Special K

Tyres are my big question mark at the moment. I've got 9" Rotas fitted with AD08's for dry track use, I'd just swap the tyres over to the new rims. I like the Eagle F1's for road use and as inters/wets on track but they are wearing out... I suppose nearly 12,000 road miles / more than 800 on track is nobbad... Michelin/Advans/Conti... even Avon.. are under consideration if I can get 'em in the right profile.. any others you think worth considering? Spec K

Dave - I'm running 0.6bar high. Gives 240bhp at the hubs, about 280-290bhp at the flywheel. New maps to come, as mentioned above.. Much appreciate the FRS option but I'm trying to keep the exterior as standard as possible - lights etc - so I'm looking at the offset 'ducted' oil cooler option from Adrian. Sump oil temp at Snetterton got up to 110 C. but it was a cold day - could be a different kettle of crustaceans in the summer at, say, Spa... or Monza... or Imola... (drool).. Gotta think new road rims/tyres as well. I'd love to go Rays for lightness but they are mega-money... I think I'll go 17" x 9" all round but tyres are the question mark at present. I like the F1 Eagles but the wear rate has escalated since turbo-day and I use them as my inter/wets for track use. Currently 8" Rotas with 235 profile tyres - 9" will take 245 profile, is that what you're using on the front? Spec K

Tim, you little devil!... doing a 'Ring trip.... you're turning into another LFA.... enjoy! Spec K

Adrian... you're wicked! I love it...! Taking a broad overview I think we've now got 8 'active' turbos and 4 'active' s/charged (when Rob275 gets his kit on in a coupla weeks...). I also know that a number of f/i cars (and n/a, of course) are actively looking at the Toyota Sprint Series this year and Rob275 is encouraging all who would like to try 'safe' tracking, under timed conditions, to consider an event or two.. There is speculation in regards to the way that the Toyobaru will evolve. I, for one, am keen to change the pistons/con rods in order to reduce the compression ratio and allow further turbo boost. This is under discussion and development. But I believe I've reached the limits of my own capabilities at my current 290-odd bhp (I'm used to 200-odd bhp) and I need trackdays to get accustomed to what I have now. This old codger's reactions aren't up with you young turks... so I need an 'edge'.. A further 100-odd bhp - which reduced c/r will easily achieve on a turbo modified car - puts our cars into supercar performance. Way beyond the standard parameters built into the car and further than I anticipated when I looked for increased performance. So I'm going a bit further. See if it works.. Firstly I'm going Fatrab's route of changing the final drive ratio. This is a unique demand of the 'auto' gearbox, where our 5th/6th gears are way higher than your pudding-stir variety. Gives us better acceleration and does not compromise top speed, which is theoretical at 174mph.. Secondly I am trialling the 'Tein Active Pro' dynamic suspension, where a 'g-meter' on the dashboard alters the shock absorber ratings in milliseconds as you brake/accelerate/corner. This is as near to (my beloved) F1 technology as I can find. It will need development and I shall be relying on Adrian/Fensport to assist in this.. Tein have a website focussed on this if anyone want to look it up... as always Members are more than welcome to experience these mods in my car once developed.. Finally they will be fitting an oil cooler - long overdue... Spec K

Well done Lauren. That your Rays bent rim can be fixed without problem is excellent news (I have a dread of 'bent wheels' which goes back to cut-and-shut Mini steel rims..! hence my earlier comment..) and that you're having them powder coated in scarlet is... err.. appropriate..? <grin> I cannot afford Rays, even though they are the lightest/best in my opinion. I need 8 off 17" x 9", so that I've got road and track rims that match... you are talking mega dosh for Rays , so I'm talking to Team Dynamics, hoping to screw together a decent deal.. Spec K

WHAAT! More than me... ? <sob> Adrian - what's the aggro with GT86Ian's car..? Seems he is not a happy bunny.. Spec K

Hmm.. Good luck Lauren! Suggest you tell your insurers that one had a "..bent rim.." .. and remind me to steer clear of you if you're running them on a trackday.. Spec K

Paddock is a serious corner, as there is (was) a bump immediately on the braking point and the camber drops away from you.. ... go in wide and slower than you think is necessary, leave the apex late, fix a 'focus point' on the outside of the track at the bottom of the dip and smoothly apply power as the car drifts out... That's the way to do it.... I'll put it into practice Sunday week... mebbe... (Fastest driver I've seen around Paddock? Jacky Ickx in the F1 Ferrari - I think it was the BOAC 500 back in the '70s. Fan-bl**dy-tastic.... and the sound...) Spec K

Ian, I am gutted for you... .. but... can I go through it with you, as I've probably been through most of these..? Firstly - I presume that, when you say "..blowing at the head.." you mean the exhaust manifold gasket? I think this is probably due to two items, both caused by increased temperatures that results from forced induction - - AVO need to upgrade the manifold flange thickness/material so that it doesn't flex as much under the higher temperatures. - the standard exhaust manifold studs/locknuts expand at different rates under these increased temps. These are not an issue with road-going conversions (as I understand it) but both will be rectified by Fensport/AVO under guarantee and are progammed in for future installations. Adrian gave me his word/performed on that.. When you say the gasket "... before/after the turbo.. " are leaking/missing I am perplexed. I cannot conceive that Fensport have left out a gasket! and if it's leaking "..after the turbo.." it's down to the turbo outlet - overpipe flange. Yes? The exhaust system you are using from overpipe onwards - is it UK spec? Did you import/buy something different? Could it not be that? - it's warping under extreme temp? Ian - you've got an ".. .exhaust leak...". You have a modified car - it's not something covered in the "toyota we fix all" dealers manual.but what Toyo dealer actually knows wtf they are talking about on this stuff..? Like you, I went ape-sh*t... cost me two visits to Fensport to nail it... I am still not there, as my H&S interface is blowing after Snetterton.. but exhaust leaks are not teminal, merely irritating. You've got a noisy car at the moment - so have I - but we both have time/dedicated experts to sort it. Spec K

Lauren - for your eyes only, this is totally confidential, e&oe, not for repetition - at Jerez yesterday a certain boy-racer had an "off". A wee mouse in the electronics dept. of a certain on-track team squeaked to me that a '..foot on the clutch/lc..' may have caused this misfortune.. ... which is weird, right? I thought they didn't have 'em.. clutches, that is ('lc' = launch control) I presume it was a 'hammatuer' driving the car... but I could be wrong.. Spec K

Good videos! Some interesting lines through corners, Faith.... Comment of the day for me when was Adrian took my car out with me as a passenger.. we're coming up onto slower traffic out of Coram when warning buzzers start going off... Adrian says "What's that?".... so I told him... ... it was my front parking sensors... they start bleating when you're four feet from the wall... I reckon Adrian was six inches...!! Spec K

Hi Josh - good to meet you and the missus on Sunday (and Qu1kn1ck plus his other half). Gotta say that 'blue is colour of my true love's wear'... (catchy title for a song, that..) The Cobra exhaust is very, very, loud (as the Scrutes at Snetterton will tell you - Eh, Keethos...?). Milltek is popular and the Hayward & Scott gives a pleasant sound, although not cheap.. think about removing the secondary cat for extra performance, it won't affect your emissions at MOT.. I agree with Rob - an ECUTek remap is a great 'mod'.... and the dealers can't see it at service time, so there's no warranty issues... Enjoy one of the best cars on the road in 2014... I just hope that Toyo decide to introduce the FT1, I'd buy one of them like a shot... Spec K

Speedy - I averaged 33.8mpg on my way back from Snet on Saturday and commuting around the East End I average about 26mpg. That's mainly on full boost with 'Sport' mode engaged. On track I average 9mpg. Spec K

Sarah - there's no reason why my car's history should make the slightest difference to the insurance. It was repaired professionally by RRG's dedicated bodyshop (and would have taken less than a fortnight had the blasted parts been available!) and has done 4,000-odd miles since without any problem whatsoever, apart from the turbo needing some re-plumbing. Every non-standard part has been professionally fitted by Fensport - apart from changing trackday wheels I've never laid a spanner on it! Adrian drove it at Snetterton for over an hour last Saturday, with other Forum Members as passengers, and rated it "superb..". Interesting comment by the organisers at Snet when I suggested I was their oldest competitior and questioned whether I could get a pensioners discount... they laughted and said they have a 'regular' who is 83 years old! That'll be me in the future... Spec K

I am totally knackered this morning.... all that driving yesterday and the bl**dy storm on the way back from Snet... I'd stopped at a BP station on the A11 to make an urgent phone call when the gusts really hit... all the signs/bins on the forecourt went walkabout and the gas station had a power cut! Then it bucketed down all the way to the bottom of the M11... ... still, looking forward to today's meet... Spec K

Rob - I started a new 'thread' - can you engineer it into this one pls? Ref SDcard... I'm not too worried. Mine 'overloaded' and I need to review what has happened. Yes - I would like your one back but it's not time critical. Download your stuff to hard drive - I will ask my supplier if there's any more 64GB cards available, I might buy a dozen as I can see a need for BHP Lydden! Spec K

This was the first 'trackday event' organised for Drivers Forum. It follows my invitation for 'newbies' who are considering our big 'track event' at BHP Lydden on May Bank Monday to gain, I hoped, a modicum of understanding how road and track driving differs... We had a mixed day. The organisers had to delay proceedings as the cloud/fog descended and cancelled the first on-track session... (BOO.!). Then they announced that, as there weren't as many cars booked in as they expected, any car that wished to track all day could do so, without restriction on driver/passenger (HOORAY!).But it cost extra (BOO!) To explain how it was organised - there was both 'newbies' in cars and 'newbies' on motorbikes. New-in-Cars1 got 20 mins, with or without instructor. New-in-Cars2 got the same, then New-on-Bikes got their 20 mins... there were also 'classroom lessons' on technique/problem areas - and I'm sure all that attended will confirm that the admin., management and 'classroom' advice on the day was excellent.. We were all in NinCars 1. So I 'booked' Nincars2 for our group to go out in my car driven by Adrian from Fensport (who gave up a whole day for this nonsense!) - previous to which Adrian went out with everyone and gave 1-on-1 tuition in their own car as a passenger. Others will give their own view on the day... for me it went supremely well... other than I had to fill up two times at the circuit - at £1.55 per litre, aaaargh! Nobody erred - and we were given high praise by the organisers, accoding to Adrian. No spins, no problems, despite the wet..damp...drying track. The best it can get - peeps learned and anjoyed. GT86Ian had a problem with his exhaust which required serious consideration after we had all departed - can you give us feedback, Ian? Spec K

Mark - Lauen has stopped updating... she's in a stable relationship, thank you... (This was meant to be a joke...... thunk!) Spec K

Yo!.... the suggestabubble returns to the fold! Great to have you back, Sarah - have a <big hug> from me.. I totally endorse what peeps have said above in regards to Rich at RRG and Adrian at Turbotown but if I was you I'd ask questions of the financiers first, as some of them will / some of them won't finance the sort of 'accessories' you list... adding £8grands-worth of kit to a £20grand second hand car - making it more expensive than a new one off the shelf - needs approval in principle. If you find the hp finance vultures too venal you can always try your trusty old bank manager... a personal loan is a possible option. However, this may not be a route you wish to take. Pity about the colour - you could have made me an offer for a blue/silver one at considerably less than £28grand... Spec K

No, Rob - it won't record in 'loops' , it records 30 mins until the card is full but doesn't overwrite the oldest - as the 'looped' system does. (I'm guessing you changed it to 30min recording last night but didn't 'Submit' it.... right at bottom of screen..) In the config file it automatically prevents 'looping' in anything other than 1min mode.. I'll show you tonight. Spec K

I am still playing with mine... the Roadhawk HD camera comes with an 8GB SD card as standard, which is fine for recording consecutive one-minute 'loops' (and 'secures' the recording of an 'Event' - an accident to you and me..) but is useless for trackdays, so I've bought two 64GB XD cards and set them to record continuously for 30 minute 'sessions', which is the maximum allowed. As 'standard' the replay shows speed, g-force and, if connected t'internet, a roadmap. I've invested in the 'Race Render' software which allows you to add a variety of data which is logged by the camera - revs, gear, oil temp, etc. - and can synch/overlay additional camera images. Race Render is not as good as Race Logic... but it's a damn sight cheaper at 28 sovs.. I'm gonna need a lot of techy-help to understand this... I am still trying to optimise the contrast/brightness - hope to get Rob's help tomorrow at Snet on this, I'll take my laptop so we can review stuff... Spec K

Keith - I am happy to collect when we next meet up... seems to be quite frequently !! Spec K

1. Keethos - Pegasus White/ Satin White Pearl/ Whiteout (37J) 2. Special K - Sonic Blue (EH8)

I believe there is already a thermostat in the system which prevents the oil flowing through the cooler until it's above 80C. I always let mine idle for a couple of minutes after a thrash.. it allows the turbo to cool down and the oil temp to stabilise... usually above 100C so water in the oil is not an issue. There again, I don't use cheap oil... Millers Nanotech.. Remember - never put your handbrake on... as the rear brakes cool down the handbrake shoes can seize on.. Spec K

I would love to join you, Rab... but it's the first TSS event at Blyton Park.... Spec K