N/a Track Cars

[skyla]

Just curious to see how many of you try your hand on the racing circuit and how you have set your car up.

I've got a R33 GTS25 sedan, that I've slowly built up over the years with circuit and hill climbs in mind, the basic power mods have been done air filter, extractors, exhaust, and computer, on the handling side I've gone with a bilstein/king combo suspension all round, front and rear strut braces, front and rear adjustable whiteline sway bars, adjustable caster rods, and nolathane bushes. Brake calipers and rotors are still factory although I've upgraded to mintex 1166 race pads. For the drive train I've upgraded to a LSD and invested in a 4.8kg toda flywheel and paired that up with an organic heavy duty clutch. Other things I've done is replaced the drivers seat with a fixed back racetech seat and fitted a 4 point race harness, for weight reduction I've removed the air conditioning, replaced the bonnet with a alloy GTR bonnet and removed part of the interior.

It will never be a competitive car as it's lacks the power on the straights, but on the corners the car can usually hold it's own.

So whats your circuit set up like?

[GTS4WD]

I did my first track day (at Wakefield park.. its a smaller circuit so NA's are not as disadvantaged) a couple of weeks ago with very similar mods as you:

HSD coilovers

Front and rear strut bars

Heavy duty clutch

Full extractor back exhaust system

Drivers fixed back bucket

Removed front seat, beack seat, gutted boot

GTR bonnet

And a pretty sweet set of semi slicks (khumo V700) on R33 GTST rims

Stock brakes with high temp brke fluid (I have a GTS4 so its got 4 turbo brakes front and rear)

In the straights I was loosing ALOT of time!

In the corners though I was passing (and being held up by) cars like HSV's, SS's, and even the odd GTR and evo. The car relly really flew through the corners, it held its ground without any problems

The best peices of advise I can give you that I notied worked best are:

Its worth the money to invest in good rubber! Some people were using street tyres. The level of grip on semi's is just MINDBLOWING! I cannot stress this enough! To be quick on the track these are essential!

Brake as hard and in as short of a distance as possible. I noticed while attacking other people on the track that many people use regukar street driving braking techniques. The way that I found best was resist the first time you get the urge to brake, resist the second time and when you hit the "oh shit!" button, jump on the anchors, HARD!

This being said - I boild my brake fluid and the brake went flat to the firewall (being th smartarse I am.. I thought.. "its gotta be a quick lap if I cant use my brakes!.. it was ) So high temp fluid is an absolute must!

Thats my 2cents

I hope it helps

[boostdq]

Look up team13 on nissansilvia.com. Theres a guy called dumhed thats got a nice n/a s13

[screamin']

My N/A handling setup isn't too ideal for the track. Keeps doing this...

Hence why I haven't been back for a while. Plus it wears my semi's too fast.

Wait till I get the head and itb's on Rach, then I'll be able to keep up with you again!

Handling issues......replace with more hp, heh heh.

Edited September 9, 2008 by screamin'

[skyla]

GTS4WD thanks for the advise, it's always good to compare notes with others, Sounds like you run into exactly the same issues as me, slow on the straights and reasonably quick in the corners. The problem I run into is I catch up to people in the corners and get stuck behind them cause the car lacks the balls to get past on the straight

I forgot to add that I use dunlop semi slick at trackdays, along with dot 5.1 brake fluid, I ran into fade issues on my first trackday 5 years ago, after that I've always run dot 5.1 and never had a problem since.

My N/A handling setup isn't too ideal for the track.

Wait till I get the head and itb's on Rach, then I'll be able to keep up with you again!

Handling issues......replace with more hp, heh heh.

Yeah, it does have a tendency to get rather sideways at times. But is kinda expected of a skyline rally car and looks pretty cool too.

Hmmm that new motor you are building has me worried, think it might be time I get a little more serious with my whale if I intend to keep up with you.

[R TUNE]

well i was useing my r31 as a track car from time to time but nw up graded to a r32 gts25.

had 120rwkws with the manual in it

the r31 had the following

nistune computer

stage 3 cam

factory lsd

high tec exstractors

2.25" catc back exhasut

k&n pod

king springs low with kyb shocks

nolerthane bushes

21mm rear sway bar

strut brace

r33gts-t braks front with DBA 4000 slotted disc race brakes rb74 pads (found out the hard way of brake fade at winton with stock r31 slotted gear)

k-mac adj camber caster top hats (front)

adj caster arms

DBA slotted disc rear17x7 rims

moutel 5.1 brake fluid

wasn't the fastet car but she could hold here own even managed to keep up with a few r33 gtst around sandown with a slipping auto and no computer or cam.

one thing i found tho was she never wonted to steep out no matter what she would understeer/ over steer but neither both

but now on the r32 for a full build with a rb25de

[screamin']

Another reason why we have it all over the turbo boys in the corners is because we don't have to wash off as much speed for the corner. You wack another 20km/h onto your end of straight speed and taking the same turn at the speed you usually do gets harder. Both Rach and I enter the turns hard and get on the gas early (rach earlier than me 'cause she's got grip!) to try and make up the difference to the turbo's.

One thing for sure, racing an N/A makes you work the corners harder and I beleive makes you drive better. You don't get lazy and just wait for the T04E to kick in.