05-06-2015, 11:33 AM
ScottyB Wrote:cool! what do the other mazda3 track drivers do to keep their cars reliable?
This is a good question and one I will have to do some research on. This car has only 30k miles right now so it is quite young without hoping too worry about reliability right now. Definitely something to look into though.
ScottyB Wrote:use the knowledge of others that have gone before you - don't try to reinvent the wheel. where are the weak points?
I will look into this as well! :thumbup:
ScottyB Wrote:some thoughts on the prep:
- how does your car manage oil control. are you considering a baffled oil pan? with good track tires (200 treadwear or R comps) you will probably pull close to 1G in a continuous turn, and the effects it can have on the equipment can sneak up on you.
I'll figure this out. Yes I'm running 200 treadwear with the RE-11A's now and expect to step up to the RE-71R's when these get heat cycled out (thinking this will happen before I hit wear bars sometime in the Fall). Yes more wear on components with harsher driving.
ScottyB Wrote:- good accurate gauges are a requirement for any serious track car. oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp (the stock gauges are not accurate), possibly battery voltage.
Right now this isn't of my greatest concerns because I'm only in HPDE's. Will look into this as I get more serious!
ScottyB Wrote:- heat management for the engine and brakes. might want to consider ducting for the front rotors which can also help the wheel bearings survive longer.
Yes I need to remove my foglights sometime and fab together some air ducts. My bandaid for this for the time being was the bigger brakes.
ScottyB Wrote:- do you have a full face helmet? gloves?
Helmet is on the mods list. Gloves were something I was not thinking about in HPDE
ScottyB Wrote:- can you swap a different OEM mazda seat into your car that will give you better bolstering but retain the stock features?
Unfortunately Mazdaspeed3 seats aren't much different from what I can tell and I have no idea if they mount correctly. May be something to look into.
ScottyB Wrote:and the biggest one
- are you willing to push the car off a cliff and watch it crumple into a tin can, right now? never, ever take a car on track that you aren't willing to total, doubly so if its your only car. if you're driving with apprehension the entire time you're never going to enjoy yourself, and what's the point of that? keep in mind, its not always what you do!
Yes. I realize I can easily move on to other things at anytime. I'm sure I'll miss the damn car a lot, but it's just a Mazda3 in the end! I was not trying to make it seem like I'm going to drive with apprehension as some people know I do try to push the car, but within reasonable limits that I feel I'm ready for. With HPDE's my goal is to start out slow and build up to what I'm comfortable with not just drive apprehensively.
ScottyB Wrote:Kaan Wrote:Safety equipment is an all or nothing thing
this. it works as a system. if you start mixing componentry you're bringing in variables that disrupt the safety benefits of the intended system. you either go all in, or keep it stock with the safety stuff. your car is slow enough right now that you can probably leave it be and spend the money on track time to actually get fast enough to where it would be a true benefit to have the car caged and belted.
a decent google search will probably get you all the feedback you want to see on what happens with fixed back seats in a non-caged car. or listen to the alumni here, there is a TON of combined experience amongst your fellow MMers. Kaan has seen it all and there are probably half a dozen of us actively posting here on the forum that are either active/retired racers or instructors that have come up through the HPDE ranks and saw for themselves how to do it the right way.
Ah yes, I understand the point. I know there is an argument here to be made. What my thoughts were is I'm going to slowly move up I'd like to have pieces in place for a later time. And the part about my car being slow is the reason why I think I'll be okay with what I have planned out. Something like Navin said may be my best option or what Joey stated. Is the stock safety inherently better on the track than what I have planned though is what I'm trying to question. What I've heard from you all and see is that even with proper track safety equipment can still fail and freak accidents can still occur?? Feel free to drop some knowledge on my young punk ass, but also see where I'm coming from if that's possible. I know a lot of you have seen and had more experience than I'll probably ever have.