Scratchy Orange Build Thread
 

Well it finally happened after many years living in Ireland I got myself a 2nd car for track usage and road trips around the EU(Mostly to race tracks hehe).

I got the car 7 months ago when prices here in Ireland were skyhigh. Most GT86s were at least 20k most closer to 25k. Anything 2017+ Was was 35 or more... One day a 2014 Orange 6 Speed pop up on the market for 16,500 :eyebulge: It was a CAT N due to a front end collision when it was still new at the dealer.

With Cat N being non structural I figured what the heck and took the risk. The front end repair work is pretty bad and the paint just awful but hey its a track car so who cares :(

Home and first wash. Definitely a 10 footer :thumbup:

Current list of Mods

Fluids

• Brake: Castrol SRF Racing
• Transmission: Amsoil MTG 75w-90
• Diff: Motul gear300LS
• Motor: Mobil 1 XE1 5W-30

Suspension

• Shaftworks Bilanx coilovers 7k/8k spring rates single adjustable
• SPC Camber bolts
• Toyota 12mm strut bolt for top hole
• SPL front endlinks
• SPL Rear Lower Control Arms
• Whiteline Rear endlinks
  

Bushings

• Whiteline Rear endlinks
• Whiteline rear diff insert kit
• SuperPro rear subframe bushing insert kit
• TRD transmission mount
• TRD Motor mounts
• MCA Traction Mod V2
• STi Trailing arms

Misc

• Beatrush Brake master cylinder brace
• Aim solo 2 DL
• Aim smarty cam 3 Sport

2 months later I was Prepping for my first track day with the GT86. I didn't do much to the car. OEM oil cooler kit from NED, Tossed on pilot sport 4 along with an alignment, And got CL Brakes RC6 compound all around along with 4 new OEM rotors.

For brake fluids I ran Castrol SRF Racing, Motul gear300 transmission, gear300LS in the Diff and Mobile 1 XE1 5W-30 in the engine.

As for prep I did beyond the car... Aim solo DL2, Smarty cam 3, Trackform headrest mount and a Bell helmet GT5 sport.

Some pictures of Murry Motorsports for the Americans who order their seats from him lol

The first track day at my local track Mondello park went off without issue. In truth I didn't get to do much driving as there was a lot of red flags in the morning followed by some slight rain for the afternoon. Plus I am a two driver car.

I managed to finish the day with a 2:22.69 2:20 as my best theoretical due to a lift on the straight. After speaking with a few local gt86 drivers it looks like I am way off the pace as in NA form they are running 2:05s with similar mods and tires. We have our benchmark now at least.

This was my first time using AIM equipment and it worked well. No missed laps or video. Everything started and stopped on its own. I was pretty familiar with race studio 3 as I used it with iracing and watching hours of videos from AIM so no issues there.

So where is the video I here you ask.... lol Well beside the fact my GF is saying all kinds of silly nonsense the damn camera moved during my best lap and blew out the auto exposure haha.

I already have another track day booked for this Monday and I will make sure to get some good footage :)

Best color!

Lol, somehow I never connected the dots that Murray Motorsports actually had a brick and mortar presence, that is awesome. :)

Happy to follow along here

I was telling my buddy in the states I was going there and he begins to tell me how a lot of racer use them haha. I found the whole thing really funny.

Thanks for following along. Will be posting some of my new mods pretty soon then some track day video assuming all goes well Monday :)

My first set of mods have been ordered and mostly installed :).

• Whiteline rear diff insert kit
• SuperPro rear subframe bushing insert kit
• Beatrush Brake master cylinder brace
• TRD transmission mount
• TRD Motor mounts

Beatrush Brake master cylinder brace
For the price and ease of install even on the RHD cars it's worth it. I will say I mostly bought it because of how mushy/soft/dead the pedal feels for light around town inputs.

The brace did not really help with this but it did make a difference overall. The pedal requires a bit more force and just feels more solid when you really step on it. Overall I am happy

Whiteline rear diff insert kit
It feels crazy saying this but these inserts changed how I feel about the car. I was in love when testing these things out. Besides the car just feeling more solid it also feels faster which I assume is due to putting the power to the wheels better.

The car feels sporty and inspires confidence. I was and still am shocked how much more I just wanted to drive the car. NVH increase was zero. Overall I LOVE this mod and it was the reason I ended up ordering the TRD mounts. I just wanted more !

Oh and install is super easy

NOTE I only installed the rear inserts. I was told doing the front inserts would cause too much NVH.

TRD transmission mount
Installed this one this morning. Not too difficult even left the front pipe on. Shifting effort is a bit increased and the 3rd to 2nd shift feels less crappy. NVH increase was zero. I like the way the shifts feel over stock and happy I did the install.

Since my motor mounts are still stock one thing I noticed more is the motor moving around. I would not recommend just doing the transmission mount.

TRD Motor mounts
Not installed yet. I have an appointment with my local dealer to get this installed Tuesday. Let them deal with the rusty exhaust bolts. 260 for install if anyone was wondering

SuperPro rear subframe bushing insert kit
Planning on installing this before my Track day on the 21

10/4/23 Trackday at Mondello with trackdays.ie
I was much more prepared for this trackday than my last largely in part to many hours driving a Orange GT86 around Mondello in Assetto Corsa :burnrubber:

My goal was 2.10 down from my best of 2.22 but between weather and traffic it was not meant to be. My best lap which was far from drama free and on a damp track was 2.18
https://youtu.be/mlcT5MUOEHU

Still managed to have fun and ended up with a few good "battles" Unlike last time were I wasn't keeping up with anyone on track :lol::lol:
https://youtu.be/bxmJpiKhukY

For my second time at Mondello and second time ever on track with the GT86 I was happy. The car didn't give me any trouble and oil temps were never above 235F. I also got some good data and video to review for my next track day on the 21 which is a limited event to only 30 cars total 15 on track at once !

My future plans are a trackday at silverstone in June then let the real modding begin. First up Suspension thinking RCE SS2 along with RLCA and toe links

TRD motor mount

Quick update picked up the car today and I am very happy with the improvement. The motor doesn't slap around like it used. Any movements from the motor are subtle instead of jarring.

With all the mounts installed the car feels more "upscale". The way the motor and transmission moved around in stock form was always off putting to me. Feels great now and just like the TRD transmission mount there was no added NVH


Only thing left to do now is the subframe inserts.:thumbup:

Just looking over the data figured I would jot down a few things to make it easier to track progress.

Track Temp 50.2F/10.1C

• Max Speed: 89MPH/143KMH
• Max RPM: 7378
• Max Brake Pressure: 701PSI
• Max Oil Temp: 235F/112C
• Max Coolant Temp: 195F/90C

My best lap of the day was 2:18.900 but my best theoretical was 2:15.764. Lost around 8 tenths on the straight before Lola due to traffic. Then another 5 tenths leading up to the final corner because of the MX5 coming back on track in front of me. Had a few faster sectors on the lap before and after my best as well.

Looking at the data it's clear I am hesitant when getting back on throttle something to work on for the next event.

Assuming the track is damp/drying I am going to set my goal at 2:15 for my next track day. If its a bone dry track and no traffic I think I could get a 2:12

NOTE PPS is the throttle trace

The switch from motul gear 300 to Amsoil MTG is complete and man is it good. The car has never shifted better. It's buttery smooth now. Let's see how it feels after my track day but so far I am very happy.

SuperPro rear subframe bushing insert kit
Install wasn't too bad since I had notes from many people who "cracked the code" on installing these without stripping bolts. Took my time and only ever removed one bolt at a time.
Made sure I could tighten down each bolt by hand... If they didn't thread in easy I lowered or lifted the subframe til it did. Feel free to PM me and I can send you over all my notes. Too much for posting here.

As for benefits the rear end feels more planted you really get a sense of what's happening with the rear end. I found it easier to slide around as well.

It's hard to say if it is the inserts or the Amsoil but shifts are just soo good now. I didn't really notice any NVH from these.

With all the mounts/bushings installed I am very happy with the way the car drives and feels now. Time to move on to more performance based mods now

Oil changed and pads swapped this afternoon so I am all ready for this Friday. Oh and pictures from the last track day were posted today as well ! Here is the best one I found of my car.

Friday was a big success with great weather and a limited amount of cars on Track. I was finally able to get in a few clean laps and ended up setting a personal best of 2:10.0. My Goal was a 2:12 so I am very happy with that.

Well that will be all for now. The next scheduled event is Silverstone in June after that I am hoping to start ordering upgrades starting with suspension first.

Oh and so far so good with the Amsoil in the transmission. No issues on the street or track.

Track Temp 47.3F/8.5C

• Max Speed: 93MPH/149KMH
• Max RPM: 7453
• Max Brake Pressure: 1023PSI Co driver hit 1231 panic stopping due to a bird on track :eyebulge:
• Max Oil Temp: 240.8F/116C
• Max Coolant Temp: 195F/90C

https://youtu.be/1_UKA5_Q6E4

Looks like a bit of a bumpy track!

Nice clean lap though, very tidy! What tires were you on?

Hmm I never really noticed it to be bumpy haha Maybe the stock shocks are numbing my senses lol. Or I am just too used to the Irish roads that anything even close to smooth seams perfect

Thank you :thanks: There is room to improve but I am happy with the lap I posted :)

As for tires Michelin pilot sport 4 the non S version

I got an email the other day saving my silverstone track day has been cancelled:( I had a non refundable room booked at the hilton silverstone. so I did a bit of digging and found there is a track day at brand hatch that same day.

So my June track day at Silverstone is now at Brands hatch indy. It will be around 2 and half hours to get there so not awful.

I might try to in squeeze another mondello track day now. Speaking of here are some photos from the last track day :burnrubber:

Just a small update I received my oil analysis from Blackstone labs and it seems fine. Will continue to run this oil and do another UOA after brands hatch.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/th.../#post-6486103

I wasn't planning on doing another track day at Mondello before Brands hatch but ended up signing up for the March 31 event. I am not sure they will get enough drivers so it might get cancelled. The goal is at least a 2:09.X but I'm hopeful to get into the 2:08s if the weather is nice

I also impulse bought some whiteline end links due to a 25% off sale(242euro shipped) to be used when I order coilovers after my brands hatch trip. Thinking either RCE SS2s or Shaftwork USA.

Now you will need to bring 2x 17mm wrenches everywhere! ;) My whiteline endlinks sometimes get loose. Still a good option IMO.

I have heard some not so good things about them ever since they arrived. Also looks like I am going with shaftworks for shocks and they recommend SPL...

Most likely the white lines are going back and I am ordering SPL. Trying to save money is costing me a lot in the end LOL

Yeah, the problem with the bigger endlinks is that they contact the bottom of the strut when turning. The SPL is much thinner but there is the slightest bit of contact to the Shaftworks in some situations.

it looks miles away in pictures but I guess in practice it's much closer. I saw you had to do a bit of grinding.

Nordlok washers on the end link nuts on the strut side have stopped that joint loosening up on me.

Strut attached swaybars suck.

@RedReplicant You still had rubbing after you swapped the racer X endlinks out for the SPL endlinks ?

Oh what are you using to make the red marks ? I would like to do the same !

Thanks for that ! Maybe you need it no matter what end links you use

There are extremely light witness marks on the SPLs, I think they barely kiss in rare situations versus the ground down RacerX I had that had deep cuts in them from strut contact. They look miles away... until you turn the steering wheel :)

https://i.imgur.com/Rdfb632.jpg

I definitely go overboard with the paint marking lol, but https://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-Marke.../dp/B07Z86PHP8
It comes off with brake cleaner or alcohol

I am too used to double wishbone cars lol. Thanks for reminding me about things moving when you turn the wheel lol.

Good to know the contact is very light. Should be fine in the end

Thanks again for all the info :burnrubber:

Yeah, it seems like end link stuff is much more complicated than it first appears with these cars... which goes back to DocWalt's comment, haha.

Interesting, I have no contact with my Karcepts end links (with matching swaybar) so I guess the way Karcepts positioned the swaybar arms avoids the contacts.

Well its one of the best bars you can buy for a reason :)

Yeah, because Brian spent the time to get it right :bellyroll:

I've honestly had the best luck with the WL endlinks on not coming loose. I've run perrin and racerX too.

Well it's finally official... I have ordered Shaftworks Bilanx coilovers along with camber bolts and SPL front end links. Will be keeping the whiteline ones in the rear.

Thanks for all the help @oinojo

Yesterday's track day went great. Again the track was empty and the weather was amazing. I went in with a goal of 2:08s which would of been a nice improvement over my 2:10.0

Well by the end of the day my best lap was a 2:07.9:happyanim: Still a bit hard to find other drivers to benchmark against as almost all of them are on a R888 or better lol. But It seems to be a pretty respectable time and it's a long way from the 2:22 I did on my first track day haha.

I need to really dive into the data but most of the pace came from the last 4 corners the rest of the track was a tenth pickup here or there but hey it adds up!

Track Temp 51.4F/10.7C

• Max Speed: 93MPH/149KMH Up from 89MPH/143KMH
• Max RPM: 7459 up from 7378
• Max Brake Pressure: 852PSI Up from 701PSI
• Max Oil Temp: 250F/121.1C
• Max Coolant Temp: 199F/92.7C

https://youtu.be/qbpRyKOxqW8

Like most people I make plans that never end up happening… When I told myself I wanted a car for doing road trips and track days around Europe I thought at best I would do one event at my local track then stop. Well I am just back now from my first road trip/track day abroad!

Took the Ferry from Ireland over to the UK and drove down to Silverstone. Unfortunately it was only to stay at the hotel :( The originally planned track day was cancelled due to filming of an up coming F1 movie produced by Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton as some sort of technical advisor.

As much as it sucked to have my track day cancelled at least I still had a view overlooking the track and got to watch some “f1” cars go around the track.

Using Silverstone as our base hotel we drove 2 and half hours down to Brands Hatch for an evening track event on the indy circuit. Not on the same level of Silverstone but still a well know track and a great facility. I didn’t run too many laps but did manage a few push laps without traffic and was very happy with my time.

The rest of the vacation was spent driving back to the ferry with stops in Liverpool and Wales because vacation stuff. The car never skipped a beat and was perfectly fine comfort wise.

I only have one more local event planned this year but next year I would like to look into more European tracks and doing Time trial events as well.

Track Temp 64.2F/17.8C
Max Speed: 106MPH/170KPH
Max RPM: 7449RPM
Max Brake Pressure: 644PSI
Max Oil Temp: 255.2/124C
Max Coolant Temp: 204.8F/95.5C
NOTE with AC on

https://youtu.be/31ziuDmx90k

Really sucks that the Silverstone track day was cancelled but at least you were still able to drive Brands Hatch! Definitely jealous of the density of quality tracks over there (maybe not as jealous of Ireland, haha)

haha yeah only one track in Ireland but I can get over to a track like silverstone in under 9 hours and that includes a 3 hour ferry ride lol.

Beats a 10 hour drive to ohio for a pro solo :P

@oinojo is still around here? :P

haha yeah not sure how often he gets on ft86club. Too busy building shocks I bet lol

Bit of a small update my shaftworkusa bilanx coilovers have arrived :happyanim: Install will have to wait until I get the SPL rear lower control arms I ordered.

I was pretty set on running stock RLCAs but honestly with the small drop I plan to run there was no chance I was going to hit the camber numbers I wanted. Plus it definitely wouldn't have been even left to right. Not saying it's a big deal even now its not even but just sayin.

Called around to a few race shops for a string alignment and corner balance just to make sure they A had time and B willing to do the job. LOH motorsports said getting the car ready by October 20th(my next track day) shouldn't be a problem.

Suspension setup

• Bilanx coilovers 7k/8k spring rates
• SPC Camber bolts
• Toyota 12mm strut bolt for top hole
• SPL front endlinks
• SPL Rear Lower Control Arms
• Whiteline Rear endlinks