Now with Photos, HPDE3 at MMP Utah outer oop, FAST course, RAAMFiST is doing great!

[RAAMaudio]

Posted on another thread but I thought this might be interesting for those that do not see it there.

I think this shows the car was quite fast for the first time out and my first time on track in 6 or so years. I tried to cut and paste here but the format would not work.

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/threads/1836-RAAMaudio-ST-street-track-dog-hauler-grocery-getter-ultra-low-weight-audio/page8

 

[RAAMaudio]

Looks like the car would be in TTB as it sits, only one car ran in that class, 2:15:179 so I would have to work on the car and my driving to be competitive in that class it seems but that is not enough data to go on to be sure but half of the TT3 cars were in that range though the two were far quicker, I would not run that class though I could.

Last run of the day, pulling into pit lane, I am in love with this car more than ever now

 

[RAAMaudio]

Out of these three cars, the Vette was this years NASA championship winner, which one do you think passed me when they always started well in front and which one I was able to pass?

I also passed a Mazda Speed3 on the 7/8th mile front straight, he was not totally stock and on R comps I am pretty sure but must of been stock power for me to get buy.

 

[RAAMaudio]

One of the wickedest race series cars ever, CANAM....this one was pristine, I would not want to drive it at speed.

There is a Fiesta B spec race car in the background, owned or maintained by the same shop.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I am researching running E30 or so, custom blend if needed, getting the fuel to do so as I travel, etc....so I can get a bit more top end power and with tuning if I can pick up a bit more down low it would be perfect for my needs. I was thinking I may need to get the EFR but if I can make a bit more with the modded stock turbo I will be set for tracks with longer straights, many tracks I probably have all I need.

 

[razorlab]

I am researching running E30 or so, custom blend if needed, getting the fuel to do so as I travel, etc....so I can get a bit more top end power and with tuning if I can pick up a bit more down low it would be perfect for my needs. I was thinking I may need to get the EFR but if I can make a bit more with the modded stock turbo I will be set for tracks with longer straights, many tracks I probably have all I need.

The E30 will for sure fatten up the low to mid range considerably and run cooler on the track.

 

[razorlab]

It looks like you totally opened up the grill in front? That explains your low coolant temps...

Maybe I will purchase another bumper beam for track use and swap it out before events.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I opened it up fully and then....

I cut out half the bumper beam and welded metal back in to seal it so air would not escape into it and to bring back some of the strength to it so no need to swap it out for events.

ABS sheet was heat formed to seal everything off as well as I could forcing more air through the cooling units.

I took the oil cooling load off the radiator via bypassing the stock oil to water cooler and installed a Mocal Tstat plate and nice size Setrab oil cooler as well.

I was working on an idea to duct all the air out of the oil cooler away from the AC/radiator but it would put the cooler close to the danger zone of a light tap taking it out. For now around 40% misses the AC/Rad area and I still am going to duct the input to the oil cooler to force more air through it.

I also massively swiss cheezed the fan shroud and insulated all the piping behind it.

Still looking into getting the stock oil to water cooler off so I can mount the Mocal plate closer and then use the biggest oversized oil filter I can fit, for now just a stock size filter is the best I can use.

It was only around 70 degrees so hot weather will tell if what I have done is enough, I hope so, nice if I can get by without adding any more weight up front with a thicker radiator.

 

[meFiSTo]

Great fun!

What a fun read! Car is looking great and fantastic to see you having fun and being (comparatively) fast. Can't wait to get the car out next year, although there are a number of (minor) adjustments that need to happen first (brake pads/lines/fluids stuff, mountune springs, camber bolts, track rubber, maybe a tow hook, heh, like that). I definitely won't do as much track prep as you've got (or nearly as much rubber), but I'm sure it'll be FUN. Would be awesome to get to MMP someday, but it is a 12-hour haul from here. Right between Thunderhill and Laguna Seca drive time-wise. A local race shop does remote events where he hauls cars to destination tracks in a giant covered semi. Fly and drive, baby. Hoping to do a Laguna Seca, Sonoma, Thunderhill swing maybe in 2015. Ah dreams. Have to get to a couple of local circuits first though to shake out the cobwebs (it's been 3 years for me).

BTW: I'm wondering about your numbers. Are those vinyl or magnetic? I'm thinking vinyl by the looks of it. I'm wondering because if magnetic numbers that size stay stuck, then that would be handy. Shiny side up, bruh.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I moved to Utah more for the track than anything because it is a very safe place, most turns at least, to learn to go faster. I changed plans a few times, building really nuts cars I realized were far to fast for me, the FiST will be faster than it now is but more than enough for most tracks I will see and far faster than I feel responsible in a street car. I have had some fast street cars but mostly built, drove a bit, sold them...not really fun unless all out and a track is the only place I believe that should be done.

A totally stock FiST is really fun on track, just more tire a tune, some other tweaks and it will be great fun on most any track there is with the only exception are HP tracks where a bit more would be more fun, I needed a bit more but made up for it in the turns quite well.

I will probably hit all the CA and further northern tracks next year they way things are working out, hope to see you there

 

[RAAMaudio]

Numbers are vinyl, I was in a huge rush to get them on to get on the grid, ran short on time as slept in a bit so instead of taping on blue masking tape I ran over to the NASA office and bought numbers, I read they were just $4 but they were $4 each so it was $24 and I put them on crooked in the rush so that was an expensive two day use I got from them

I have seen quite a few magnetic numbers come off, even during an autocross, I would not use them, might not even be allowed at some places and weight more than tape of vinyl.

I will have a custom package made up later, some graffics and numbers and will look into alternative removealble numbers or seal the edges with clear tape, etc....

 

[meFiSTo]

Thanks. I actually have a set of 3 magnetic numbers (black, 6-inch vinyl numbers on white rectangular magnetic sheets). I blue tape around the border and have had no problems with losing them. The NW area NASA event coordinator said they won't have a problem with them at The Ridge HPDEs (I've never had problems with the local clubs, so far). However, I believe that the standard minimum is 8 inches, so I could get caught with the wrong stuff at some point. No matter, just curious. Might get replacements of the right size. I should have been thinking back when I originally had them made. Not too concerned about incremental weight like that...car is 95 percent a street car, with a few adjustments to make it better on track.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I like your idea and getting taller ones to be safe as not allowed to run would suck......

I know I am a bit anal about weight but I treat the whole car that way and it all adds up to a significant amount if done right though it can take a great deal of time and some funds, sometimes quite a bit of both!

I just thought about cling type numbers that could be taped as well and weight very little, I will look into that.

Thanks
Rick

 

[RAAMaudio]

I just made my car more competitive in TT, I went over the rules very carefully and found out I was adding points I did not have to add, track width. I thought mine had to accept a 6 point penalty due to much wider than the stock 57.7 front width but since my offset only added 1", the total width of the wheels and tires are much wider but the way it is measured I am easily within the rules.

This puts the car in TTC instead of TTB and still leaves room for a rear sway bar or diffuser and I think a diffuser may pay off better as not sure I really need a rear bar as have fairly stiff springs

-----------

If I wanted to stay in TTB I can add both and run a super sticky tire like the Hoosier A6 but they wear out fast, it might still be the best class for the car and I would only have to run them when doing TT events but at an HPDE I could run harder tires like the RA1 Toyo I now run.

 

[razorlab]

Worried about the weight of magnetic numbers but you bought a FiST with sunroof RAAM? lol

Btw, it would be interesting to see how the bearings hold up to real slicks.

 

[RAAMaudio]

1) Sunroof: I needed the air flow for when our big doggies are with us and we have to leave them in the car at times, that is the only reason I have it. I have replaced sunroofs with carbon fiber panels and on the Scion Tc the whole glass roof with a carbon kevlar one. Since I get to do whatever I want with cars my wife got to choose the doggies of her dreams and this is a multipurpose car, if track only it would not have a sunroof

2) So far OK but I am keeping my eye on them, I might order some spares to take with us as I have a big C clamp press I could take as well and do it in the paddock if I had to replace one.

 

[RAAMaudio]

Just in case not posted, with my current cooling mods I had these results.

Charge temps:

I take it the temps were pretty good, my next step is a Mishimoto radiator and to divert more air out of the oil cooler away from it, higher rate fan possible....this should help a bit.

My last run was 25 minutes, it was around 70 degrees ambient, humidity no sure but fairly low, I was going all out running the crap out of the car, 3rd, 4th and well into 5th gear down the main straight, middle of the session it logged 113 charge temp at the highest it went, most of the time it was stayed in the low 90s up to 109 or so after a longer pull.

----------------------

Highest oil temp was 238 but mostly ran in the upper 220 range.

Water temp was in the 200-205 or so range, highest logged was 207 just one pull, not sure why in the middle of the session I had my highest water, oil and charge temps then cooled back down and did not go that high again.

 

[Sourskittle]

That's great info.

 

[razorlab]

Just in case not posted, with my current cooling mods I had these results.

Charge temps:

I take it the temps were pretty good, my next step is a Mishimoto radiator and to divert more air out of the oil cooler away from it, higher rate fan possible....this should help a bit.

My last run was 25 minutes, it was around 70 degrees ambient, humidity no sure but fairly low, I was going all out running the crap out of the car, 3rd, 4th and well into 5th gear down the main straight, middle of the session it logged 113 charge temp at the highest it went, most of the time it was stayed in the low 90s up to 109 or so after a longer pull.

----------------------

Highest oil temp was 238 but mostly ran in the upper 220 range.

Water temp was in the 200-205 or so range, highest logged was 207 just one pull, not sure why in the middle of the session I had my highest water, oil and charge temps then cooled back down and did not go that high again.

So pretty close to my same data in 65-68* ambient from my last session at my last track event.

My charge temps are lower but my coolant is higher but you have more airflow going to your radiator since you changed the airbag sensor bar and opened up the bumper.

Of course you are probably reving it out a little bit more than me since you have a upgraded turbo. I don't rev past 6k with the stock turbo or it's a dog on the track.

Thanks for the data

 

[RAAMaudio]

When I get more into the final stages I will start logging more stuff and find the best way to share it

For now I am happy with how things are going as it looks like some things on the tune are really working out nicely but I had to stop as when it gets to dark I cannot see all the deer and occasional elk or bear and the county LEW have sneaky SUVs.

Of course the end results might be different but we might have 25 PSI max and 22 out to redline safely on 91 Octane, 93 would do a bit better of course but not sold here.

Once the mid and upper end are nice and sorted out the bottom end will be addressed, I have my fingers crossed on that.

Then the E30 tune will begin.

This little modded turbo might turn out to be quite impressive