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Andrew McKellar
DieHard
NSW
V8 Soarer Sports Sedan

Posts: 744
Reg: 06-2008

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - 06:20 am, by:  Andrew McKellar (Toymax) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


Ben Lipman wrote on Monday, July 21, 2014 - 05:41 pm:

I just calculated your cross weights based on your data. You have a RF/LR of 708kg (50.4%)and a LF/RR of 697kg(49.6%). A difference of 13 kg, meaning your car is pretty nicely balanced, but you could wind some spring into the LF/RR diagonal and make it even if it bothered you. You can also note that your right side of the car is 81kg heavier than the left (L662/47.1% versus R743/52.9%). Like me, you may benefit from moving any mass you can to the passenger side. Alas, like me, you have probably already picked all the low hanging fruit.




Thanks, I will use that info. I will have to redo the corner weights though, with a lot of the car changing since it was done last time. Send me the spreadsheet too.

I'm currently nearly halfway through the process of pulling 15kg out of the driver's seat, which might help a bit. And I still have to do the doors and hinges to save more kg. New battery & rear wing will also be lighter than before, and I want to move the battery to the other side of the car somehow (the only place I could fit it before was in the boot behind me, but since moving the surge tank I should be able to move it).

I still think you should look at the front-rear rake on yours and lower the rear a bit. Your rear diffuser is designed correctly, so running the floor parallel to the road will help it to work better. Just a thought.
Michael McKellar
TryHard
NSW
Mini

Posts: 127
Reg: 08-2008

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - 10:49 am, by:  Michael McKellar (Mickmini) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


Andrew McKellar wrote on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - 06:20 am:

I'm currently nearly halfway through the process of pulling 15kg out of the driver's seat,




I can vouch for that. He is looking like a featherweight now.

There is also about 20kg to take out of the front nosecone when that gets redone. I for one will be glad because it will be heaps easier to get the damn thing on and off. I think we also need to start looking at what we can hit with the hole saw and dimple dies to reduce weight.

Ben can add a bit more vertical fence to the sides of the diffuser as well if the rake remains as is.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3785
Reg: 04-2006

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - 11:57 am, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was trying to take weight out of the drivers seat, however the organic component of the car hurt his shoulder. He is now not allowed to lift objects over 1kg. The Dr was at pains to explain that this included the kettle. I am currently 92kg. 85kg is the goal, but 80kg would be awesome.

I have taken 7mm out of the rear, reducing rake to factory settings. It might help put the power down, especially combined with some rear toe in and even cross weights.

I hole sawed the hell out of the boot lid and frame. A whole (see what I did there) lot of effort only gains a few grams. Maybe a better improvement will be found up front if the steel is thicker.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3786
Reg: 04-2006

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Saturday, July 26, 2014 - 07:55 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

WTAC has changed the rules form cars with an original weight over 1500kg. The 15% rule no longer applies. Now the minimum weight for any car with an original weight over 1500kg is 1275kg.

This is good news for us fatties. The problem now is finding another 100kg in the car to remove. I spent an hour in the shed today looking for this 100kg. I removed some brackets, the charcoal canister, and the headlights for a massive saving of 5kg. I am going to have to make some covers to fill the hole where the headlights sit, so that will steal some of that 5kg back.

I spent some time looking at the chassis rails forward of the suspension towers. They are pretty big items, however the anti roll bar anchors off the bottom. If I was to remove part of the rails, it would have to be forwards of the roll bar mounts, or something would need to be fabricated up.

The steering column looks pretty heavy. I assume there are some significant savings there.
Blake Gloyn
Goo Roo
manawatu
soarer JZZ30 TT

Posts: 1184
Reg: 02-2006

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Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 04:59 am, by:  Blake Gloyn (Blakenz) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

door hinges
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3787
Reg: 04-2006

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Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 07:20 am, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


Blake Gloyn wrote on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 04:59 am:

door hinges



working on it. I bought a pair of gate hinges yesterday and am having a play to figure out what I can do.

Has anyone ever done this on the soarer before? Would love a heads up.

I have also sourced a steering column so I can start work on making my own.

The third avenue I am thinking about is remaking the front bar in carbon fibre and epoxy.
Blake Gloyn
Goo Roo
manawatu
soarer JZZ30 TT

Posts: 1185
Reg: 02-2006

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Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 11:00 am, by:  Blake Gloyn (Blakenz) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm investigating the hinge issue also. I doubt you could replicate the factory cantilever action in light materials without sacrificing strength, so just a basic hinge is looking the way to go, at least on the little used passenger door. The biggest problem will be getting them located in the exact correct place on both the door and the door pillar. Trial and error i guess.
Soarer hinge 7kg each, jza80 hinges (two small ones per door) weigh 750grams per door.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3791
Reg: 04-2006

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Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 08:14 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Off to Wakefield Park on Saturday with the Track Day Club. Just looking to get more laps under my belt and turn tyres into marbles. (The rear tyres are on the wrong side of their prime.)

Might try some varying tyre pressures and simple things like that, and with any luck I'll give that 1:08.9 a bit of a nudge.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3793
Reg: 04-2006

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Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 08:01 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Had a good day at Wakefield Park today. Aaron came out and gave me a hand to look the car over and turn it around in between races, with the odd emergency repair that seem to come with laps at Wakey.

I got there nice and early and did the track walk with Jeff and Catherine Denmeade and picked their brains on lines, gears, strategies etc. It turns out this was a great investment, as during the warm up session I concentrated on being accurate with apexes, using correct lines and getting the corner entry right. I looked down and the lap on the dash said 1:08.6. This was 4/10ths faster than my fastest lap from the last track day. The next lap was a 1:08.0. I was pretty stoked at this stage. After 5 laps I was almost a whole second faster than the previous track day. And I did it on older tyres.

The next session out I ran into heaps of traffic. I managed to get a clean lap on lap 8, and ran a 1:07.57. This turned out to be the best lap of the day. It seems that my times always get slower from about mid-morning onwards at Wakefield. Might be the track, might be the car, might be me but I can never match the early morning times at Wakey.

The Racepak has a new ‘ideal lap’ of 1:06.1. So, a new lap time to chase. I’ll be checking the in car video and syncing it with the racepak data later to see where those good sectors are and what I was doing different.

The Intima pads are on their last legs, and the rear tyres are down to the wear indicators, and have done about 35 or more heat cycles. Seeing as the Winmax pads never turned up (Racing Ready Online ripped me off essentially stealing my money and not sending my pads – long story) and I can’t afford to buy both pads and tyres I will probably be taking a break for a while. I need to save a bit of cash to get pads, tyres, and maybe some softer rear springs.

Any way - pretty happy with the day today. The front bar took another hit, damn you turn 2. It is at the stage where it has more repairs than original fibreglass. I am seriously considering getting the moulds back from Andrew and making a new front bar. Might even save some weight in the mean time.
Michael McKellar
TryHard
NSW
Mini

Posts: 129
Reg: 08-2008

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Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 09:49 pm, by:  Michael McKellar (Mickmini) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

We have to make one for his before that. Might end up being 2.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3795
Reg: 04-2006

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Sunday, August 10, 2014 - 08:59 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Meh, you make one you make two. The moulds will probably need a little work any way. Wonder if the moulds could be modified by adding a decent flange so I could vac infuse the parts. No where near as much mess and exposure to the epoxy. Stronger, lighter, better consolidated laminates too.

I'll have to go back through photos and refresh my memory. I think the big centre duct, side duct and brake ducts will need to be boxed and sealed to allow a vacuum to be pulled. I would probably go a centre vacuum tube, and run resin lines down both sides. I am guessing the roughly the same amount of supplies as my roof panel, so about $500 worth of carbon, resin and consumables.

What's going on with Andrew's current bar?
Michael McKellar
TryHard
NSW
Mini

Posts: 130
Reg: 08-2008

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Monday, August 11, 2014 - 08:45 pm, by:  Michael McKellar (Mickmini) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

contemplation
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3796
Reg: 04-2006

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Sunday, August 17, 2014 - 07:36 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

LOL.

Aaron has given me an old steering column. I am going to look at making my own column to save a few more kilos. I'll go back through Andrew's thread to see what he did, specifically if he used solid rod or tube steel for the shaft. I think tube would be strong enough, but I haven't looked at what is available ect at all yet.

I'll make a decision on what to do with the front bar some time in September when it gets warm enough to do bigger jobs. I am leaning towards making a new one if the moulds are still OK. But is this a good time to evolve the design and make new moulds...
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3800
Reg: 04-2006

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Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - 07:56 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Aaron has given me an old V8 steering column to play with. I stripped it tonight, taking over 6kg of 'stuff' off the bare shaft. The shaft weighs 2.45kg

Upload

Upload


The plan is to fabricate a shaft that mates up to the original either at the slip joint (27mm diameter) or closer to the end where the shaft s 17mm in diameter. I'll have a look at what tube is available with either 17 or 27mm internal diameter, or close to it and then decide where the shaft gets the chop.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3804
Reg: 04-2006

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Monday, August 25, 2014 - 04:45 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You have to love coming home and finding parcels at your door. Especially when the parcels include a gift from a well known brake supplier.


Upload


Long story short: Racing Ready Online took $350 of my money and then failed to order my brake pads. He was then sent to jail for unrelated charges, leaving me with a hole in my pocket and no pads. The only upside is he is currently sitting in a little cell, wishing he had eyes in the back of his head. (offenders of his particular type often find themselves the object of everyone's attention in jail)

I emailed the major suppliers of this particular brand of pads in this country, hoping by some small chance the order had been placed. Greg from Brakes Direct offered to help. After some time it became apparent it was a hopeless case (lesson learnt: never direct debit to an internet based business).

Greg then asked if I would mind a set of Project Mu Club Racer pads! Of course I had no objections. He promptly sent them to me, express post no less.

Let me make it clear- Greg and Brakes Direct have no obligation in this matter. It was a bad business deal between another entity and myself. He first attempted to chase down the order to right someone else's wrong , and when that failed he has reached into his own pocket and supplied me an even more expensive set of pads.

To say I am stoked is an understatement. Greg should not be surprised to find some well placed Brakes Direct Stickers on the car next time it sees daylight. (after all stickers make a race car don't they?)
Michael McKellar
TryHard
NSW
Mini

Posts: 131
Reg: 08-2008

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Monday, August 25, 2014 - 09:22 pm, by:  Michael McKellar (Mickmini) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well done Greg.

I like the new book too. Might need to get a copy of that one.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3805
Reg: 04-2006

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Monday, August 25, 2014 - 09:33 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have a bunch of saved searches on amazon, booktopia, and ebay that send me an email when certain titles come up. This one cost me about $21.

I am waiting for a cheap copy of Carroll Smith's 'Nuts, bolts and fasteners' to come up cheap and I'll have all his books. I think I may have all Simon McBeath now. I am currently reading 'Competition Car Data Logging'. Very dry, but hopefully some of it sinks in.
Matthew Salkeld
TryHard
South Australia
1JZ powered 180sx

Posts: 232
Reg: 07-2008

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014 - 05:57 pm, by:  Matthew Salkeld (Munkymatt) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If you want a cure for insomnia, get a hold of Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by Milliken. It's a mighty tome that goes through quantitative race car development. My girlfriend uses the mighty tome to stretch baby clothes out for sewing and that's been most of it's practical impact on the world so far.
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3807
Reg: 04-2006

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014 - 07:07 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have a watch going for that one. I have a cheeky scanned copy on the drive, but much prefer hard copy. I have just purchased the companion Problems, solutions and experiments (or whatever it is called) for $40 but it hasn't arrived yet.

Pity I wasn't in the business, I would have plenty of textbooks to claim for tax.
Matthew Salkeld
TryHard
South Australia
1JZ powered 180sx

Posts: 234
Reg: 07-2008

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014 - 09:17 pm, by:  Matthew Salkeld (Munkymatt) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I need the problems book for it : O I have used some of the results in the book for aero modelling but I don't have the time to set up any experiments to figure out how good they are. This was for a motorised air brake for the 180sx.
Paul Kalie
TryHard
NSW
TT

Posts: 154
Reg: 02-2008

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Friday, September 12, 2014 - 12:26 am, by:  Paul Kalie (Ajzs) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hello

Any updates ?
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3809
Reg: 04-2006

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 05:12 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nope.

Any updates on your Rx 4.8? (to call it an Rx-7 would be far from accurate)
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3810
Reg: 04-2006

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Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 08:20 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I am so far behind in posting videos it is not funny. Here is the latest one I put together. It is not up to the speed of the earlier ones as Windows Movie Maker lost a lot of its good bits when I upgraded to Windows 7 and I have not been in the mood to put something good together.

Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
SA
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car, plus a spare shell

Posts: 3811
Reg: 04-2006

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Sunday, September 21, 2014 - 09:38 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Continued work on the steering column today. Pulled the dash pad out, pulled the factory column, and started into the wiring. I plan to finally replace the key barrel with a starter panel, as well as a couple of switches to take the job of the light/indicator stalk.


Upload

Using a big clamp to press the bearings onto the shaft.

Upload

Bearings on the shaft.

Upload

Old Steering column.

Upload

New column in the car

Upload

Still need to make a frame to hold the rear bearing.

Upload

New column in the car, with dash mount being fabricated.
Paul Kalie
TryHard
NSW
TT

Posts: 155
Reg: 02-2008

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Monday, September 22, 2014 - 03:49 am, by:  Paul Kalie (Ajzs) Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

looks good mate, any idea on what the weight saving was ?

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