MartinT's BRZ

[MartinT 514]

Have to give a shoutout to these two accessories for our Karcher jetwash.  Foaming shampoo spray bottle and amazingly powerful head with exchangeable nozzles.

I tried doing a sponge-free wash and it worked very well.  The nozzle gives the jet so much power that it pushes me back and is much better now at cleaning between the spokes of the wheels.

 

 

 

 

[MartinT 514]

Today I decided to try to improve my bonnet, which is full of stone chip repairs with ill-matching paint and also suffered from an accident with a paint spillage.

I clay barred a long curved mark on the bonnet with the recommended clay and clay lube. Then I used the orange buffer with my orbital machine and Meguire's paint compound, being careful to apply it exactly as in the video.  I then used isopropyl alcohol to clean and check the area. I repeated this, then cleaned and polished the area. No sign of the mark, just a nice and evenly shiny area of the bonnet.

This may seem like amateur hour to some of you but for me it was a big deal.  It's given me the confidence to do some more areas tomorrow.

[MartinT 514]

Oops, my 70k service is booked for early August but I've passed 70k miles already.

Never mind, it'll be fine.

[cliddell 9]

After covid lockdowns and such, my service intervals are all screwy anyway. But I'd guess we're using similarly decent oil, so an extra few k's won't worry things....

[MartinT 514]

Abbey use only the best: Millers Nanotech 5W 30. It'll be fine for another 3 weeks.

Sent from my Oppo X3 using Tapatalk

[MartinT 514]

On 7/9/2022 at 3:13 PM, MartinT said:

Oops, my 70k service is booked for early August but I've passed 70k miles already.

Oops again, silly me it was actually the 80k service, completed today.

Also new Stoptech rear discs and pads to match the AP 330 front discs and pads.

[MartinT 514]

I still dislike Facebook's haphazard nature and threads that get quickly lost, so I'll continue blogging here.

I finally got truly fed up with the temperamental nature of my TD exhaust, the noise that is still loud, and gets a lot louder when hot, and its poor build quality (I've twice had to have the end welds on the super-resonator re-made).  Not to mention the front dampers that were destroyed because they used a mole wrench on the piston struts.  That, together with all the trouble I had with my TD manifold burning the top hose, means I want rid of the last bit of TD from my car.

I've decided, based on videos, owner reports and talking to Hayward & Scott, on a new exhaust.  I'm having a bespoke one made using their large silencer, dual Helmholz resonators and tips.  I specified 60mm stainless steel as they said it's good for up to 350bhp and I'm never going to uprate it above the 300bhp it's pulling now.  I want it quiet!

They report 88dB at 5000 rpm with a stock engine, so add 2dB for the supercharger.  That will comfortably beat the 100dB or so that mine creates using my SPL meter at 1m distance.  More importantly, it will be much quieter around town, there should be no drone and it will have a deeper bass note.

Installation is expected to be in about 4 weeks' time.

[sxocpaul 49]

I look forward to seeing/hearing this

[MartinT 514]

I had a little excitement on the M3 going to work this morning.  TPMS light came on so I slowed down and came off at the services.  Rear n/s tyre was almost flat so I put air into it and went on my way.  The TPMS light remained off but the ride quality got worse and worse until it felt like I had a square wheel.  Decided to come off and return home, nursing the car back to ProTyre in Micheldever close to home.

I told them what had happened and said I was about to order a new set of tyres anyway, so I ordered Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 6 as they seem to be rated better than PS4 now.  I also asked them to look at that tyre as I was interested in what had happened.  They were amazed I hadn't had a high speed blowout as there were two huge bulges on the inner wall.  I had acquired more damage in having run flat than I had realised.

Close shave!

[MartinT 514]

For those who are interested, the Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 6 are tremendously grippy and quieter than PS4 with less road roar.  One step towards a quieter car.  Next will be the Hayward & Scott exhaust.

[cliddell 9]

18 minutes ago, MartinT said:

For those who are interested, the Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 6 are tremendously grippy and quieter than PS4 with less road roar.  One step towards a quieter car.  Next will be the Hayward & Scott exhaust.

I'd like to hear your impressions of the Goodyears on wet roads. I had F1s on a couple of previous cars, and on one they were fine, but on the other I found them a bit "snappy" in the wet.

[MartinT 514]

9 hours ago, cliddell said:

I'd like to hear your impressions of the Goodyears on wet roads. I had F1s on a couple of previous cars, and on one they were fine, but on the other I found them a bit "snappy" in the wet.

It's not been wet enough yet.  I will report back.

I've had GY Asymmetrics before, but not the new 6.  They were good but a little skittish in the wet as you said.

[vanko25 70]

Martin

Would you consider the F1 AS6 grippier than the PS4?

My PS4s are with DOT 2018 and will be changing them so was wondering if the Good Years are better.

 

Thanks

Ivan

[MartinT 514]

They seem gripper in the dry and the handling is really nice. However, as said, I've not had the chance to test them in the wet yet.

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[vanko25 70]

Thanks for the clarification, Martin! 

I am after only the wet grip anyway. 

The car goes out only on the weekends and when it is sunny outside. 

Considered some semi-slicks (Nankangs and etc.) as I am boosted too, but don't want to go the baffled sump route, so sticking with normal road tyres. 

Thanks

Ivan

[Luke 193]

On 9/21/2022 at 5:55 PM, MartinT said:

I still dislike Facebook's haphazard nature and threads that get quickly lost, so I'll continue blogging here.

I finally got truly fed up with the temperamental nature of my TD exhaust, the noise that is still loud, and gets a lot louder when hot, and its poor build quality (I've twice had to have the end welds on the super-resonator re-made).  Not to mention the front dampers that were destroyed because they used a mole wrench on the piston struts.  That, together with all the trouble I had with my TD manifold burning the top hose, means I want rid of the last bit of TD from my car.

I've decided, based on videos, owner reports and talking to Hayward & Scott, on a new exhaust.  I'm having a bespoke one made using their large silencer, dual Helmholz resonators and tips.  I specified 60mm stainless steel as they said it's good for up to 350bhp and I'm never going to uprate it above the 300bhp it's pulling now.  I want it quiet!

They report 88dB at 5000 rpm with a stock engine, so add 2dB for the supercharger.  That will comfortably beat the 100dB or so that mine creates using my SPL meter at 1m distance.  More importantly, it will be much quieter around town, there should be no drone and it will have a deeper bass note.

Installation is expected to be in about 4 weeks' time.

You’ll love this exhaust, I’ve got it and the sound is great. No drone at all just a nice sound. Make sure that you get h and s to fit it as it’s likely to need tweaking with a blow torch to fit correctly as there are a few joins. Ian is great at h and s. 

[Subota Boy 402]

Deeper bass note will be lush!

 

Agree about facebook.  Lots of repeat questions and no continuity.  What is wrong with forums?  You get to know people.

[MartinT 514]

Thanks, @Luke I will indeed have H&S install it, I shall take a day off and let them do the fitting and snagging.

Ian has been most helpful so far!

[MartinT 514]

Some more observations on the Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 6. Dry grip is very good and wet grip seems pretty good so far. Handling is quite sharp compared with the Michelin PS4, but the PS4 feels absolutely planted in a way that the F1 A6 doesn't quite manage. The supercharger is always a test of holding traction (and my driving skills) and I'm having to slightly re-learn when to give it pedal coming out of a corner if it isnt to feel skittish.

I would say that there are mostly differences between the two rather than either one being a clear winner. However, I might give it to Michelin for that planted rock stable feel when pushing it. How the new PS5 fares against these two remains unknown.

[cliddell 9]

Assuming the PS5 continues the theme, I'll probably stick with the Michelins. I'll take predictable, progressive break away over ultimate outright grip, any day. But I've a little while before I need new tyres, so I'll still be interested in how your experience develops with the F1s.

[MartinT 514]

My H&S exhaust is now ready and will be installed on Friday 11 November.  I'm looking forward to the drive home, but possibly not the 2h drive there in the morning!

[Luke 193]

On 11/3/2022 at 12:46 PM, MartinT said:

My H&S exhaust is now ready and will be installed on Friday 11 November.  I'm looking forward to the drive home, but possibly not the 2h drive there in the morning!

You’re going to enjoy it! Just make sure you throw it round some corners to be certain the centre silencer doesn’t hit the transmission tunnel as it’s a very tight fit. 

[sxocpaul 49]

Hopefully the idiots on the M25 don’t spoil the drive

[MartinT 514]

The job's done and I had a wonderful drive home as if in a different car.  It is astonishingly quiet, so much so that I can hear the mechanical sounds of the engine spinning rather than just exhaust roar.  The combination of low noise and swift acceleration gives the impression that the car is even faster.  Perhaps it is, knowing that there is no exhaust restriction at all.  Ian at H&S explained to me that both the centre silencer and the two back boxes are stuffed but feature a straight-through design, so there is probably less impediment to gas flow.  The two Helmholz resonators are empty, as they should be.

External noise at idle is the same as stock but you get a nice subdued tone at revs.

Without knowing whose exhaust came off, he did say the back box is a bad design and the overall workmanship with all the welds (and the cracking) pretty poor.  I decided not to try selling it to a poor unsuspecting buyer so I had Ian scrap it.

[MartinT 514]

Thanks, Paul!