Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

My first HPDE at Road Atlanta is coming up in a few weeks.

Thanks to all of your help I've assembled a plan to have a nice, safe day on the track. Can you think of anything in particular that I'm missing?

1. Have brand new shocks going in next week (Bilstein SLP's). Not a necessity but I thought it would just make it more fun.

2. Dedicated track brake pads – Hawk DTC-30's (front) and HP + (rear) on the stock blank rotors.

3. Full flush of the brake fluid with ATE Super Blue.

4. Fresh synthetic oil change and fill with 7.0 quarts. After the event do I need to get it changed again, or is it OK to drive around with 7 quarts?

5. Cover the top of the power steering fluid container with a rag and secure it with (I presume) a thick rubber band? Is the stock fluid OK or should this be changed too?

6. Tires will be almost new – working to fix the issue I'm having with the rear fenders cutting the tires (305/35/18 Nitto 555R's) – roll fenders, new adjustable panhard bar and stiffer shocks in the rear should do the trick.

7. The battery is secured with the standard stock bolt – is there anything else I should do for that?

8. Do you guys really take EVERYTHING out of the car? Floor mats, CD's in the center console, owner's manual out of the glove compartment?

9. Anything else you can think of?

Arctic2002ss

Sounds like you are ready to me. As to #8, I leave stuff in the console and glove compartment but clean everything else out. I thought I had the car totally cleaned out one time but a AA battery appeared in the floorboard that apparently had been lost under the seat.

That extra quart of oil will be fine to leave in there afterwards.

Have fun.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

Take 2 quarts of oil with you, Mine burned 1 per day at Barber

Top the car off with fuel both days, I used a tank per day at Barber

Put some Water Wetter in the radiator, cheap insurance.

Bleed the clutch before you go to put some fresh fluid in there.

I would buy and extra power steering pump cap and drill a small vent hole in it, you might need it.

Take extra power steering fluid and a turkey baster to suck the old stuff out in case you burn it.

Take a spare set of front rotors and the tools to change them.

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

Thanks for the info. Couple questions (forgive my ignorance) --

1. Is it OK to just add the Water Wetter to the radiator. Still safe to keep it in there for street driving after? Any downside to doing this?

2. I'll grab an extra PS cap however what's the reason to have an extra and to put a vent hole in it? I thought I would need to band a rag over the cap (even though I don't know what that accomplishes). If you could explain the rationale behind this it would help me.

New front rotors? I'm a novice with an instructor and will just be trying to learn the basics on the track, do you think I'll go through a set of rotors in one day?

Arctic2002ss

Apparently the power steering will push some fluid out of the cap when hot. I have experienced this too and will start putting a rag over it as it seems to be normal. Live and learn.

Your rotors are probably fine for your first time out but the stockers are prone to warping. After a session, don't set the e-brake and try not to have the brakes engaged when stopped. You will probably be told something similiar.

I have always overfilled the oil and left it at that. I did recently spin a bearing in the motor (hence the LS3) but don't know if that was due to the track time or something else. It had been awhile since any track time though and the car had been through at least 10 HPDEs.

SVThuh

iTrader: (2)

If you can, I would flush the fluid out of the power steering system and re-filling with a good, high-quality, synthetic ATF. ATF seems to work better in the PS system than PS fluid, and its all that I will run.. Currently have Amsoil ATF in my PS system.

Everything else seems good.. Those rear tires though may induce an understeer issue for you though.. Its ALMOST always better to run a matched front and rear setup when your going to be going around turns at speed.

Good call on the brake pads.. Your fine with the extra oil.. take a couple quarts with you.. Top off with fuel when you get down to 1/4 tank... the rest of it will go QUICKLY.

Oh.. and the most important thing.. Dont take your ego with you.. Just go out and have a good time!!!

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

hes been to exactly one HPDE so far. dont take his advice as gospel. you certainly do NOT need a spare PS cap with a hole drilled in it. ive never even heard of that before. i found a scrunchie laying on the sidewalk.....thats what i use around the PS cap and it works fine. you wont need a spare set of front rotors either. if you do, you are doing something VERY WRONG.

the water wetter is fine. thats what i used. if you havent lately, a full radiator flush and fill would be a regular maintenance thing anyway. at the least, what you can do is drain the rad only, then fill with whatever coolant/water mix you use. ive done this, and since i didnt drain the entire motor, i kept dexcool. otherwise i would have switched to green. i used a 60/40 mix of dex and distilled water, with a bottle of water wetter.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

Ps cap is about 5 bux, mine blew the cap off 3 times the first day, I had to go buy 3 new ones , drilled a vent hole and it didn't from there on.


You are gonna need rotors eventually anyway, just take a set.

Flush the ps system and install synthetic fluid. I did this and it still burned the pump up the first day, I changed the fluid and made it the second day barely.

Go prepared.

I have done 2 events, about 8 scca solo's and ridden with buddies who are VERY fast instructors prolly 7-8 times.

I represent worst case scenarios, I am very aggressive.

My comments are by no means the "gospel".

qwikz28

iTrader: (12)

Midnight- about a month ago, I went to my first HPDE and had to leave early due to certain issues with my car, but it seems like you hit those issues. My pads glazed and my fluid cooked and my brakes were shot quick. Additionally, my power steering fluid started to froth, so I would probably get some better fluid before going out.

Edit: I know everything I said was covered, but I figured you might want to hear that even a noob with 0 driving talent could glaze pads on the first time out. Don't worry about making the car more capable, worry about making the car safe and working on your driving style. Don't forget to brake early before a turn! I was braking late into each corner which was probably why my brakes faded so quick.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

If you are having tire rub issues now it will be worse on track. What Panhard bar is on the car?

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

once again ive never heard of anyone blowing the cap off the PS. ive raced on slicks with a stock pump, and never blew the cap off. that being said, obviously a flush and fill with synth. fluid is advised; but so is a new upgraded pump. if the OP's pump doesnt whine already, it will after a track day. a turn one or PSC rebuild is a good upgrade/preventative maintenance, and a necessity if youre doing more then one or two events total.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

So are you saying mine didn't blow the cap off? Lol!

I could care less if you had drag race front runners on all 4 corners, outran an Indycar with no mods.



It gets old you guys projecting that you know all there is to know about trackdays. I have been around this stuff for a,good long while, the guys I am learning from are VERY fast, VERY experienced, and VERY Sharp.


If I had these specific set of issues with my car, don't you think its POSSIBLE someone else could?

Seems as though a select group of guys in this section think very narrow minded, if you step out of their set of "this is the way its done, period, end of story " you get squashed.

The way this set of guys talk you would think they drive ALMS cars in their free time. You may be fast, never ever break a single part on the car.

But this is NOT the norm, newbs are hard on parts, this type of racing is DAMN expensive. Why not send them with the parts they may need? Instead of having them have to possibly back off the car, having to call and Chase parts between run groups, or worst case scenario not being able to get the parts they need while at the event and having to pack up and go home?

I just dont get this philosophy, go prepared.

Rant off.

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

so just because YOU insist you absolutely need brake ducts because YOU cooked YOUR brakes, you think every single fbody also needs ducts? all the professional racers who have shown the years of experience of wheel-to-wheel without ducts and never overheating a single pad must be wrong?

once again, youre looking at this with a drag racers point of view. drag racing is nothing but spending money to go fast. road racing is 90% driver, 10% money. the whole idea of starting out nearly STOCK is to first build skill and confidence with stock, slower parts. then upgrade, and notice the difference each part plays in handling.

yeah its expensive......so why blow thousands of dollars on your very FIRST track day, when there is a chance you may not go back again? or may only get to one or two track days a year? everyone thinks nothing of going drag racing nearly stock. but when i suggest an autox or hpde, their first and only answer is 'oh no, then i have to do the whole suspension and everything.' no, they are completely WRONG. you dont know how well a stock fbody can actually do on a real track. you DONT need to blow hundreds or thousands on a single event.

i never said i know everything about track days. but yet after all the time youve spend on frrax and seen what everyone else says about a first timers checklist, why do YOU insist YOUR checklist is better then everyone elses? nobody there said to get another PS cap and drill a hole in it. no one said you flat out NEED ducts. theyve never even said to bring a spare set of rotors. having dedicated track rotors are one thing.....but the chances of warping/cracking a stock rotor in good shape during your first time out are very slim. they keep beginner classes slow for this very reason.

you claim everyone else is 'narrow minded, my way is the only way', yet you yourself flat out refused to listen to anyone else before and after your famous day at barber.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

I never insisted, only offered what happened to ME.

I see more and more first timers running more and more into what happened to me. There were a few at the track that day having the same teething problems. These cars are heavy, very under equipped in the braking dept, and have good hp in stock form.

These RACE cars you refer to are lighter, have a RACE pad on them with experienced drivers, we are not.

Again, my words are not the "gospel" its just what happened to me.

The tracks we run down here may be harder on the car I dont know, Barber and Road Atlanta seem fairly fast.

If you wanna buy a car to trackday that you just get in and go, buy a BMW, an F Body aint one of them for sure.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Yes it is possible.

Just as it's possible to flying off the track at triple digit speeds and crash violently.

Why aren't you being prepared for that possibility by advocating 10 point roll cages, multi-port fire systems, full containment seats and full driver protection including HANS?



Maybe because while a possibility, the PROBABILITY and the COST/BENEFIT of such expenses doesn't make fiscal sense?

Personally, I think you need to find a different group of friends. They are having fun spending your money.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

If you have brakes on the car, this is much less likely to happen, mine is getting a trackbar and belts this weekend lol.

A spare set of rotors, a turkey baster, extra fluid and a power steering pump cap are expensive????????????


Come on mitch lol.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

To the OP ....

The sky will not fall on your first HPDE unless your car is a complete POS, you are a complete moron and your instructor is a complete hack.

Just relax, have fun and learn.

qwikz28

iTrader: (12)

Although fresh fluids wouldn't hurt...

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

Op, please report back after the event. Have fun and ask questions.

will62085

iTrader: (4)

Are you doing NASA June 18th-19th?

I'll be there racing in American Iron. I'll be pitted with the MTI racing folk, come by and introduce yourself. I always love to see another F body out there!

The only issue I see is the tire rubbing. If it's rubbing on the street, it's sure as hell gonna rub on track. Get those types of issues sorted before showing up. If your around the Marietta area, bring your car by my house and I'll help you do a pre-event check.

As far as spares go. If you bring them, your won't need them! I bring a ton of stuff!