Special K

Sub-standard thongs. I blame Anne Summers... Spec K

Yep.... extra 100 points to Jamie, that took real skill at 80mph to come off the racing line and mow the little b*gger down... not like those F1 wimps who were frightened off a gopher at the Canadian GP two weeks ago... Let's have a 'road kill BBQ' at Robs, yes? Spec K

Old git... you get a ride in a proper car... (I worked for Castle Home Video at the time, we bought/launched the home entertainment version of that film - always been a favourite..) Spec K

Yep, good to meet up again Kev. You goforit at Brands.. I should try Time Attack. I really do miss being in competition with other cars around me... the analysis of the guy ahead's weaknesses... but I'm not sure I could achieve National B license these days... Spec K

Adrian, it was an Irishman (I think) of considerable gravitas and advancing age who once said to me - " Bejasus and begorrah, son. The word 'careful' is seven letters and translates with multisyllabic exactitude into Gaelic - 'feckoff'.." I hear what you are saying and a new learning curve is beginning, as exciting as the first. This is a roadgoing car with attitude.. serious attitude.... so enthusiasm must be tempered with caution. (dons stovepipe topper, false beard) - let's party on, dudes.... (1) (1) name that film and get a free ride in my car... Spec

Yep - the new one is a Land Rover replica (I think) bought off Ebay for £7.90... ... about as much as it cost for Dave/Alex to drill it, fit my washer pump, re-route the capillary and electrics, fit a one-way valve and fabricate a cradle for it to sit in... (not) ... but I will make sure your's is safe, Nige.. Spec K

Sorry, I missed your original post. Yes - a decatted manifold with a 200cel HFC passed my (dummy) MOT eighteen months ago. My car was fitted with a Hayward & Scott system at the time - the HFC was a very expensive (German) make. Spec K

Many thanks for the pointers on the washer bottle.... I visited Fensport ten days ago when the car was on the ramp and the front bodywork removed. We discussed all the options.. it is not just the trans cooler coil that has to be resited, the electric oil pump and the motor fan have to be plumbed in... much scratching of heads.. at the same time I asked if we could replace the 4.67 final drive with the original 4.1 and also fit uprated drive shafts. My washer bottle/reservoir is now sited in the boot. Both oil coolers are now at the front of the car, ducted either side of the intercooler - the foglight apertures are way too small to allow sufficient airflow. Both exit through the (plastic) wheel arch internal liners, with mesh installed to prevent gravel etc. thrown off the wheels from puncturing the cooler coils. This was a major engineering undertaking with custom made brackets, pipe runs, ducting and electrics, both behind the front bumper and leading to the washer bottle in the boot. Dave and Alex at Fensport worked their socks off to get this done - and I am really pleased with the finished product (which you cannot see) . Cost/benefit? - if it saves another fried autotrans / loss of competing at two Sprints it is well worth it. The engineering work was completed by last Monday and on Wednesday Adrian started mapping (and was at it until well gone 8.00pm!). If you recall earlier I had already completed to 500 miles running-in demanded of the new HKS forged engine, so it was a gentle trundle initially with eyes peeled on oil temps/leaks and then down to his wizardry.. I had asked for the approx. power output of my original two maps to be retained if possible - at 0.55bar (245bhp) and 0.75bar boost (265bhp). I then wanted a further two maps with the same increase in boost, so that map 4 was at approx. 1.05bar. This is way under the maximum working boost that the HKS engine is capable of taking but is a reasonable yardstick to start with. However, the original actuator on the Stage3 AVO was not happy to play under 0.72bar boost, so a 'softer' actuator was quickly installed.. Thursday evening and Adrian had gone as far as he wanted, considering the ambient temps - it was the hottest day of the year so far. So I went up to Chatteris yesterday afternoon (pleased to find my spare autotrans has arrived from the States) and we tried it.... My map 1 is crap.... yeah, it's quicker than a standard car but nothing is working to any degree of efficiency. Bigger blowers want more boost, simple innit... map 2 is simply awesome, map 3 is manic and map4 is.... un-fscking-believable!! With the exception of the LFA I don't think I've ever been in a car which accelerates so quickly... please bear in mind we are talking getting up towards 400bhp here, and that's at the hubs on road fuel.. my car as standard gave 164bhp at the hubs.. Because of the ambient temp issues Adrian hasn't started getting to grips with it yet. The big plus is there is no signs of knock and the autotrans is working a smoothly as it ever has.. all logs in the three usable maps are right on the button.. on short maximum-attack runs both oil temps peaked at 90degrees (as they did in rush hour traffic at 6.00pm last night) and, by flicking on my manual pump/fan switch whilst stationery in traffic the autotrans oil dropped 8degrees in a matter of seconds.. 72 miles home down the M11 in map2.... blurry eedjits in Beemers and GTI's getting in the way and Transit-man at 100mph trying to stay with me... mwahahaha... the acceleration between 70-120mph in fourth is mind numbing, the additional torque makes the whole thing tractable from 2000rpm... this is one heck of a machine.. More to come. I am at TDI in Thurrock on Monday to dyno these initial figures. Then it's (hopefully) back to Fensport on Friday to get the new Stoptech brakes fitted, if they've arrived from the States. Then it's Woodbridge on Saturday to learn a bit more about how to drive the thing, followed by Sunday's Sprint.. then back to Fensport for more mapping work. Anyone at Woodbridge is welcome to passenger with me once I've got to grips with it myself.. you will be, err, surprised.. Spec K

It could have been a sticky dog clutch, Tareim. Might be worth changing the transmission oil at your next service. Spec K

Count me in, Rob. We can always use the marquee if peeps want a group sleepover. But we're missing the main star.... where's Faith? Spec K

I collected my Stage 3 AVO car yesterday from Fensport, complete with HKS forged internals. I shall be writing up my blog this morning with first impressions. Mind you, I've only done 70-odd miles so far - the first test will be next Saturday at Woodbridge followed by Sunday's TSS round. I can admit I am in awe. This is, without shadow of a doubt, the most powerful car I have ever driven. The acceleration is unbelievable.. Spec K

Rob, I'll take 2 Large Blue, please. Spec K

The following is, I am assured, a genuine answer given by a mid-term chemistry student at the Univeristy of Arizona.. The answer was so profound his professor shared it with colleagues via the internet - hence I had the pleasure of enjoying it as well.. and I invite you to share.. " Bonus Question - is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat) ? " Most students wrote dissertations based on Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats up when compressed) or a variant thereof.. one student, however, wrote the following - ' First we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely. I think we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that, if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion we can project with certainty that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proptionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities - 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure will increase until all Hell breaks loose.. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.. So.. which is it..? If we accept the postulate given to me by Annabelle during my Freshman year that ".. it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you.." and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night - number two must be true and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that, since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore extinct.... leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a Divine Being which explains why, last night, Annabelle kept shouting "Oh, my God..!!" Spec K

Mark - I did not say you were 'not experienced' - I said ".. none of us is sufficiently experienced..." - - and I am not going to have an argument over it, I stand by my statement. Nigel compared the 'swept volumes' on his original Reimax pump purchase. Have you done the same? Did you have any of the previous offering to compare? Did you install any? Spec K

Awesome! http://chonday.com/videos/fivebujawe2 Spec K

Andrew, what is the octane rating for your local fuel? Spec K

Thanks Ed. (Good to see you posting again..) I don't think the risks as ".. laid out.." in regards to cooling issues give the full picture so far. And, with respect to both you and Mark, none of us is sufficiently experienced in this subject, so the picture changes. I think it is necessary that guys like you, Mark, Adrian (and to a lesser degree myself), who are pushing these boundaries, should be giving information to aspiring owners. That's why this Forum is called a 'Drivers Club' and I for one have no issues in sharing my experiences. Hominids would have not evolved into sapiens without interbreeding... mentally as well as physically.. And today's ultimate sapiens is a GT86 (1) owner !! (1) Oh, okay... I'll give BRZ a close runner-up.. Spec K Spec K

Nige - have you released the original spot welds, extended the structural wing rigidity and bonded these? Or is this merely 'bling'? Spec K

Word is that the serious players with GT86's (think GT Avon Championship - t/c or s/c) use 15/50 Motul. (It's what it says on the tin...) Spec K Nige - we all know that, when you service, you use discarded chippy fat in the sump... your filter is a clogged up Tampax ... .. and is it true you charged your Mum a mere £99.95 plus VAT and parts?.. ho yus, you're all heart, we can tell.. Spec K

Did you find the thread, Luis? I know this is important in your temprature zone - and I'm posting a little more info today. Spec K

Err... ".. twin drifts..." ? .. and we're meeting up on holiday in a few weeks? .. for a 'chill-out, meet my friends and cruise along the Promenade'...? AARGHH! What have I let myself in for..? (Resigned mode) - oh, okay... Spec K

Nigel - I know the headlamp washers must remain fitted if they are an oem part but I'm told they do not have to be '..in working order..' as part of the MOT. I could be totally wrong but I presumed that to mean a pump was not necessary... Spec K

Ah... so she's still going to be ratted the day after... makes sense.. Spec K

Luis, there is a technical thread on oil from Abbey Motorsport which could be a better place for your question, I suggest. Spec K

Steve - I cannot find the 'Vibrant' option mentioned. Would you mind PM the poster and ask for a contact link ? (The Kraftwerks version still imposes into the new cooler area) Tnx Spec K