1065 replies to this topic

[Kam]

Nice rubbers, Mister Kam. Would look better on ALLOYS though!

Where you going to go trackday?

Your just jealous your not running gangsta looking hub caps!

Trackday is at bedford autodrome, its the full GT circuit 3.6 miles long or something CLICKY

Good 'ol weather forecasts.....one says sunny and another says foggy

[Juju]

Oooh!
Some nice long straights on that. Gun it, boy. Gun it.

*jealous*

[Kam]

Finally managed to get the new hoops on the steelies



But I was running out of time to try and get some sort of bracket made up to hold a camera, I'm getting a bit besotted with making sure I can film tomorrow as I haven't got any footage of it going round anywhere, I think it'll be good to show people here whats it like, of course it'll be better on track with bigger wheels but thats not my thing, I'm just there for fun

3pm on a sunday and I'm running out of shops to make something up so I just dived into B&Q and bought some various brackets etc

I took out the ashtray/dash rail pocket thing whatever its called and its holder and went from there



Drilled a hole in the holder and bolted up the T brace and stuck on a corner brace (this is where it starts to get embarassing!





Blue peter at its finest!



Please don't laugh, I was running out of ideas!

The holder sits nice and tight in the dash rail but inside I got a support in there aswell so with the camera in place its solid

I made up another bracket for the back and have attached it to where the parcel shelf meets the rear firewall, this one is more sturdier so if the marshalls start playing up with the one up front they should be ok with the rear one even though the one up front is secure

The car is all ready to go now and has been track prepped by myself

^^^^^^ What that means is I gave it a wash and polish and also have put the roof rack on

I also had a moment of genius on saturday when I booked this up and bought toca race driver 3 on the ps2, it just happens to have the autodrome full GT circuit on there so rather than sitting here watching you tube vids I been "out there getting to know the track"

All fun

[Kam]

Some nice long straights on that. Gun it, boy. Gun it.

Not for the first couple of laps......plan is to pootle along changing around 5000rpm so less pops and no vtec and let the others fly by, then maybe third or fourth lap with something tasty coming up behind which overtakes me it'll be time.......time to overtake them......time to demoralise!

[GreaseMonkey]

I hope you're going dressed for some demoralizing ass kicking







Good idea with the camera mount

[Kam]

Well, what a day!

Drove the car to the track, everything going more than sweet, two hours before the end and the car gets towed from the track back to the pits then recovery truck to try and get it home!

Not what I was hoping for today! Day was going awesome, everything clicking into place, but I'm not one to mope around stuff like this, these things happen, and luckily its a problem that was already there and not a new problem.......

Started off the day there without touching the car so A539's and soft setting on the suspension and normal tyre pressures, I just fancied a comedy lap when I got there, so after a few funny looks at my roof rack I headed out

Track was a bit greasy in the morning but I just pootled around a couple of laps changing at 5k revs then at the start/finish (in front of the pits where the others where) I just nailed it and let the vtec do the talking on the straight next lap warm down then I came in, after parking up I could see a few people heading my way

Got the usual chat "What the hell you got in there?" kinda thing but a couple of people there were clued up and knew something wasn't right when they saw the manifold from the front but it took a fly by for them to notice though

There was about 50 cars there, but its a big track you don't always see everything going round











Then after lunch the sun decided to come out.......so did the A048's......



Then my moment of embarrassment! Put them on and headed out and kind of like forget there is some coating/release agent god knows what on there but it needs to be taken of by taking it easy, so first corner......idiot



Couple of fly-by vids with the 048's on





I didn't use my fandangled ashtray/dash rail pocket holder blue peter mount and just stuck the camera to the other rear one and got a couple of short vids

First one I was on my warm down lap but spotted a porka turbo sitting on my bumper for quite a few turns, I figured he was on his warm down lap aswell so just carried on round but then thought sod it! I got nothing to prove!



Second one is just the same sort of thing expect I thought I would try and out gun (badly) a F430 on the straight!



Then about a lap after that disaster, I changed down to third and lost all drive, it started coasting along at a pace and I managed to pull over off the side and luckily a marshall was stationed there so yellow flag and then a tow truck was called to get me back to the pits

Got it back in the pits and up



Luckily my mate was with me who knows a bit more about cars then me

We found with the engine off you can select all gears, switch the engine on push the clutch and you can't but it starts to creep forward as your about to go into gear, he said "your release bearing is stuck on"

Told him I changed the clutch recently from a blueprint one to an upgraded exedy one????????

He checks the pedal and says there is a 'very' faint click near the end of the pedal travel but the pedal still moves a tad more till it hits the stopper bolt......... Turns out I had limited the pedal movement from before but not enough, this might explain why the blueprint clutch I replaced was fine itself but the release bearing was shagged!

Solution - just wind the stopper bolt up more to limit the pedal just before the 'click'
Problem - I need to take the engine out and change the clutch/pressure plate/release bearing as these are obviously tainted now

Am I cheesed off? Actually no, I had a pretty awesome day today, I'm still upbeat as this isn't a new problem, this is a problem that has always been there, apart from that happening which could of happened anywhere the car was running sweet, if it was a new problem then its troubleshooting time

I tried 26psi all round with 14 clicks front and 12 back and it held, I still need to sort out my turn in speed but in the corner it don't break traction with A048's unless your in silly gear

I do love these tyres now!

[mini_mad69]

Looks like you had a good day, shame about the clutch but atleast you got quite a bit of track time in. Also the footage you've taken is pretty good. A good angle, much bette than mine.


Is it sad i've been waiting for this update?

[Artstu]

Track was a bit greasy in the morning but I just pootled around a couple of laps changing at 5k revs then at the start/finish (in front of the pits where the others where) I just nailed it and let the vtec do the talking on the straight next lap warm down then I came in, after parking up I could see a few people heading my way

That made me chuckle, poseur you'll be getting very good at taking it apart and putting it back together again, tyres look great on those 4.5" wheels, a shame 5.5" steelies aren't just a simple buy and bolt on job as well

Edited by Plastic rules, 17 November 2010 - 01:02 PM.

[Teapot]

So ... not just the man who can, but the man who does. Congrats.

I must admit I walked past the Rio twice at Combe before I twigged that those innocuous wheeltrims were a blind. They are a masterstroke.
I was thinking about you here while you were doing your thing on track (or maybe a bit afterwards)

[cptkirk]

Feckin Awesome.

As above bummer about the clutch but I am sure you'll have that fixed in no time. I look forward to more vids.......

[Kam]

Cheers Mr Pot

It seemed most of them loved the mini down there, they know its not a trackday car but reckon I should keep it as it is rather than make it look more track focused, they have come across most engine swaps before in a mini on trackdays but usually the car has a look to back it up where as mine just needs a wicker hat on the parcel shelf to complete its look! One of them said (whilst he was sitting in it in the pits) he can't tell from the inside somethings not right because it looks standard that he couldn't believe it flew past him (demoralisation work complete!) they thought my roof rack might be a hinderance though but did say the track hub caps were a nice touch!

Car had to be sound tested and the tester looked in and saw my dash and said "6k redline so can you hold it at 4k revs please" I thought I've gotta tell him as I'm sure he's gonna hear it go round at some point as the sound of the car don't suit the look, so I said "ermm actually it revs to 8250!" He said "bloody hell can that engine handle it?" Told him I'm running a honda vtec and he just kept looking at the car and laughing Had to be tested at 5.5k because of the redline so was a bit worried but it came in at 92.4, which was a bit strange as at combe at 4 or 4.5k revs it came in at 95???

Next time I'm gonna spin the camera round 180 as it was quite funny pulling away from some of the cars on the straight, whether it be a car length or distance stuff? Most elises and mx-5's quickly disappeared in the rear mirror, but there was some supercharger ones around and I quickly become disappeared in theres! Those ones are seriously rapid!

There was a F430, a 997 turbo, few other porkas, an absolutely awesome RS4 estate , quite a few mx5, elises, mr2's, caterhams, couple of ariel atoms a lambo hooning round and plenty of others, but no other minis

There was a newer seat something behind me and on one of the straights I started to pull away but there was two of us in mine and two in his, in the pits after he came over and was laughing his head off, again like everyone else he wasn't bothered but did say he started getting a bit suspicious when he saw me turn up with a roof rack on He said when I started pulling away he was doing almost a ton, darn roof rack!

That first vid I done with the blue porka turbo in it was priceless, really wish the camera was facing the other way as around 46secs he didn't pull into the pits the same as me (I was planning to as I was very low on fuel and he had his indicator on beforehand) so on the next corner (right) about 50secs he pulled out to the left so he could overtake me on the main pit straight but we both gunned it but he couldn't get past and he had to tuck back in behind me, obviously if the straight was a bit longer he would leave me standing, he was sitting on my bumper after that and at 1m35 on the right hand bend I stayed to the right off the line and we gunned it again but as there was a fast left kink coming up and I'm off the line I backed off to get him in front of me, on the main back straight I was doing near 6500rpm in fifth chasing him, I don't know what speed that was but was a killer rush never taken it that high before, we both came in after and it turned out there was about 20 people watching from the pits who thought the overtake attempt (at 50secs) was hilarious! Respect to the guy though he wasn't miffed atall

I don't know how many here have driven bedford before but it is a nice track, nice facilities etc the track has got everything apart from gradients (being on an airfield!) and shows people up like me where its all very well putting all your pub ammo power down on a straight but what you gonna do at that corner coming up?

Only thing I forgot to do was to put on a novice sticker as apart from being a novice I hadn't been there before <<< actually that almost looks like a novice sticker!

I'm still learning with trackdays, apart from lines I need to work on my entry speed into corners, I'm sure the car can handle it but driver skill and bravery is still being worked on! Ended up playing cat and mouse on more than one occasion with other cars as although I could exit a corner and nail it and lose something behind me, come the next corner and they are there again because my speed has dropped so much before I turn!

I'm off to have a look on ebay now for wicker hats as I don't think a burberry cap would work on mine

Edited by Kam, 16 November 2010 - 11:57 PM.

[Kam]

I am sure you'll have that fixed in no time. I look forward to more vids.......

Cheers mate, but you might have to wait for a bit for any more vids, I'm gonna take my time with getting the engine out and back in, I feel like taking it easy now, no deadlines just a normal person type approach to things

Rest assured though it won't be too long as I'm itching to get back driving this on them 048's.....

[Juju]

I am sure you'll have that fixed in no time. I look forward to more vids.......

Cheers mate, but you might have to wait for a bit for any more vids, I'm gonna take my time with getting the engine out and back in, I feel like taking it easy now, no deadlines just a normal person type approach to things

Rest assured though it won't be too long as I'm itching to get back driving this on them 048's.....

I don't believe it.

Your approach to this car from the start has been brilliant & truly inspirational. No nonsense, no messing, just get on with the job & do it, then get out there & enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Love it!

As you were. Carry on.

[minilester]

lovin the build lovin the car... cant wait to see it in person wen i finally catch you "'aran me' manna"... as it sounds absolutly brutal in the vids

[Kam]

I don't believe it.

Your approach to this car from the start has been brilliant & truly inspirational. No nonsense, no messing, just get on with the job & do it, then get out there & enjoy the fruits of your labour

Thanks for the kind words Doc, its very nice of you to say

You know me too well (but then again you do actually know me!) so I do hate to disappoint you but I am gonna take it easy, I can have the engine out, new clutch in, engine back in and back on the road before the weekend but I'm not doing anymore trackdays now what with the weather and theres not any shows I'm going too so theres no rush now

Theres also the money factor aswell, I'm gonna go for some throttle bodies now, not for power mind you but the sound, I was thinking maybe looking into a supercharger??? but that would mean I can't go standard length roundnose in the future but with the TB's I can still attempt it at some point

So while the engine is out I need to make some changes to the bulkhead box I made as its been made for a honda inlet fitment, but the problem with the honda inlet is the outer chambers taper inwards, and the TB's are straight jobbies, red lines are TB lines



So the the edge of the bulkhead box which was made for the honda inlet is more or less only a few mm away from the middle of the chamber



Which basically means I gotta find the angle grinder now and blow the dust off it and then find the welder and blow the dust off that and then....well you know the rest....