Can't argue with momentum, it gives you that important exit speed. One possible semi-exception was a 68 vette that I helped build and port a crate 454 race engine. He was terrible in the corners, but got FTD at summit by turning any strait section into a drag strip ... Big Brakes & Big HP. Would have been much faster with some driving skill, and momentum.

 

Yep, it takes a good driver to take advantage of grip/aero and anyone can mash the go pedal down the straight.

 

That is Andrew Brilliant's Aero package on the Eclipse. Not sure if he still owns it but the aero numbers on that car are unreal!

 

Yep, watching it stick going up the esses is a great example of just how great that aero is

 

That's the truth.. There's no limit to how much you can spend.. IT's about what you're happy with and enjoy driving..

Go with an EFR8374 turbo, you'll be under sub 2s with everything else the same.. Don't go back to 20 year old tech, it'll be much more responsive and make power everywhere. You'll probably shave 2 secs off just between the shifts on that track.

 

Fritz if you havn't yet you should try the R7s or A7s. They are considerably faster (probably a sec in your case at VIR) than the outgoing R6 and A6 tires. Plus they don't heat cycle out nearly as quickly. You would probably cord them before you saw more than a 10th of a sec drop in lap times.

 

PFS replaced the turbo because the HKS exhaust manifold cracked right at the divided section so the kit had to come off and the t04r is a bit laggy and also because it's oil cooled it was heating up the oil more than I like so I decided to swap it. The turbo going on is both oil and water cooled and has a fancy inconel heat shield on it (my old heat shield was all burned up/busted up), it's a BB but most importantly it's free or what I had laying around so that's what's on there now. It's too big so it will also be laggy but a big turbo runs pretty damn cool at 10 or 11 psi which is super important for lapping.

Ray is tuning it today so hopefully it won't be any worse than the t04r and it should make more power at a lower boost level or run cooler overall.

If anyone wants a great deal on the t04r (approx 2k track miles) and the HKS SS manifold (been repaired by Ray at PFS and he is a very good welder) you can have them both for 850 shipped

I love the EFR dyno but I'm worried that all that torque will blow up my 3rd gear and it's also a very expensive kit/turbo. I'd also prefer the internal waste gate variety and there could be some issues with that one holding boost in check or at 12 psi or lower.

My next big speed move is improving aero. I bought an APR GT 500 wing and will also add a small splitter or at the very least a front under tray. Right now the car has no under trays on it at all. If the GT wing is too much and the car is pushing I'll likely sell it and just go back to the GTC wing. I don't like a really low front end or big front splitter because it makes loading the car a PIA and if I go off it generally effs up lots of stuff.

Thanks for the 411 on the new hoos and if I can't find c71s next year I will splurge and give the A7s a go

 

HKS manifold SOLD

Will sell the t04r for 450 shipped Great shape, no shaft play and no more than 2k track miles

 

the whole t04r kit is SOLD

 

How many track days did the hks ss see before cracking? Looks like a stout manifold, im surprised to hear it cracked.

 

Approx 12

Which has been pretty typical for me and a tubular manifold. The Hks cast will last 2 or 3 times longer

 

For the old and new turbo, did anyone check what the compressor efficiency was at WOT, 11psi, in your rpm range? (4k-7k?). It would calculate like a 2.6L engine. For lapping, and running cool, you want the low backpressure at the turbine inlet, that slightly oversized turbos provide.

.

 

Hey Fritz,

Look forward to seeing the new setup at VIR next month (Carolinas PCA). :-)

Later,

-b

 

YEP

This new turbo has some very low back pressure. 4 inch DP size LOL

However currently looking at other alternatives because it's smoking which is hopefully just an oil feed issue.

Can't wait

 

With BB turbos, you need the right sized restriction @ the oil inlet. The BB'ings need very little oil, and the low oil flow does very little cooling ... water is better for that, based on properties.

The big downpipe helps, but you look at the ratio of back pressure to the turbine, vs boost. The ratio for oem zero lag cars is like 1.5:1 ... not good when the exh port (or valve) opens. Full race turbos like with the current Indy car series have full header to the turbo, with little if any back pressure in the sweet zone.

.

 

After a record long break because my mechanic is SLOW!!!!!!!!

I decided to buy a 997.1 GT3 to get some much need track time in (relaxation)

It's already for sale of course LOL

Driving with Audi at Summit Point

Car did well and a fellow forum member stopped by for a visit and it's a good thing he did because I needed help. A camber bolt slipped so we had to track down the proper tools and put it back in place. Then we noticed a tire had a strange shape. Apparently an internal cord snapped causing a massive bulge in the 1 day old r6 hoosier. I had heard of this happening but yet to experience it 1st hand.

Here's a vid and will post another one with Nak (pronounced knock) riding along/sliding along on old 888s

Nak thanks again for all your help and it was great meeting you

 

Nice Fritz,

Weird not seeing the FD interior though :/. How were the lap times in comparison?

 

Thanks!

Probably about 4 or 5 seconds slower but I also don't have much seat time in the 911

 

That Porsche likely resisted coming off the trailer, knowing what a tough day was ahead ! Looks like the Audi guys were watching their mirrors, a good thing.
What was your best time at that track in your rx7? Any upgrades in the works?

 

GT3 is about the only other car I would want other than a FD this side of a P1.

 

What's great about the GT3 is it likes to be driven hard. Yep the Audi club is a great group to drive with.

Already sold it but have my eye on a 996 so if someone doesn't beat me to it I should be driving that soon.

YEP, the FD and the GT3 are the two best driver's cars on the planet

 

Here's a vid of a really nice orange RS following me after the pass in t10

Note slight drift to staighten things out. The dude following loved it and promised to post up the vid for me.

 

The orange car seemed to take turn1 with a very early apex, as well as some other corners. Before I was ko'd by a rare lt foot issue, my lines were like yours, more traditionally taught (of course my FD was stock, with intake/exh/pads and an Eibach hollow sway bar set, and driven ~100 miles to the track.)

Before I drove the track, I'd watch (and yack with) Dan Gurney, Bob Sharp (Paul Newman Driver), and Jack Rosch with their trans-am and IMSA teams running the track. And when Hans Stuck showed up with awd Audi's with original chassis, vs tube frames on the American cars, Audi started taking the wins ... they could take any line through the corners, and had the edge when it rained.

So... as we often sat outside turn 10 to see these monsters come over the hill at the bridge, I noticed the Porsche 911's would really hang the tail out and quickly get pointed down the straight. I know the modern versions are much more civil, but did you feel that rear engine in the handling?

Finally, I must say you have it made living in a beautiful part of the country, near a great college and all that comes with that.

 

It always looks like the lead car is turning late when you see in car vid of one car following another. Our lines are pretty similar but there are tons of people who turn very late for t1 which is a mistake. T1 is a corner you can attach because there is lots of track on the back side/outside of the corner.

You absolutely can feel the rear end (weight and tire is massive) in any GT3 I've driven which is what makes them super fun to drive. You are literally driving the car off the back wheels or the car is mostly steering with slip from the rear which is how I like driving because I feel you can carry more speed into corners but the driver obviously has to be careful not to scrub too much off while sliding/turning the car so like everything it's a give and take type thing. I actually drive the FD pretty much the same way and the reason I love these two cars is because turn in typically isn't a problem.

I like a car that turns and then I deal with what follows

 

Man that's a perfect sig quote