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My "fear" with so many new nuts&bolts is one or more nuts vibrating loose which can be hard to spot trackside.
Preferably use Nyloc nuts EVERYWHERE possible and "blue threadlock" everywhere else (I suspect you're already doing this).
Gave the car a short (two sessions) shakedown at One Raceway, ahead of the PI run.
No dramas, it pulled hard, nothing broke or fell off .
Learnings included it needed A LOT of cooling down after each session, and the stock pads that come with YSR BBK are crap, fortunately the new runoff at T2 sealed .
We ran on the 'Wakefield' layout - ie clockwise (the other way is 'Shelley') - but still T2 is different (double apex), and the entry onto the straight is VERY different, I still haven't settled on a line through there. Otherwise the track is the Wakefield we have known and loved for decades!
After a few days grandie duty I hooked up the RGM and headed south, for Phillip Island. The trip was uneventful, the accommodation basic but had everything I needed.
Headed to the track, expecting one of the relatively low-key AROCA track days I had attended in the past. Not so, this was a full-blown supersprint meeting. The weather was diabolical, windy and showers blowing through so the track was either wet, drying, or getting wet again. I was gridded with a fast group, much faster than me and very aggressive in their overtaking. Later I shifted to a more compatible group.
PI paddock, after the rain had departed The day was fun, or at least ended in fun, with a great armwrestle with a Fiat Arbarth X1/9 coupe on a dry track. The earlier runs were a little stressful, what with fast cars and a changing track, and my coming to grips with the 'new' high power RGM. I explored various runoff areas - including T1 - but only had one spin out of Southern Loop when I forgot just much power I had available, and did a textbook 360 loop before motoring off somewhat red-faced.
Learnings were basically a continuation of those from WP, the car needs set-up work, the driver needs seat time to get back in the groove, but also to adjust to how the straights are much shorter than I remember ...
Amongst the participants were a group of three or four Toyota Supras, one from Victoria and the others from Qld. They had dríven their cars, with all their gear, to Bathurst, then to PI, and were heading off to The Bend next. No trailers, no support vehicles - just roll up, empty the cars, drop the tyre pressures and go racing. Very old school!
Since then the shocks have come off, and been put back on with new springs - 10kg up front, the 8kgs previously there are now on the back. Ride height had been reset, still in the high side but lower than before, and the car feels much better hard driven on the street. Another test day at WP this Friday, mainly to learn the 'Shelley' (anti-clockwise WP layout, but also just to drive the car hard and get comfortable again with exploring limits, and fiddling with tyre pressures and shock settings. First competitive outing for this year will be a fortnight later on that layout, I need to retrain the muscle memory before then.
Last edited by Gee Emm; Feb 15, 2026 at 04:17 AM.
Reason: photo
Did a track day on the Shelley circuit at One Raceway. Ran the street tyres, as just trying to find a comfortable place on the new layout, not set times. For the same reason the new pads stayed in the box, though in hindsight I should have used the opportunity to bed them in. Surprise, the Solo wouldn't work, didn't recognise the track and wouldn't create a new one - sigh.
VERY different to the Wakefield layout. The last turn onto the start/finish/only straight is BLOODY fast, the banked loop (T1) arrives very quickly, that is going sort the men from the boys, the middle section is the most difficult being the approach to the Fishhook, the tight turn and then the blast uphill through a lefthander to the loop across the top. That loop and the run downhill to the last corner(s) are fairly straight forward.
Overall a very fast layout, fast enough for me to overheat the RS4s and fade the pads in short order. Got very comfortable in the car, and felt able to push a little, but tyres and brakes kept me in check.
Looking forward to Rd1 of the Supersprints on Saturday!
Well RD1 was run and won, but not by me, not by a long way!
I went out lead car in the last (slowest?) group, couple of fast cars behind me that caught me, but couldn't pass and I wasn't going to make it easy for them and cost me lap time. Sorry guys, but that is motor sport at the Championship level. My fastest lap was quite slow, a 1.16, disappointed at that.
To make matters worse that bloody Solo would not function to give me data. It recognised the map of OWR as currently physically configured, but never recorded a single lap, let alone the data I need to see in order to home in on where my slowness can be improved. I am told it is indifferent to the sequence that the GPS sees, ie clockwise or anticlockwise, but I need to 'create a circuit here and do some experimentations. Looking to do something on a new subdivision after the builders have gone home, just driving around in The Barge with the Solo.
The day was pretty good, the event was promoted by the circuit rather than one of the clubs that usually promote the events - they did a good professional job. Only issue was mid-afternoon the weather came in, I packed up early but still had an early shower finishing loading up. The new pads are grabbing a bit and have a great initial bite, I am going to have to learn to modulate the pedal better but much better stopping power that is also going to take some getting used to. My group was trouble free, but I caught the tailenders after three laps and there was no point in trying to push for fast laps after that so I quit a lap or so early.
The two cars that caught me did so as I warmed up, neither tried to put a move on, and while they gave my boot badge a close look I just got on with my lappery, heeping one eye on the mirror. Usually I lost them on the straight, and proper order of the universe was thereafter unchallenged.
Speaking of warming up, the CLT started up, so the spare bonnet is going under the knife. Hopefully that does the trick, but if not the oil cooler will be removed from the back of the radiator and relocated. Also on the list is brake ducting, in the last session I think I felt some fade, and if I am going to go quicker, which is the whole point of this exercise, I am going to need brakes that come with me.
Petrol is going to be an issue, towing a racecar down to SMP and back next month. I get Costco petrol, been around $1.55-1.60/l, filled up Friday - $2.12 - up 50c/l, $30 extra for 60l - not happy, that'll be ~$250-odd, plus a night's accommodation!! . I'll pay it grumbling, but the unknown is whether there will be supply issues ... and whether the cost goes higher
Dang, that's annoying about the AIM. Mine's done that on certain days, has a track input and everything but just won't want to work. That being said, those instances are few and far between, and I've never had an issue recording a CCW track when the AIM is set to a CW layout.
Oil supply issues are irritating. I was giggling to myself last week since e85 prices are unaffected, then I remembered my tow vehicle isn't flexfuel
Looking forward to more updates! Glad the car's been basically trouble-free for you these last few months!
Thanks Zak, but if I don't keep the overheating under control, there will be trouble ...
Yes, I think that a phone-based driving tool might be the go as at least backup, I'll see what level of confidence I have after my simulations.
What I didn't say above was that as well as no track/driving data, I had no datalogging from the ECU either. Now at least the ECU logging is switched on, very keen to be tracking those coolant and oil temps.
I picked up a digital manometer off the bookface, I have enough information for placement of bonnet vents but might use it to refine arrangements in the intake duct, to ensure I have good pressure drops across the radiator particularly.
My AC hasn't worked, ever, in this car, so maybe a condenser removal might help too. It can always be replaced later.
Ahh, my bad, I thought the CLT was just running a little higher than ideal based on the above wording, not in full overheat territory.
Glad to hear you've still got an uncut hood and condenser in the car, though. You've got the low-hanging fruit right in front of you! Hopefully hacking a couple well-placed holes in the hood drops those temps back down into the happy range.
No, your reading was right, it is up, but not eg losing boiling coolant - yet. That was a warmish day, maybe topping out at ~30*c. Definitely signalling that on a really hot day it will get serious. Good news is that we are heading into autumn/winter, so I have time to plan and test, but for the next month or two the possibility of a proper hot day can't be discounted, jut hopefully it won't be a day I am on track.
Yeah, it is basically just following the MTnet bible ... the wheel has already been invented!
Well, it looks like 'operator error' with the Solo in respect to the ORW data acquisition. I found a good location, switched the Solo on, set 'create new track' and drove around. The Solo came alive, gave me a lap time first completed 'lap', showed green/red lights, and then the second lap time. I now have an out-lap, four completed laps and an in-lap recorded and downloaded to RS3. I don’t know where I went wrong at ORW, and for that reason I am not ruling out a Solo problem completely but I am now working on the basis of a properly functioning device.
It is a little worriesome that I don't know what I did wrong last time I tried this simulation, when it didn't work. I will be going back to my test track a couple of times over the next couple of weeks and seeing if the Solo responds as it is supposed to, and if that works I will go to SMP next month ready to get some meaningful data.
It makes me cranky that Ron, the local distributor, was so unhelpful and disbelieving with the product’s initial failures, I lost a couple of years where useful experience with device, not to mention valuable data, could and should have been obtained – this learning experience should have been happening in 2018 and 2019.not 2026
The good news is that the Solo worked as advertised on my return to my test track. Looking good for my SMP visit ...
Except, the fuel situation here is going south fast: a) getting expensive, and b) there is serious talk about fuel rationing and other pretty serious interventions to reduce demand and extend the life of the limited supplies reaching us. As a result, my entry in Rd2 at SMP GP circuit is now in doubt . I have entered, but not yet paid, and am holding off paying until the last moment, so that I can have as clear a picture of what the situation will be on the day. Cost is not the issue, probably, but I don't want to haul a car on a trailer 300kms without some confidence I will be able to haul it home again.
Things have been quiet on the competition front, not for fuel reasons but concern with the gearbox. The spare box has been dismantled, and Herrings advised it showed movement of the gears on the shaft. That box is back, refreshed and modified to prevent the gears moving.
The car will go on the hoist next week, shocks out for new eyes/bushes, the gearbox swap, and a new sprung button clutch. In the meantime the steering wheel comes off again for a new (2nd hand) stalk assembly, my fast wiper setting isn't working and hopefully the swap fixes that. The horn connection also need fixing - this needs fixing asap as rego inspection booked in for next week and they always bip the horn, instant fail if it is not working. The work needs to be completed over June, as there are two events coming up in July at SMP GP circuit, a circuit I enjoy, and for which hopefully the car will be suited too, the the SMPGP characteristics should suit it well.
Elsewhere here I have been talking about installing a digital dash, that is underway and will be written up here. To date I have ordered a mount (two week wait), and started planning for the wiring. Using Mitchell's MSM wiring diagram, my own ADM wiring and Haltech's IC7 wiring diagram, I have prepared a concordance chart, still a WiP but I will post it when I am satisfied it is correct. The original idea that the digital dash might be piggybacked off the stock wiring is gone, the wires will be cut and new plugs used to make the old and the new plug-compatible, so that should the need/desire be for a return to stock it can be achieved in minutes, no wiring will need modification. I am looking at three main screens, road, race, and a data screen, but first it needs to be installed and working ...
The latest is that the car is on the hoist, shocks are with Heasemans for new eyes and bushes, and tweaking the valving. The bushes have an inner and outer sleeve with the 'rubber' bonded to both. Normally (AIUI) the inner is bonded, this is the tube that carries the through bolt to locate the shock, but it is also bonded to the metal outer sleeve, to stabilise the rubber bush when under duress. Probably why mine had not totally disintegrated after c22 years on duty. The valving is going to mofified for the move from 8 to10kg fronts, the rears are probably ok as they went from 7 to 8kg, but the extra 2kg in front made it quite harsh. Heasemans reckon they can tweak that to remove some of that harshness without affecting the excellent damping when/if it is downgraded back to 8/7kg. Known as keeping the options open.
I don't want these opened again - because cost, and the sheer amount of work to get the fronts out with the AWR swaybar mounts and the modified radiator duct work. The RHS was fairly easy but the RHS fouled the bottom lip of the AWR mount, and the head of the long bolt had to be 'encouraged' over it. Not looking forward to the reinstallation ...
A package of Deutsch fasteners and crimper is down at the post office, hopefully the mount will turn up soon too, because the IC7 is sitting on the dining room table. I was in town today and I have a 12v power supply to be able to set it up inside connected to my laptop, before doing the final steps plugged into the ecu down in the workshop. The spare loom will be raided for the proper wires to link the car to the installed IC7.
Interested to hear where you land on damping/spring rates. I'm surprised revalving was necessary for a 2kg spring rate increase. The current dampers were maxed out on compression/rebound already?
Current plan is for the track end of the settings to remain, only trying to deal with harshness at the comfort end - this is a dual duty car and that comfort is something I want to protect. I have gone down the slippery slope of successive mods to make a dual duty car faster, but woken up one morning to find the car is no longer enjoyable on the street. Don't want that again.
I feel you Been there, done that multiple times now. It seems like every few months I manage to do something that makes my car more of a PITA to drive on the street.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts once it's all finished up.
Currently setting up the plugs for the cluster wiring, and positively identifying the wires required by the IC7. Gearbox swap is being organised for 3rd week of June, hopefully by then a new friction plate will be on hand, the sprung ones are hard to come by. When the OE gearbox comes out I will have it modded same as the spare, then reverse the swap and sell off the spare. If the sprung clutch is not available for the first swap, then hopefully it will be for the second, given that is not likely to happen much this side of Christmas.
I got a flash new circuit tester with the display, pulled the cluster and started testing the plugs. Using the Mitchell wiring diagram things like the indicators were easy, but some things I thought would be easy were not - wtf is wrong the seat belt warning and the handbrake? Looks like the handbrake switch is broken, and the seat belts light doesn't work because I am running an NB8A seat which doesn't have the wiring (and maybe the belt buckle either?) - duh! More seriously, the ABS and airbags lights do not activate, and am waiting on a callback from someone who has done this job NB8B/Link G4x/IC7, I am assured it will work, and that the little microcomputer in the cluster going missing is not an issue. It is a worry that I am reliant on a document based on USDM cars, I have found one difference already, but given the cars are being made for global markets, I am assuming minimal differences - eg no DRL or cruise here from the factory (for NBs)
Meanwhile all the bracing has come off, the exhaust is off behind the dump pipe, and the dump pipe is next - there is an alignment issue here, it looks to be touching the side of the block/bellhousing, I'll have to see if this is something that can be fixed by more careful assembly at the turbo outlet V-band, or otherwise. I don't know how much movement there is, but I don't want a leak. Another discovery was the cat was bit different to what I expected ...
I have also discovered a software issue with the Link, in terms of what the IC7 will be able to get from the Link. More on this in the dash thread, it is not a significant limitation for most purposes.
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- but only had one spin out of Southern Loop when I forgot just much power I had available, and did a textbook 360 loop before motoring off somewhat red-faced.
. I'll pay it grumbling, but the unknown is whether there will be supply issues ... and whether the cost goes higher 
. I have entered, but not yet paid, and am holding off paying until the last moment, so that I can have as clear a picture of what the situation will be on the day. Cost is not the issue, probably, but I don't want to haul a car on a trailer 300kms without some confidence I will be able to haul it home again. 
Been there, done that multiple times now. It seems like every few months I manage to do something that makes my car more of a PITA to drive on the street.
