitroDann]

If they made the rules that it became an official all in drift day when it rains it would solve a lot of problems.

The 1 hour guys had an amazing battle in the wet.

Dann

[little decks]

Dann, it was nice to meet you and have a catch up while we watched the races... but lets call an apple an apple here, the track wasn't wet when that time was laid down, here is the Natsoft link to the times http://racing.natsoft.com.au/635570730/object_13359904.91C/Result?14. I think the other times of the MX5s on slicks tell a vastly different story. I will grant you that the track was slippery due to the cold but relative to the other MX5 race cars your off the pace. The Hydra-Wash did a 1:06:8 with Dad 5 mins earlier and Shane Otten did a 1:05:5 in the same session.... I don't discount the car looks like it has potential and you have done ok, but you won't get an idea if the car will do all the things you want it to do until it runs for atleast 6 laps at that pace. Good job though.

[NitroDann]

Completely agree with you.

The shop built cars have some great experienced drivers also, well done to all of you, its a long road ahead to compete with the pro's. Pat was pretty disappointed that it rained, he hasnt raced the car in a year and so much has changed on it.

Im a bit embarassed to admit that the run that he did his quickest time on he had actually left the LHF wheel a tiny bit loose after removing them to modify the front splitter mounts and had pad knockoff, if you remember I asked you what you thought the cause might be.
I drove it and it took 2 full pumps to get anything, all in all it was bad luck that the 2 driest sessions were a loss due to the splitter and the brakes not working.

Amateurs gonna amateur.

Cannot wait for next event.

Dann

[Muzdaman]

Great to hear the cooling issues have been resolved. When is the next event?

[mazmad]

Car looked impressive Dann look forward to seeing it out there again. Live and learn, can only get quicker.

[NitroDann]

SMP in 2 weeks at the club day,

Im pretty sure its south circuit right? Not exactly the place for it, but at the least will give a good idea of the driveability, however so far we are pretty damned chuffed with that.

Dann

[mazmad]

Yeah south circuit. Hopefully dry, though with the way the weather has been.....