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The first PCV
(Porsche Club of Victoria) event for 2008 was at
Winton Raceway, Victoria. This was to be a shakedown event for the
car. She drives well on the road but a track day will surely sort things
out. Although I replaced the brake fluid, I discovered that the
pedal still went to the floor after 3 laps of this very technical track. I
finished the day but at a reduced and more sensible pace.
I also discovered
that the right rear sway bar mount was cracked.
The brake fluid was replaced with DOT4 for the
PCV &
Sandown events in
February 2008. The same problem re-occurred - time for a re think! I also
inadvertently over-filled the oil tank as well. The excess oil found its
way to the heat exchangers and began to smoke. Time to quit before
something happens!
I am on the
lookout for another good set of 16" Fuchs rims to fit my track tyres.
These rims are quite scarce and expensive as well. I may have to resort to
after-market rims.
Next event
is a
PCV Track day at
Phillip
Island Circuit on March 30, 2008.
This circuit is arguably one of the best tracks in Australia. The circuit
is fast - the Moto GP boys hit 300 Kms/hr down the main
straight facing the ocean into turn 1 and 2. A track day at this circuit
is a wonderful event. The views and surrounds are magic and the pit
area has just had a major re-vamp. I will post an account of the day soon!
PCV Phillip Island
Report - March 30 2008.
The WRX club held a Sprint on the Saturday with a PCV event on the
Sunday. The WRX event suffered from bad weather with rain and strong north
winds buffeting the track. The car performed well under the adverse
conditions. Several of the wet sessions really gave me that "dry-mouth"
experience. The concentration was intense with rain lashing the track and
gusty conditions. As a consequence times were way off as I sought to
understand the car's performance in the wet and with visibility often
limited by the rain and spray. Mixing it with WRXs, some Nissan GTRs and a
Ferrari 360 really made my day!
Sunday's event was
quite different. The rain disappeared overnight, the track dried off and
all 90 entrants enjoyed a great day. The car performed well with no brake
fade. I am beginning to understand the 911 handling characteristics -
never lose concentration - brake in straight lines - slow in and fast out
of corners - take advantage of the 911s weight bias and power-on sooner
out of each corner.
Check out my
Youtube
Channel for videos.
>>Top
Forest Classic Tarmac Rally -
April 26-27, 2008.
Link:
Rally Sport Magazine
This was my first go at rallying after too many years out of the sport. My
have things changed!
As a gadget man, I needed a trip computer.
It seems that Halda have withdrawn from this market (they were the only
manufacturers I remembered) so I was on the hunt for a new trip meter. My
911 was calibrated in miles so its odometer was useless. I had seen
Terratrip in action but this unit looked rather bulky and given the space
available in the 911, this unit was rejected. Then came Brantz and
Monit. I had some difficulty contacting anyone who knew anything about
Brantz and their UK website was less than helpful. That left Monit!
An email to the NZ-based manufacturer resulted in a distributor list for
Victoria. A call to Carl at Autosport Performance Accessories in
Bayswater confirmed that he had stock. A quick trip across town and I
returned home with a little TC100 unit in my hot little hand.
Connecting the TC100 to the 911's speed
sensor wire (behind the speedo) gave me no joy. The
Monit boys in NZ
suggested an external sensor fixed to the transmission and facing the
drive shaft bolts would prove to be the best solution. I mounted the
sensor on a fabricated steel bracket off the transmission case and located
the wiring and sensor out of harm's way.
I then mounted the TC100 on aluminium angle screwed to the inside of the
glove-box lid. With the lid is closed the TC100 is well hidden and still
with room for small items in the glove box. Power is drawn directly from
the fuse box with the sensor wires enclosed in 7mm spilt plastic tubing.
After realising that the TC100's sensor used 5v instead of 12, the TC100
fired up! After a tidying up the wiring we were ready to rally!
We packed the car - tools, oil, compressor, overnight bags, camera - and we were on the way Friday
afternoon. We tested and calibrated the TC100 on the Hume Freeway to
Wangaratta and again on a measured section of road just out of town.
The Forest Classic started in Wangaratta on
Saturday, April 26. 54 competitors, some great cars and some very
experienced crews were set to tackle the best roads in Victoria's N-E.
Saturday's weather was beautiful, 22-25°C, autumn tones, green grass and 2
great days ahead of us.
Rally director, Jeff Whitten warned us on Friday night's briefing with a
wry grin and sly look that we could expect some devious tricks and sleight
of hand.
Both driver & navigator had some past rally
experience so we entered in the Apprentice class. We didn't consider
ourselves experts but had a rough idea of what lay ahead. The Tourist
Class used pace notes, the Apprentice and Masters also used pace notes but
a whole range of navigation tricks to keep us on our toes. Possibly we
should have entered the Tourist Class but being a cocky pair and
considering that you learn best when boxing above your weight we chose to
be Apprentices. What a rude awakening we would get! Without boring
details, we were tested in every way. My calm and competent navigator,
Jasmine did a valiant job in difficult circumstances. Her expertise saw us
in 9th place at day's end. The little 911 stayed true and honest over some
very tricky roads - so did my navigator!
It rained steadily all Saturday night and we
faced wet roads, low cloud and cooler temperatures. Stage 2 on Sunday saw
one section cancelled due to burning-off in the area (even while it was
raining - go figure). After a hasty transport section to Yackandandah the
rally re-started. Several factors saw us "cut and run" to the last control
of the event. We were a bit disappointed in doing so but it was best to
preserve our sanity and enjoy the event to that point. Even dropping
several sections we did not finish last.
Event director Jeff Whitten ran a well organised event and the volunteers
kept things running smoothly. We both had a great time and intend to run
in the 2009 event. We travelled through some great country, enjoyed the
good company of fellow entrants and had fine food and wine.
Here are some pictures of the event.
Postscript:
The
Monit is a great
unit with simple configuration and only a few buttons to press to view or
change things. The illuminated and backlit display was visible even in
bright sunlight.
>>Top
Modifications so
far to "Little Red". |
