My 2017 GT350

[DocWalt]

I picked this up used last week (woo, somebody else taking the depreciation hit!) and so far I'm pretty happy with it. It came with an aftermarket set of wheels installed and the OEM wheels in boxes. Additionally, the engine was recently replaced even though the car had only 2700 miles. I don't know what happened to the old one, but it was apparently not due to abuse since Ford replaced it under warranty.

http://i.imgur.com/8zCodp2h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ec8NpQQh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gzDfRSqh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xQ4T61bh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L1LkiPDh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CFraAX9h.jpg

[DocWalt]

I ordered a set of RE-71R's and had my brother throw them on the wheels for me last minute on Saturday so I could go autocross the new car on Sunday. I won A Street (meh) but PAX results were reasonably solid considering my driving was pretty mediocre.

First run out my plan was to run track mode with whatever nannies. The nannies were pretty intrusive, so my second run was supposed to be with all the nannies off... I stupidly turned them off THEN put it in track mode which partially enabled them again. My third run I had them all off until the first corner where they magically turned themselves back on for no apparent reason (maybe ice mode and it freaked out?) so that was a wasted run. Fourth run everything was off and stayed off. The car seems to have great balance, maybe a bit of understeer. It puts down power surprisingly well!

305s versus 215s (my car & my dad's FiST)
http://i.imgur.com/2SGOLIoh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iFvmyt5h.jpg

Class winner, woo
http://i.imgur.com/JfnpTU6h.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBL89o37-08

[anyonebutme]

On second thought, I don't think that gearing is bad at all, lol.

[DocWalt]

On second thought, I don't think that gearing is bad at all, lol.

Nah, it seemed surprisingly reasonable, lol

[j2k4]

I like that noise better than the one my car makes. :huh:

Sounds like it wants wee bit of timing flash, but I want you to describe the roll-on - it sounds lazy, even considering you haven't had time to play with it.

It sounds like a big two-stroke single coming on the pipe, honestly.

That said, I have wood, troo story. :D

[DocWalt]

I like that noise better than the one my car makes. :huh:

Sounds like it wants wee bit of timing flash, but I want you to describe the roll-on - it sounds lazy, even considering you haven't had time to play with it.

It sounds like a big two-stroke single coming on the pipe, honestly.

That said, I have wood, troo story. :D

In 2nd gear above ~32mph it accelerates harder than the RS... below that it feels lazy. The way it just powers through the entire gear until 8250 RPM is just absurd. It just never feels like it runs out of breath. With a tune it'd be up about ~15 whp/wtq through most of the curve. Headers are worth about another ~5 whp/wtq, kinda not worth it.

I can't do anything but chuck an aftermarket air filter on it (using stock airbox/intake) which is worth like 2 hp, lol.

The car is much easier to drive than I expected. I need to sort out the understeer on sweepers, maybe a bit lower front tire pressure. Slowing down earlier and straightening the exit to put more power down with the current setup would be fine.

Also, I have literally no clue what the alignment specs are at currently :)

[box]

That sounds fantastic.

[DocWalt]

I finished 3rd overall and first in class (by 7+ seconds...)

My fastest clean run:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79unZrOvyEg

My fastest run with a cone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M_SSo2s0lI

[DocWalt]

Showing off the widebody, walking out to this view every day from work is awesome :)

http://i.imgur.com/Ywnbdkgh.jpg

Thanks Doug & whoever you are for the lovely engine!

http://i.imgur.com/xEv0vCBh.jpg

Rocking the number magnets from the RS for now, but they match my dad's Fiesta ST pretty well!

http://i.imgur.com/5AIRFrkh.jpg

Beautiful Cobra replica in paddock, unfortunately he was just spectating.

http://i.imgur.com/Iw4kjroh.jpg

[j2k4]

More wood...:w00t:

[DocWalt]

Got some action pics :)

https://s1.postimg.org/dllogsmtb/DSC_3598.jpg

https://s9.postimg.org/tdhctd8sv/DSC_3594.jpg

[NOMIEZVR4]

sweet whip

[DocWalt]

Installed OEM camber bolts/crash bolts/service bolts. Should be good for ~0.2 degrees of camber gauge. I don't have an adapter for 19" wheels for my Longacre gauge, so no before/after measurements...
http://i.imgur.com/WN2PMM2h.jpg

Midway through the swap on one side. Total PITA, you have to hammer out the splined bolts. Radial mount caliper with a whacky formed brake line means you need to buy bolts to slide the caliper off of the knuckle to support it...
http://i.imgur.com/8uCJPqvh.jpg

Just dropped this side on the ground, so this is before it settled.
http://i.imgur.com/IhKI3Gqh.jpg

After settling on the other side
http://i.imgur.com/Wpe6AfBh.jpg

[DocWalt]

I went to an autocross today that was interesting... I was 2nd in PAX and first in A Street.

Here's my fastest clean run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr_mActidUY

and my fastest dirty run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg8q8VOtlsQ

[Unlogic]

That sure looks like a lot fun. Is that a Ford V8 engine with a flatplane crank?

[DocWalt]

That sure looks like a lot fun. Is that a Ford V8 engine with a flatplane crank?

Yep! It's a normal Mustang 5.0 with a flat plane crank & a bigger bore and longer stroke

[Unlogic]

It sure sounds nice and compared to most V8's it seems to rev pretty good. Whats the rev limit on that thing?

[DocWalt]

8250. It pulls all the way there and sounds f'ing insane doing it :)

[DocWalt]

I forgot to post it before, I installed the Ford Performance passenger side air/oil separator. FP makes a driver's side separator too, but even on the track the driver's side stays pretty much totally dry so I didn't bother with buying that one.

http://i.imgur.com/a08Mj95h.jpg

I drained it today, after about 750 miles or something.

http://i.imgur.com/kkHNs8qh.jpg

SSC Tint & Graphics did a killer job on my new numbers, super happy with how they look!

http://i.imgur.com/VBcOVHuh.jpg

[DocWalt]

I went to Washington DC today to have my ass kicked.

My fastest run:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGKDnnlgtzc

My third run (with working OBD2 data):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmsvZ57csNg

Watching the videos at the event is something I should have done, not sure why I started leaving space to that three cone wall going uphill... My first run was fairly tight, I guess I thought I was going to run them over? The big slide in the fourth run cost me ~1 tenth, and the three cone wall thing + the following right hand corner I had a few tenths to find at most... I was 1.9s off of the AS winner's scratch time :(

[j2k4]

Ah, you're still a bad man, Doc. ;)

[DocWalt]

I went to NNJR autocross last Saturday, I won AS but only because Mark Daddio was running in "Pro" class. I was 1.7-ish seconds off of his time. I was happy with my time, not a ton of time to find and I was being really aggressive with the throttle again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ZboUpMVag


I did my Philly region debut on Sunday before leaving quickly for the airport to fly for work. I was 2nd in AS because I coned away the win on this run. I got consistently slower after this run just trying to get a clean run. Oh well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcqPZ8UqCgg

More autocross on Sunday! Then off to Lincoln, Nebraska on Wednesday for SCCA ProSolo Finale & National Championships :)

[DocWalt]

Thanks to Perry @ AutoX4U for the pics :)

http://i.imgur.com/BJfVoem.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/v1gNbA5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XDYolJN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vcQKlRl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/laqm9L7.jpg

[DocWalt]

One last brush-up before nats :) The 2nd link was my fastest run (run 5) but Run 4 (first link) was a better drive. Run 5 I was just a little more aggressive in some places so even with a couple of little mistakes I found a tenth.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrJNNP8S0x8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rb2GLhsaeQ

[DocWalt]

I won A Street today at NEPA's Pocono event... and I came really close to winning the entire event too. Stupid cones... I hit 90 mph, wild!

Here's my fastest dirty run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iKV1LgXfYE

and my fastest clean run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOBciEJUGlY

[anyonebutme]

HA, never thought you'd see the top of 2nd in autox, lol.

[DocWalt]

HA, never thought you'd see the top of 2nd in autox, lol.

Right? I was stoked, haha

[DocWalt]

I took a grinder to the struts and opened up the upper holes 1mm to get a bit more camber for SCCA A Street legal maximum camber. I didn't measure (I'm being cheap and haven't purchased the bigger wheel fitment adapter for my camber gauge), but I should be somewhere around -2.0 degrees now, I guess...

https://s26.postimg.org/hcgwc0321/bdnc_Tmf.jpg

Checking legality with a little template I whipped up in CAD.

https://s26.postimg.org/u59lpo41l/nxk_Aqih.jpg

Current tire wear looks decent anyway. Better than my Focus RS was :)

https://s26.postimg.org/u6jjj35vd/vqm_Yv_I6.jpg

[DocWalt]

My dad and I made the trek to Atlantic City for South Jersey Region autocross today. Pretty good course and a lot of fun was had. I finished first in A Street and 3rd overall. Here are my videos:

Dirty Run 4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmAwbkvIyCk

Clean Run 5:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqAqJHOk1Ks

[anyonebutme]

Still looks a little pushy off-throttle to me. More camber improve anything?

[DocWalt]

Still looks a little pushy off-throttle to me. More camber improve anything?

I stiffened the front bar too :p I think I should be more aggressive on the wheel. I think I wasn't trusting either end of the car, it was super sandy and slippery. GRC ran here a month or so ago and got sand everywhere.

[j2k4]

I want you to run that thing down the strip so I can hear it right. ;)

[DocWalt]

Maybe. It's not a very good drag car and I'm terrible at drag racing, mostly the launching part.

A fun side-by-side of myself versus a C5 Corvette. The 'vette driver was recently third at nationals in his BRZ, the fastest BRZ/FR-S in his class by a lot, so he's pretty talented. I edged him out by 0.093 :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCAcTrQmzZs

[j2k4]

Huh...he seems a lot busier than you are, Doc.

If that manifested in a better time, it would be one thing, buuuuuuuuut it didn't, so it's not. :D

[DocWalt]

Huh...he seems a lot busier than you are, Doc.

If that manifested in a better time, it would be one thing, buuuuuuuuut it didn't, so it's not. :D

I should have been more active and the wheel and he should have been less :p

[j2k4]

Your busy > better than his, then? :p

[DocWalt]

Your busy > better than his, then? :p

Honestly, I'd put both of us on the same sort of skill level. Any time we've been in the same car/class we've battled for the win closely. Probably slightly favoring him :p

[j2k4]

Honestly, I'd put both of us on the same sort of skill level. Any time we've been in the same car/class we've battled for the win closely. Probably slightly favoring him :p

Well, see...I don't know him, so. ;)

[anyonebutme]

Simply put, he drives more like me and less like Ken.

[DocWalt]

Simply put, he drives more like me and less like Ken.

:laugh:

[j2k4]

I'd prolly stroke out in turn two...:rolleyes:

[DocWalt]

More autocross fun today, 2nd in A Street, 8th overall.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPP4O19hPa0

[DocWalt]

Before the SJR autocross event I modded the front swaybar and swapped endlinks (as an FYI they use the same end link as an FR-S/BRZ :) )

https://s1.postimg.org/3laske6alr/li_XGSn1.jpg

https://s1.postimg.org/3e7koyksbj/YN2e18_S.jpg

[DocWalt]

Went to Cars & Coffee on Saturday...

https://s8.postimg.org/yspa803ph/0i_FLrqw.jpg

https://s8.postimg.org/sf074r6j9/9m8_HQxn.jpg

https://s8.postimg.org/ihp6bpm2t/9_UNp_RZN.jpg

https://s8.postimg.org/99wxuzzl1/Qd_Ca_ASX.jpg

https://s8.postimg.org/c4038g9h1/W1_L4e_Lt.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDhfj1iqhNs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVFFLUD2FSk

Took it out for a spirited Sunday drive today and snapped this pic this evening:

https://s8.postimg.org/d50bxpg7p/6_X4_Qn_XS.jpg

[DocWalt]

I finally received my BMR front swaybar and installed it this morning/afternoon. Removing the stock swaybar bracket bolts sucks pretty bad, the one under the alternator is a PITA with the plastic shield there. Undo the plastic clips and take that shield off and you'll hate Ford a lot less :) The Whiteline end links are a total PITA too, the stud is about 1/2" longer than it needs to be and just generally sucks to deal with. The OEM end links are WAY nicer to work with, too bad they're made of cheese and turn into metal bananas with real forces.

BMR didn't include any lube with my swaybar, not sure why... I bought Energy Suspension Formula 5 lube and it's amazing stuff. It's the stickiest grease I've ever dealt with and won't just wash off in rain. I also wrapped the swaybar in teflon tape where the bushins sit, the bar glides smoothly up and down, perfect!

The rest of the install went pretty well, I didn't have to undo any of the other suspension components, I just cranked the steering around to give me room to slide the bar out above the RLCA.

You have to jack the car up pretty high to get room to slide the bar out.
https://s10.postimg.org/424r470q1/AA7_Hk1t.jpg

Long 10mm ball tip hex is a must for this job, you'd not be able to torque the new swaybar bracket bolts otherwise.
https://s10.postimg.org/fehcm1mah/VRw_Rpcd.jpg

Easy peasy :)
https://s10.postimg.org/xhafd9afd/Rv_DGcf_U.jpg

https://s10.postimg.org/nwqsqcasp/jad2r_Qw.jpg

https://s10.postimg.org/sveb4vu15/32_O7_DQj.jpg

I'm set on the medium setting and so far it doesn't seem hugely stiffer than my modded stock FSB, maybe a little more noticeable over bumpy roads, it was raining today so no opportunity to push the car at all. No noises at all which is great.

With the end links on full stiff I'm pretty sure the ball joints would be uncomfortably close to the Magneride wiring... It's already closer than I'd like. :( Any tips here? I see some other manufacturers have end links that appear to give a lot more clearance to the Magneride wiring.

[nodoze]

change the ball joint out for a spherical ball and bolt setup should be about 1/2 thick

[DocWalt]

change the ball joint out for a spherical ball and bolt setup should be about 1/2 thick

Just got a set in the mail, actually. Not thrilled with the center shaft not having flats on it, so I'll have to correct that and then install them. Oddly, a lot of aftermarket end links don't have flats on the center section...

[DocWalt]

I swapped the front swaybar end links this evening for new ones with much more clearance to the Magneride wiring. Unfortunately the folks that designed these didn't put any wrench flats on the central shaft which makes it a royal PITA to deal with, but it should be just adjusting the length once anyway.

Wow it was cold in the garage tonight...

https://s13.postimg.org/hjvi9del3/Iw_YAs_UV.jpg

https://s13.postimg.org/nxklcmywn/2_Fk_CBB9.jpg

I took it for a quick spin on the roads that hadn't been salted yet, no funny noises which is a good start.

[anyonebutme]

Now to cornerweight it so you can actually adjust those links.............

[DocWalt]

Now to cornerweight it so you can actually adjust those links.............

Supposedly it's fairly close from the factory, but I can't do anything without proper coilovers...

https://www.evolutionm.net/articles/mustang-s550-corner-weight-day/

[anyonebutme]

but a bit of bar preload will probably do the trick. Man, with how much effort OEMs are putting into cars these days, I wouldn't be surprised if installing coilovers actually makes the car slower. Same thing happened to the sportbike industry during the late 90's. War of the brands meant that the bikes already came from the factory as fast as they could be, so nothing to upgrade. Install sticky tires, safety wire the oil drain plug, and go straight to the race track, because they already came with the best suspension and brakes and everything else possible.

[DocWalt]

Yeah the MR shocks are fantastic. Diminishing returns on mods on this car, which is nice. Run 100 octane and be ~480 whp on stock tune and have a blast.

[FeaRpb]

I miss you

[DocWalt]

I miss you

me too

[DocWalt]

ZL1 addons titanium front tow hook & Diode Dynamics sequential turn signals installed. Unfortunately it's a bumper-off install for both. Hopefully no issues with the turn signals, other guys have had the DRL lights flicker and/or fail completely...

https://s13.postimg.org/eo9tsmoev/0_V7znt_X.jpg

https://s13.postimg.org/5ghlbxp2f/PTFG0yy.jpg

https://s13.postimg.org/7l1yd164n/2_Uy_GGXU.jpg

https://s13.postimg.org/cjpgrk27r/l_L4_FXGb.jpg

[DocWalt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4mRmrFc7WY

[FeaRpb]

You missed a bolt

[DocWalt]

You missed a bolt

Nah. Though, oddly, some of the bolts holding the splitter on were loose. They were torqued to spec when I reinstalled the splitter...

Hurray Voodoo vibrations :(

[anyonebutme]

ATI make a damper yet for that engine?

[DocWalt]

ATI make a damper yet for that engine?

They do for the 5.0, dunno if it's "ok" for the 5.2 though. Besides, not allowed to for autocross class...

and it's enough of a PITA to swap that I'd not want to do it often.

[anyonebutme]

I keep forgetting you run with that pile of shit that is the SCCA, lol.

I feel your pain. In specE46 (and I'm sure in whatever autoX class it lands), they don't allow the ATI damper on the 3.0L engine, which has a design flaw in the engine balance that causes a harmonic vibration that snaps the oil pump shaft or rattles the gear right off of it. Instant conversion from engine to boat anchor. I'm told to run the 330, you HAVE to replace the factory balancer every 2 races, it dies that fast. Although without rulebooks, adding an oil pump chain tensioner and the ATI pulley instantly converts it to one of the best engines out there, way more reliable than the E46 M3's rod bearing eating engine, lol.

[edit]: Provisional rule change request, lol

[nodoze]

hey now im rolling over 150k with stock rod bearings in my e46 m3 ! I thought their was another fix out their for the oil pump bolt , because its a very common issue for the e36 m3 as well

[anyonebutme]

The M54 is way worse, welding the pump nut or safety wiring it doesn't work like the older engines, as it will break the pump shaft in half. They make a stronger shaft pump, then it breaks the chain itself or the pulley, and I've seen the gears themselves get chowdered up. For some dumb reason BMW chose to not install a tensioner on the pump chain like all the other engines have, and the chain vibrates until something breaks. The BMW factory race engines came with different chain and pulley set to try and stop the failures it was so bad, and the touring car engines had tensioners added.

I reference to the E46M3, most people never have issues, especially if they took their cars in for the rod bearing recall where BMW installed new coated bearings for free. Get it on the track, though, and it rears it's head again. Heavily tracked or raced cars are recommended to change the rod bearings every year as annual maintenance. Seen a couple cars lose engines in under 10K miles, but it was all track miles.

Also, VINCEBAR your shit if you drive your M like I do, lol.

Also, thread successfully jacked!

[DocWalt]

The endlinks that I installed apparently had some of the crappiest washers known to man... I started noticing a bit of noise after a few days and it got progressively worse the last few days as I was driving the Mustang to work. I checked the nuts and they were really loose and this was the cause. The washers yielded, which is far from ideal.
https://s13.postimg.org/lepkrhglj/27752185_10160122567870615_3390432111889709378_n.j pg

So I went through the process of making a level pad on the side of the garage that I don't normally use, one corner of the car needed about 1 & 1/4" of 1/16" tiles stacked up to get to level. The other three corners were fine. Weird, especially since that's the corner that's near the door to the house. Explains why there's always a puddle there, lol. Checked the alignment on the level pad, came up with -2.0/-1.9 up front, but -1.0/-0.5 in the rear. The rear adjustment is a gigantic PITA and I may pay to have a shop do the rear and then reset the front toe to make the wheel straight.

As a side benefit, since I was setting my end link length on that side of the garage it explains why they were so different side to side. Every other car I'd set them up on the more level side of the garage, but this side is easier to work on... I fixed the lengths of the end links and now the car tramlines a LOT less which is great. The tramlining was VERY annoying after driving my GTI which doesn't tramline much even with a lot more camber.

Today I also replaced the crappy washers with Nordlocks and some hardened steel washers. When I tightened down the nuts it felt "proper" like I expected. Before there was a feeling of softness and I was always nervous that I was stretching the stud or something.

First pic with things not tightened up, so mind the gap.
https://i.imgur.com/svLjICH.jpg

All tightened up. I kinda wish the nut was bigger/had a flange built in to be able to use the larger size Nordlocks and get more surface area, but oh well. I'll keep an eye on it.
https://i.imgur.com/TDKXi2q.jpg

[DocWalt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utXsw5CN_pg

I was 2nd fastest raw time today and if it was scored using PAX I'd have won by 0.048, which is super tight!

[DocWalt]

https://i.imgur.com/9lYLMoW.jpg

[futurevr4man]

I would like to buy a car after you own it. You always do good work!

[DocWalt]

2:05.94 & then 2:05.88 around VIR. Pretty friggin happy with those times all things considered. More to come later


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vTuvwJPEtI

[anyonebutme]

That f*cking sound. It never gets old. I need one of those engines for my car even though mine doesn't sound terrible at 7K, that just sounds better.

[DocWalt]

It's absurdly loud. First two sessions I thought it was feedback from intercom with instructor... Solo rest of the weekend... nope, just louder than frig.

[j2k4]

.06 diff is pretty damned solid, Doc. :D

[j2k4]

...that just sounds better.


It's a Ford thing.

[anyonebutme]

It's a Ford thing.

Nah, just that specific engine. Unsure if it would still sound that good with a stockcar exhaust.

[j2k4]

Nah, just that specific engine...

In other words...a Ford thing. ;)

[j2k4]

But yeah, gotta love that noise.

I'm a large fan. :D

[DocWalt]

Before I start, here's a link to the entire album of pics (not in order, oddly): https://imgur.com/a/Rovcx

New Cup 2s are just a bit sticky, haha
https://i.imgur.com/7Vn86HF.jpg

Arrived at the track on Saturday morning bright and early to clear skies
https://i.imgur.com/F4UQamU.jpg

Wrapped the front of my car up and got ready to go
https://i.imgur.com/mMWEcjn.jpg

Weather got crappy in the afternoon, shortly after this pic it was raining heavily so I called it a day
https://i.imgur.com/yamyqg5.jpg

I woke up bright and early Sunday and had to drive to the track in ~3" of slush
https://i.imgur.com/jO5GxhA.jpg

The Mustang paddocked next to me had an incident involving a tire wall in the race in the rain the day before. He caught back up and finished 2nd, impressive!
https://i.imgur.com/5sPxE2N.jpg

To help clear the slush off of the track they let people take parade laps in their tow rigs & street cars... This brave soul brought a Citroen XM to the track AND took it on track. Not many XM owners can say that!
https://i.imgur.com/BIB1nJR.jpg

A river runs through it...
https://i.imgur.com/N8kQQEH.jpg

I walked out of my drivers meeting/class and was presented with this lovely fog... Track time was cut off until the fog lifted.
https://i.imgur.com/RS2Bfpn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aPwCDpj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aBLh2Vu.jpg

Five minutes after taking the above pic the fog was lifting and the sun came out!
https://i.imgur.com/v1X1hCY.jpg

I went to watch the Lighting race:
https://i.imgur.com/IX0PvLQ.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsOUNamSb5w

My rotors looked like crap at the end of the weekend, but they looked WAY worse at the end of Saturday
https://i.imgur.com/XB5KADa.jpg

[DocWalt]

Pretty solid numbers for a street car on street tires :)
https://i.imgur.com/dNgy34I.jpg

My car was really dirty when I got home, haha
https://i.imgur.com/g8bbUZ6.jpg

[DocWalt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YeozPcz9BA

autocross fun

[B-Man]

https://i.imgur.com/mMWEcjn.jpg

For a split second I thought that was Bansai in the background

[j2k4]

My favorite automotive noise.

[DocWalt]

https://i.imgur.com/mMWEcjn.jpg

For a split second I thought that was Bansai in the background

Hahah, that would have been pretty amazing coincidence.

[anyonebutme]

Also amazing in that Dan hates autox. So to see Dan actually travel somewhere to autox would floor me, lol.

[DocWalt]

Also amazing in that Dan hates autox. So to see Dan actually travel somewhere to autox would floor me, lol.

Well, that was VIR, so....

[anyonebutme]

I still need to go there

[DocWalt]

Yes you do!

[DocWalt]

I went up to New York Safety Track yesterday... pics to come later.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnMCx8j51ac

Car is awesome, I need more front camber, I also need a bit more balls!

[j2k4]

I went up to New York Safety Track yesterday... pics to come later.


Car is awesome, I need more front camber, I also need a bit more balls!

You, or the car? :huh:\

Edit:

Good Lord, you have enough fun for four or five people, I swear.

[DocWalt]

NYST with Apex Obsessed

Track map/schedule:

https://i.imgur.com/14XzBDi.jpg

Paddock views:

https://i.imgur.com/T3NjrfA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nEZxtgq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0hPUFPb.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mnM5fi9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FDKZ8IX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LIx5D4Q.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Gbr3QJk.jpg

My brakes got a bit toasty, melted the wheel weights off:

https://i.imgur.com/RQNLhav.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ukEXbCJ.jpg

Also shredded my front tires. :( All of the long corners really ate them up.

https://i.imgur.com/hbmWLLj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HP7crTQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NS8CjLZ.jpg

[DocWalt]

Brake pads are wearing like iron but the intense heat is cracking the rotors around all of the drilled holes. I think the drilled holes are dumb and this is proof...

https://i.imgur.com/M41NCr1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oAGyRwZ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/28Q9wFo.jpg

NYST's elevation changes are intense. I was bottom out the rear and scraping the front splitter at least once every lap, on fast laps two or more times! I had a bit of rear tire to fender liner contact, so there's some nice grooves in the rear shoulders.

https://i.imgur.com/cn4lqSS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NMjLUUs.jpg

I killed a lot of bugs :)

https://i.imgur.com/x0hJ8To.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PK7gujT.jpg

and a neat pic from the photogs, waiting for more :)

https://i.imgur.com/avkBe3Q.jpg

[j2k4]

Oy.

You're having a lot more fun than I am, but you're spending a few more bucks to do it...sheesh....:huh:

[DocWalt]

Yeah, track season is on hold thanks to the tire issue :(

[95gto]

In case someone wanted to argue the merits of how sweet this car sounds, it made a list of 20 best sounding cars by Road and Track:

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/videos/g6494/best-sounding-cars/?src=nl&mag=rdt&list=nl_rdt_news&date=051218&slide=16

The other 19 options are also quite lovely to listen to, so I would recommend a quick listen to the whole thing.

As for the tires, sounds like you were channeling your inner Clarkson just a bit too much.

[anyonebutme]

As for wheel weights. Aluminum duct sealing tape. Ugly but its the only stuff that works.

[95gto]

For when you want more power:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yX4uF9NfJ4

[j2k4]

Egad.

Hey, Kenny - it's the same color as your car. :D

[DocWalt]

Some of the 'murica action from A Street this weekend at Pocono. I finished up second in AS thanks to a lot of cone trouble for other drivers on Saturday. Heck, I wasn't a very clean driver either this weekend, here's my dirty Saturday & Sunday runs.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeziIBnU-E8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhNRAcsd6NA

[95gto]

Some of the 'murica action from A Street this weekend at Pocono. I finished up second in AS thanks to a lot of cone trouble for other drivers on Saturday. Heck, I wasn't a very clean driver either this weekend, here's my dirty Saturday & Sunday runs.


I would think the area in the fist video from 20 seconds to 22 seconds would be where a bunch of people got greedy and earned cones a prize.

[Unlogic]

That car sure makes a sweet sound =)

[j2k4]

Hey Doc, have you ever been to an event where you made enough passes to see what you considered a significant improvement before you went home, or where you would say you sort of pounded the course into submission?

Not talking clean/dirty, just in terms of time?

[anyonebutme]

I'm not Doc, but from experience in the art of autoXing (or rally, it's actually a pretty parallel sport except rally is a 1 shot go), most every driver will see a "significant" improvement during the first 2 runs, then about half on the 3rd run, then for run 4-6 it's details and adding more runs after that doesn't really change results. More a luck and precision thing of which subsequent run will the stars align than a march towards perfection. For me, rarely is my last run my fastest, because it's very easy to push a little too far and go from clean pass to would have been faster but now dirty pass. I'm willing to bet money that 6 to 10 runs will not buy most drivers more than a tenth at best except for a lucky run stringing together their previous best splits.

Also, in autoX, "significant" is measured in say 1 second improvement from run 1 to 2. Less than half second from run 2-4, maybe tenths in 4-6. The real key in autoX is a mental game of visualizing the entire run before you line up, so there's really none of the typical racing thing of repetition for perfection, running hundreds of laps to learn every nuance of the course. I'm pretty damn good at the visual/mental game which is why I can go in "cold", do one walk through, and be within a second or less of my best time of the day. What I can't do well, and is super important, is after the run mentally breaking down the course to identify what went wrong and how I need to fix it (if I pulled data or video after every run, it would be a moot disadvantage). That is also why I don't really improve on my times as the day progresses but instead just push harder. As Doc and maybe many from NG can attest, I'm more a brute force guy while Doc is more clinical. Doc has a really good side by side video to visually show this from NG. I might also have video of both of us driving my green vr4 at NG, achieving times less than a tenth apart or something with wildly different driving approaches. In the end, the car can do a certain time, and getting 90% to that time is easy. So even if someone hammered all day at an autoX course, what would you expect, say an improvement from 96% to 97%, or 97% to 98%? On a typical course, that means a theoretical 5ish tenths improvement after lets assume 200 runs, which to me seems optimistic and is well within the noise of just the improvement just from sweeping the dust off the track and putting rubber down. Just running in the 2nd afternoon heat in the series I run is worth ~2 seconds compared to being in the morning heat.


Derail time:

Now, that all changes when you put a non-autoXer in the drivers seat, who will see more vast improvements from repetition and learning the car/track. NG times will attest to this as some people can see 5-6 second improvements per lap. Which was a really frustrating part of helping with the course at NG to build something fun for the guys who race and be different than the same-old SCCA stuff we normally do all summer, and still make it learnable for beginners. It's really hard to try and explain that the sport of autoX is not about driving as fast as you can through some cones in a parking lot, and the time and people constraints meant I/we couldn't give the people the proper time and instruction needed to teach them how to negotiate a course that by design is supposed to be mental and not visual. People just look at you weird when you tell them that I don't see a field of cones while I'm driving, or in fact I don't see the cones at all, but I see the course I need to take through them. It's just not something you can sit in the passenger seat and tell them where to go and expect them to remember it, but making people understand the importance of the walk through was impossible. It was my failure and one that I'm not sure I could fix even to this day. Some people are OSB, and NG Indy the first time was an example of building a super simple course where people still got lost because the course was too simple in my mind and too much space between elements. While Pittsburgh would be the other end of the spectrum, a course too complicated by design (still one of my favorites). I also got complaints on Indy 2 (too fast) and Memphis 1 (too bumpy). Memphis 2 was fun but difficult to work and quite dangerous honestly, and although everyone won't admit it, my pylon turn in Indy was amazing. I received so much shit for that up until Scott and Phil's runs.

[95gto]

I think I am in the same boat as you Chris, after a couple runs I tend to stay fairly consistent. However my problem is I start collecting gains and losses for a net gain of 0. If I shave time in one section I tend to make a mistake that gives it right back somewhere else. I would be interested to see what Kenny says, to see if his take is a little different. Nate's perspective would also be interesting.

As for the pylon turn at NG10, it was a lot of fun but to truly enjoy it you had to ruin your overall time.

[DocWalt]

My 2nd run tends to be my fastest at big SCCA events where you're limited to 3 runs each day... 1st run is a solid 95% run. Fix mistakes and push harder on 2nd run. If 2nd run was clean go bananas on 3rd run. If the 2nd run was carrying cones or huge mistakes, take a somewhat conservative 3rd run. I find that if I go out and over drive the first run I'm screwed because then I back off WAY too much on subsequent runs.

Two weeks ago I won the Finger Lakes Champ Tour in the BSP class driving a friend's Miata on Hoosiers. I had a crazy fast 2nd run on the first day that would have given me a HUGE lead of 1.5 seconds or something like that. Unfortunately I hit 2 cones, one of them the first cone on course :( I took it conservative for my 3rd and final run for the day and ran 1.5 seconds slower but no cones. Enough to have a small lead on Saturday and I stretched it on Sunday but I never really got in the groove again because I was worried about not making mistakes or hitting cones instead of attacking the course.

I keep the same strategy at local events though, but at local events with more runs, I just try and fix things each run and push some corners harder.

I 100% agree with Chris and Levi, after a certain point you're just chasing perfection and it's diminishing returns.

Also, I have the side by side of Chris versus myself in my car. Similar lap times (temperature affected more than anything else, I think) and it's hilarious how active Chris is in the car while I just sorta drive around. I tend towards underdriving cars while Chris overdrives.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYK0ENU5MCc

On a semi-related note, I've been racing a CRX Si recently. Totally different animal and it's terrifying. I have plenty of bloopers of me being backwards :p

[95gto]

I like how you guys have the same wave.

[DocWalt]

hay guiz

[j2k4]

I think I can consider my question very well and comprehensively answered.

As to the "progression of progress" I always wonder how I'd do - convinced it would be dark before I learned how to read the course - your Auto-X is essentially an obstacle-course with non-lethal obstacles - I probably would lapse into seeing how many cones I could collect as I muddled about.

I'd forecast a clean run somewhere in the middle of the second day...maybe.

I often wonder how one would do if instead of cones, they were concrete blocks.

Anyway, I can identify with how the attention-span weighs in, and what you guys have said fits - the Bell-Curve of results, as it were.

Not having seen any videos of Levi, I've watched enough of both of Kenny and Chris to concur with what both of you have to say about yourselves and each other - Chris is busy, Kenny less so - I think that's somewhat a by-product of your overall dimensions, Doc...if someone said "drive like Chris", you'd probably knock the rear-view mirror off, wreck your door-cards, and smash your dash.

If Chris tried to drive like Doc, he'd probably forget to shift, or maybe fall asleep. :D

Suffice it to say, two different ways to get through the course, eh?

Post some video, Levi, I haven't seen you.






I remember that wheel incident, though...:D

[j2k4]

WTF, I can only thank one of you? :sad:

[95gto]

I don't have any footage from an auto-x where you can see my hands, the movement of my front tire is all you really have to go on. (the run doesn't start until about 1 min into the video)


https://youtu.be/av_TKzFP3L0

I have some footage from a 24 Hours of Lemons race earlier this year where you can see my hands. I could try to upload that video but the file may be too big.

I think I tend to be busy with my hands but I also tend to shuffle steer which makes the hand work look different.

[j2k4]

I'm back OL @ work - I'll look later, Levi - thanks. :)

[95gto]

It's not very exciting, so no worries. I will see if I can edit down the Lemons footage to a few laps, Windows 10 dropped the built in movie editing software.

[j2k4]

Hard tires, Levi?

Looked smooth, but a little bit pushy?

[anyonebutme]

Since we're all about hijacking this thread, more autoX vids on shit tires:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmtHYH8WWnI

[j2k4]

You guys need Doc's budget...:)

[DocWalt]

^^ my budget isn't all that crazy, this is all I do lol

Here's my NG15 run:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mEmmB-jNqo

[j2k4]

Smoove...like guzzler's gin.

[B-Man]

Doc, going to Nationals again?

[95gto]

Hard tires, Levi?

Looked smooth, but a little bit pushy?

I was on an old set of Nitto NT05's, so they weren't the greatest. Although I wouldn't lay the blame solely on the tires, I'm sure I was pushing a little too hard as well.

[DocWalt]

Doc, going to Nationals again?

Yes sir. Taking the CRX!

[DocWalt]

Had fun in the rain:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95bSE-br2A0

Dried up and I went 7 seconds faster:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEhSlzgJf3I

[DocWalt]

Autocross fun yesterday. Ran my street wheels/tires (R-spec 6GR wheels with Hankook RS4s) so I ran CAM-C class instead of AS.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c07U_XdLts

Shared the car with a friend of mine:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAG9e4fad1o


I made a stupid cold tire mistake:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIbTe5xCXlc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sItfchhryIw

[stealthee]

You came close to taking out that light post. Good thing it wasn't a crowd of people because the car would have kept going. :p

[DocWalt]

You came close to taking out that light post. Good thing it wasn't a crowd of people because the car would have kept going. :p

For sure!

[j2k4]

I made a stupid cold tire mistake:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIbTe5xCXlc

Big dummy...:rolleyes:

[DocWalt]

Big dummy...:rolleyes:

:smiley_simmons:

[j2k4]

:smiley_simmons:

:biggrin: