My British Racing Green '99 NB

[sailaholic]

I thought you were selling the buddy clubs and buying others?


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[Trackphotos]

I thought you were selling the buddy clubs and buying others?


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That was the plan briefly. Goes as follows:

- Email UK seller for quote on wheels + tyres delivered. No reply after 2 days.
- MX5 Mania group buy deadline next morning. Bugger it, I'll do it. Placed my order.
- Wheels turn up. Look good, happy. 3 hours later, UK seller finally gets back to me with a quote. It's $1300 delivered for Spec Miata wheels with fz201s already fitted.
- Price difference is worth selling the P1s. List for sale. Friend agrees to buy them.
- Next day, UK seller sends another email. Exchange rate error, price is actually $2000. Fail.
- Contact buyer, turns out he has rego to pay and can't buy anyway. I keep P1s, get NT01s, as originally planned.

Bit of a run around, but worked out in the end.

[Trackphotos]

Pulled the passenger seat and found out that yes, I can fit 4 wheels in the car. Should just barely be enough room for a fuel can in the footwell, and should fit everything else i need in the boot with the fourth wheel. Probably won't bother with it until the new tyres are beginning to look like slicks, wouldn't want to get caught driving on them on the road, especially if it started raining.

[jeffreyg]

Don't think you'll have the same luck with the Buddy clubs-I have the same rims and definitely won't fit one in the boot

[Trackphotos]

Don't think you'll have the same luck with the Buddy clubs-I have the same rims and definitely won't fit one in the boot

Keeping in mind this will be for track days and the boot will be empty, it does fit, just. Boot closes, doesn't rub at the hinge or latch. Wouldn't fit without removing the spare wheel and carpet though, no.

[speed freak]

You should fit the buddyclubs in the boot even with the spare wheel and carpet in. Roger can fit a 15" wheel in his boot where you have yours, as you said it just fits but it does fit.

[Trackphotos]

You should fit the buddyclubs in the boot even with the spare wheel and carpet in. Roger can fit a 15" wheel in his boot where you have yours, as you said it just fits but it does fit.

It does fit the same way with those in since it doesn't sit down in the spare wheel well, but there's more usable space by leaving it empty. Wouldn't be able to fit much in with the wheel otherwise. Although know that I think of it, most of the extra space comes from removing the bucket on the left hand side. There's a surprising amount of unused space under it.

[Trackphotos]

Went to the Lotus club timed laps on the Lakeside short track yesterday. Had lots of fun, changes since last time were a 4.3 LSD and some semi slicks. 1.1 second improvement on the same layout, the tyres don't feel all that sticky coz they never got anywhere near hot, so I think the time mostly came from the diff. That and the fact that I knew right off the bat that turn 1, even though it's blind, is almost flat throttle. It's not easy to compete against supercharged Exiges and Clubmans, never really had a chance. Would've liked to have been the first MX5 to run a 49 on that layout, but 50.005 will have to do. 18th place of 41.

During the lunch break they allowed helmetless, low speed, untimed passenger laps. We used it as a chance to swap cars, so I drove Alex's NA and he drove my NB. Neither of us had dríven the other model before, so it was an eye opener how different they are. I like the raw feeling of the NA, he likes the little bit more punch from the 1.8, although I imagine the diff helps there too. Also had a passenger lap in Liam's Caterham, I had forgotten just how low you sit in them. Awesome.






A couple of friends were there, Alex on his second tarmac event in his NA had heaps of fun. Unfortunately I only got two videos of him, and one was a crap angle. The other one was a video of him spinning on the last corner. Ah well. Best time of 52.4sec, despite the first run showing a 50.3 (finish beam was tripping inexplicably for the first session). Not slow for first time on this track, and second-ever tarmac event. 27th place of 41.



Another friend was in his dad's Caterham for the day, so that made for some good footage too. One fail, one of just suspension working on a ~48sec run. His best was a 47.790, only 0.04sec behind the club president, who he was trying to catch at 47.750. 8th place of 41.

[pezchops]

we where watching while waiting for practice to start on the main track... did a car blow a motor /head...saw a lot of smoke?
a bit of smoke from spins as well...looked like fun out there

[Trackphotos]

we where watching while waiting for practice to start on the main track... did a car blow a motor /head...saw a lot of smoke?
a bit of smoke from spins as well...looked like fun out there

Haha, the smoke came from 2 cars. A turbo V8 S13 that was burning massive amounts of oil, and a Sierra that burnt it when he turned right or had to brake. Both survived the day, just left decent clouds around whenever they ran.

[Trackphotos]

Was looking at spending some overtime money and tax refund on bigger brakes. Considered the Wilwood 4 piston 280mm kit you can get for $920 delivered from the UK. Decided not to yet. Not really finding the limits of the brakes I've got, so for now I've just ordered some HEL braided brake lines. Assuming I haven't missed something major, it was $195 delivered for 4 lines and the distribution block, and they're ADR compliant. Looking around, most people seem to have paid ~$250 for the same stuff, so not sure if I've gotten a good deal or if there's something else to it. Hopefully I just got lucky. Would like a nice firm brake pedal for once.

[sailaholic]

Yeah that's what you get them for. The used to sting you an extra 50 for the block but last time I ordered from online it all came through.

The nice part about the block is it's NOT permanently attached to the RR brake line.


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[Trackphotos]

Swift delivery. Will put them in on monday or tuesday, assuming I don't manage to break stuff in the process, should be good to run night sprints at QR on wednesday.

[Trackphotos]

Put the lines in this morning without any problems, unfortunately in the process of bleeding them I found that the bleed screw on the front right caliper had been tightened way more than the rest, half as much thread visible, and the head was totally rounded. After hunting around at multiple different part/brake stores with no luck, I drove up to Automotive Plus and Dave gave me a spare one. Vice grips got the old screw out, new one went in easily, just need to bleed them tomorrow and should be all good to go.

[Trackphotos]

Finally ran Lakeside again at the club day today. Mixed results.

First time on semis, with the sway bars in, and with the new diff in. Immediately felt much quicker than previously, mostly due to the semis. Aiming for 29psi hot, guessed coilover settings and had it pretty much perfectly neutral, 4 wheel slides. Pressures were a little high after first session, so bled them down by 2psi. Second session, quicker again, still losing grip toward the end. Another 2 psi down. Third session, quickest one with a 65.7. Pressures still at 30-31psi, so bled them down another 2 psi. Did not adjust coilovers.

Went out for fourth session, immediately felt at turn 1 that it wanted to turn the back end around. Figured I'd put up with it and fix it for the next session... Should have gone in. Turning into Hungry on the first flying lap, the back started to slide and I responded as I used to with road tyres. Seems I was countersteering too fast and too far, and it bit again while I was pointed off track. 360 sideways through the grass, stopping in the middle. Back to pits, steering wheel 15 degrees left to drive straight. Jacked the car up and can't see anything broken or bent, but I will take it to Ken and get him to have a look. At best, an alignment. At worst, I have no idea. Managed the drive home ok, tyres held air fine, no scary vibrations or anything like that.