Spire GT3 RGB Racer
Discussion
SoftwareSorcerer said:
Nice thread - following with some interest, since I'll be racing against you this year 
Looking forward to getting some track time!
Good stuff, have never driven an RGB car on track so certainly not expecting to set the world alight.. see how we go. I see you’ve had previous experience with an ADR? Looking forward to getting some track time!
I actually viewed the car you’ve bought and was very close to buying it, it’s a well campaigned and developed bit of kit. Are you doing any track days prior to your first race? I’m hoping to get out at Oulton next month.
Yazza54 said:
SoftwareSorcerer said:
Nice thread - following with some interest, since I'll be racing against you this year
Looking forward to getting some track time!
Good stuff, have never driven an RGB car on track so certainly not expecting to set the world alight.. see how we go. I see you’ve had previous experience with an ADR? Looking forward to getting some track time!
I actually viewed the car you’ve bought and was very close to buying it, it’s a well campaigned and developed bit of kit. Are you doing any track days prior to your first race? I’m hoping to get out at Oulton next month.
The ADR is a bit different - runs slicks and wings. Going to be interesting to drive such a similar car without the same grip!
Been doing some more bits today, finished the full service. Found the thing a bit of a pain in the arse to fill and set the level with it having a big oil cooler and different sump etc. Case of filling, cranking, filling again, cracked oil cooler hose off to bleed etc.. then just when I think I’ve got it somewhere near it drops again. Got there in the end just took a lot of topping up.
Took the mucky old OEM air filter out of the rilltech air box and fitted a K&N panel filter, mainly just because it’s washable.
Had some trouble with the reverse mechanism which is a quaife chain drive diff with reverse. The forward drive is a dog engagement and reverse is a synchro, but it’s a bit temperamental in the sense that it engages fine but can be a pain getting it to pop back out when disengaged. Lubed the whole set up and re adjusted all the cables which seemed to help and also made a support for the outer cable as it seemed to be bowing a bit when I was trying to disengage reverse which didn’t help. Did this with a M12 rose joint and some old ally plate my dad had lying around. Seems to help a bit.
New can made by Pipewerx to my dims, the old one was pretty knackered. This one is just under 2 inches longer and I’ve got a few different baffles to try. I bought a decent noise meter and it was showing 103-104db static with the louder baffle in and over revved it a bit so hopefully I’ll be OK on a 105db track day if not with the current baffle in, with the quiet one it should be ok... whether it passes the drive by that’s another thing!!! I guess I can always short shift..
Last thing - had the dry wheels refurbished and new medium compound A048s fitted.
Took the mucky old OEM air filter out of the rilltech air box and fitted a K&N panel filter, mainly just because it’s washable.
Had some trouble with the reverse mechanism which is a quaife chain drive diff with reverse. The forward drive is a dog engagement and reverse is a synchro, but it’s a bit temperamental in the sense that it engages fine but can be a pain getting it to pop back out when disengaged. Lubed the whole set up and re adjusted all the cables which seemed to help and also made a support for the outer cable as it seemed to be bowing a bit when I was trying to disengage reverse which didn’t help. Did this with a M12 rose joint and some old ally plate my dad had lying around. Seems to help a bit.
New can made by Pipewerx to my dims, the old one was pretty knackered. This one is just under 2 inches longer and I’ve got a few different baffles to try. I bought a decent noise meter and it was showing 103-104db static with the louder baffle in and over revved it a bit so hopefully I’ll be OK on a 105db track day if not with the current baffle in, with the quiet one it should be ok... whether it passes the drive by that’s another thing!!! I guess I can always short shift..
Last thing - had the dry wheels refurbished and new medium compound A048s fitted.
Edited by Yazza54 on Saturday 27th January 20:33
Hi all apologies for the lack of updates - since I was going to be needing something to tow with I was idly browsing eBay and ended up buying a lightly damaged Land Rover FL2 Metropolis, so as well as doing bits on the car I've been busy getting that done ...
So back onto the car, it's now all good to go. Not done any particularly exciting jobs on it just prep... Had to get the fire extinguisher serviced, new isolator and extinguisher pull cables as the originals seized, and had to rebuild both front calipers. Found it had a leaking piston and on further inspection the pistons were pitted, so 8 pistons and seals later they're all good as new. Luckily there was a new set of front pads in one of the spares boxes too.
As for racing, I resigned myself to the fact I wouldn't be ready for Donington.. as it happened the event was called off due to the weather anyway after qualifying so I didn't miss much. Shame for those involved but it happens.
I have a TD booked in a few weeks to give the car a shakedown and I'll go from there. My intention is to be comfortable that the car will be reliable and it be a known quantity for my first race. I can handle having my arse kicked and it'll be a serious learning curve I'm sure, but what I can't be doing with is the car letting me down or problems arising on a race weekend that could've been easily sorted with some prior testing, hence not rushing into anything.
I'd like to say I'll be at Brands Hatch in April but I'm playing it by ear to some degree, I'm not hell bent on doing every round - more bothered about being properly prepared and enjoying myself along the way with a view to doing all rounds next year. The weather has been that poor combined with me being so busy that I'm no where near as progressed as I hoped to be in the sense of having some track time under my belt by now. If I don't do brands I'll definitely enter Croft in May.
So back onto the car, it's now all good to go. Not done any particularly exciting jobs on it just prep... Had to get the fire extinguisher serviced, new isolator and extinguisher pull cables as the originals seized, and had to rebuild both front calipers. Found it had a leaking piston and on further inspection the pistons were pitted, so 8 pistons and seals later they're all good as new. Luckily there was a new set of front pads in one of the spares boxes too.
As for racing, I resigned myself to the fact I wouldn't be ready for Donington.. as it happened the event was called off due to the weather anyway after qualifying so I didn't miss much. Shame for those involved but it happens.
I have a TD booked in a few weeks to give the car a shakedown and I'll go from there. My intention is to be comfortable that the car will be reliable and it be a known quantity for my first race. I can handle having my arse kicked and it'll be a serious learning curve I'm sure, but what I can't be doing with is the car letting me down or problems arising on a race weekend that could've been easily sorted with some prior testing, hence not rushing into anything.
I'd like to say I'll be at Brands Hatch in April but I'm playing it by ear to some degree, I'm not hell bent on doing every round - more bothered about being properly prepared and enjoying myself along the way with a view to doing all rounds next year. The weather has been that poor combined with me being so busy that I'm no where near as progressed as I hoped to be in the sense of having some track time under my belt by now. If I don't do brands I'll definitely enter Croft in May.
Edited by Yazza54 on Tuesday 27th March 18:33
Had my first TD and happy to report the car behaved and I felt pretty comfortable in it in the end. The car was displaying some odd handling characteristics mainly in the form of snap oversteer but I managed to make a few changes to remedy that. Plus I went out with tyre pressures too high initially but that wasn't the cause of the jekyll and Hyde handling.
After tinkering I got out again still on the A048s and it started to rain, I stayed out and even with a fully damp track the car felt much better and nearer neutral. After that it subsequently pissed down - didn't do anything but disconnect the rear ARB and fit the wet tyres and it drove really well. Dead pleased with it, nothing came by me and I learned a lot while I was out there snaking about. It was properly slippy but manageable just trying to keep it smooth, video below - pretty pleased for a first drive
https://youtu.be/2AIFnNoLbeA
After tinkering I got out again still on the A048s and it started to rain, I stayed out and even with a fully damp track the car felt much better and nearer neutral. After that it subsequently pissed down - didn't do anything but disconnect the rear ARB and fit the wet tyres and it drove really well. Dead pleased with it, nothing came by me and I learned a lot while I was out there snaking about. It was properly slippy but manageable just trying to keep it smooth, video below - pretty pleased for a first drive
https://youtu.be/2AIFnNoLbeA
Edited by Yazza54 on Wednesday 18th April 06:11
Forgot to mention that it also passed the noise test no bother at all with it's new can. Not wanting any hassle I just threw the most restrictive/quietest baffle in and also some additional coarse foam in the airbox and to my surprise in was only 93db static!! He did test me a little lower than he should've on the RPMs but it was always the drive by noise I was more worried about - under load the car is still fairly loud and my dad said he could hear it all round the track but thankfully no meters pinged.
Be interesting to see if it feels any livelier with those bits removed as the noise won't be an issue on a race weekend. The exhaust bung was a definite restriction as the tailpipe looks like it's been getting pretty hot and has damaged the paint all round the opening - but at least it did it's job!
My plan now is to speak to someone who can go through the full setup with me and give me a base to work with and corner weight the car etc as I suspect it's still not fully setup correctly. I'm going to enter Croft for the end of May giving me some time to get it fully setup and good to go.
Be interesting to see if it feels any livelier with those bits removed as the noise won't be an issue on a race weekend. The exhaust bung was a definite restriction as the tailpipe looks like it's been getting pretty hot and has damaged the paint all round the opening - but at least it did it's job!
My plan now is to speak to someone who can go through the full setup with me and give me a base to work with and corner weight the car etc as I suspect it's still not fully setup correctly. I'm going to enter Croft for the end of May giving me some time to get it fully setup and good to go.
Edited by Yazza54 on Wednesday 18th April 06:30
JonChalk said:
Sounds cracking on the video.
How many gears has it got? It sounded to me like almost flat in 6th (in the wet! Top man!) - if no 7th, are you going to be rev-limited in the dry?
I was flat in 6th in various places the gear indicator was definitely playing up though must need calibrating. Don't forget I can change front and rear sprockets with it being chain driven.How many gears has it got? It sounded to me like almost flat in 6th (in the wet! Top man!) - if no 7th, are you going to be rev-limited in the dry?
Yazza54 said:
JonChalk said:
Sounds cracking on the video.
How many gears has it got? It sounded to me like almost flat in 6th (in the wet! Top man!) - if no 7th, are you going to be rev-limited in the dry?
I was flat in 6th in various places the gear indicator was definitely playing up though must need calibrating. Don't forget I can change front and rear sprockets with it being chain driven.How many gears has it got? It sounded to me like almost flat in 6th (in the wet! Top man!) - if no 7th, are you going to be rev-limited in the dry?
Looked good though, props for going out in an open car in that weather!
Yazza54 said:
I was flat in 6th in various places the gear indicator was definitely playing up though must need calibrating. Don't forget I can change front and rear sprockets with it being chain driven.
Hadn't realised that. Well, that would solve that problem, then. cheer.sKeep up the good work ;-)
Update - so as can be seen in the pics I'm not really sat low enough in the car
I've pulled the GRP seat out and am going to have a go at making an expanding foam seat to allow me to effectively sit on the floor of the car. I checked yesterday and this has gained me about 40mm which means my helmet is now comfortably below the roll bar for scruitineering.
I'm taking the car to procomp Motorsport for setup/geometry in a couple of weeks so need my new seat in position by then so the car can be cornerweighted.
Other jobs include a new chain as I'm not sure how old it is, and get the car all stickered up... Then generally have a good check through everything. Probably change the oil and filter again too.
Have now entered the round at Croft on 26th & 27th May as well as the test day on the 25th ... So it's all go!
I've pulled the GRP seat out and am going to have a go at making an expanding foam seat to allow me to effectively sit on the floor of the car. I checked yesterday and this has gained me about 40mm which means my helmet is now comfortably below the roll bar for scruitineering.
I'm taking the car to procomp Motorsport for setup/geometry in a couple of weeks so need my new seat in position by then so the car can be cornerweighted.
Other jobs include a new chain as I'm not sure how old it is, and get the car all stickered up... Then generally have a good check through everything. Probably change the oil and filter again too.
Have now entered the round at Croft on 26th & 27th May as well as the test day on the 25th ... So it's all go!
Little video one of the guys has done of various drivers footage from Brands Race 1
https://youtu.be/nVTdCB7iFHo
I believe that round will also be televised at some point on motorsport.tv (I think that's what it's called now, used to be motors tv)
https://youtu.be/nVTdCB7iFHo
I believe that round will also be televised at some point on motorsport.tv (I think that's what it's called now, used to be motors tv)
Yazza54 said:
Little video one of the guys has done of various drivers footage from Brands Race 1
https://youtu.be/nVTdCB7iFHo
I believe that round will also be televised at some point on motorsport.tv (I think that's what it's called now, used to be motors tv)
Looks like awesome fun!https://youtu.be/nVTdCB7iFHo
I believe that round will also be televised at some point on motorsport.tv (I think that's what it's called now, used to be motors tv)
Yazza54 said:
Update - so as can be seen in the pics I'm not really sat low enough in the car
I've pulled the GRP seat out and am going to have a go at making an expanding foam seat to allow me to effectively sit on the floor of the car. I checked yesterday and this has gained me about 40mm which means my helmet is now comfortably below the roll bar for scruitineering.
I'm taking the car to procomp Motorsport for setup/geometry in a couple of weeks so need my new seat in position by then so the car can be cornerweighted.
Other jobs include a new chain as I'm not sure how old it is, and get the car all stickered up... Then generally have a good check through everything. Probably change the oil and filter again too.
Have now entered the round at Croft on 26th & 27th May as well as the test day on the 25th ... So it's all go!
Brilliant mate. If you need a hand with the seat, give me a shout. Do you need the supplier for the foam chemical?I've pulled the GRP seat out and am going to have a go at making an expanding foam seat to allow me to effectively sit on the floor of the car. I checked yesterday and this has gained me about 40mm which means my helmet is now comfortably below the roll bar for scruitineering.
I'm taking the car to procomp Motorsport for setup/geometry in a couple of weeks so need my new seat in position by then so the car can be cornerweighted.
Other jobs include a new chain as I'm not sure how old it is, and get the car all stickered up... Then generally have a good check through everything. Probably change the oil and filter again too.
Have now entered the round at Croft on 26th & 27th May as well as the test day on the 25th ... So it's all go!
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