Jump to content
SAU Community

Private Track Day - What Would Sau Do?

Grungle

By Grungle,
in Four Door Family & Wagoneers

 Share

Recommended Posts

Tangles Grand Master

Tangles

Posted
Posted

From a Stagea driver (only daily) who's experienced Mallala's ups and downs.

DO NOT use your stagea UNLESS you have an after market engine oil cooler.

DO NOT use your stagea UNLESS you have track-orientated brake pads.

1st time out I had no brake pads after the second 20min session, 3rd session was metal on metal, and squeeled my way home at lunchtime.

2nd time out had QFM A1RM track pads & they were fine, but cooked the engine in the 3rd session. Home at lunchtime again.

3rd time out damage had obviously been done when the oil/water boiled, ringlands were weakened, within half an hour the engine had blown. Brakes and cooling were excellent tho by this point, but as said damage was already done.

Been without the car since April (drove it a cple times until it wouldnt go any further). Should finally have it back end next week. The costs involved in rebuilding the bottom end has hit me hard, as being a pensioner I cant afford my mortgage (house has been for sale since Feb, under contract for 5months but no end in sight yet. Need to sell to payout the loan, payout the exwife, and have some funds to put me through Medical Science uni studies starting next year). Plus being on a horrible medication called Fentanyl - 80x strength of heroin - mentally it all got to me a fair bit. Got off the meds 3weeks ago and life is looking up again (once the bank is off my back).

In short you Must have: excellent track quality brake pads at a minimum, excellent water cooling & oil cooling. Otherwise you could be playing with fire. If you cant afford to break it then maybe best not to use the car (as Ive found out the hard way).

KiwiRS4T Grand Master

KiwiRS4T

Posted
Posted

Like Tangles said - if you have the opportunity to use someone else's car do it!

Apart from the fact that a car which may seem fast on the road will not necesarily be competetive on the track and you have a good chance of blowing more than the turbo if you are not carefull.

Your tyres will pack up after a couple of laps - if your pads last long enough you may experience fade or loss of pedal because of the old brake fluid. Everything will get really hot....if you get really into it you will spend most of the time with your foot flat on the accelerator or hard on the brakes. The Mini Cooper, Porsche and any Falcon turbos will leave you in their wake.

Having said that I am a great fan of track days and strongly recommend them if your car is properly prepared. Its just that if you haven't been before it would be great to try it out in a car that isn't yours to see what is involved.

If you do decide to use your own go to the DIY section where there is a "how to prepare your car for a track day" article. And try to get at least a stronger rear anti roll bar installed before you go.And change your oil for a quality fully synthetic oil such as Motul or Agip - a real synthetic is more able to withstand higher temperatures.

Grungle Enthusiast

Grungle

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks Kiwi and Tangles, good to hear some other opinions. Those are many of reasons why I asked in the first place - I wasn't sure if they were real concerns or just me being too careful.

My car already has front and rear sway bars courtesy of Dale.

The brake disks were machined earlier in the year. I'll have to check if the pads were done, but changing pads isn't difficult.

100,000km service was done this year by a reputable workshop and was supposed change ALL fluids, I'll check what was done. It needs an oil change now anyway, and I've got 300V sitting around here somewhere.

A trans/oil cooler sounds like a good idea anyway, so I'll look into that one too.

I'm aware that the ARX is a long way from a track car, but this seems like a great opportunity to give it a try. The day is really all about driver training with some quick sessions to put it all together - it's not going to be a full day of thrashing. I'll be able to grab one of the hire cars if I really want to go hard or if the stagea gets too hot.

I'll check out the DIY section too, hadn't thought of that.

I'm told the SV6's can hit 200 down the back straight...

KiwiRS4T Grand Master

KiwiRS4T

Posted
Posted

Make sure you use the last lap to cool down - no boosting, allow air to pass through your radiator, intercooler, brakes etc.

Put some spare fuel in the car (take it out while you're racing of course) - you will be surprised how quickly you can empty your tank when you spend a lot of time at full throttle!

  • 1 month later...
Grungle Enthusiast

Grungle

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

So I survived. The stagea is wounded...

It started off well. We did 3 laps under 100km/h learning the layout then we were off. Body roll was minimal (thanks to the swaybars), and traction was great, but when things got serious the poor old ARX floated a bit.

For those not familiar with Mallala, the back straight has a 'kink' halfway along that I was hitting at about 160km/h. It's reasonably smooth, but the ARX was certainly feeling a bit floaty as it got through there at speed. It straightens up and you can keep going to 180, but it runs into a hairpin and by lap 5 the brakes were done.

I came in, did a few cool-down laps through the carpark and went back out. About 4 laps in the brakes were still ok, and with more confindence I hit the back straight flat out. At the end of the straight it hit the speed limiter at 180 (which unsettled it a bit), and I just managed to pull up for the hairpin with my foot on the floor. Through the "S" in front of the grandstand the steering went heavy and I pulled into the pits and gave it a rest for an hour while I took one of the SV6s out.

The commodore's suspension was much better than the ARX's, but it wasn't any quicker. The best I managed was 170 down the straight in the commodore, but the brakes pulled it up reliably for ~7 laps before it needed a cool down.

After lunch I took the stag out again, but it lasted all of 3 laps before the power steering went completely. I got around the rest of the track and parked it in the pits for 3 hours. The fluid in the reservoir cooled down eventually but it's still really heavy. It gets lighter at speed, but it's hard to park. I'll change the fluid and see if I can bleed it tomorrow.

Anyway, a great day in the end. We had my Stagea, 5 x SV6s, an SS ute, a HSV GTS, a GT3, the SAGE ute and a race spec Ford GT out there! Unfortunately the GT40 ended up in a wall just before lunch, but the driver didn't seem worried. He jumped back in his Aston Martin and left while the crew cleaned it up!

After I left a few of the guys ended up in the sand in the commodores - too clueless to realise they had no brakes left and still pushing for 180 down the back straight!

No pics of the stag sadly, I was the only one with a camera... No times either.confused.gif

DSC_4897.jpg

DSC_4877.jpg

DSC_4883.jpg

DSC_4864.jpg

DSC_4858.jpg

DSC_4855.jpg

DSC_4936.jpg

DSC_4929.jpg

DSC_4842.jpg

DSC_4873.jpg

Edited by Grungle
bigkevracer Grand Master

bigkevracer

Posted
Posted

Exactly what Craig found too.

Solution: http://www.conceptzperformance.com/Cart/description.php?II=479&Car_Type=350Z&UID=20111124012321121.45.143.101

There are cheaper solutions (much cheaper), but it's shiny and has Nismo on it. Stillen do one too which looks pretty good.

I actually ordered one of these through g35parts.com a while ago but their system failed, order didn't get placed, they took a month of nagging to get back to my email and tell me what was going on before telling me it was a 2 month wait to get one.

I'm actually thinking of putting an order in with Concept Z shortly if you're interested?

I was a bit worried when you said the Stag was wounded, but no big deal! :thumbsup:

What brakes are you running, out of interest?

bigkevracer Grand Master

bigkevracer

Posted
Posted

I think the Nismo looks a little longer, but I can't see why that V35 one wouldn't suffice.

Is that the standard V35/PM35 cooler? Have you had it on a track?

PN-Mad Grand Master

PN-Mad

Posted
Posted

Yeah, its stock, I haven't had it on the track. Yet...thumbsup.gif

Really, its just a name/badge that nismo thing. You could get a small PWR auto tranny cooler, plumb that in and still be $70 ahead. Got no idea if running it too cold would effect it, but hey, its just a random thought.

bigkevracer Grand Master

bigkevracer

Posted
Posted

Well my thinking is it might be designed for the car and easier to bolt in... Now I'm thinking M35s won't have the mounting point those kits are relying on!

Cheers for the heads up... will check it out! :thumbsup:

Grungle Enthusiast

Grungle

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I was a bit worried when you said the Stag was wounded, but no big deal! :thumbsup:

What brakes are you running, out of interest?

Yeah, I finished the day better than the GT and the SV6s! Hopefully I can sort out the power steering easily.

Stock brakes. Recently refaced the disks and ran new QFM HPX pads. Didn't change the fluid though - I probably should have but ran out of time.

I'm unlikely to track it again, so I won't bother with the cooler. This was just a good opportunity to see how hard it went.

If I was paying for the day and wanted to do more than 10 laps I would have been a bit disappointed - the power steering cooler is a must for anyone tracking their M35 unfortunately.

It was surprisingly stable with the HICAS too - I was expecting it to be all over the place, but it felt quite light. It turned in better than the commos.

Daleo Grand Master

Daleo

Posted
Posted

You can use any cooler for the power steering e.g. the stock S1 auto cooler or a $10 oil cooler from the wreckers...

+1.

Mid 90's Magnas have a PS cooler that is a perfect size; with beaut isolastic mounts, and they're a bargain!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • PranK
      My BMW E39 528i touring

      By PranK · Posted

      Well, apparently they do fit, however this wont be a problem if not because the car will be stationary while i do the suspension work. I was just going to use the 16's to roll the old girl around if I needed to. I just need to get the E90 back on the road first. Yes! I'm a believer! 🙌 So, I contacted them because the site kinda sucks and I was really confused about what I'd need. They put together a package for me and because I was spraying all the seat surfaces and not doing spot fixes I decided not to send them a headrest to colour match, I just used their colour on file (and it was spot on).  I got some heavy duty cleaner, 1L of colour, a small bottle of dye hardener and a small bottle of the dye top coat. I also got a spray gun as I needed a larger nozzle than the gun I had and it was only $40 extra. From memory the total was ~$450 ish. Its not cheap but the result is awesome. They did add repair bits and pieces to the quote originally and the cost came down significantly when I said I didn't need any repair products. I did it over a weekend. The only issues I had were my own; I forgot to mix the hardener into the dye two coats but I had enough dye for 2 more coats with the hardener. I also just used up all the dye because why not and i rushed the last coat which gave me some runs. Thankfully the runs are under the headrests. The gun pattern wasn't great, very round and would have been better if it was a line. It made it a little tricky to get consistent coverage and I think having done the extra coats probably helped conceal any coverage issues. I contacted them again a few months later so I could get our X5 done (who the f**k thought white leather was a good idea for a family car?!) and they said they had some training to do in Sydney and I could get a reduced rate on the leather fix in the X5 if I let them demo their product on our car. So I agreed. When I took Bec in the E39 to pick it up, I showed them the job I'd done in my car and they were all (students included) really impressed. Note that they said the runs I created could be fixed easily at the time with a brush or an air compressor gun. So, now with the two cars done I can absolutely recommend Colourlock.  I'll take pics of both interiors and create a new thread.
    • GTSBoy
      R33 Fuel Pump & Brakes after alarm swap

      By GTSBoy · Posted

      Power is fed to the ECU when the ignition switch is switched to IGN, at terminal 58. That same wire also connects to the ECCS relay to provide both the coil power and the contact side. When the ECU sees power at 58 it switches 16 to earth, which pulls the ECCS relay on, which feeds main power into the ECU and also to a bunch of other things. None of this is directly involved in the fuel pump - it just has to happen first. The ECU will pull terminal 18 to earth when it wants the fuel pump to run. This allows the fuel pump relay to pull in, which switches power on into the rest of the fuel pump control equipment. The fuel pump control regulator is controlled from terminal 104 on the ECU and is switched high or low depending on whether the ECU thinks the pump needs to run high or low. (I don't know which way around that is, and it really doesn't matter right now). The fuel pump control reg is really just a resistor that controls how the power through the pump goes to earth. Either straight to earth, or via the resistor. This part doesn't matter much to us today. The power to the fuel pump relay comes from one of the switched wires from the IGN switch and fusebox that is not shown off to the left of this page. That power runs the fuel pump relay coil and a number of other engine peripherals. Those peripherals don't really matter. All that matters is that there should be power available at the relay when the key is in the right position. At least - I think it's switched. If it's not switched, then power will be there all the time. Either way, if you don't have power there when you need it (ie, key on) then it won't work. The input-output switching side of the relay gains its power from a line similar (but not the same as) the one that feeds the ECU. SO I presume that is switched. Again, if there is not power there when you need it, then you have to look upstream. And... the upshot of all that? There is no "ground" at the fuel pump relay. Where you say: and say that pin 1 Black/Pink is ground, that is not true. The ECU trigger is AF73, is black/pink, and is the "ground". When the ECU says it is. The Blue/White wire is the "constant" 12V to power the relay's coil. And when I say "constant", I mean it may well only be on when the key is on. As I said above. So, when the ECU says not to be running the pump (which is any time after about 3s of switching on, with no crank signal or engine speed yet), then you should see 12V at both 1 and 2. Because the 12V will be all the way up to the ECU terminal 18, waiting to be switched to ground. When the ECU switches the fuel pump on, then AF73 should go to ~0V, having been switched to ground and the voltage drop now occurring over the relay coil. 3 & 5 are easy. 5 is the other "constant" 12V, that may or may not be constant but will very much want to be there when the key is on. Same as above. 3 goes to the pump. There should never be 12V visible at 3 unless the relay is pulled in. As to where the immobiliser might have been spliced into all this.... It will either have to be on wire AF70 or AF71, whichever is most accessible near the alarm. Given that all those wires run from the engine bay fusebox or the ECU, via the driver's area to the rear of the car, it could really be either. AF70 will be the same colour from the appropriate fuse all the way to the pump. If it has been cut and is dangling, you should be able to see that  in that area somewhere. Same with AF71.   You really should be able to force the pump to run. Just jump 12V onto AF72 and it should go. That will prove that the pump itself is willing to go along with you when you sort out the upstream. You really should be able to force the fuel pump relay on. Just short AF73 to earth when the key is on. If the pump runs, then the relay is fine, and all the power up to both inputs on the relay is fine. If it doesn't run (and given that you checked the relay itself actually works) then one or both of AF70 and AF71 are not bringing power to the game.
    • Kinkstaah
      My BMW E39 528i touring

      By Kinkstaah · Posted

      @PranK can you elaborate further on the Colorlock Dye? The website has a lot of options. I'm sure you've done all the research. I have old genuine leather seats that I have bought various refurbing creams and such, but never a dye. Any info on how long it lasts? Does it wash out? Is it a hassle? What product do I actually need? Am I just buying this kit and following the steps the page advises or something else? https://www.colourlockaustralia.com.au/colourlock-leather-repair-kit-dye.html
    • GTSBoy
      My BMW E39 528i touring

      By GTSBoy · Posted

      These going to fit over the big brakes? I'd be reeeeeeeeaaaall hesitant to believe so.
    • PranK
      My BMW E39 528i touring

      By PranK · Posted

      The leather work properly stunned me. Again, I am thankful that the leather was in such good condition. I'm not sure what the indent is at the top of the passenger seat. Like somebody was sitting in it with a golf ball between their shoulders. The wheels are more grey than silver now and missing a lot of gloss.  Here's one with nice silver wheels.
×
×
  • Create New...