Viper8's '13 FRS DD / Track Build

[Viper8]

Next up I scuffed the fender with some 220grit and cleaned it. Then some primer and paint.

[Viper8]

I ended up placing some black gorilla tape over the gap to minimize the amount of water draining through the fender during rain/car washes. As the tape was glossy, I also sprayed a coat of matte spray paint over it. I have some extra two sided tape from my spoiler install that I'll use to mount them. Just need to catch the other side up...

[Viper8]

And for the final product...

[Trueweltall]

Interesting thing with the fender vent, in the future instead of JB Weld you could use Amazing GOOP (Also called Marine Goop or Shoreline Marine GOOP). I have used it on my boat when I owned one and on two different Kayaks, held up fine even when exposed to Florida sun 24/7. It's easier to work with than JB Weld.

[Viper8]

Originally Posted by Trueweltall

Interesting thing with the fender vent, in the future instead of JB Weld you could use Amazing GOOP (Also called Marine Goop or Shoreline Marine GOOP). I have used it on my boat when I owned one and on two different Kayaks, held up fine even when exposed to Florida sun 24/7. It's easier to work with than JB Weld.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it on my next project.

[Viper8]

Track day at Hallett! It was pretty chilly in the morning, and the track started out fairly slick. After my second run of the morning, I noticed a slight squeaking at front my front right wheel. I had checked my pads prior to ensure I had sufficient wear for one day at the track. I pulled off the front left wheel and upon further inspection, while there was some wear remaining on the outer pad, there was nothing left on the inner pad.

Unfortunately, I hadn't brought a spare set of pads with me, so I ended up running to a local O'Reilly's for a temporary replacement. Unfortunately, the replacement pads just weren't up to the task, experiencing some extreme fade, and nearly put me off the track twice. I decided to take it even easier after that due to lack of brake confidence. It was a bummer as I was hoping to establish some performance data on my most recent mods, but it will have to wait for next Spring now with my DBA Pads I haven't had a chance to use yet.

Still on my to do list:
Stainless steel brake lines
DIY brake vents
Crawford billet power blocks
Front camber bolts

[Viper8]

My OEM battery finally crumped out after struggling ever since I got back from being gone for the summer. I elected to go with the Odyssey PC680 due to it being lighter weight than OEM (~16lbs vs. ~30lbs) and well priced. I reused the stock tray and bracket, but made a base form to sit in the oem tray that would hold the new battery in place.

[Viper8]

I just got my car back from the dealership for the valve spring recall. They even touched up the under-hood coloring. I had asked them to replace the spark plugs during the recall work (as they said they'd only charge parts - $40 - since the engine would be out and apart anyway), however, they ended up not having any on hand and weren't willing to wait for me to pick some up. I'd recommend getting it done at the same time if you can, as it will save you either a fair amount of time, money, or both!

[Viper8]

Finally had a weekend to get some track prep work done on the car. I installed MTEC stainless steel brake lines, speed bleeders, DBA XP650 pads, and pushed fresh Motul RBF600 brake fluid into the system. Looking forward to the June track day at Hallett!

[Viper8]

Before heading off to Hallett Speedway, I decided to make sure everything was looking good. I pulled the wheels off to make sure nothing I had installed was leaking, well, all but one of the wheels. When trying to remove one of the lugs, it stopped turning, feeling like it was cross threading. A second lug did the same thing. Grrh. Super frustrating as I baby the stupid things pretty well - at least I don't use an impact wrench. I ended up just retorqueing them down to deal with them later. I just ordered a round of ARP studs and 949 lugs. Hoping they do a bit better with wear and tear.

Anyways, after inspecting all my brakes, my right rear speed bleeder looked damp, so I rebled the brake and tightened it back down - a little tighter this time. Everything else looked good. Pedal felt good and am looking forward to see how the new brake gear feels on the track.

[Viper8]

Had a good day at Hallett. Temps were in the low 90s, and it was pretty humid. I'd been looking forward to trying out the new brake parts, but I have to say overall I was pretty disappointed. While the first round on the track felt good, after I got in the car the second time to go on the track the brake pedal felt squishy enough I actually pulled off the grid to check the master cylinder and make sure I wasn't losing fluid. While I had sufficient stopping power the rest of the day, the brake pedal didn't inspire confidence and my lap times noticeably suffered. I started tapping the brake with my left foot while accelerating to build up pedal feel prior to a corner.

Unfortunately because I did a handful of mods, I don't know exactly which one might be the culprit, however, my first target will be the speed bleeders. After the new wheel studs come in I'll replace those and after do another thorough bleed. If the speed bleeders turn out to be the culprit, I'll end up switching back to the stock ones.

Highlight of the day was trying to run down the Nissan 350Z in the video.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7h54mLsVCY[/ame]

[captain awesome]

I missed you by one day out at Hallett. I was there on Saturday for my first time, but probably won't be back out until September though. Hope you get the brakes sorted easily.

[Viper8]

Originally Posted by captain awesome

I missed you by one day out at Hallett. I was there on Saturday for my first time, but probably won't be back out until September though. Hope you get the brakes sorted easily.

Right on! Hope you had a good time. Hallett's a great track, has good management, and is a fair price to run at. They also have some good instructors. I may see you in Sept then! When it gets closer let me know which day you plan on making.

Cheers

[captain awesome]

I had a great time for sure, and pretty hooked. Around the 4th and 5th sessions I turned on Harry's Laptimer and managed a 1:37.45 in the clockwise direction. Mine's far from stock though, and I think it's capable of much better times. I figured it was best to ease into things rather than go off 3-4 times pushing limits.


I'll message you when I get dates figured out, hopefully we can get some laps in together.