warps

With the price of wheels these days, is it feasible to get another 2 rims for the back to accommodate the 215's? Then you can have all the cheap slicks you want. Surely in the long term this would pay off? Is it a track only car, or does it do daily duty as well? If it's track only, what does it matter if the front and rear rims don't match? Do you need 9" rims on the back? Your car is probably lighter than the minis, and unless you're pushing 500hp, do you need a 9" rim on the back? If you run the same size rim front and back, then tyre rotation becomes easier again.

Yup! Had one sitting in an unrestored 2000 Sports for a couple of years before I eventually sold the car (whilever one owns a rally car, a full ground up restoration on an antique Jap sports car is just NOT going to happen). Think I might still have the workshop manual here. 46mm inlet valves and twin Solexes - mmmmm emissions goodness Almost as rare as the S20 these days RB = Race bred - I don't think so, tim CA20's were fitted to S2 Blueys and weren't that good in stock form (I don't think they have a lot of potential either) I think that th eiron block, twin cam layout between CA18 and RB26 is about as far as the family resemblance goes.

Yet another reason I hate Mackay these days. Was a nice, sleepy town when I lived there (back in 94-96), but nowdays it's nothing more than an overgrown mining town, complete with the mining town mentality (ie I earn more money than you so I don't give a f*** about you).

Perhaps you need to get out more then Or maybe they breed them different in your part of the world. Plenty of wankers on the streets around here. The highest percentage seems to be either V8 utes or imports / evorexes. The v8 utes tend to be the ones weaving through traffic on the M1 to get ahead of everyone else, and the imports tend to be the ones wrapped around street signs and fences near roundabouts every time it rains. Funny how there's a pattern there. Besides, just as import owners whinge about being labelled hoons becasue of a small minority, don't you think it unfair to label falcadore owners the same because of some brainless bogans? It goes both ways, regardless of how biased you might be.

Like all good rally drivers, you've hit it sideways with the navigator's door. Bravo old chap

And of course this phenomenon just doesn't exist with imports

That track isn't bumpy - plenty of people take lowered road cars there. Worst damage you'll get is hitting a witches hat at speed. Handbrake - GCTMC run similar races at Pimpama down the Gold Coast(Yawalpah rd nursery) which is a bit rougher, but still a lot of road cars enter. Also, they run a khana cross at PArklands showgrounds, but I've never driven there so don't know what the track is like. The only others I know are fairly bumpy and not really suited to "nice" road cars. Hirstglen has a fantastic layout, but it's more like a proper rally stages (ie be prepared to get some air). Unfortunately the track washed away in the floods in January, so it will likely be a long time before the track is useable again, and the local council is giving the land owners a hard time about using it fio motorsport.

Modern falcadores are a good, safe, competent package. They won't set the world on fire but are bloody good value, and far more practical than most imports. I rack up tens of thousands of km each year in hire cars, which in the last 12 months alone has included Mercedes, Lexus, Cooper S, Aurions, various model fords and holdens (from base model to statesman). Of that lot, the Cooper S was by far the most fun, but of the rest the falcadores were just as good as anything else I drove. It's always good to get back into the Rex after a trip away, but the falcons(my personal preference of the holden / ford) are quieter, more comfortable on long tripos, use less fuel, still have plenty of power and handle OK. Most of muy driving is out west with road trains and wide loads to deal with. I wouldn't want to be doing those drives in little myuzz boxes as they get blown all over the road and don't have the power to overtake (unless we're talking evo / rex etc.) Remember, not everyone wants to be "different" and have an import / Rex / Evo. All of those cars have a certain reputation which a lot of people don't like (and they don't lile paying ridiculous insurance for them, either) If I were limited to a single car in the family, it would very likely be an XR6T or SS commodore as I need something to cart the family around, tow, etc. etc. I love my jap and euro performance cars, but the local performance models are pretty darn good value these days. Some of us don't get too wrapped up in what the badge says.

Good topic, yes, but the meat of it could have been covered in half a page. The rest of it seems to be the usual defending of one's position in the argument. Yes, I have seen it drag on for many pages too. I guess the same goes for a lot of internet "discussions". Too many experts with their own lopsided view, refusing to give to the other side.

Just being a pedantic bugger here, but strictly speaking, you shouldn't leave the loops loose like in those photos. Page 27 of the Schroth manual talks a bit about it. There's plenty of good reading in the manual, but some of it is very pedantic, probably like the example above. Still, I comply where reasonably possible. They also have some interesting insights into 3" vs 2" belts, and 5pt / 6 pt belt mounting. Good reading for anyone wanting to fit harnesses.

Well, this topic was becoming so cliched with the age old argument about lightened flywheels (complete with some mathematical equations thrown in) I thought I'd add another internet forum favourite pointless argument - torque vs power. Now let's hear it from the experts.

So, which is more important then - maximum torque or maximum power?

Don't sell yourself short, Harry. To me, that's all the more impressive as the AWD's have a huge advantage early in the day. Bigger hp is rewarded much more at the end of the day when the track starts to rubber up. Looks like you finished the day in 15th o/r which is still pretty impressive for road tyres, and a few penalties. My first ever run there was in a Forester XT (doing my OLT's). As I happened to be the only AWD there on the day, I was running fastest outright by the 3rd run. Then the track started to dry out and rubber up, and I'd dropped a bunch of places by the end of the day. Looking at the results, I see a few of the usual suspects there. That bog stock looking 1.8 laser is unnaturally quick around there, given the way it rocks and rolls, and makes almost no noise. I think it suits the fwds because it's fairly flowing, and when you get to know the track you can attack everything at 100%. If you overcook it, you just apply more throttle to recover from the spin. ie drive every corner too fast, and if you start to spin out, then apply throttle and drive even harder. This is not so easy to replicate in the forest when you don't know the road intimately. Works ok if you have big kahunas and a lot of faith in your own ability though.

Top run, Harry. Nice car control in the vids - i could never manage that in the RX2 - it used to fight me all the way. Don't worry about the Commodores - they're usually all noise but no substance. The times I've gone, usually the top spots are made up of the quicker 4WD guys, then the top 2 or 3 FWD's, then a couple of the RWD's sneak in there. To be 6th o/r in an overpowered RWD is a top effort indeed. As you would have seen, not a lot of use having a million hp there. That's the exact reason CAMS lets the 2WD turbo guys run unrestricted on dirt. I'll have to extract digit and get myself along to the next one (just realised my club membership has expired, too ) Oh, and your comment re the faster guys staying straight - well the AWD's and FWD's tend to do that anyway to be fast on dirt. The quick RWD's are usually pretty sideways.

Hastings? We got heaps of white overspray on our GTS2 when my wide worked there (back in 94). Because the overspray was white they said it must have come from VME across the road (Don't know who's there now, or what they're called - were the Volvo / Michigan / Euclid dealer - hence VME) Back on topic - I feel your pain. How about a panel or spray shop - they have all the gear to buff cars.

Haha love your style

I meant the total of the available seasonal races - add them up (five of them I think) and there is a total of 2.5M available (think I remembered it correctly). Not all available in one race (tho I wish it were). Same goes for the XP. Some funny stuff happening with the garage. When selecting a race, it won't show all the eligible cars available for that race, but if you select one of the non listed cars through the normal garage, it lets you start the race. (I found this with one of my Nismo Zeds, which didn't show up when I tried to select it from the race menu garage option)

Looks like a new track in the 4WD challenge. I managed 3rd against the 400hp 4WD's in my 337hp Audi TT using a hand controller (first time today I ever drove with it, as I couldn't be orsed setting up the cockpit). Also managed to hold a 4th in the world ranking for the Nascar time trial on the Top Gear Track. Well, I was 8 seconds behind the leaders, and there were only 5 times posted, but hey, those are minor details. (again, just used the hand controller to post a time before the leader board filled up too much). My 15 seconds of fame. Good to see the proper seasonal races are back. 2.5M credits and about 250k xp up for grabs in this lot of races.

Yep - top fun, Harry. I did a couple of events there last year in the Civic, which is very well suited to the layout. As you say, all the fast guys run semi's, but don't think that makes it boring. Even my FWD shopping trolley gets plenty of sideways action on semis. Standing start with 2 laps (ie one standing, one flying lap) and as you say your total time is taken, although they will sometimes let you drop your worst run in each direction, depending on that kind of event it is. Last time I ran there Murray Coote was there in his Silvia rally car. He was very spectacular (although not the fastest of the day). If Rick Baggarley is there in his green and yellow Mk 2 Escort, you'll be treated to some fast and spectacular driving (bastard just pipped me in the last couple of runs - I had him all day but got penalties in my last 2 runs). The track definitely gets faster as the day goes on, except for the run you inevitably get after the water truck's been through. The next 3-4 cars after that have a very interesting ride. This event crept up on me, so I won't be there. However, I'll make an appearance a few times this year with a bit of luck. I was hitting the limiter in 3rd up the back straight (about 120km/h) so the higher power guys should nudge 130 or better (as long as you can get the power down, then slow down for the corner)

f**k me you guys should get a job in the mining industry. "someone once got injured when a ratchet type chassis stand failed" "Oh then we'd better ban all ratchet style chassis stands so it won't happen again" pats on the back all round for making the world a safer place. Paranoid much?

Yes, it's a drag strip. That, and my comment about the target demographic up there pretty much sums up the attitude towards motorsport in Mackay. Don't know about any plans to build a proper track. It would surprise me if they did, as race tracks seem to be one of the most difficult projects to get going these days, regardless of who you are or how much political pull you have. In this environment of shutting down motorsport complexes, building a new one anywhere is becoming nigh on impossible.

It's already got one. Palmyra. It's been built to suit the majority demographic in Mackay. Sad but true. I remember whan I lived in the area 20 years ago there was talk of one in Gladstone out near the harbour. Anything further ever happen with that?

As long as your retarded B spec driver doesn't slow right down and let the others overtake him on the last lap Doesn't seem to matter how fast his car is. Once he is in the lead he slows down, and then lets himself get passed in the last lap or 2. What a farkin retard!

Pete - I think you've answered your own question. If in doubt, replace it. For a reasonable cost you're buying peace of mind. As you say, you don't know how the car was previously treated. Also, can you guarantee that the car has not travelled more than the km's indicate? As for a tow vehicle, for occasional towing, a Falcon or Commodore will handle it quite well (just make sure it has the appropriately rated towing kit and the factory towing capacity is up there). I don't know why people think that 4WD's are big, unmanageable land barges. Anything in the mid range (Prado, PAthfinder, Paj, etc) has good visibility all round, is easy enough to park (the pathfinder has a very tight turning circle for its size) and performance is enough to keep up with traffic. With the TDI, highway overtaking is just a matter of squeezing the throttle in 6th gear and letting the turbodiesel torque handle the rest. OK, you won't win too many drag races, but that's what the track car is for. If you're towing something fairly big (ATM is over 2 tonnes) then you will have increased limitations on towing (mainly to do with trailer size, and braking setup). Just bear that in mind.

Yep. It says that your car has no restriction on mods. Let us know how you go with the Ferrari challenge. I hope the rewards are worth it - I don't fancy dropping 10 or 12.5 mil on a ferrari F1 car, only to get a few hundred grand as prizemoney.