by "Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
Published 11/18/2017 at 01:12
by "Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
Published 11/18/2017 at 01:12
No Tags
STARS: 7
So my 911's engine blew up at Laguna Seca in .... February? (So stoked that it is back on the road by the way — super good Oppo!)
Then it took me a couple months to buy the replacement. I wanted 300 HP or more, rear wheel drive, and *cheap* ... alas:
Then more than a reasonable amount of time/money went in to finding a welder to weld in that bar you see keeping be from being mowed headless should I flip.
Then I had to fix shit. Wheel bearings. A couple bad hoses. A diff that is loose but not quite ready for a rebuild? Let that wait. You need to have money coming in faster than going out — especially for a hobby.
I took it to Thunderhill a couple times with the dry, tired, mismatched tires and the bargain street pads it came with and figured it earned enough respect for new brake pads, new brake fluid, and new tires. I was opting for Falkens but was talked into Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R’s and holy crap are they good. I thought I had pushed too far a couple times today only to find out that I wasn’t pushing them enough!
I didn’t break the 2:00 barrier at Laguna Seca today. My fastest was a lowly 2:02.
However, we’re talking about an antique. The car is that is a quarter of a century old. Cobain killed himself in 1994 to give you a reference. That’s like 100 years ago and it’s two full years more recent than this car rolling off the assembly line, during a time when gas savings was a huge thing and they underpowered it on purpose.
So it’s slow. However, driving a slow car fast — and being just fast enough to give the spec Miatas the the FR-S’s of the world a challenge still gives me great joy.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
I’m nowhere near done trying to get this thing to go faster. It’s got a lot of gremlins. Especially with the stability control and ABS that seem to kick in if turned off — and at the weirdest times. “ASR” is stability control and it kicked in during stop and go traffic on my way home at about ~12-15 miles an hour, convinced I was in a spin. Yet it behaved today on the track when I forgot to turn it off. Bonkers.
Anyway — I’m stoked and wanted to share it and several Oppos have been really helpful giving guidance with this car that I knew nothing about when purchased — so thank you. Happy Oppo-ing!
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
11/18/2017 at 01:18, STARS: 0
Also:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Laguna Seca is the shit.
"Nerd-Vol" (Nerd-Vol)
11/18/2017 at 08:13, STARS: 3
That car is on my bucket list! I hate to hear that it is slow.
I still want one!
"Discerning" (discerning2003c5z)
11/18/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 0
What caused the engine failure?
"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
11/18/2017 at 11:07, STARS: 1
How did the RE-71R hold up during the day? I’m under the impression that they were designed with autocross in mind so they heat up rather quickly: not ideal for extended track work
"Forrest" (forrest)
11/18/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 1
This makes me feel better about my Laguna Seca lap times. When I had my 120hp Fiesta SE, my best lap time was a 2:03. I had pretty sticky tires, but not R-compounds.
Now, I replaced the Fiesta with a BRZ. I haven’t taken it to Laguna Seca yet. Randy Pobst did a 1:51 in a BRZ on stock tires. I am hoping I can get close to that on R-compound tires.
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
11/18/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 0
Well they were brand new at the beginning of the day aside from a two hour drive to the track (through the rain, which was stressful). The track was still a bit damp and cold in the morning and they didn’t feel like they were biting anything more than a good summer tire.
Over the day they got better as better. They did also warm up quite quickly. Half a lap and they’re good to go. So I think they’ll kick ass at autocross. I only saw them get better throughout the day. No greasiness at all but then again, it was ideal conditions at 60 degrees.
Shooting from the hip I’d say they’re on par with the finest Michelin tire at half the price. Just keep them out of the wet and out of the cold. Oh and I think I got lucky with the price due to the unusual sizing of my wheels. The more popular sizes cost quite a lot more, apparently.
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
11/18/2017 at 14:33, STARS: 1
I think the last 25 years has taken away many ponies. It’s got a ton of torque but getting from 70-100 mph takes a really long time compared to a modern fast car like an M5.
I think power to weight it seems a bit like an oversized Miata, honestly. A little faster in a straight line and a little slower in the turns. On a fast track with long straights you’ll win. On a course with a lot of turns, maybe not.
It’s really easy to work on, cheap, gets over 20mpg. It’s a little uncomfortable on long trips. Overall it’s a fun car but spending a few more bucks to get a C5 might be a good idea.
Or buy mine so I can buy a C5
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
11/18/2017 at 14:43, STARS: 1
Using Randy Pobst as a baseline is bonkers. I’m sure he’d shave ten seconds off my time while reading a book.
I did have a BRZ or FR-S catch up to me once yesterday and I’m not sure how and then lost them in the turns never to be seen again but that’s all driver related. I had a Carrera C4S unable to catch me and I passed a Focus RS a couple times during the day. There’s a wide range of skill and specific track knowledge in the intermediate group. Once I have the car dialed in I’ll move up to the next class where the Miata guys will enjoy the sensation of kicking a Corvette around
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
11/18/2017 at 14:45, STARS: 0
Likely IMS failure. Big boom and after that you couldn’t even pull the dipstick out.
I gave the remains to another oppo who swapped in a 3.2 engine to replace the blown 3.4 and he’s got it running and drivable again. Hooray Oppo!
"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
11/18/2017 at 17:44, STARS: 1
Ive autocrossed RE71s, Michelin Pilot Super Sports, and Michelin Sport Cup 2s. I’ve also autocrossed a car on hoosiers.
PSS suck at the limit. Lots of push and whine. Sport Cups are amazing, really responsive. I feel like they have more ultimate grip than the RE-71 but are easier to drive than hoosiers. Slicks are weird. Hard to feel when they lose grip
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
11/19/2017 at 00:42, STARS: 0
Slicks give without making noise. The 71R’s don’t either but they’re graceful. Very controlled versus giving it all up at once. Just my general observation.
"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
11/19/2017 at 13:53, STARS: 0
I’d agree with that description.