Special K

Steve - if you or Jay are active, can you please ask the question on the FT86 forum for me? It is going to cost me a further £4grand to buy a std. autotrans, with torque converter, here in the UK, if I want my car back on the road/track. I have already bought two of his SSP Grade 2 upgrades with tq - see list price - and this b****tard Kris Gagnon has sodded me about since December. This latest situation is outrageous and I am spitting blood over it.. . he's fscking up my TSS plans. He either ships my rebuilt trans back or I will have to get my chum in Detroit (who paid him on my behalf) to take legal action. If you need a copy of my receipted invoice to persuade FT86 to publish your question I have it - he says I am his "... best client..." in Europe. Nice way to repay your best client, innit . . Thanks Spec K

Hi Mike Have you encountered any problems with your autobox? Spec K

If you phone Dan at Fensport and tell him the reg. no. he'd probably be able to tell you more . . 4 maps certainly sounds like a Fensport regular. Spec K

Should be able to make it . . if car is back from bodyshop. Spec K

My car will be up at Funsport. New plans, new ideas . . roll on 2017. . . and I was looking forward to Bedford, my tracktime adrenaline rush is so depleted this year I am in manic depressive mode . . even though I still need my surgeon's sign-off. If the tosser hadn't fscked up in June I'd have had a good couple/three more sprints this year . . gave #3 to Haversack, goddamit . . Big milestone week this week . . Spec K

Eh? You're an ugly barsteward anyway . . why worry about a bit of ceramic, we're used to it . . Spec K

I had a number of issues with K-Sports, probably the most noticeable was the amount of pedal pressure required. They also got very hot But Stoptechs also have an issue with the rear caliper pad retaining pins. These are meant to be held in place by a central groove which is located by the metal spring which holds the pads in place - I had a case of this pin coming out - literally - and the pads moving. Abbey Motorsport have developed modified pins held in place by circlips and I would recommend this mod. Spec K

I agree that Stoptechs won't fit with standard 17" OEM wheels but it's the offset that causes the problem, not the diameter. Can be overcome with Eibach spacers. I run Stoptechs - having ditched my K-Sports - with 17" rims. DS2500 pads. Brakes are fabulous, on road and track. And I'm guessing an auto is harder on brakes than a manual. Spec K

Ade, I run 2.5neg on all four corners. Road. Track. It is as solid as a rock. I point it and it nails it - I cannot believe you are saying that negative camber on GT86 ".. it makes no difference . ." You're running Ohlins. Probably the best dampers for reactive suspension you can buy (according to LFA and others). But they are yesteryear, in my opinion. It's a pity you haven't tried something a little more proactive, like the Tein EDFC system. Lauren's system is middle-of-the-road (as is mine!!) but neither of us have the roadcraft or the trackcraft to take it to its ultimate. And EDFC is the way that suspensions have (and will) evolve. Indeed, you only have to review the current supercars to see how it has developed. It is 'standard' - bollixing about with rollbar diameters is (to my mind) equivalent to cut/shut the chassis by 2cm. Your theory is excellent - but I believe a little behind the times, as the bumpstops (merely as one example) were modified by some of us two years ago following a Millbrook test day. Adjusting rollbar tension (diameters) is the easiest way to cause grief and distress, in my opinion. We GT86DC owners are not F1 chassis engineers and we cannot simulate the effects. 'Trial and error' < I quote you > costs bent motorcars and bent lives, and is not what I recommend on any club Forum Mebbe I read this wrong - perhaps you ARE a serious player. In which case perhaps we can meet up at a trackday next year, or at Snet this weekend, and you can evaluate a truly 'set-up' GT86 - err, with knobs on . . However . . at the risk of incurring Tein's wrath, can I mention we are looking at a development. A 'Cortana' version of EDFC. Voice controlled. One of the most exciting projects I have been involved in. It will actually recognise ".... OH, NO . . . . FSCK!!!!..." Spec K

Yep, a good social event . . thanks for the kind comments Nick, glad to see you walking about. Hope to see a few of you at Snet next Saturday. Mebbe we should start planning the next one, I fancy a wander around the leafy lanes of Suffolk . . Spec K

I hope to make it. It depends if they've let me out of Springfield Hospital - another neck operation on the 7th, I've got a screw loose . . Spec K

Hmmm. As I have to miss the last TSS round at Snet next week (in hospital again, my last spine op went wrong) I might be fit enough to do a Bedford in December. It'll be interesting as I've never driven it . . Spec K

Ben, sorry I did not reply to your PM. LFA (Ed) is a personal buddy, I loved his car and didn't know he had passed it on in the trade as we've not touched base for a few months. As you know, Mark at Abbey did all his prep and, to my mind, is the best track BRZ about. He loves the Nordshleife (?sp) and regularly blew over there to air it. He's a braver man than me . . Enjoy, it's a really well cared-for car. Spec K

Agree with your views on the rear rubber, Lauren. I had 7mm on fronts and 3.5 on rears before road trip (to Anglesey to watch you lucky barstewards enjoy yourselves). Bought new pair and put them on front, giving 9mm on front and 7 on rear. Chris - Contisport Contact 5's are your friend in the wet . . I've tried 'em all (apart from Lauren's choice at the moment - and she hasn't done a wet Sprint yet . .!). Goodyears, Michelins, Yoko ADO5's . . for spirited n/a road use I'm sticking with Conti's. It's the only tyre of bought twice . . Chris - sorry to see the pics, fellah. Glad you are unhurt, that's the main thing. Everything else is mere metal. By the sound of it you were bl**dy lucky - four lanes ooc, a 360 doughnut . . and nowt was collected! Wooooo ! (Faith will be proud of you . . AOL big hugs) Spec K

Wasn't me and didn't see an accident . . just the usual car park before the Bridge. Spec K

Soo . . . . how many tomorrow? Should I bring my shoehorn for the car park? Can we hit 25 ToyoGlasshopper maniacs? 30 . .? 35 . . ??? (I knew I should have hit the cash machine harder today. If Nick's there I'm gonna take a serious pounding . . ) Spec K

What I find hard to understand is why the replacement parts are taking so long to get to the UK. Mine is one of the affected cars, according to TGB. With the best part of 1000 miles to drive during the next five days I don't fancy suffering a power steering loss in the middle of it . . . . and can you imagine the fun and games if it happened in the middle of a Sprint - which is when your right knee is more likely to come into contact with the air bag panel, I'm thinking . .

Put you down? That's a bit drastic for just attending a meet, innit? Spec K

One could make a case for such a mod to be released globally . . I mean, how often have you been kidnapped, locked in the boot of a GT86 and not been able to get out? Obviously a serious problem in Korea, where they take "people-carrying" to new heights . . Spec K. .

Lee - shame to miss you as I was hopeful to see/show your Cossie install to Andrew. Rob, hope your car is better soon. Good that Dan made it despite his road diversion A good meet although only a few of us. Ztox brought his other half with him which made six of us and then tried to deafen us all in the car park . . as Andrew had never tried an auto before I let him drive back to Ilford, starting on the side roads and making the dual carriageway his own drag strip . . if there were any cameras about he'd better claim diplomatic immunity . . A good evening. Great to touch base with friends after a long absence. Better start thinking about another one . Spec K

Good input Lauren. Wider rims transform the feel and potential but for a road-going car it's a lot of 'trial'. Spec k

We chatted about this at the Essex meet this evening. Not sure I agree with Knightryder - that torque dip is accentuated and is a huge weakness which I hoped would be addressed in this annual upgrade - obviously 'annual' in Japanese means 4 years development and 1 year 'let everyone know'. Like? - stronger block with redesigned pistons/rods plus plus plus. New petrol pump. Half-decent rear wing. Subtle styling changes rather than the anticipated "whole body redesign" (which would have made current model's value plummet like a stone) Dislike? - no 'high performance' version using the Toyo collaboration with Cosworth. Nothing to address the global demand for increased power. And these 'upgrades' are all aimed at the manual pudding stirrers, nothing to address the auto paddle pushers. A great shame, a little more concentration on a DCT version of the autotrans would galvanise their global market, as the current version is a poor attempt, in my opinion. Spec K

Well done, Dan. Andrew and I may be a bit late as well - there are major road works ( at Gallows Corner on A127, it's before the M25 turnoff so it won't affect you, Rob and Dan) and the alternate route takes ages . . also Andrew cannot get away/ meet me at Liverpool Street Station until 5.30pm . . Don't drink the place dry before we get there, please . . Spec K

Hi all, Yes, I will be bringing Andrew down. Dick Turpin serves better food than the Halfway House, in my opinion - and is only an extra 10-15 minutes nearer Southend on the A127. Warning - you come to it all of a sudden, trees obscure its signage - if in doubt look it up on Google Maps.

Hi I've had email conversations with Andrew and I hope to meet up with you all tomorrow. I won't have my GT86 as it is still at Fensport but to be sociable I've offered to meet Andrew at Liv Street Station, get him back to my place and drive up to Boreham in my tonka-toy. Left the choice with him as I'm sure he'd be far more interested in going up with Nick in a GT86. But I'm on hand if things get a bit hairy. Spec K