240Z Racer - Back On Track

[TomC18]

Good idea - was wondering how to do that!

[TomC18]

Here it is, ready to roll

[gav240z]

You need special powers to move it . I also edited the thread title to help clarify the car isn't for sale anymore.

[Gordo]

Great work Tom. Hope the shake down goes well for you. Another zed on the race track is a good thing. Best of luck with it.

[hmd]

Great work Tom.

 

Doesn't mean you should slow down on the roadster Sb project though

[dat240z]

Looks great with the g nose. Does it provide better aero?

[TomC18]

It's been a while, so i thought i should do an update.

 

the aim with the Gnose was higher top speed, but not sure if it works yet, will have to try and do comparisons with Gordo

 

I had a painful session at Winton last year as it sucked up all the foam in the fuel tank bit by bit, gave everything a proper clean out afterwards - mental note: fire retardant foam has a shelf life

 

Then had a good run at the Island in January, did a 1.52 after 8 laps, using the old 15" tyres off the Sports 2000 on the wet rims.  Brakes were really bad though ended up flat spotting the right front and had to brake earlier and earlier, so times didn't improve.  Checked the data from the last run and I still have a way to go on corner speeds.

 

I had Rob at Z Restorations straighten the front of the car last week, as it has been a bit (3cm) low on the R Front corner after an old altercation with an MG V8, so finally all square again

 

I am still waiting on my Gnose spoiler to arrive from Japan.  Once it arrives, the plan is to have Alfa make the Gnose bottom half, fit the spoiler, make a splitter and undertray to suit and then get it painted up.  Am thinking about the No.23 ZG race car paint scheme...

[TomC18]

Like this one

[gav240z]

Ashley at Moorabbin Auto Spares has done a 240ZR replica, well I say replica but really it's a tribute in that it has the same paint / livery scheme as a 240ZR. However I'm sure Ashley would himself say it's not a replica. Sadly it's not being used at the moment on the track, I'm sure it will eventually though!

 

[TomC18]

Yes, I saw he had done that - it is a cool paint scheme, might have to go and check it out

[260DET]

Standard size grille opening of a S30 creates a lot of drag, there is a reason why the front of the S130 is so different. Simply blocking off half the grille opening will make a measureable difference and could be done temporarily to test at a track day. How big the opening should actually be depends on the circuit and temperature, PI would be particularly noticeable.

[TomC18]

Did a few jobs over the long weekend

 

The new 10 years ago Pagid pads weren't very good at the Island so I have gone to some Porterfields, changed all the usual fluids etc

 

The Motec is running very rich on start up, will have to find an expert to fix, but other than that all good,

 

Fitted some cheap secondhand 'Radical' spec slicks on the proper rims 265/605/16's, will be interesting to see how they go

 

Here are a few pics of front and rear brakes and suspension bits.  I had a scare when i thought springs were 190lbs on front.  They are soft at 300 lbs front and 275 lbs rear but 190 is the King springs code, not the rate...Thought i would float that out there to start some debate for those who think harder is better.

 

Also a  nice shot of the alloy dry sump (which had to be modified in case anyone is thinking of using one) and under the rear which was set up to work as a rear diffuser, but they were illegal...

[Gordo]

Looks nice Tom. It'll be good to see you back out there once you sort through the things that need attention, after the ten years the car has sat idle.

The spring thing! It's a subject that's always debatable. But we are talking track cars hear!

Lots of variables. The cars weight has to be considered . Wheel and tire size, shockers dampers. Caster cambers, toe in and out all affect the handling . Swaybar size under steer and oversteer. So it's a combination of tuning all these things with the spring rate chosen. And then each race track has different surfaces.

At PI the track is very smooth allowing you to go at least 100 to 150 lb harder, than say Sandown and Winton. Having said that , I understand Winton has been resurfaced and is much smoother.

ATM I'm running 500lb front and 350lb rear. But you need to no all the other stuff that's working under there.

[Riceburner]

Some trick gear there Tom.   Do you get a big grip gain going from semi slicks to full slicks?

 

What are those shocks, they look massive!

[TomC18]

I've never back to backed the slicks against r type tyres. It runs Bilsteins. But the springs are quite small so makes them look bigger!

[PZG302]

With my old green Zed, the spring rates were quite high for what it was, 450lb front and 400lb or thereabouts rears, standard sway bars and Koni yellow shocks valved to suit, also ran as much camber as we could get and as much castor, ran very little toe in, around 1/8" from memory. It also had a locked diff, ran 18x8" wheels and used either super tourer slicks in the 90's or Porsche cup slicks in it's later years.

 

Unfortunately comparing various track cars even built to the same rules is like comparing apples to oranges as everyone does it different. As I ran locked diffs and had a relatively light weight car, big tyres, but not as wide as some, and less power, the set up also worked for my driving style and I could keep up momentum through corner speed. I also had a lazy truck motor and drove accordingly.

 

When I raced at Winton in the mid to late 90's in Marque Sports when the NSW guys would come down for the annual "state of origin", Tom and Lindsay and the other Vic boys would hose me off down the straight, but I could hold my own around the sweeper and the cleavage before they would blast past me on the new section of track.

 

As for slicks against semi slicks, if the car is set up for slicks, then they are much quicker, if the car isn't set up for slicks, then they can be a lot slower. And the car needs to be set up for each type of slick. Super Tourer slicks were designed to run massive amounts of camber, around 6 degrees or so, the later slicks for Porsche Cup and GT cars less camber is required to get them to work properly. You also need to set up the alignment to generate heat in the right way to get them to work properly as well.

[TomC18]

Well I'm back to the Island on 9/10 April  - sorry i couldn't make it this weekend Gordo

 

I'm running about 4.5Deg's of -ve and it got the 255/15's nice and warm across the surface, which i couldn't do in the Sports 2000, so hopefully the 'new' tyres will work well.

 

The light weight (<900Kg) and light unsprung weight (alloy hubs and magnesium wheels) make it easier to run light springs - mind you the sway bars are quite chunky - and the lack of downforce probably also makes a difference.

 

Time will tell.

[Gordo]

Hi Tom, I will try and do the 10th, I'll see how things pan out in the next couple of weeks.

[TomC18]

Had great fun at PI last weekend with Gordo

 

Will try to load a vid as I have one chasing him   - one photo attached - did 1.47.6, but Harry's laptimer says can do a 1.45.8 if all the sectors align, so shows promise,  Couldn't get front tyres warm, tyre guys suggested i should drop the front and looking at the photos that's right it sits much higher than it used to

 

 

it's off for the new splitter/spoiler now, so that should help front grip too

 

looking forward to the next time

[260DET]

Your in car video? Try a splitter to get more heat into the front tyres? 

[Gordo]

Hi Tom . Did you manage to get some video chasing me at PI.

And how are the mods going on the zed. I'll be back down at the Island at the end of June Piarc weekend. Hope you can make it. Cheers.

[TomC18]

Got a couple of laps will try to load them tomorrow

[TomC18]

So picked up the new front spoiler and under tray. 180kgs of downforce, but no splitter... Or so I'm told. All set for next Sunday at the Island.

 

Will be a few Zeds running so feel free to come down.

[TomC18]

Saturday doing the Next test

 

Will take some shots of the new supported spoiler and ducting.

Also will try to get some Vida as in the same session as Gordo

[Gordo]

Graham and I will see you there Tom.. There's two others zeds so that will make five zeds.

Might be a few showers around on Saturday to. Will you bring some treaded tires?