Lightyears Red NA8B track car.

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 9:35 pm

I think 5.11 would be better there.

Went to Phillip Island for the aus super sprint. Saturday was mostly crap. But Sunday was really good. There was over 50 cars from NSW.
Saw a few MX5 guys from NSW.
As I was entered in a class based on engine capacity, I decided to put on all the bits I had lying around.
I didn't get a chance to put on a splitter, so didn't get the most out of the wing. I ended up taking of the 3 rd element, and dropping the angle right down. Well it did it by itself, and I just secured it better. I pushed on the wing with all my weight, but on the track the downforce is so high it starting breaking the mounts, and bending the alloy.
Best I managed was a 1:50.1, with an easy 1:49 in it if I go back with a splitter. Race chrono said I could have done a 1:49.8 if I didn't get blocked into turn 2.
Few guys got a shock when they found out it had no turbo. And even more of a shock that it has a stock motor, ecu and brakes. One guy said he spent $30,000 on his engine and has to bring race fuel with him. He is running slicks, and was a couple of seconds slower. Poor bloke....

Postby **beavis** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:35 am

You forgot to mention the tears in his eyes when he realised his $30k race engined Datsun was losing to stock powered MX-5's.

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:58 am

Felt sorry for him.

Pic I took at the end of the day.

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:59 am

Your sig needs updating.

Charlie Brown · Postby **Charlie Brown** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:04 am

Great times to both David and Brendan, but you need to start to look over your shoulder as the NSW road registered NC's are bearing down on you.

Ralph did a 1:53.0361 :beer:

No aero.

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:26 am

I have done a 52.4 no aero. And factory airbox..

Postby **beavis** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:38 am

What's Ralph got in terms of engine/power/weight and mods?

For cost versus laptime, the NB is still cheaper..... but it is is only light mods on an NC, a 1:53 would be reasonably impressive.

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:33 pm

I have to agree with Brendan, the NC might do good times. But if you spent as much on an NB8B, there is no way an NC will come close to matching the times. They cost about $25,000 plus basic track prep. My car is for sale for $8,000 allowing plenty of spare money for go fast bits. And it is already much faster. 3 seconds is a lot of time to make up..

Charlie Brown · Postby **Charlie Brown** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 2:39 pm

lightyear wrote:I have to agree with Brendan, the NC might do good times. But if you spent as much on an NB8B, there is no way an NC will come close to matching the times. They cost about $25,000 plus basic track prep. My car is for sale for $8,000 allowing plenty of spare money for go fast bits. And it is already much faster. 3 seconds is a lot of time to make up..

beavis wrote:What's Ralph got in terms of engine/power/weight and mods?

For cost versus laptime, the NB is still cheaper..... but it is is only light mods on an NC, a 1:53 would be reasonably impressive.

You can buy NC's now for $15K. If you want an unregistered track car the price is cheaper again.
Remember that Ralph’s is a road car not a track car, so the missus can drive it to the shops if she wanted to, and he’s probably only been to PI four times.

OK, his mods that I know of:
No internal engine modifications, just a reflash to support headers, midpipe and muffler, CAI. This gives around 113rwkW.
Front & rear adjustable sway bars,
Tein Superstreet coilovers,
Under body bracing,
4.1 diff,
DBA T2 rotors
Hardtop with softtop removed
Battery relocated to the boot
Corner weighted
8” x 16” rims with Yokie R-Spec tyres

Weight wise Ralph has removed some internal plastic trim from the console, behind the seat and on the rear deck. Still has the standard seats in place.

It would be interesting to see what it could do with a similar slick hardtop to Brendan’s, a rear wing and a bit more weight reduction at PI.

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:05 pm

lightyear wrote:I have to agree with Brendan, the NC might do good times. But if you spent as much on an NB8B, there is no way an NC will come close to matching the times. They cost about $25,000 plus basic track prep. My car is for sale for $8,000 allowing plenty of spare money for go fast bits. And it is already much faster. 3 seconds is a lot of time to make up..

Mr Lightyear I suspect you are failing to also take into account your driving talents (and/or bravery and/or madness)?

But yours is also defo a bargain for someone who wants a cheap and very competitive car.

For someone who already has a road MX5 and is considering making it into a competitive dual purpose car, just DON'T. Keep your road car as it is and buy Lightyear's car and hire a towcar and trailer for each event. You'll be faster and have more fun for less money. Search my posts for how I know this.

16bit · Postby **16bit** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:12 am

this^^^

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:25 am

I don't think I am a good driver, but I think I am a quick driver. I feel like I get the most out of the car. I don't think its braveness you need, it's confidence. Turning in with only a slight lift of the go pedal at over 200km/h into turn one at Phillip Island does take some confidence. Braveness would mean no lift at all. The car would most likely make it, or be in a controlled slide on exit. But after crashing a couple of cars, I feel it is best to leave that to the young guys. Like Ben and Brendan.

evil_weevil · Postby **evil_weevil** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:27 pm

great work at wakefield, great time!
i am jealous. I need to get back out there!

lightyear · Postby **lightyear** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 10:05 pm

Thought I would do a quick update.

The red car sold with all the race bits missing. As I couldn't sell it as a track prepped car.
The idea was to sell it and buy a WRX to race in a new state race series.
I bought a stock WRX $3,000, sold it. Bought another WRX that I thought was better for track work for $4,000. It wasn't, so I sold it.
Then I bought a 3rd WRX that was much closer to what I was after. Had coilovers, braces, sway bars, exhaust, intake, power FC, roll cage, etc for $6,500.

As you can see, WRX's are pretty cheap compared to MX5's.

So after some basic track prep - seat, steering wheel, pads and tyres. I took it to Phillip Island, and had a minor issue with the intercooler popping off as it has no proper brackets. So didn't get much of a run. Almost 7 laps for the whole day, with the intercooler pipe blowing apart on the last corner on the 7th lap. It did a 1:52.2, and I am happy with that considering the very little seat time I had, as well as the issues, and lack of prep. And I won my class by 4 seconds.