Mine has been fine other than having to hit send a few times after a long post. And on my snarky post on here, I got a new error message of "database not found". Half of my posts on here are from an iPhone. Mostly the misspelled ones.

Not a far throw from my 85 ford LTD lx police car. Fox body, posi. 165hp v8. Its amusing to read the options offered way back when.

My friend in college 10 yrs ago after I got the vette had a 85 Deville. It had everything feature the loaded vette did plus auto leveling suspension. Nowadays it all seems like a teenagers hand me down.

Maybe you should swap an LT1 in!

The snack bar is great, I guess it was finished recently. And it was open for business. Actually it's more of a restaurant than a snack bar. Damn good options for a race track. Too bad the 91 octane is $7/gallon, I left track for gas partway through.

You could almost bring a woman there. Decent bathrooms too.

I thought almost bald was perfect for racing. They still have tread, more area even, since half the grooves are now worn past. It pretty much felt that way all day especially as I pushed it. Or maybe it's front wheel bearing and the wheel is falling off. The track looks smooth, at least from in the car. The tires are 3-4 yrs old and I think I'm going to replace them with the same. I should have chalked the sidewalls.

My 85 Corvette is on ebay for $58,000. The better question is whether any of them sold.

I have to confess I watched a few youtube videos of the gran turismo 6 game with this track on it, for the fast line. The HPDE videos were all over the place, it seems unintuitive at least.

Yeah especially when I'm fighting the wheel, this view make it look like I'm smooth, lol. I need to plan ahead on my camera mounts, I end up getting whatever I can find the night before. This was all done with the iphone, so it's easy at least. Ram mount seems popular. The bumper cams do a good job of showing the speed, but maybe I should get one of those cockpit cams to overlay in the corner.


Is it normal for the tires to feel like they're square? Particularly the right hander turn 2, the rabbit ear, they feel as if there's no air in them, almost like the tread is folding over itself. Not confidence inspiring. This was with 36 cold psi on almost bald Nitto NT05s which have large tread blocks. Or maybe it's the track surface. It had rained the few days beforehand, not sure if that actually cleans the rubber off. I think my alignment is fine, based on tire wear, but I'm going to take it in anyways, if nothing else to see if my string alignments are any good.

What rack did you get Matt? So hard to find decent parts these days. I used a rack from meridian which has held up perfectly for 5+ years. They even clean the chunks off it before spray painting it, unlike autozone. My only complaint is it has a hair less turning radius, or maybe they're all that way.

My dads been trying to quit for years, and failing. I'd like him to give the electronic cigarettes a serious try but he's so stubborn. All the cool kids are smoking them. I guess it's not an easy thing to discuss though, one's weaknesses.

This was my first trip to Willow Springs, to race the big track. It's in the middle of the high desert but weather was a fantastic 75F last weekend.

I ran with my test pipe in and no mufflers. But the engine is otherwise stock, all bark and no bite. I had no brake issues for once, although I still could feel my 2 month old Wilwood 600F+ fluid getting spongy. The track is relatively easy on brakes, but I should be braking later and harder than I did. I ran water wetter and about 80% water, coolant never hit 240. Oil peaked at 270. This is with the Z51 cooler, the dewitt EOC is capped off still.

A lot of cars left early, so there was plenty of open track in the afternoon. My best lap was a 1:44.5 which I guess is ok to start out. I'm sure the car is capable of 1:39. It's fun trying a new track when you are fresh enough to shave whole seconds off your best time, and not just hundredths.


The first sessions were very intimidating, it's a wide track which makes learning the lines harder, plus the off camber stuff and elevation changes.

I also made the mistake of running with low-intermediate since I hadn't run here before... but some of the drivers in this group seem lost and belong in novice.

Here's the interesting parts of the first runs, including some f-ups learning the track, and getting stuck in traffic. I spun off track at 6:00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymw8UQpz3aE&feature=youtu.be

Link below is the 5th session, when I finally got some rhythym. At about 1:30, I'm going through turn 8-9 which is decreasing radius, and the rear end started coming around. I stayed in the throttle and countersteered out of it and removed the seat cover from my cornhole after. It doesn't look like much in the video though. It was also my best time through that section.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWrAPLgP4dQ&feature=youtu.be

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Yeah, you don't need it.

I was looking into hydraulic bearings only as an alternative to the ZF6 pull clutch and crappy bearing design.

The stock 4+3 hydraulics are foolproof, just get some working cylinders in there.

If getting all new parts, just bench bleed the entire assembly, hose and all, and then install it on the car.

The cold viscosity rating is at 32F. So it doesn't mean squat except for that first 30 seconds of run time.

Also keep in mind that all oils thin out as they heat up, some just more than others. An oil that maintained same viscosity after warmup would have to be rated a 10W700 or something ridiculous.

I would expect thinner oil to always smoke more on startup. I don't think there's much harm in running a thicker cold weight. Don't hit WOT in the first 30 seconds and you don't have to worry about bearings. I run 15W40.

Also, I've noticed the cat burns oil hot enough that you can't see it. So an engine could burn oil when warm, but not show it with the cat installed.

I did valve seals on mine, but it still smokes when warmed up after idling a few minutes, such as at a slow drivethru. I've read that this is because the combustion chambers cool off and don't burn the oil completely. This is without a cat installed.

"Oh yeah, we do those all the time."

A bronze bushing would be nice. Mine was metal on metal, I think I rolled up a strip of plastic and stuck it in there. I'd be surprised if it held up. My clutch pedal squeaks during movement fwiw.

I remember looking for one and failing. The thread is a 12mm X 1.0 I think?

Correct, the factory rubber is bonded to the metal.
I don't get It, because it doesn't seem like it allows for enough movement, and bushing stretch should not be dictating your wheel rate, the spring is much more consistent

The metal trim determines how high the glass should sit above the frame. If it is too low, they don't fit flush and water goes under them and behind the weatherstrip, if it is too high, the wipers won't fit under the hood. If they start drilling new holes, then its not lined up.

Google my thread on CF. Mine is still a mess and it pisses me off to no end when I think about it.

There's a lot of ways to screw it up. I would not do it again unless I could verify the installer has done it before, and check his work.

I know how to do it myself but i don't have the tools.

You could try removing the weatherstrip yourself and cut it away from any overglue, and locate the screws for the metal trim, and try and remove those 3 pieces undamaged. You may want to get a new dust seal between the dash pad and glass. Use some good uv protection on it or it will disintegrate quickly again. Same for any new weatherstrip. The gm stuff I used was garbage. I should have tried the Willcox.

I chose blue in back because I wanted as much rear brake as I could get.

I think I locked the rear brake first before spinning on Saturday, but that was off camber plus engine braking and trailbraking when I shouldn't have. It's awfully close to balanced with the available tire grip. Usually the front locks up first.

I don't think that much rear bias is a good setup on the street, but with equal ceramic compounds it will go back to front first, which is good for a panic stop. No abs here.

"If an exemption is granted and mechanics and car enthusiasts could make any modifications they wanted to software, Jacqueline Charlesworth, general counsel for the Copyright Office, said she found it "troubling" potential buyers of used cars could be left unaware of what changes were made."



I'm guessing Jacqueline has never change the wheels on her car, let alone the engine tune.

Ok, but they'll need an Atari 2600 joystick to read what's on mine.

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No!


Thanks Bill. Forecast is 78F and breezy. Great for the desert in late May! It sure looks easier on brakes than Fontana. I'm trying out water wetter this time. I didn't flush the block, so it's probably only about 80% water, but that's better than 50%. With less glycol I get a lower boiling point, but it shouldn't matter.

Looks like the cotter pin fell off to get that far off.

I should check on mine, it squeaks. For some reason I think I have no bushing in there, the pedal pin must be full size on the early cars. Maybe the bushing was added for noice.

Well me thinks I'll sign up for Willow Springs this saturday. I've never run the big track before, looks scary. Lots of high speed sweepers and a decreasing radius turn into the straight. I've run the streets course (top right of the photo next to the oval).

Yeah I guess so. Mine failed. Probably eaten by brake fluid somehow. Wondering if I should rebuild it or dump it. It's the fancy aluminum one.

It comes with a fluid reservoir so it should only be sucking air.

Annoying anyways since it will always find a way to suck air past the bleeder threads making it impossible to tell when you've got all the air out. A positive pressure bleeding method is the only way to go.

Looks good, but I'd dump the K&N. They pass way too much dirt. I think because it's impossible to evenly coat the pleats by spraying it. The peaks will always be overloaded and the sides too little. Plus on the early cars it's hard to get a good seal on the hard poly surround with only 2 bolts on the flimsy intake. I still run one though because the paper one is too tall and blocks my cold air duct.

If you get the m/c with the bushing then it doesn't matter, it will fit either pedal pin size.

I've run the 301 and cut it open, great quality. I don't know the difference from the 201, looks to be the same length.

BUT if you have a Z51 oil cooler, it hangs down too low for my comfort. It has a thick can but still, the K&N is a better size for those cars. Or M1-101 I guess, but that's small. I want the biggest filter area I can get, it filters better and longer, but with minimal restriction to oil flow.

Whatever you do, avoid AC Delco and orange Fram.

Don't insult snakes, they are nice and gentle creatures.

Mine was a lease way back when but it was written differently, and obvious. But that was way back when. I don't have the record handy.


But I can't help but wonder how much it would cost to drive a vette for 10 years if you brought it to the dealer for every single squeak and rattle and paid full dealer markup. Or any car for that matter.

Hmm. I drove my corvette for 2 days with no front shocks and it did better than some cars I've driven with shocks. My 85 toyota pickup had no shock on the left rear for 6 months and it was tolerable. It must be worse for softer spring rattes.

But think of the weight savings potential...

Good info on switching back and forth between pad compounds:

http://stoptech.com/technical-support ... and-procedures/bed-in-faq

Cliff notes, you want to remove the previous pad residue from the rotor, or else the two differing compounds will adhere and smear unevenly, giving you vibrations.

Easiest way to remove the street compound is commute with your race pads for a few days prior, but don't try to heat them up or bed them. Just drive normally, and allow the low temp abrasive action to remove the previous compound. Keep in mind your race pads may not do as well cold on the street. Then after a few days bed them in, or do it at the track on the first few laps.


When going back from race to street pads, just swap em. Drive normally and don't get them really hot or bed them. The abrasive action will eventually remove the race compound. It will take longer as the street pads are not as abrasive.

Or... just keep a 2nd set of rotors to match your track pads.

If I'm gonna spend $400 and the effort 'll go ahead and spend $850. I think their price is about that with the discount, well, plus tax.

Good point on sweating, especially since I don't plan to spend money on putting the AC back in anytime soon.

Hell they want $230 for an condenser coil now.

How have your Iggees held up on wear, torn stitching, etc?

Fun reading, thanks for sharing. Who knew racers had egos!

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We could start a whole new thread on this, lol.

I bent up a few VERMONT AMERICAN drill bits from Taiwan this weekend. One of them literally unraveled!

Must have been my powerful PITTSBURGH hammer drill from fresh-off-the-boat-in-the-Harbor Freight.

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They finally reverse engineered Polaroid film, as of last year I think. And it takes about 30 minutes for a sheet to develop. Don't hold your breath, lol.

Natural process. Luckily demand finds a way. I suspect the 84-87 will have a hard time, the aftermarket never fully existed to begin with.

88-91 is probably golden, with the gen1 engine, HEI, and stronger aftermarket for all the 88-96 bits.

There are several alternatives for the ZF clutch now, probably better than stock even (disclaimer: I haven't tried them). I mean, even door panels... pricey, but have you tried to find replacement panels for an 85 Ford LTD? You might as well have a Tucker.

And so long as there are enough gearhead internet users, there will be a great knowledgebase.

I agree with you on Napa, I could give two shits about them without knowing their sources. If I'm forced to choose between two mystery brands, I'll choose them. AC Delco used to be trustworthy in that respect, that you didn't need to know their source, you could take their word for it that it was better quality.

Corporate = rental, doesn't it?

I was looking at a used car a few years back and that was on the carfax if I recall. I asked the dealer and he fessed up that it was.

Painful to read all that without formatting but if it's all logged it must mean it was all done at dealer. My car only shows smogs on its history. I had to provide proof of mileage with service invoices to my insurance company and I had to convince them it has no invoices, lol.

But but but... less braking equals higher lap times right? I get that some people drag the brake, I don't think I do, but when I get on them I try and use every bit of them. Last time at the track the rear carpet came unglued and flopped forward, lol.

I figure HPS for more of an street/auto-x pad, but it all depends on the rotor size vs car weight I suppose.

I'm gonna order EBC Red ceramic, they claim higher friction over oem.

BTW, check this out, this is the first I've seen Hawk publish actual data. I have the blue right now, note the horrible low temp friction. That DTC 30 looks like a better choice though, but I think I balked at the price.

Obviously if you change friction coefficient on one end, you are changing the bias, so keep that in mind. You can get higher temp, higher friction, or both, depending on your needs. Also note they don't show their ceramics on there. Interesting.

Well since this thread is back from the dead, where did you get the visors from? Mine are pretty ratty.

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There's probably an app, but the easiest way I've found to do it from anywhere is there is an email address you can send photos to and it goes in to the main folder automatically, so have that email saved in my contacts. And it's supposed to send you a message back with a link to the photo, so you could post it without even logging into photobucket. I had to find the email on the site. Sometimes I've noticed a delay though.

You can also attach a photo directly from your computer to here. It shows up as a link, but if I want it displayed I open the attachment to copy the link then edit the post and stick it right in the post.

I'm not liking the two tone seats. It's too much going on. I chopped in some red seats.

I admit I started liking him a bit more when he started dating a supermodel and throwing punches and putting people in the wall.

I'm gonna pick up a willcox carpet kit for $400 and some iggee seat covers. I read up a thread where the guy installed them just over the cushions but behind the seat plastic and they look damn good for $200. I can get two tones on those or just black. Their charcoal is too light.

I have black paint and the graphite interior. There's still lots of black pieces in there, but the back half of the console, most of the door panel vinyl, and the sills are still grey/graphite.

Or I can stick with graphite or black carpet. I'll probably step in dog poo or something on day 1.

Here's two photochops I did of someone else's car:





This is fun.

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Well I'd never take them on the track. Unless I needed something to eat a sandwich on.

I'll give it a shot, no sense chewing up my good rotors on the street.

This thread sucks without pics.

Breastfeeding a gator? He's fit for his own TV show. I didn't know there were crocs in FL.

I didn't know he had fans honestly. I always cheered against him. But in his final year at least I'd like to see him do well.

A solar powered solar panel plant.. well similar anyways. I can finally eat my shoe.

If you're going to use all that land Elon, at least build a real test oval around it. That chicane in the backstraight looks like a bitch.

Why exactly, low friction / high pedal effort? Maybe I'll just get some regular organic compounds.

Now my tacoma takes pretty heavy braking effort, maybe undersized booster, so I could see it being a problem there, but maybe not the vette.