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OK. After 5 years, I finally went back to NCM where it all started. Only this time I was able to do the Grand Full course. While no c8s were on the track, there were a number of c5, c6 and c7s. The heavier F would lose a little ground in the corners but held its own on the straights. Best time on the really long course was just an OK 2:31 with lots of time left on the course. I’ll be back.
Oct 2020 – Front suspension refresh, alignment, Mid Ohio
I had to replace the two front shocks on the R&T coilovers since one was leaking. Kudos to RR Racing who grabbed a set they used for testing (perhaps on the famous SC’d ISF???) and sent them to me for great price.
I also had to replace the front ball joints (replaced with Figs refresh kit) as it was squeaking very loudly. After the front suspension work, I got a new “aggressive street” alignment.
Just when I thought the track season was over, SCCA offered a relatively cheap event back at Mid Ohio. Five years ago, I ran with SCCA and found them to be unorganized….nothing has changed based on my experience at this track day. But a number of F owners I run with joined in for the fun. It was a cool day so the times were fast. For the first time ever, I actually experienced oil blow by as smoke poured out the back of the car. I continually emptied the AOS which seemed to help. I had the final session to myself and was able to pull out a personal best time of 1:44, over a 4 second improvement! This occurred in the final session where it was pretty much just me on the track. I ran four 1:44 laps in a row, all within 0.3 seconds of each other….nice….
I had to replace an A/F sensor after the CEL came on after the Mid Ohio event. A common issue for those with headers, so let’s hope the CEL stays off after the replacement – went with OEM.
But a few more mods were in order because I, well, have an addiction.
While heading to the IMSA race to watch the Lexus team take the podium again at Mid Ohio, I took a detour and picked up an APR GTC300 wing from Facebook marketplace. It was installed on an STI, so I had to wait for universal brackets to come back in stock. The install was a royal pain and I permanently destroyed my trunk lol (also added reinforcement plates). Boy it sure is a big ****! I will likely keep it at 0 degrees angle of attack because the downforce on the 300 is so large.
To complement the wing and splitter, I installed Chronos Racing track spec front canards. I can't wait for the 2021 track season!
Even snuck in mini F meet...
I then took advantage of the SpeedFreaks USA group buy and snatched up the holy grail, an OS Giken differential, along with the Figs diff bushing kit. Still not installed though as of Thanksgiving 2020.
Last edited by lexicon72; Nov 26, 2020 at 01:06 PM.
Great thread! I had hopped to turn a lap or two by now, but I’ve just got too many hobbies and the nearest track is not very close by. At least I get threads like these.
The Giken diff will make a big difference. One of your pics clearly shows the inside rear tire off the ground, and this is where the Giken diff really earns its keep. You could probably run stiffer front springs if you want to get the tires back on the ground though.
The Giken diff will make a big difference. One of your pics clearly shows the inside rear tire off the ground, and this is where the Giken diff really earns its keep. You could probably run stiffer front springs if you want to get the tires back on the ground though.
Nice thread!
Yeah. I wish I would have thought about stiffer springs last month when i swapped out the front shocks.. Oh well. Good suggestion though. Thx
Since it's the off season for me, I decided to nerd out and purchase an Aim Solo 2 DL data logger along with a data acquisition book. We will see if it helps me improve my skills and my times this summer. I'm curious who else has used this. So far the book is straight forward, but I have a degree in math and do data analysis at work lol.
Last edited by lexicon72; Nov 10, 2021 at 09:05 PM.
Another off season purchase for the heck of it. I'm tired of the GoPro footage being nothing but wind noise. So I researched and went with an external mic kit. So now I can run the mic to the engine or exhaust to get a better sound. Has anyone else done this and have some advice?
Last edited by lexicon72; Nov 10, 2021 at 09:06 PM.
Another off season purchase for the heck of it. I'm tired of the GoPro footage being nothing but wind noise. So I researched and went with an external mic kit. So now I can run the mic to the engine or exhaust to get a better sound. Has anyone else done this and have some advice?
I have the same mic, gopro adapter etc.
Just be aware the mic adapter is ****. I ran several events and it was pretty clear the GoPro wasn't properly using the external mic (despite it working fine in limited testing at home). I was still troubleshooting when Covid hit (so I haven't tested my fix at an event yet) but I think I finally came to the conclusion that either the usb connection or the 3.5mm connection is prone to coming loose... not completely fall apart loose but just barely enough so that it won't use the mic properly. My solution was to order a right angle 3.5mm cable and put rubber bands around that and the usb connection. From my limited testing at home it seems to be working but I'll have to wait until my next event (who knows when) to confirm. Just thought you should be aware though. Maybe you won't have the same issue, but if you do, that is my recommendation on where to start looking.
I appreciate the feedback. Everything is still in the box, but I'll make sure to keep the connections tight. I went off of this article for the review of the specific setup:
Well willAP1 is right. The connections are finicky. I have to really make sure they're tight or no sound. Finally got to do a quick test with the mic inside the trunk which seems loud (and awesome!) enough to me. Gonna also test with it next to the license plate to see the difference.
Well willAP1 is right. The connections are finicky. I have to really make sure they're tight or no sound. Finally got to do a quick test with the mic inside the trunk which seems loud (and awesome!) enough to me. Gonna also test with it next to the license plate to see the difference. https://youtu.be/ZGUGVHXfEgE
Glad you got it figured out. Sounds really good man!
So I got approved back around March 5 for 4 new doors panels. They weren't as bad as some but definitely has some white-ish discoloring. I didn't try to clean them so I would increase my chances of approval. Well, got all 4 panels installed today with no issues (even asked them to confirm blue stitching). Apparently the previous owner added some silver CF looking trim around the door handles. So they just gave me the old panels so I could transfer the trim. So now I have an extra set!! Score!....pic for attention.
Last edited by lexicon72; Nov 10, 2021 at 09:08 PM.
