MDifficult’s E82 1M Coupe & Ariel Atom 3
Discussion
I always have to laugh at the way that people over-engineer fire extinguisher solutions for track cars. I think your balance is just right.
My feeling is that, if you have winged seats, a 6pt harness and a full cage with door bars, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
Also, if you're running fuel lines inside the cabin or have a cell in the cabin, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
If you've got neither of those things, you probably need to focus on being able to get out of the car and away from it quickly.
If my car caught fire on track, Usain Bolt wouldn't see which way I went. I carry a 2.5kg extinguisher on a mount in front of my passenger seat for occasions like a small fire in the pitlane, or stopping to help someone dealing with a small fire on track (e.g. brakes).
My feeling is that, if you have winged seats, a 6pt harness and a full cage with door bars, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
Also, if you're running fuel lines inside the cabin or have a cell in the cabin, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
If you've got neither of those things, you probably need to focus on being able to get out of the car and away from it quickly.
If my car caught fire on track, Usain Bolt wouldn't see which way I went. I carry a 2.5kg extinguisher on a mount in front of my passenger seat for occasions like a small fire in the pitlane, or stopping to help someone dealing with a small fire on track (e.g. brakes).
C70R said:
I always have to laugh at the way that people over-engineer fire extinguisher solutions for track cars. I think your balance is just right.
My feeling is that, if you have winged seats, a 6pt harness and a full cage with door bars, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
Also, if you're running fuel lines inside the cabin or have a cell in the cabin, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
If you've got neither of those things, you probably need to focus on being able to get out of the car and away from it quickly.
If my car caught fire on track, Usain Bolt wouldn't see which way I went. I carry a 2.5kg extinguisher on a mount in front of my passenger seat for occasions like a small fire in the pitlane, or stopping to help someone dealing with a small fire on track (e.g. brakes).
Couldn't agree more! If it bursts into flames on the track I'm going to be fully focussed on stopping somewhere safe, getting out, leaping the barriers and leaving it to the boys and girls in the orange overalls with the big extinguishers!My feeling is that, if you have winged seats, a 6pt harness and a full cage with door bars, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
Also, if you're running fuel lines inside the cabin or have a cell in the cabin, you probably need a plumbed extinguisher.
If you've got neither of those things, you probably need to focus on being able to get out of the car and away from it quickly.
If my car caught fire on track, Usain Bolt wouldn't see which way I went. I carry a 2.5kg extinguisher on a mount in front of my passenger seat for occasions like a small fire in the pitlane, or stopping to help someone dealing with a small fire on track (e.g. brakes).
My concern is far more on the way to (and more likely, from) when a loose oil or fuel line, or electrical short leaves me sat on the side of the road watching it burn. Always struck me that that must be an incredibly galling experience, especially if it starts with something small and innocuous. Hence usually trying to have something to hand in my cars. The fact it's always there to help someone else in need is a bonus.
Don't want to be a hero - but don't want to watch someones pride and joy slowly melt into the tarmac for the sake of a small extinguisher
Yesterday was my first visit to 1320 MINI and although i'd heard really good things and been recommended them by Luke, the car's original builder, I was still really surprised by the quality of the experience.
I say 'experience' because it's not really like any other place I've been to. Someone had told me 'it's more like a day out' and they couldn't have been more right. Rather than sitting in a waiting room twiddling your thumbs, Scott and Tom welcome you into the workshop and encourage you to be up-close-and-personal with all the work.
Scott was working on my car and all the way through and he was only too happy for me to point at things - ask questions, see what he was up to etc. If he spotted a missing fixing or something in need of a cable-tie, he'd just sort it from his bottomless drawers of parts. As well as a good once-over, Scott even took the time to recommend which parts I should take as spares for trackdays, even showing me hints and tips on how to fit them in the paddock with basic tools. You simply don't get that anywhere else I've ever been.
In addition to Scott and Tom, there were other customers having work done on their R53s, so you inevitably start chatting, pouring over each-other's cars, almost like a club meet. One minute you're outside looking at the carpark full of track MINIs for inspiration, the next minute you're all piling into the rolling road room to see the results on someone's car. The whole vibe is incredibly friendly and passionate about these hilarious little cars.
But before all that, I had a nice suprise in the waiting room. Luke'd mentioned that there might be a picture of 'my' car up on the wall and he wasn't wrong. Pride of place next to the bogs was a fantastic canvass...
Anyway, onto the work. 1320 have four lifts in their big, open, well-lit workshop bay so YAY was quickly up in the air. Forgive the state of it, the roads were absolutely filthy on the 2 hour drive up...
Scott quickly whipped out the existing decat pipe and all the rusty fixings...
Next, he got to work making 1320's masterpiece - a Tomcat - their in-house cat pipe developed by Tom (get it?). When 1320 started putting together the excellent Janspeed manifold and JCW back section combination, they noticed that the expensive Janspeed sports cats were getting burned out very quickly. The R53 MINI has a perfectly serviceable cat as standard but they're fully welded into the standard R53 manifold. Tom's brainwave back-in-the-day was to cut the cat off the original system, then weld sections and flanges to it so that it'd interface between the Janspeed manifold and the JCW back section.
As well as being a lot less raucous than the de-cat, the Tomcat provides a much more mellow tone, stops the baffles in the JCW exhaust getting burnt out, passes MOT emissions, and track noise levels AND makes more power on the dyno. What's not to like?
To ensure each one is a perfect snug fit, with multiple angles required, they're all fabricated bespoke for each car. And the result of a couple of hours effort is a work of art...
In addition, Scott cut and welded a second sensor port onto the manifold itself so that I can continue to run the AEM AFR gauge pre-cat.
Next was a good check over underneath with some re-torquing of all the bolts on the rear brakes after we spotted a loose one. Scott even adjusted the heat shields after noticing a buzz. Under the bonnet - no issues beyond a small weep from the oil pressure sensor. Something to deal with at some point but best left alone for now.
With all that done and fluids checked, it was into the rolling road for a health check. Tom took over and ran the car up a couple of times, before suggesting and making a few small improvements that lifted power from 205 at the wheels to 220. The car isn't mapped for meth, using it only for intake temps - just how I wanted it and enabling me to run with it switched off most of the time.
With that done, it was time for the blat home. What can I say? Putting the cat back in was a bloody brilliant move! The car sounds so much better and I can actually hear the supercharger scream rather than the blood pouring out of my ears
I was so pleased that I gave the car a thorough clean and quick detail when I got home to celebrate. I know it's a track car but I couldn't help myself! Roll on Bedford on 17th April....
A massive thank you to Scott, Tom and Hannah at 1320 MINI. If you've got an R53 and you've not been - I honestly can't recommend them enough.
I say 'experience' because it's not really like any other place I've been to. Someone had told me 'it's more like a day out' and they couldn't have been more right. Rather than sitting in a waiting room twiddling your thumbs, Scott and Tom welcome you into the workshop and encourage you to be up-close-and-personal with all the work.
Scott was working on my car and all the way through and he was only too happy for me to point at things - ask questions, see what he was up to etc. If he spotted a missing fixing or something in need of a cable-tie, he'd just sort it from his bottomless drawers of parts. As well as a good once-over, Scott even took the time to recommend which parts I should take as spares for trackdays, even showing me hints and tips on how to fit them in the paddock with basic tools. You simply don't get that anywhere else I've ever been.
In addition to Scott and Tom, there were other customers having work done on their R53s, so you inevitably start chatting, pouring over each-other's cars, almost like a club meet. One minute you're outside looking at the carpark full of track MINIs for inspiration, the next minute you're all piling into the rolling road room to see the results on someone's car. The whole vibe is incredibly friendly and passionate about these hilarious little cars.
But before all that, I had a nice suprise in the waiting room. Luke'd mentioned that there might be a picture of 'my' car up on the wall and he wasn't wrong. Pride of place next to the bogs
was a fantastic canvass... Anyway, onto the work. 1320 have four lifts in their big, open, well-lit workshop bay so YAY was quickly up in the air. Forgive the state of it, the roads were absolutely filthy on the 2 hour drive up...
Scott quickly whipped out the existing decat pipe and all the rusty fixings...
Next, he got to work making 1320's masterpiece - a Tomcat - their in-house cat pipe developed by Tom (get it?). When 1320 started putting together the excellent Janspeed manifold and JCW back section combination, they noticed that the expensive Janspeed sports cats were getting burned out very quickly. The R53 MINI has a perfectly serviceable cat as standard but they're fully welded into the standard R53 manifold. Tom's brainwave back-in-the-day was to cut the cat off the original system, then weld sections and flanges to it so that it'd interface between the Janspeed manifold and the JCW back section.
As well as being a lot less raucous than the de-cat, the Tomcat provides a much more mellow tone, stops the baffles in the JCW exhaust getting burnt out, passes MOT emissions, and track noise levels AND makes more power on the dyno. What's not to like?
To ensure each one is a perfect snug fit, with multiple angles required, they're all fabricated bespoke for each car. And the result of a couple of hours effort is a work of art...
In addition, Scott cut and welded a second sensor port onto the manifold itself so that I can continue to run the AEM AFR gauge pre-cat.
Next was a good check over underneath with some re-torquing of all the bolts on the rear brakes after we spotted a loose one. Scott even adjusted the heat shields after noticing a buzz. Under the bonnet - no issues beyond a small weep from the oil pressure sensor. Something to deal with at some point but best left alone for now.
With all that done and fluids checked, it was into the rolling road for a health check. Tom took over and ran the car up a couple of times, before suggesting and making a few small improvements that lifted power from 205 at the wheels to 220. The car isn't mapped for meth, using it only for intake temps - just how I wanted it and enabling me to run with it switched off most of the time.
With that done, it was time for the blat home. What can I say? Putting the cat back in was a bloody brilliant move! The car sounds so much better and I can actually hear the supercharger scream rather than the blood pouring out of my ears
I was so pleased that I gave the car a thorough clean and quick detail when I got home to celebrate. I know it's a track car but I couldn't help myself! Roll on Bedford on 17th April....
A massive thank you to Scott, Tom and Hannah at 1320 MINI. If you've got an R53 and you've not been - I honestly can't recommend them enough.
Mr Scruff said:
Brilliant! Got me looking at R53s now, and the last thing I need is another bloody car 
Cheers Mate! That’s exactly what I though! But it turns out there’s always room for a MINI iacabu said:
Some lovely cars but having just picked up a mini myself, that's the one I'm most interested in reading about.
Must be great fun with that sort of power. I'd like to think mine is in the region of 190-200bhp at the crank and it's a laugh
Is yours an R53 too? Must be great fun with that sort of power. I'd like to think mine is in the region of 190-200bhp at the crank and it's a laugh
With 250Bhp and perhaps 1100kg it’s certainly fun on a B road - but it’s really a pretty unpleasant road car the rest of the time. It’s VERY stiff (plush, but stiff) and the cam, clutch and flywheel work together to make it a bloody liability in traffic.
I’ve just had a splitter delivered, which should make it completely s
t-house over speed bumps too Just can’t wait to get it on a track where it belongs!
iacabu said:
Some lovely cars but having just picked up a mini myself, that's the one I'm most interested in reading about.
Must be great fun with that sort of power. I'd like to think mine is in the region of 190-200bhp at the crank and it's a laugh
Is yours an R53 too? Must be great fun with that sort of power. I'd like to think mine is in the region of 190-200bhp at the crank and it's a laugh
With 250Bhp and perhaps 1100kg it’s certainly fun on a B road - but it’s really a pretty unpleasant road car the rest of the time. It’s VERY stiff (plush, but stiff) and the cam, clutch and flywheel work together to make it a bloody liability in traffic.
I’ve just had a splitter delivered, which should make it completely s
t-house over speed bumps too Just can’t wait to get it on a track where it belongs!
Fearful that I might be accused of neglecting the other two - I spent the whole day cleaning both the big boys.
I have to say, Gtechniq C2 v3 is the single best detailing product i've ever come across. After putting a good coat on both the cars last summer, all they need is a good clean and a light spritz as a drying aid and top up. Everything from tar and bird ste just wipes straight off or washes off in the rain. Most of the rest of my lotions and potions are surplus to requirements at this point.
The wheels on the M5 are starting to look proper scabby, so it might be time for a refurb. It'll be the second refurb they've had but four years and 40k-odd miles is not bad for BMW diamond cut wheels. That Monte Carlo blue paint still cleans up lovely after 84,000 miles though...
I have to say, Gtechniq C2 v3 is the single best detailing product i've ever come across. After putting a good coat on both the cars last summer, all they need is a good clean and a light spritz as a drying aid and top up. Everything from tar and bird s
te just wipes straight off or washes off in the rain. Most of the rest of my lotions and potions are surplus to requirements at this point. The wheels on the M5 are starting to look proper scabby, so it might be time for a refurb. It'll be the second refurb they've had but four years and 40k-odd miles is not bad for BMW diamond cut wheels. That Monte Carlo blue paint still cleans up lovely after 84,000 miles though...
iacabu said:
Yeah mine's an R53 in hyper blue. Fair point about the driveability, mine is the perfect compromise between a daily and fun car
My favourite colour! If it's mainly a road car don't go anywhere near cams, clutch and flywheel. But everything else is fair game. I love the Coolerworx shifter in particular - every gear-change feels like an event!MDifficult said:
iacabu said:
Yeah mine's an R53 in hyper blue. Fair point about the driveability, mine is the perfect compromise between a daily and fun car
My favourite colour! If it's mainly a road car don't go anywhere near cams, clutch and flywheel. But everything else is fair game. I love the Coolerworx shifter in particular - every gear-change feels like an event!tvrfan007 said:
My kind of track car, bueno. Looking forward to a vid or two.
Cheers - I really hope it lives up to expectations. I've already started plotting the best GoPro mounting locations in the car so hopefully I'll have something to share. (That said, I'm notorious for failing to remember to turn it on - such is the excitement of getting going - but let's see)
Court_S said:
Sounds like a great experience.
I never used them, but I heard loads of good things when I had my MINI’s. I’d love another R52 MCS.
I wish there was an equivalent for BMWs - I'd be there every week!I never used them, but I heard loads of good things when I had my MINI’s. I’d love another R52 MCS.
Love the R53, nice spec that is. I've recently bought one but more towards the budget end of the spectrum. They are great fun, I've added a thicker rear ARB and refreshed a lot of the suspension components and I love driving it.
There's something really satisfying about taking it out the garage, driving the wheels off it for an hour then putting it back. Its incredibly good for this exact purpose - enough power for fun, but not enough to get you in to trouble quickly.
There's something really satisfying about taking it out the garage, driving the wheels off it for an hour then putting it back. Its incredibly good for this exact purpose - enough power for fun, but not enough to get you in to trouble quickly.
Ratae said:
There's something really satisfying about taking it out the garage, driving the wheels off it for an hour then putting it back. Its incredibly good for this exact purpose - enough power for fun, but not enough to get you in to trouble quickly.
I’d agree with that.I loved my stock Indi Blue Metallic Cooper S. It was an absolute hoot to drive, quick enough but not so quick that you’ll get into too much trouble. It always felt like a bit of an even too; the supercharger whine, the noise of the steering, the chunky and clunky gearbox etc. They look great too. I’d have another in a heartbeat.
Ratae said:
Love the R53, nice spec that is. I've recently bought one but more towards the budget end of the spectrum. They are great fun, I've added a thicker rear ARB and refreshed a lot of the suspension components and I love driving it.
There's something really satisfying about taking it out the garage, driving the wheels off it for an hour then putting it back. Its incredibly good for this exact purpose - enough power for fun, but not enough to get you in to trouble quickly.
There's something really satisfying about taking it out the garage, driving the wheels off it for an hour then putting it back. Its incredibly good for this exact purpose - enough power for fun, but not enough to get you in to trouble quickly.
Ratae said:
I love the aftermarket too - there's so many products available to suit any budget. Even conversion/adaptation parts are plentiful.
Congrats on the purchase! I couldn't agree more - the single biggest benefit is that there's just been so many of them sold. Parts, modifications, but also support, content and specialists are just so plentiful it means most things are quickly and easily doable. Only downside is that it makes buying a modified one a really risky prospect because any nitwit can buy the cheapest garbage online and bolt it on. There's frightening threads in all the usual places. "What cheap harnesses is everyone buying?" or "what's the cheapest way to replace my brake pipes?" are examples I see everywhere
Terrifying
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