The Roadster NA Journey Begins

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Sat May 07, 2016 11:49 pm

Good to see you're still at it Magpie. Keep driving it and I'm sure you'll keep finding the enjoyment.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Wed May 11, 2016 3:56 pm

WTAC 2016 here I come, just got the bill via email

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat May 14, 2016 5:43 pm

Attended JapNats, and finished 3rd in performance NA class.

Clubsprint was a complete disappointment in myself and the car. Despite the repaired BC ER's my times were well crap! The car was a bitch to drive, it was all over the road and well pissed me off. After flat spotting the FZ201 on the LF, I swapped this to the rear and went out for a session but came to the pits before completing a lap because it was vibrating too much. The FZ201's were almost impossible to brake without locking them, hence had to brake early. The other half ducked home and grabbed the AD08's (unused since Oct 2015), I should have listened to her when she suggested that I take a spare set of tyres.

I started the day on the settings recommended by Murray Coote, but because of the handling of the car I played around with them and nothing worked, again very disappointed

IMG_1367[1] by Eipeip, on Flickr

IMG_1366[1] by Eipeip, on Flickr

Holly sh*t batman (and other superlatives) the AD08's transformed the car into something that was fun to drive, it had grip stopped better and faster corner speed. Managed a 1:01.6279 on the Sprint and my previous best was a 1:03.1 almost 1.5 seconds chopped off. Personally it was a combination of the AD08's and the repaired BC ER's on the front. It would appear that the FZ201's were way past their use by date and have been the cause of the handling issues of the car.

I reset the BC ER's to Murray's recommended settings and hey presto car performed like it was transformed. Imagine what a set of decent R Specs could do...

Best lap of the day for me.

A small moment at T2
htt[youtu]ps://youtu.be/oVEZxD5XgTA[/youtu]

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat May 14, 2016 7:24 pm

A small moment at T2

zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Sat May 14, 2016 7:35 pm

Nice vision Mark!

Other awesome MX-5's were at Lakeside :wink:

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sun May 15, 2016 6:20 pm

The moment remind me of how my car used to be. Very snappy in the oversteer. Softening the rear helped a lot.

Mind you I'm still with the torsen.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun May 15, 2016 6:54 pm

Sailaholic, I have had a lot of similar moments since switching to the 2 way diff. I find it is easier to control when it starts to oversteer, put the foot down and point the car... I will find the one of a drift through T1. I also have the ones of the flat spotting of the tyres, smoke in the cab

On the subject of tyres, this is a plot of braking into T3 on the sprint layout.

1:01.6 lap AD08's (Purple F brake pressure, Flesh speed)
1:03.1 lap FZ201's (green F brake pressure, aqua speed)

It needs no real explanation... The AD08's allowed a braking to be later and develop more of it not to mention more speed into the turn.

T3 AD08 by Eipeip, on Flickr

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun May 15, 2016 9:27 pm

Had a camera in the LF wheel well for some footage during a Sprint session (running AD08's). The amount of tyre flex is surprising as is the angle of the arms going through T4, I thought it would go into full droop.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue May 17, 2016 7:18 pm

A bit of a bloopers reel of my session on the clubman during JapNats. How to not treat your tires.

The American · Postby **The American** » Tue May 17, 2016 8:56 pm

some pretty decent lock up and a nasty flatspot!

What's the next set of tyres going to be?

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue May 17, 2016 9:05 pm

NT01's or Z221's

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue May 17, 2016 10:28 pm

The MX5, driver and Jaye all seen in the video.

https://vimeo.com/166916970

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat May 21, 2016 7:32 pm

Today was Street Sprints Round 3 at QR and again I managed to get faster, this time a 61.43 (to be confirmed by Natsoft). No changes to the car, not even tire pressures or suspension and on AD08's.

For the passenger laps I handed the keys over to Jamie and he went for a few laps, hopefully he enjoyed them... Jamie has been very helpful in getting my times down.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun May 22, 2016 10:25 am

My other half raised an interesting point this morning, since I have stopped the fly in fly out work my times have improved.

Looking back their could be some correlation, however it is more than likely seat time has increased because I'm NOT fly in fly out. QR Sprint layout time post engine (12/2013)

20/02/14----1:05.4775 (BC ER's, V2 splitter, QFM A1RM and FZ201's)
30/10/14----1:04.7254 (ER's rear/Pedders front, V2 splitter, 4.3 torsen, W5/W3 and FZ201's)
05/05/15----1:03.4367 (ER's rear/Pedders front, V2 splitter, 4.3 torsen, W5/W3 and FZ201's)
23/01/16----20 laps QR National
06/02/16----53 laps dirt sprints
07/02/16----33 laps QR National
07/02/16----1:04.0458 (ER's rear/Pedders front, 4.3 torsen, V4 splitter, W6.5/W3 and FZ201's)
19/03/16----16 laps Morgan Park (2 way diff)
20/03/16----80 laps Morgan Park (2 way diff)
09/04/16----1:03.1424 (ER's rear/Pedders front, V4 splitter, 2 way diff, W6.5/W3 and FZ201's)
21/05/16----1:01.4386 (BC ER's, V4 splitter, 2 way diff, W6.5/W3 and AD08's)

The last improvement would suggest that the FZ201's were stuffed and were the cause of most of the handling issues. By swapping to the AD08's the BC ER's are allowed to do their thing, the car feels more balanced and hence driver is lifting his game.

What I worked on yesterday was T1 and T2. That is braking less/later and carrying more speed.

For T1 my goal was to turn in at 135kmh and hold it through to the apex, T2 was to be done at 125. My faster lap saw 172 at brake point, 132 at turn in on T1 and 133 apex, this was a significant improvement for me.

T2 saw 151 kmh at brake point, started turn in at 131 and apex at 123. Biggest issue still at T2 is whilst I turn in at a decent speed I slow 112kmh between turn in and apex.

Next outing will work on T1/T2 by carrying speed through the corner.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:44 am

Saturday General Practice was cancelled

Rang QR up before I headed out and was advised that the rain was not that heavy, so headed out to QR, almost every pit bay had water in them and as at 0630 happy laps had not started. Headed home after stopping in at Yamanto for coffee.

IMG_1393[1] by Eipeip, on Flickr

This is what it looked like at home, could not take the car down to the shed. Now have to find out where the water leak is on the drivers side, think it is the seal that goes down the A pillar.

IMG_1394[1] by Eipeip, on Flickr

Since it was a wet weekend decided to make a trolley to help move stuff at the track. I need to practice my welding skills

Next weekend will see some wheels put on it as well as a coat of paint. May also use it in the shed for the scales.

IMG_1396[1] by Eipeip, on Flickr