hrd-hr30

it doesn't look fantastic! It looks like the towbar download rating (120kg) has been exceeded by quite some margin. And probably the max rear axle load judging by the way its sitting. Nevermind the manual 1200kg towing capacity, you'd have to be pushing the boundaries of the auto's 1600kg towing capacity - you can't get the 2300kg towing pack on the XR6T. So even if its a fairly light trailer - say 550kg, that only leaves 1050kg for the car, tyres etc. Less if it has the optional 19s. Wouldn't recommend this as a tow car. Get the non XR6T models with the optional 2300kg towing pack unless you have a sub 1000kg track car.

top work! I want to get back to EC this year sometime and maybe do PI for the first time, so this is very handy

lol - verbal sandbagging!

in the utes? all the cab-chassis are 4.2 until 2007/8 when they no longer met emissions and got the 3.0. And they were all tdi from 2002. Its the wagons that are hard to find in 4.2 and cost twice what they're worth. I've seen 2yo seconhand ones with 100,000km on them for more than a brand new 3.0! piss off. If you don't want the 3.0 (which don't fail anymore than Pajero DiDs, for example) then the petrol on gas is the go. 4.2 GU Wagons are a complete rip off and the slowest lump of a 4WD you can buy. You'd be far better off buying a 100 series 4.2 turbo Landcruiser.

Auots only available in 3.0 and petrols. 4.2 was manual only, except for earlier NA variants in the old boxy GQ Patrol, which by the sounds of it, you don't want. There were some early NA 4.2 GU Patrols. No idea if any of them had autos, but it would be a rare find if they did exist! I think all GU 4.2s were turbo from 2000 on, and got an intercooler from 2002 but that doesn't mean they go better. All factory turbo 4.2s are horrendously slow! Don't listen to Marlin, the 3.0 has more grunt (power and torque) than the 4.2 TD, and the weak 5th gear was only an issue in some particular years which I can't remember off the top of my head. But you want auto, so that's not a problem. Auto is the best match for the 3.0 as well. Personally, I'd avoid 2000-2003 3.0's. Early ones had some oil control issues. In late 03 Nissan fixed the engine issues, but I'd still recommend blocking the EGR on any 3.0. Towing with the auto - its a good idea to fit a manual switch for the torque convertor lock-up. They have a decent sized trans cooler standard. There's also the under-rated RD28 engine. 2.8 6cyl TD. I don't know alot about their gearbox options though. I think they got a smaller box which may not be as strong. do some research on Patrol4x4.com/forum - lots of info there. Don't listen too much to the blown-out-of-proportion ZD30 "grenade" stories. Post 2003 are as reliable as any other modern turbo diesel. When I upgrade from my GQ (4.2 with DTS turbo kit), which I probably should have done instead of turboing it and spending thousands on replacing the entire suspension and steering last year... it will be to a 2005+ GU update with ZD30 auto.

can't blame the spacers for the wheel shake if the center bore of the wheel is larger than the ring on the spacer. that's what's supposed to center the wheel so you don't get the shakes. fwiw, the hub ring doesn't take any load, it just centers the wheel while you tighten it. friction between the wheel and hub takes the load.

I don't believe in "optimal lap times". Using Lakeside as an example, but it can apply to any track... on lap A you got a good first sector time by being fast through the middle of the first double apex right hander. But holding that speed/line there compromises the line in the second part of the corner and costs some exit speed. On lap B you got a good second sector by sacraficing some mid-corner speed for the best exit and being faster all the way down the next long flat out section. Overal lap time is better because of that, but the theoretical "optimal lap" would just take lap A sector 1 and lap B sector 2 and use them together. In reality they're mutually exclusive.

I drove my 180 around standard for a couple of months before putting all the gear off my track car on it. Standard form they are nothing to write home about, but then again neither is a standard RB25 Skyline. Skyline probably just has the edge. The S13's are over-geared in stock form in my opinion. Always feel way to tall either around town or on the highway, making them more sluggish than they should be. A 4.3 diff improves things alot. Handle pretty well in standard form if its in good nick.

thanks mad082!

OK, so for the complete noobs at PS3 interwebs (ie me) how do you get the update through a wireless modem? Does the PS3 support your 3G wireless modem for internet? Or do you download it on your PC/laptop and then copy it over to PS3 on a USB stick? and where do you get the patch from? a quick google only seems to turn up forum talk about the patch rather than a download link...

The "No rear engine 6 Cylinder or above vehicles allowed" is only for Clubsprint. Porsches are allowed in Open and Pro Classes.

yeah, maybe they do... but under our current scheme in QLD, the car gets fitted with a mod plate and its there for the car's life. Selling isn't a problem once the modification has been approved. The way I look at it, mine's not legal now so these changes don't make alot of difference! lol

This is about the adoption (finally) of the NCOP. All states except NSW have signed up already. NSW probably will too. If you get the cage approved/engineered under the current process before the NCOP comes into force, you're OK.

don't think I haven't thought about it! that puts the harness mounting point higher than your shoulders (in my car anyway) which is a no-no for CAMS. this is true too, but imagine being beaten by some Clubsprint cars while you're running semis! lol For me, there's no way I'd lash out for a 5pt harness and suitable seat just to be able to do a sprint... You can circuit race tin tops in national championships or even international events with a 4pt.

if you want to run only against other lower budget owner-drivers, just spend $800-1000 on KU36 or RSRs and run in Clubsprint. That's where you want to be anyway, Open class is too free - carbon doors, perspex etc etc. Plus you need a 5pt harness for Open class which is a bit of a PITA. Most of us would have to buy a seat and harness to make that work. The tyres will be good for street rubber after the event anyway so its not money wasted. I may come down for a run, but EC won't suit my puny ~200kw full trim 180. May as well run the Aristo for laughs, and lobby for a fastest slushbox trophy! That way I won't need to make excuses for being slow either, I'll just point to the thing I'm driving and everyone will understand... will probably be eaiser to fit the required 4pt harness in the Aristo too. In the 180SX it's not really possible to fit a harness properly without a cage.

you'll probably need a tender spring to keep it captive if you remove that

no can do, he only sends proofs of your own car...

yeah, the tight bugger is charging $20 for proof sheets! That $20 is taken off the cost of any subsequent order. Eg a CD with all pics of your car from the event plus one 8x12" print as I've ordered is $85. He had 38 shots of my car from 4 different locations on the track - under the bridge, Siberia, Tee Junction (now aka Stupid) and the esses. The way he justified it was that many people just want to see how thier car looks on the track and don't order anything. So this way he at least gets a nominal fee for his work.

6 or 7kg front and 8kg rear will be nasty to drive and you'd really want to be on-the-ball if it ever rained. Trust me. I actually play around with different spring rates on my track car, not just make a guess and say "I doubt it will be a big deal". Even 25lb/in increments (half a kg/mm) make big differences. "Softening shocks" will not change the mid corner balance, that's all down to spring rate. Shocks affect transient behaviours - change of directions, bumps etc. The sensible thing to do is put the current 8kg rear springs on the front coilovers, get the 6kg springs with the new coilovers and fit them on the rears. 7kg would still be taily with 8kg fronts. What's the current front spring rate?

still waiting for my CD to arrive...

apparently you get a car from the year of your birth...

well race car roll cages are not really a weight penalty, they're also a performance advantage. And I'm not really sure about most race cars being less modified and heavier than the average road car at events! But otherwise yeah, if the 'race' car fits the regs there's no need to really make a distinction between race and road cars. The fastest car at the Australian Championships was road registered. And he drove it home! On a more normal level of performance, at the servo on the way home I was filling up next to a trailer-sailor stripped out Datto 1600 "race car" with full cage and FJ20T. He was only a few tenths faster than my full street trim 180SX that I drove home in climate controled comfort. I guess in my example classes, you could rename the classes and remove the registered requirement. Make the "Race" category for anything with things like: slicks, perspex, lightweight panels other than bonnets, or other modifcations in excess of what's allowed in MS. EDIT: you know what? its probably easier and more sensible to just use CAMS Race classes for Sprints, but drop the restrictor requirement for Improved Production, allow a fibreglass bonnet, and a few rose joints. Particularly as SuperSprints are supposed to be a stepping stone to racing - makes sence to use the racing classes rather than try to re-invent the wheel totally.

I've been a member for a couple of years and have done CAMS hillclimbs, sprints interstate and locally with it. Its not as hard as you make out. Their classes aren't ideal for imports, but not as bad as NSW by all accounts! Skylines can run in sports cars at most QLD CAMS events and get out there and have fun. Alot of club level events would let them into Improved Prod as well.

it doesn't need to exclude CAMS from the equation. The event format is the same as a CAMS Sprint event and can run under that permit. CAMS will approve permits for events with different than normal classes, as you have seen with Superlap/WTAC. And NSW have different classes at speed events than we do in QLD, and WA do it their own way too. To answer the previous question, CAMS don't run "Time Attacks". CAMS don't organise any events. Clubs do. SAuQLD is a CAMS Affiliated club, so stop complaining and start organising events with classes that all the TimeAttack crew want! hehe

That depends on what you call time attack Time Attack is just a new-fangled name for Sprints.