Track setup advice

[duff]

Hi guys,

I am in the process of having my UK FD rebuilt and was thinking about what setup i would need for it to be a decent street/track car.

I want to take it on tracks but i dont know if my engine setup will be able to cope with it. I currently have the following mods-:

• Twin blitz cone filters
• Blitz nur spec cat back with downpipe
• Apexi PFC

Whilst is is being rebuilt i am having the following definately added-:

• KOYO radiator
• Decat pipe
• XS power intercooler with ducting
• Street port

the list of the parts fitted my increase depending on my budget and what is recomended by PIP.

But what i wanted to know is do you think it would be safe to run my car on the track with the engine setup listed?

I really want to get out on the track because its a bit more fun than driving fast on the roads getting pulled.

Any advice would be great

cheers

:Thumbs-up

[CraigN]

Your engine will go as fast as it is specced / modded to

for track i would think more about your handling and braking systems

when you have those sorted then you can think about making it even faster

[duff]

Sorry i should have said im looking from a reliability point of view. The handling part is my next port of call so to speak im just thinking whilst the car is in bits some parts that would help with the strain of running on the track

[CraigN]

take some oil and coolant with you and fuel

allways do a cooldown lap and id leave your car running for a few mins when you pull up after your session let it cool down

[RotorHeid]

Hi,
 Best advice is:- Go to racing school to learn the art of driving (e.g  learn about left foot braking, toe and heel etc),
before spent your pennies on handling and power.
Standard car/trained driver can go around the track quicker than fast car with a sh** driver.
At the end of the day,  Go to the race driving school!!.:driving
PS
Went to race school at knockhill, way back in 80\'s and still improved!!

[banned advertiser]

A car will be more reliable with less stress onit, so making it faster wont help.
Spot on get the handling and brakes sorted. learn to drive it fast, and you will be better than someone with twice the power.
Speak to Pip, he has probably built more track spec cars than most and was a very competant racers himself, especially as he is building it.

[RotorHeid]

Gary,
spot on!!:Thumbs-up

[GaryS]

As several others have already said, you want to look at brakes and suspension before more power.

One thing though, and I know some here will possibly flame me for this, if you are going to track do NOT use cross drilled disks.  Mazda brake disks are too thin and if you do heavy brake a lot on the track expect one to crack.  (also you want maximum surface area on the disks so plain are actually a lot better than grooved as well).

[banned advertiser]

Dont agree, but will say discs are just like lots of other things bought you get what you pay for, if its track and on raod, black Diamond discs will do a great job, if serious track car the performance friction or endless do disc at twice the price. I would say best discs are slotted. How many performance cars road or track do you see with plain discs, next to none, ferarri, pokers, lambo all on vented discs, ifg you increase the size of the disc surface area is not so much of an issue, and importantly you need to vent away the hot gases which plain will not do, slotted will also keep pads in good shape, as Ive seen again cheap pads glaze over on plain discs which may not have happened with a slot.
Dont skimp on brakes, your life an\'t worth it.

[Christopher]

I don\'t agree either.

Pete.

[GaryS]

Look at the GT race cars - all have plain disks.

I should point out I am hardly a track day newbie.  Grooves on disks are mainly for show and to look sporty, so are drilled holes - most those cars will never be taken on the track, plus most the European performance car manufacturers do actually make disks thick enough to be cross drilled (though I have also known M series BMWs with x-drilled disks to suffer from cracks on the track).

Personally I\'ve gone for plain disks and Hawk HP+ pads, the latter replacing Performance Friction ones, which while very good, were also very very expensive.

NOTE - I\'ve no qualms about the pads, it\'s the fact many people seem to think that because grooved and cross drilled disks look sporty on a road car they are the ones to go for.

[Shyne]

Are they not Carbon/Carbon on the GT\'s (I bloomin hope so! lol) one thing to be said for drilled and or grooved discs is that they DO require maintainance to remain efficient in their purpose!

One thing to add to the beginners list of:

take some oil and coolant with you and fuel

allways do a cooldown lap and id leave your car running for a few mins when you pull up after your session let it cool down



.................... is do NOT apply the Handbrake when you pull up in the paddock, wheel chocks are handy if you use the track like you should!