A NB8B Turbo progress.

Postby **NitroDann** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 10:23 am

Lol'd watching the speedo needle.

Youll get 5 seconds just learning the lines next time Ian.

Well done,
Dann

guss · Postby **guss** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 10:51 am

Well done Ian, 1:16 is a very respectable lap for a first timer, no matter if the car is potentially quicker. Your car was heaps of fun to drive on the track, with endless power at your disposal, yet still progressive enough to keep things in control. I must admit I had a ball during our training session, but it will take a lot of practice until you can use your car's full potential.

While the turbo makes the car a lot faster on the straight, in this early stages it makes it a lot harder for you to get the braking points and corner exits right. You are approaching corners at a much higher speeds than your average fellow MX5 driver, and touch the throttle too early or too hard and you'll find yourself drifting mid corner. I noticed on the video that you are still not using the whole track at the exit of corner 2. The lines are otherwise pretty good, as they were already during our training session.

With that much power you'll need all the grip you can get, so if many more track days are in your plans, a set of R-Spec tyres would make things easier for you.

Cheers

Leon_ · Postby **Leon_** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 10:57 am

Well done Ian, wish I can have a go too :DIY:

IanR · Postby **IanR** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:01 am

Thanks Gus, I don't think I will forget the drive with you for a long time! Very fun, thanks for the inputs throughout the day, much appreciated and helpful.

Yep R comps should be on the shopping list after a few more track days.

Postby **NitroDann** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:08 am

guss wrote:Your car was heaps of fun to drive on the track, with endless power at your disposal, yet still progressive enough to keep things in control. I must admit I had a ball during our training session

Thankyou guss, these are the highest of compliments

The whole car is a pretty good package as far as quick roadcars go. That's a credit to ian.

Dann

RS2000 · Postby **RS2000** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:08 am

Good stuff Ian & a very nice car - I know because I scrutineered it at Ringwood on Come & Try day.
A steering technique tip taught by racing instructors (definitely not me) - hands at 3 & 9 with thumbs thru' wheel & maintain that position.

Here's a clear example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftfudYT_51c

Cheers

IanR · Postby **IanR** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:58 am

RS2000 wrote:Good stuff Ian & a very nice car - I know because I scrutineered it at Ringwood on Come & Try day.
A steering technique tip taught by racing instructors (definitely not me) - hands at 3 & 9 with thumbs thru' wheel & maintain that position.

Here's a clear example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftfudYT_51c

Cheers

Thanks, that is a good tip for me to get better. :beer:

Roadrunner · Postby **Roadrunner** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:31 pm

Was great to meet you on Monday Ian, getting in the 16s is great for your first day!
I did get a chance to stand on the wall during one of your sessions and your car at full song down the main straight sounded awesome

IanR · Postby **IanR** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 12:18 pm

Roadrunner wrote:Was great to meet you on Monday Ian, getting in the 16s is great for your first day!
I did get a chance to stand on the wall during one of your sessions and your car at full song down the main straight sounded awesome

Sure was cool meeting all the local MX5 gang! well done ob your 13s...its going to be fun getting down to that speed, the car is far more capable of faster...

Haha full noise untill about the start finish...breaking before the kink from high 170's was like oooh!!! The car would go 190 with gus driving haha, or more...

IanR · Postby **IanR** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 12:19 pm

Roadrunner wrote:Was great to meet you on Monday Ian, getting in the 16s is great for your first day!
I did get a chance to stand on the wall during one of your sessions and your car at full song down the main straight sounded awesome

Sure was cool meeting all the local MX5 gang! well done ob your 13s...its going to be fun getting down to that speed, the car is far more capable of faster...

Haha full noise untill about the start finish...breaking before the kink from high 170's was like oooh!!! The car would go 190 with gus driving haha, or more...

Postby **beavis** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 1:08 am

Awesome to see you use the Turbo power properly.

I would suggest you stick with the tyres you have for a while, at least until you get more comfortable and confident on the track.
Jumping to semi's means you have a less forgiving tyre and may make the car less predictable.

I think way back when I was last at Wakefield, Helmun was the turbo NB man to chase with a 1:10 or something along those lines..... really not that far off your time given you are a first timer on 'road' tyres.
I'm sure he has gone much quicker since, as can you. Credit to you.

rascal · Postby **rascal** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 9:50 am

beavis wrote:I think way back when I was last at Wakefield, Helmun was the turbo NB man to chase with a 1:10 or something along those lines.....

Mark was running 1:10s (and into the 9s) on n/a power.. Now he's turbo I think he was in the 6s last time I looked...

IanR · Postby **IanR** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 8:25 pm

beavis wrote:I would suggest you stick with the tyres you have for a while, at least until you get more comfortable and confident on the track.
Jumping to semi's means you have a less forgiving tyre and may make the car less predictable.

Gotcha, the road tyres give me a little soft buffer and an earlier slide point, I didn't really feel like I was pushing the tyres that hard at all anyway, so plenty to explore before asking for more grip, I agree... I'm working on track bonnet with venting as it was getting hot, I saw 108deg after the first 4 laps of each session.

Thanks for the encouragement.

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:22 pm

IanR wrote:[ I'm working on track bonnet with venting as it was getting hot, I saw 108deg after the first 4 laps of each session.

With a 1 bar radiator cap, the BP will be around 114, so you still have a little margin.

Before you attack the bonnet, a bit of time, plastic and aluminium tape will get ALL the air going through your radiator that enters the intake. I have just done this to my racecar, and it is proving extremely effective, perhaps too effective. This should help not just your radiator, but the intercooler too depending on how it is mounted.

:mrgreen:

IanR · Postby **IanR** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 7:20 pm

On the cooling front, spent some time today making sure all the air from the front bar goes through the ic.
There was a huge gap between when the front bar finished and where the ic starts, so lots of air could go under the ic and thus never make it to the radiator.
My problem is that I also have a/c which further blocks air before the radiator. I am trying to get the system able to cope with at least 10-15 minutes of track driving.

I started with cardboard and then transferred the main dimensions over to the alloy sheet, then fit, measure and cut...and repeat.

Ill get some more insulation adhesive foam and fill all the gaps...but i'm pretty happy with how it turned out

. I think its a good step in the right direction.

Next will be the spare bonnet getting two big vents installed.