Ben's R32 Gtst Build

[sav man]

I will post a big update tonight. Been meaning too for a while

[sav man]

So it’s been over a year since an update.

The first event last year was the Poatina Mountain Race, it was pretty much a 7km hill climb with the option for a navigator. I put my girlfriend in the silly seat to call the notes. We came 5^th outright, and were the fastest 2wd car up the hill for the day.

The next event was Targa Tasmania. As the car was going well I didn’t make any changes to it before the event, just freshened up the parts. But I did have a new navigator in Julie Winton-Monet. For the first 3 days we controlled the early modern competition. We won every stage on the first day and ended with a 30 sec lead.

On the second day we won all bar 1 stage and put another 30 secs on the field. Happy with our 1 min lead we backed off a bit and kept an eye on the times so we could slowly pull a gap, while being easy on the car. Our main competition had an oil pump failure, which gave us a 7 min lead at the end of the day.

Day four was really wet, so I put my green tyres on and filled the boot up for extra traction. We took off from the first stage and the alternator light came on, I turned everything electrical off I could and limped to the end of the stage. I got out and checked the belt and checked the plugs on the alternator. But it was all over, the battery went flat. The voltage regulator had failed. We got a jump start and limped along behind the field for the rest of the day dropping 30 mins.

We replaced the alternator and attacked day 5 at full pace. It was another wet day, and it turned out that the car is pretty good in the wet. We were 3^rd overall on the wet first stage, only 5 secs behind the winning R35 GTR, it was our stage of the event. The stages ended up drying out and we won the last stage outright, which we were pretty happy with.

Targa was a what could have been, but sometimes that’s just how it is.

I had a lot of problems for the next few months. I blew a head gasket 3 weeks after Targa. So I pulled the engine down and found the head was damaged from valve float. I got that repaired and put new rings and bearings in the engine.

Next event the diff exploded, turns out when you take a diff to be checked, it means reset the pinion to the wrong position. When I had the car apart again I noticed it had pushed a heap of coolant out. I had to pull the engine out and get the block decked. I hadn’t checked it properly when it was apart the first time.

I put everything back together and headed to the Legerwood Lane hill climb. I finally had a good event coming 2^nd overall and fastest 2wd.

Next event was the Phillip Island support race for the V8 Supercars, which would be my first ever open race meet. I loved the track. My fastest lap was a 1:43.9 which qualified me 4^t, there was more time to be had, but I ran out of laps. The car was way too soft, it was still in full rally trim, but I had to live with it.

I finished the first race 2^nd after 2 people dropped out. I finished the second race in 3^rd and hit a seagull going over the start line. Last race I came 3^rd again after some wheel to wheel on the first lap. I got 2^nd overall for the weekend.

Edited January 13, 2015 by sav man

[sav man]

Next event is Targa Hellyer Gorge in 4 weeks. Targa have released new regs, which mean I need to add 100kg to the car. I'm currently putting the weight in, and re-springing the car to suit

[sav man]

Forum isn't liking my youtube

Legerwood:

Phillip Island Race 2

Edited January 13, 2015 by sav man

[sav man]

Phillip Island Race 3

[Roy]

EPIC!

Re Targa. You have had a few problems with alternators haven't you? Have you seen those $90 lithium jumper packs? Keep two of those in the car, they are only the size of two old VHS tapes. Hell, I would wire up a dual battery setup so at least if the alternator goes you can get through on battery power. What is another 8kgs?

[sav man]

We had a problem that the standard alternator couldn't drive the heated windscreen. I got a maxima 110a to drive it and that's the one that failed. I disconnected the passengers side of the windscreen to get round the current draw issue.

With the new regs I will be carrying a lot more spats

[nk7]

EPIC!

Re Targa. You have had a few problems with alternators haven't you? Have you seen those $90 lithium jumper packs? Keep two of those in the car, they are only the size of two old VHS tapes. Hell, I would wire up a dual battery setup so at least if the alternator goes you can get through on battery power. What is another 8kgs?

12V Lithium jumpers for $90? Where can I find these?

We had a problem that the standard alternator couldn't drive the heated windscreen. I got a maxima 110a to drive it and that's the one that failed. I disconnected the passengers side of the windscreen to get round the current draw issue.

With the new regs I will be carrying a lot more spats

Spats or spares? BTW what were those green tyres you mentioned for the wet? Cheers

[sav man]

Spares is what i meant.

We are able to run 8 tyres for Targa, so my plan was to run the first set into the ground, and save the new (green) tyres for the end or the wet.

I run Dunlop D03 in R2 compound

[nk7]

Ah my bad - thought it was some new design regs for dealing with aerodynamics etc by putting in more spats haha.

[Roy]

You can get them cheaper but this is the first one i found http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Portable-Mini-12V-Car-Jump-Starter-Jumper-Booster-Battery-Charger-Pack-13600mAh-/251605397842?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a94d9b152

[Gts-t]

I keep a similar one in my daily for emergencies. Havent had to use it to jump start yet but i have charged my phone a couple of times lol

[sav man]

I converted my car to the new Targa regs a couple of weeks ago. I bought 80kg of lead from the scrap yard, made a mould and melted it down with an oxy torch.

The car now has 51:49 weight distribution, which has given it awsome drive, but it understeers like a pig. Once I get some new springs and a rear sway bar it should make it better. Rear shocks will probably need a re-valve too.

I ran Targa Hellyer gorge last weekend. I ended up changing the lift and pressure pump during the event, as the 044 got very noisy, so I replaced it, then it got noisy again. Turns out the lift pump was failing and filling the surge tank while I was idling around, but but running out under load. The event also gave me a starting point for the new regs, so I know what I need to change to make it faster.

Edited February 17, 2015 by sav man

[BOZ22N]

Nice one Ben.

Are you 1430kg now?

Are you MS or LMS.

[Roy]

Is there something in the regs that says you have to run it inside the cabin? Personally I would make the lead into 5kgs sheets/plates and bolt them to the underside of the car.

I always envisaged running it under where the back seat would go. Close to the COG but between the axles and nice and low. That way you can run perhaps 3 under the rear seat to two under the drivers seat. Lowers the the COG and can play with weight distribution as you see fit

[sav man]

yep now 1430 with driver and nav.

Regs say you can put it where ever you want, only restriction is on mounting plates and bolts. I was looking at putting the weight above the diff, but there wasn't enough room and it was going to be way too hard. The chassis rail is restricting the bricks being any wider as it is

[Roy]

lol...i am watching you live on Foxsports...wind the bloody boost up will yah!

Commentator is saying GTR

[Roy]

.OH. Hope the pit stop was because you were on a promise from a grid girl!

[sav man]

yes grid girl with a head gasket in hand

[Roy]

You cooked a HG? What brand etc etc?