Flemke - Is this your McLaren?

[tiga84]

Flemke, just a quick one. Have just read the first page of this thread again and was wondering if you've sorted the wheel situation out yet, or at very least made any further progress to making a final decision on type? I know it was largely down to manufacturing etc.

Still think the BBSs' look a bit special though, have you not considered an orginal design rim in the same shade?

[jellison]

Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids)

Is it just me? - (I have checked the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that!

***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car?

>> Edited by jellison on Thursday 4th May 15:59

[greg_D]

jellison said:

Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids) Is it just me? - (I have check the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that! ***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car?

Let me guess, your car is quicker!!!!

Forgive me if i took the wrong end of the stick with your post, but WTF, people are entitled to drive however they like and the driver of an F1 has much more to lose (and a lot less to prove) by smearing the armco than the driver of a ring-shed golf or something.

You really do come across badly sometimes Jellison

[Tuska]

greg_D said:

You really do come across badly sometimes Jellison

Has become one of the biggest wind up merchants on PH (and several other forums).

To be ignored.

[stone]

greg_D said:

jellison said: Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids) Is it just me? - (I have check the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that! ***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car? Let me guess, your car is quicker!!!!

[anniesdad]

When ultimately comparing the modified and unmodified F1, a strong candidate for the driving job must be Rowan Atkinson. His journalistic qualities are well documented and he's a passionate and long standing admirer/owner of the F1 having lived on it's tiny archipelago for some time. I'm sure that he would be more than interested in trying out the improved version.

I for one, would just love to read his (hopefully unbiased) thoughts and whether his opinion on the finished modified car is similar to our own Flemke's.

[anniesdad]

jellison said:

Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids) Is it just me? - (I have check the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that! ***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car?

IIRC, the car was under development at the time.

[jellison]

anniesdad said:

jellison said: Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids) Is it just me? - (I have check the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that! ***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car? IIRC, the car was under development at the time.

Under development - what does that mean - if all the bits are bolted on tight. Seem odd to me that you post up something where it is obviously one of the fastest things ever created and potter about - if it was under development then he woul have learn nothing at those speeds about any of the bits being tried out!

Yep I I luv a good wind up me.

But come on - don't you have any of you going FAST?

You all need to see the RUF 911 vid would there to know what fast is....................

[jellison]

If he has had it a good while then surely we can expect some fast lap vids!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yayZKqZ42I

Let us know when there is some new footage.............

>> Edited by jellison on Thursday 4th May 16:03

[anniesdad]

jellison said:

if it was under development then he woul have learn nothing at those speeds about any of the bits being tried out!

I beg to differ.

Ah well.....You can't please all the people all of the time.

IIRC, and in my honourable friends defence the video was posted up after much demand from PHers.

[jellison]

They were posted posted Wednesday 13th October 2004 - he most have gone faster now?! and recorded it - all the trick moving camera stuff does not come cheap and presume he would want to show the car going fast not pottering around.

Not having a did as such - just post up the ones of the FAST Laps.

www.carclassic.com/stock.asp?StockID=102466

>> Edited by jellison on Thursday 4th May 16:28

[orgasmicliving!!]

flemke said:

... Little Flemke, who knows next-to-nothing about cars, gets told that there are no problems. Being a thick, stubborn cuss, he plods on and after a heck of a lot of effort, money and frustration, he gets the car right. Why should I help to improve the cars of guys who didn't care enough to make the effort in the first place? They don't need my help - they just need to get on with it themselves. My friends who have the cars I would always help, but that's because they're my friends, not because they have the cars.

But then, aren't you being a bit peevish about the whole thing? Those who don't bother to ask can't be bothered, but those who do ask...what's the harm in sharing it with them even if they are not your friends? That would make you the better man, surely. Adding to the world's knowledge (no matter how specialised) is always a positive contribution. Disagree?

[orgasmicliving!!]

anniesdad said:

When ultimately comparing the modified and unmodified F1, a strong candidate for the driving job must be Rowan Atkinson. His journalistic qualities are well documented and he's a passionate and long standing admirer/owner of the F1 having lived on it's tiny archipelago for some time. I'm sure that he would be more than interested in trying out the improved version.

Martin Brundle also comes to mind, though I don't know how well he writes.

Mr. Atkinson writes extremely well, doesn't he? And now that he owns a GTR as well as a regular McLaren, he would be a good person to judge the difference.

>> Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Thursday 4th May 16:59

[orgasmicliving!!]

Incidentally, Flemke, I know Christian Koenigsegg also did some analysis with a McLaren F1 and came to the same conclusions (about the suspension's many shortcomings). It might be worthwhile to contact him and see what he found out, and what his approach towards the Koenigsegg suspension was. Although as I understand it, you are quite far along now and committed to some very specific modifications, aren't you?

>> Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Thursday 4th May 17:21

[tiga84]

jellison said:

anniesdad said: jellison said: Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids) Is it just me? - (I have check the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that! ***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car? IIRC, the car was under development at the time. Under development - what does that mean - if all the bits are bolted on tight. Seem odd to me that you post up something where it is obviously one of the fastest things ever created and potter about - if it was under development then he woul have learn nothing at those speeds about any of the bits being tried out! Yep I I luv a good wind up me. But come on - don't you have any of you going FAST? You all need to see the RUF 911 vid would there to know what fast is....................

More of an "exhibition" lap than anything, not that quick at all, just showing off (and by god does Roser do that!) The Radical 6:59 is quick though.......

[flemke]

Hovick said:

Sorry forgive me but what does slipping the clutch mean?

Slipping the clutch is when your foot is pushing on the clutch pedal partially, so that the clutch plates are rubbing across each other ('slipping') instead of being tight against each other. Slipping causes the clutch plates to wear very, very much more rapidly than they will do with clean on/off contact.

Hovick said:

I remember reading that the ecu in the car modulates the throttle on take off? ie you dont even need to have your foot on the accelerator for regular starts. Is that true or is my memeory playing tricks on me, perhaps it was the zonda that does that. Also since the flywheel is so small, does that mean on downshifts you can just let out the clutch without blipping the throttle? Or do you still have to heel and toe?. Thanks

There is no electronic throttle modulation or interference on the F1, apart from the rev-limiter at the top.
On downshifts you definitely need to coordinate the engine speed with the road speed and gear ratio. You can do that by blipping, or by directly raising the rpms without the imprecision of a blip. You don't have to do that with heel-and-toe technique, but you can if you wish.




>> Edited by flemke on Thursday 4th May 22:49

[flemke]

tiga84 said:

Flemke, just a quick one. Have just read the first page of this thread again and was wondering if you've sorted the wheel situation out yet, or at very least made any further progress to making a final decision on type? I know it was largely down to manufacturing etc. Still think the BBSs' look a bit special though, have you not considered an orginal design rim in the same shade?

At present the car has a set of 6061 aluminium rims that I had made in the States. They are similar to but not quite the same as the originals. In 19" they weigh almost exactly the same as the original 17" mags. I may ask a fellow PHer to post on here a photo that he recently took of the new ones.
These will not be the finished wheels. I am having the wheelmaker spec the weight on what would be his version of the OZ "Chronos" wheels that were on the GTRs and LMs, but in 19" and in 2021 aluminium. If they are light enough without sacrificing structural integrity I shall probably use them. If not, I'll look at a multi-spoke design, with exact replicas of the originals as a backup.
One problem with the original road car wheel design is that it does not appear to be very helpful with brake cooling, so we'd like to get that improved.
The current fairly-light wheels are a great deal better than the BBS ones in the image. They weigh about 2.25 kg/corner less.

Sorry, but I can't live with the gold/silver thing. I like grey and black. The new paint combo that I am contemplating will require a dark colour.

[flemke]

jellison said:

Just come across this - thought Oooh this should be good. (The Vids) Is it just me? - (I have checked the 3 vids round the Ring) - However, I've been to funerals where they've driven faster than that! ***Pace is comfortable rather than envelope (or car) breaking! - Was there something wrong with the car?

I hope that you will forgive me, jon, for failing to live up to the lofty standards of someone who appears to have chosen - not at gunpoint but of his own free will - to drive a metallic purple Chimaera.

The background to the clip has been described before. In brief:
The car's suspension had just been fundamentally changed. The purpose of the run was to test the changes. As such, there was no need to try to put in a "hot" lap. Rather, I was trying to simulate what I normally use the car for - quick road driving - in a controlled environment with which I was familiar.
In the F1 the passenger sits about two feet behind the driver. A friend and PHer who happened to be with me on the day asked to accompany me on the test laps. I was unaware until nearly the end of the run that he was using a camera and filming the driving.
A few days after the driving he sent me the clip of the laps and asked if I would mind his posting them on PH. He and I then agreed to delete bits that had audible voices or pictures of my face. IIRC, he then contacted Ted and they arranged the posting.

Sorry that the clip disappointed you. Perhaps you would be generous enough to show all of PH how it's properly done at the 'ring. We'd love to see a clip of one of your quicker laps. Commentary about your preferred line through particular bends and camber changes would be a bonus.
Furthermore, perhaps one weekend when I'm at the 'ring you could show me the best way around. I'll follow your purple Chiamera. You reckon you can stay ahead of me?

[flemke]

orgasmicliving!! said:

But then, aren't you being a bit peevish about the whole thing? Those who don't bother to ask can't be bothered, but those who do ask...what's the harm in sharing it with them even if they are not your friends? That would make you the better man, surely. Adding to the world's knowledge (no matter how specialised) is always a positive contribution. Disagree?

Those are fair questions.
If I need to be a better man, I can think of many preferable ways in which to accomplish it.
If an owner contacted me and asked for advice, I'd decide what to do based on how I judged this hypothetical person. As with most other aspects of life, some people with F1s are really good guys, others are assholes. I would not treat them equally.

Adding to the world's knowledge. Let's put it this way: I would bet you that I have put into the public domain more honest and true information about how the F1 actually functions than any other human being has done. Let some of these dudes with the garage queens do a bit of sharing and then we can reassess my obligation to the world's knowledge.

[_VTEC_]

Sorry to go off topic, but it's just occured to me that I've never spoken to anyone who has been to the 'ring. Well, at least I don't think I have anyway. (In person)

I think you mentioned Schwedenkreuz as being a pretty nasty corner but there as so many corners that you are meant to take flat there that would just scare the crap out of me. Tiergarten being a prime example.

I suppose this is an open-ended question to all 'ringers, but I'm planning on going soon and was just wondering if the bumbs catch you out as much as people say they do, and what is the thing that surprised you most about the place the first time you went there?