TRACKDAY AT ZWARTKOPS:
Moderators: P3g4sus, Daniel, rat, Draco, Riekert
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Toby
- Club Founder
- Posts: 1874
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:44 am
- Car: S13
- Real Name: Toby Kurien
- Location: Midrand
- Contact:
Ya forget donuts or drifting - Zwartkops don't like it at all. You can, however, try to drift on the skidpan 
I'll be there before 9am - I want to attend the driver briefing at 9am. Bring helmet, closed shoes, and long-sleeve top, some meat for braai, some drinks, some snacks, some money for track and skid pan, and anything else you may think necessary (e.g. tools and stuff).
For those going on the track, make sure you check your car thoroughly and don't go if your brakes, suspension or tires is suspect. Put some extra pressure into the tires (I think 2.6 bar should be good). Carry some water, oil, and duct tape (you never know!!)?
I'll be there before 9am - I want to attend the driver briefing at 9am. Bring helmet, closed shoes, and long-sleeve top, some meat for braai, some drinks, some snacks, some money for track and skid pan, and anything else you may think necessary (e.g. tools and stuff).
For those going on the track, make sure you check your car thoroughly and don't go if your brakes, suspension or tires is suspect. Put some extra pressure into the tires (I think 2.6 bar should be good). Carry some water, oil, and duct tape (you never know!!)?
Red 200SX S13, 1992, stock. <a href="/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=332">Engine rebuilt (click)</a>.
should only result in a month or so in hospital, worth it id say
![[smilie=200sx_tank.gif]](./images/smilies/200SX_tank.gif "200SX_tank"){kind=small}
And some fuses, please. I'm taking a tow rope just in case. Until then I'll be on the simulator [aka ps2]Toby wrote:Ya forget donuts or drifting - Zwartkops don't like it at all. You can, however, try to drift on the skidpan
I'll be there before 9am - I want to attend the driver briefing at 9am. Bring helmet, closed shoes, and long-sleeve top, some meat for braai, some drinks, some snacks, some money for track and skid pan, and anything else you may think necessary (e.g. tools and stuff).
For those going on the track, make sure you check your car thoroughly and don't go if your brakes, suspension or tires is suspect. Put some extra pressure into the tires (I think 2.6 bar should be good). Carry some water, oil, and duct tape (you never know!!)?
S14, bb gt2871r, 0.7 bar boost, status: hmmm, well, she starts but.. 
I was kidding really... -
Toby
- Club Founder
- Posts: 1874
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:44 am
- Car: S13
- Real Name: Toby Kurien
- Location: Midrand
- Contact:
This was another great day out. Another good turn-out of SX's - mainly new guys that just recently joined the forum or aren't on the forum yet! Some amazing mods and wheels! Also good to see the club guys there - Draco, ChemCool, Vlade, Daniel, Gremlin.
I had a great time on the track! First, I spend some time observing other cars on the track - Noble's, Lotus's, lots of Ford Focus ST's, S2000's, etc. After that I went out onto the track with Vlade riding shotgun. I immediately felt comfortable on the track, hitting apex's and powering out of corners, only struggling with my gear changes. I did about 5 laps the first time around, didn't even go full throttle, but I was doing well on the track. The SX responded very well, with the only complaints being too much body roll in corners, and brake fade. Also, the skinny tires don't grip as well as I'd like them to, but they give a surprising amount of grip nonetheless. Once we smelled the burning from the brakes (about 5 laps), we pulled off to let the car cool off.
After my first stint on the track, I can unequivocally state that playing a racing sim like GTR, rFactor or LiveForSpeed (no, not need for speed) REALLY helps on a real race track! I was able to find the racing line easily, and I intuitively knew when I was braking too early or too late, and when I was pushing hard and when I wasn't. It's truly amazing how close those sims are to real driving.
Anyway, after cooling the car off for an hour or two, we went back onto the track for a second stint. This time I managed to open full throttle on the straights, hitting a top speed of 165km/h at the end of the longest straight. I was getting tire squeal at all the corners, meaning I was getting my braking spot on. I even registered 0.8G's during cornering. I pulled away from a pack of cars quite easily - the engine was humming along nicely. Then a new model MX-5 caught up to me very quickly in the corners (much better handling and braking there), and passed me on a corner! (This is against the rules). Luckily I saw him diving up the inside so I let him through. Then I followed him for one lap, and towards the end of the lap... POOF! I thought I'd missed a gear 'cos I felt the loss of power, and I was fumbling around for a gear when Vlade said somethings wrong. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw clouds of smoke
It was like a F1 engine blow-out.
I pulled off and we all inspected the engine. I hadn't red-lined the car and I was on full boost and accelerating up a hill when it happened. We have since come to the conclusion that it is probably a blown head gasket. Car didn't overheat and there were no warning lights on, etc. Engine still revving smoothly altho the idling was lumpy and there was a loss of power. A track marshall came over to see if I had spilled oil on the track, 'cos if I had, they would supply me with a broom and cement to clean it up! We proved that there was no oil leak. Anyway, we had a braai afterwards, then we towed the car home.
It was really great fun, and hopefully my car can be fixed without too much problems. Hopefully this doesn't discourage anyone else from attempting the track. It's not easy to loose the car on the track - if you get yourself in slowly, learn the track and braking points, you won't go off the track or roll your car. And it's amazing how well a stock SX handles on the track!
I had a great time on the track! First, I spend some time observing other cars on the track - Noble's, Lotus's, lots of Ford Focus ST's, S2000's, etc. After that I went out onto the track with Vlade riding shotgun. I immediately felt comfortable on the track, hitting apex's and powering out of corners, only struggling with my gear changes. I did about 5 laps the first time around, didn't even go full throttle, but I was doing well on the track. The SX responded very well, with the only complaints being too much body roll in corners, and brake fade. Also, the skinny tires don't grip as well as I'd like them to, but they give a surprising amount of grip nonetheless. Once we smelled the burning from the brakes (about 5 laps), we pulled off to let the car cool off.
After my first stint on the track, I can unequivocally state that playing a racing sim like GTR, rFactor or LiveForSpeed (no, not need for speed) REALLY helps on a real race track! I was able to find the racing line easily, and I intuitively knew when I was braking too early or too late, and when I was pushing hard and when I wasn't. It's truly amazing how close those sims are to real driving.
Anyway, after cooling the car off for an hour or two, we went back onto the track for a second stint. This time I managed to open full throttle on the straights, hitting a top speed of 165km/h at the end of the longest straight. I was getting tire squeal at all the corners, meaning I was getting my braking spot on. I even registered 0.8G's during cornering. I pulled away from a pack of cars quite easily - the engine was humming along nicely. Then a new model MX-5 caught up to me very quickly in the corners (much better handling and braking there), and passed me on a corner! (This is against the rules). Luckily I saw him diving up the inside so I let him through. Then I followed him for one lap, and towards the end of the lap... POOF! I thought I'd missed a gear 'cos I felt the loss of power, and I was fumbling around for a gear when Vlade said somethings wrong. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw clouds of smoke
It was like a F1 engine blow-out.I pulled off and we all inspected the engine. I hadn't red-lined the car and I was on full boost and accelerating up a hill when it happened. We have since come to the conclusion that it is probably a blown head gasket. Car didn't overheat and there were no warning lights on, etc. Engine still revving smoothly altho the idling was lumpy and there was a loss of power. A track marshall came over to see if I had spilled oil on the track, 'cos if I had, they would supply me with a broom and cement to clean it up! We proved that there was no oil leak. Anyway, we had a braai afterwards, then we towed the car home.
It was really great fun, and hopefully my car can be fixed without too much problems. Hopefully this doesn't discourage anyone else from attempting the track. It's not easy to loose the car on the track - if you get yourself in slowly, learn the track and braking points, you won't go off the track or roll your car. And it's amazing how well a stock SX handles on the track!
Red 200SX S13, 1992, stock. <a href="/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=332">Engine rebuilt (click)</a>.
Like you said it's great fun!nice write-up toby.
seems like it was an awesome day.
and dont be discouraged. i've been on the track for almost a year, and only minor things have gone wrong, and much of it was because of my own stupidity, and lack of skill when it comes to drifting.
but you quickly get the hang of it, and then the car will last even longer!!!
you mentioned something very interesting. your sx is stock as far as i know, and you mentioned too much body roll, and that you were pulling 0.8 G's. i also managed 0.8 G's on a stock sx. perhaps even 0.85, and the that is where my point about the polyurethane bushes is made. once i had changed all of my bushes to polyurethane it went up from there to 0.96 G's on the same corners. almost a full G around corners. when i put 17" mags and 225 wide tires all round, that went up slightly to about .98.
when i modified my springs, i.e. made them low and hard, i managed to pull 1.03 G's around a long drawn out 270 degree corner.
after that on the track, i've only managed about 0.97 G's, but thats because of the crap cheap-ass tires i insall for drifting.
go get the bushes dude - you'll enjoy the track even more!!!
seems like it was an awesome day.
and dont be discouraged. i've been on the track for almost a year, and only minor things have gone wrong, and much of it was because of my own stupidity, and lack of skill when it comes to drifting.
but you quickly get the hang of it, and then the car will last even longer!!!
you mentioned something very interesting. your sx is stock as far as i know, and you mentioned too much body roll, and that you were pulling 0.8 G's. i also managed 0.8 G's on a stock sx. perhaps even 0.85, and the that is where my point about the polyurethane bushes is made. once i had changed all of my bushes to polyurethane it went up from there to 0.96 G's on the same corners. almost a full G around corners. when i put 17" mags and 225 wide tires all round, that went up slightly to about .98.
when i modified my springs, i.e. made them low and hard, i managed to pull 1.03 G's around a long drawn out 270 degree corner.
after that on the track, i've only managed about 0.97 G's, but thats because of the crap cheap-ass tires i insall for drifting.
go get the bushes dude - you'll enjoy the track even more!!!
-
Toby
- Club Founder
- Posts: 1874
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:44 am
- Car: S13
- Real Name: Toby Kurien
- Location: Midrand
- Contact:
Guys, you don't need to convince me of the poly bushes and the like. I know from driving the S2k how much better it can get. For now, I want to enjoy the SX for what it is, and maybe someday I'll improve upon it. Driving it stock was a goal that I managed to accomplish, and I won't forget it. For the price (even back in the day), you get a really AMAZING car.
Red 200SX S13, 1992, stock. <a href="/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=332">Engine rebuilt (click)</a>.
