Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#16

andrewhake wrote:Very nice! Hadn't seen this car before.
Thanks! I've been on the other forum since 2003, but I mostly lurk in the Racing and Competition forum. :hello:
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Cpt. Spock
7000rpm
Posts: 32
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#17

nice build thread, i like the progression of the car. Keep it up!
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Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#18

Cpt. Spock wrote:nice build thread, i like the progression of the car. Keep it up!
Thanks! I'm already stockpiling more "track" parts for next year, but my number one focus is getting more seat time first. Learning to drive the car on the track has opened up a whole other facet, can't believe I waited this long!

alSpeed2k
7000rpm
Posts: 8
Joined: Nov 2016
Canada
#19

Nice build.

Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#20

Haven't updated this thread in a long time, but I've been slowly hoarding some parts and now that spring is right around the corner, been putting stuff on the car.

Late 2016 I picked up a used Wasp Composites Race Splitter from a local member, I decided to hold off on installing it until I had a proper wing to balance out the aero.

This past week I bought a wing, and in preparation installed the splitter. Ther were no instructions with the splitter, but the install is rather straight forward. Only thing that complicated matters was my oil cooler and heat exchanger use some of the same space occupied by the brackets, so had to get inventive.

Removed the bumber and mocked up the splitter to get an idea of how it would sit
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To simplify the modifications to the brackets (and to maintain as much of the integrity of them as I could), created some cardboard templates to test fit
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The hoses that run from the SoS Racing Heat Exchanger are 1", as were the holes, but will be modifying these .5" larger and running a rubber grommet to ensure I don't rub a hole in one of the hoses from the vibrations
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Install completed, very sturdy once everything is tightened up
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Now to address the other end of the car, last year I had picked up a spare trunk (in Sebring silver) that I planned to use for the wing. I'd rather not run a huge wing on the street, it attracts too much attention, and I would constantly be worried about someone trying to steal it.

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Now for the wing, I picked up a Voltex Type 7 GT wing from SeanGPW on here. I originally was going to run the APR GT-250, but couldn't pass up on this deal, and the wing is gorgeous.

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Very impressed with the hardware the wing somes with, since it is a center mount wing, Voltex includes two FRP supports that are molded to the bottom of the trunk to provide additional support and hopefully eliminate any flexing and distortion.

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Just to get an idea of what it would look like, temporarily placed the wing on the trunk, will hopefully be installing it this weekend.

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Lastly here's a picture from my last track day/HPDE at MSR Cresson in February. Will be running HPDE1 with NASA in March, and hoping to do at least one track day a month.

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Should have more updates on Monday!

Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#21

So managed to get the wing installed on Friday, very impressed with the mounting of the wing.

The wing comes with two thick FRP braces that are molded to fit the trunk skeleton. This provides substantial bracing and should ensure that the trunk doesn't flex and deform due to downforce.

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The trunk supports are riveted in, you use supports as a template on where to drill for the stands, which are then bolted to the supports

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On Saturday had a group drive with the local S2Ki club hosted by Matt Duncan (s2k manic) and used the opportunity to take some pictures of the car with the new wing and splitter.

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The car handled like a dream, the additional downforce is so confidence inspiring, makes the car incredibly stable in high speed corners.

Did a mini photo shoot during our lunch stop

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During the drive I did get a code for "multiple misfire detected", so on Sunday I checked the plugs, the coils, and did a compression test (220/220/210/210). Everything looked great, other than the #4 coil and spark plug had some oil on the base and in the threads of the spark plug. I had recently had the spark plug seals replaced due to the #4 leaking substantially, and I think some of the oil residue remained in the spark plug chamber causing the issue. I swapped the location of the plug and coil to see if the issue follows the plug/coil, and cleared the codes. Will see if the misfire returns.

Lastly I decided to paint my track vented and louvered hood. Since this hood is exclusively used on track days, I was not overly concerend with a perfect paint job, so decided to try the "Rustoleum" roll on paint job.

Drilled out the rivets holding the louvers in place
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Thinned out the Rustoleum paint 50/50 with mineral spirits and did the first light coatImage


After waiting 3 hours to allow the first coat to dry, did second light coat
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Allowed the hood to drive overnight, today will be wetsanding the hood, and apply coats 3 and 4. Depending on how it looks after the next coats will do additional wetsanding and either additional coats or polish and wax the hood.

Will also be painting the louvers in flat black Rustoleum, but those will be spray painted rather than rolled on.

More pictures soon of the dedicated track wheels I picked up (TR Motorsports C3), install of the Modifry Shift Beeper, and the track hood installed.

Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#22

So some small updates, I had purchased the Modifry Shift Beeper a few weeks ago, and finally got around to installing it. No install pictures as it's all hidden behind the passenger dashboard area, but what a pain in the rear to install... you have to be contortionist to get access to the wires and the convertible top module. Should come in handy when at the track.
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I also ordered a spark plug cover from Circuit Hero, I was never a fan of the gold cover that came with the AP2's, and it really didn't go with my black painted valve cover. It's a simple upgrade, but I feel it really works well with the Comptech/Science of Speed supercharger kit.
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I finally finished painting, wet sanding, buffing, and waxing the track hood. I am happy with how it came out, it's not perfect but looks good from 5 feet away, and for track purposes it's perfect.
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I also painted the Singular Motorsports vents flat black, and riveted them back on. Really like the combo
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Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#23

A few more updates from the last week or so

I finally got arround to getting my track wheels ready to go. When I bought them they had been plasti dipped black, and the dip was coming off. I decided to remove all of the dip, before getting my tires mounted on them. If you haven't had the opportunity to remove thin plasti dip before, it's a huge PITA. I did some research and people said that several products worked wonders on getting the stuff off, I tried 3 different things, WD-40 (made the dip "softer" but still requires significant elbow grease to remove), Goo Gone (worked slightly better than WD-40), and Brake Cleaner (really works, but have to spray a small area, wipe, repeat). My recommendation, if you are going to use Plasti Dip, make sure you lay it on very thick, and use 3-4 layers (a rattle can for each wheel).

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Eventually I got all of the Plasti Dip off and the wheels have definitley seen better days, but as they are just going to be covered in brake dust, I am not too concerned with their appearance.

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I did manage to get the 4 wheels with tires, and the 4 tires I was going to mount (Dunlop Z2SS I have been using since last year) in our new 2016 Mazda CX-5. Sure is nice owning a car with decent cargo capacity!

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Next I went to work on the brakes. I had been running StopTech slotted rotors along with StopTech Street Performance pads for the last two years. They were good on the street, and adequate for a beginner at the track, but the more I improved, the pads were struggling to keep up. So I decided to upgrade the pads to G-Loc brake pads after reading about them and getting some input from Devin at TogueFactory.

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I went with the R12/R10 compunds, if you want to see which pads work best for you, I recommend you look at Devin's thread http://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-racing ... u-1168625/ in the R&C forum, or reach out to him directly and he will work with you to make sure you get the pads that meet your need.

Along with upgrading the pads, I went ahead and replaced the rotors with Centric premiums from RockAuto, the StopTech slotted rotors still had plenty of life left, but I wanted a clean surface for the G-Loc pads to bed.

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The pad install was a straight forward as any pad change on the S2000 is, the pads fit perfectly, and came from G-Loc pre-bedded, which is very helpful when trying to maximize your time on the track and not having to throw away a session to get your pads bedded.

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I ran the pads for two days with NASA Texas, and they were very good. They were a night and day difference from the StopTech Street Performance pads, which obviously were designed for a completely different set of circumstances versus the G-Loc pads. The initial bite, modulation, and clamping power of the G-Loc pads were much better than I even expected, I managed to run my personal best, in large part due to the confidence inspiring and consistent nature of the pads. Since I am a relative newbie to the track, your mileage and brake needs will likely vary from mine. Even on the street on the drive to and from the track, the pads were occasionally audible, but nowhere near annoying. Overall very satisfied with my purchase, as well as with TogueFactory, don't hesitate to reach out to them for your performance needs.

The next part that I wanted to address was the splitter. The Wasp splitter I had bought used came from an AP2 with a lip, but on my car with the CR bumper, it only stuck out about an inch and was flush on the sides. I didn't feel this was going to be sufficent to offset the downforce being generated by the Voltex Type-7 wing, so I decided to get a bigger splitter. With that in mind I reached out to S~Factor, and he worked with me to make sure I got exactly what I wanted, and got it to me with plenty of time for my NASA track weekend.

The S~Factor splitter is made of 12 guage aluminum (.0808" thick) and came with a carbon fiber wrap, it was exactly what I needed.

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Since I was reusing the hardware from my Wasp splitter, I made a cardboard template to make sure I knew where to drill the new splitter.

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I then "mounted" the cardboard splitter using tape, to make sure everything was properly aligned, and fit how I wanted it to.

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I then used the carboard template to mark on some painters tape where I needed to drill the splitter, and drilled away.

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I then mounted the bumper using the existing hardware

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Because the aluminum is not as stiff as the carbon fiber/kevlar Wasp splitter, I also decided to use the Wasp splitter rods to add some support to the sides of the splitter. I mounted them directly under the headlights, just to the outside of the fake vents in the AP2 bumper

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Lastly I used some Longacre Racing Products splitter rods to add some additional support to the front section of the splitter

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The splitter held up perfectly throughout the 2 day event and 8 sessions. I will likely be moving it back about an inch and reinforcing the sides a little more as the still have more flexibility than I would like, and would touch the track under heavy braking.

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Overall the weekend was a huge success, the car ran great, and I also set a personal best on the last day. Very happy with everything so far, and can't wait to get back on the track and continue improving.

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Managed to get some pictures with the rest of the local S2000 crew while we were out there, it was a very productive day for everyone, and 00MUGENS2/John Wallace even broke the NASA TTC track record by over 3 seconds!

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Here's a crappy cell phone video of my last session, I forgot to switch out my GoPro battery before I went out, and it died halfway through.


Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#24

Some pictures on the track from the NASA March Madness event this past week. Pictures were taken by MohFlo Event Photography.

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User avatar

Cpt. Spock
7000rpm
Posts: 32
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#25

Nice pics. Any feedback around the wing and splitter on track?
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Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#26

Cpt. Spock wrote:Nice pics. Any feedback around the wing and splitter on track?
Thanks, the photographer did a great job. :photo:

Both the wing and the splitter performed well, only issue I had was on the last session I got black flagged and brought into the pits because the outside portions of the splitter was scraping on the pavement under hard braking. It wasn't a safety concern for anyone on the track, but they wanted me to be aware. I decided to go ahead and stop the session, I had already set my personal best and didn't want to keep pushing it.

Next steps will be to reinforce the sides of the splitter. Likely I will use a couple of extra pieces of Aluminum bar stock I have left and fabricate some braces for the underside of the splitter that I will mount using rivets, and then add some screws to attach the splitter to the bottom of the bumper. I'm likely going to move the splitter back about an inch, currently it sticks out about 6.5" in the front, and I think it may be a bit much.

Next track day will be April 11th with Track Night in America, hoping to get below 1:30 (personal best was 1:31.64). :driving:

Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#27

Couple more pictures posted by NASA Texas of me passing some traffic:

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Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#28

During my last track day with NASA I was getting quite a bit of oil coming out of the PCV port, and due to a cheap VTA catch can some of the oil was coming out of the filter and through the vents in the hood and getting on my windshield. I decided I needed to do a couple of upgrades, first thing up was sending the valve cover to Dustin/RAIN H8R to get the baffle plate drilled out. Dustin did a great job and got the valve cover back to me quickly, looking forward to having minimal oil in my catch can!
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Next up was getting a better solution for the catch can, after doing alot of reading and research I decided to pick up the combo catch can/radiator overflow from SchmuckBuilt.
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The combo can is incredibly well made, it includes two -10AN fittings and a 1600ml/1.7 quart capacity for the catch can side and 350ml for the coolant.
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To improve the lines from the valve cover I ordered 5 feet of -10AN hose and push lock fitting for the front. Unfortunately Summit was back ordered on the -10AN to M14x1.5 fitting for the PCV port, so for the time being still running the gutted PCV and push lock hose till it arrives.
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Everything is buttoned up and ready for my next track day on April 11th with Track Night in America
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User avatar

MikeRT4
7000rpm
Posts: 39
Joined: Dec 2016
Great Britain
#29

Do you have a baffled sump :) ?
Mike R
Sarcasm is just a free service I provide.

Nordschleife, there's only two barriers to worry about - the ones on the left and the ones on the right :lol: .

Topic Author
Kenny
7000rpm
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 2016
United States of America
#30

MikeRT4 wrote:Do you have a baffled sump :) ?
That's the next thing going in, I ordered the Moroso baffle and having a friend weld it in, should be ready for my next track day next month.

Do have a quick update, had a blast yesterday with the SCCA Track Night in America, was able to match by previous best time, but with only 3 sessions (and a couple of spins) I felt I was finally getting in the groove when everything ended. I did end up getting black flagged on my last session about 15 minutes in due to blowing smoke for an entire lap... at first I though one of the fittings for the catch can or from the valve cover had come off and sprayed oil in the engine bay, but that wasn't the issue. Seems like the metal band that holds my passenger side CV Joint boot came loose and caused grease to be splattered everywhere including on the exhaust. Hopefully the CV Joint wasn't damaged (there still seems to be some grease in there) and I'll just need to replace the boot and metal bands. Didn't feel any vibrations or strange noises either, so hoping for the best. Will have more pictures and video from the track when I get a chance to download them.

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The RAIN H8R Valve cover modification seemed to do the trick, I had very little oil in the catch can after all 3 sessions, so little it didn't even register on the sight glass of the SchmuckBuilt catch can. Very happy with both modifications so far.

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