A couple more videos bringing us more up to date:
[youtube]7LvXAVAW7xk[/youtube]
[youtube]b3Rkx5CCVeA[/youtube]
[youtube]7LvXAVAW7xk[/youtube]
[youtube]b3Rkx5CCVeA[/youtube]
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Matt’s Road & Track Coupe - Jun-25 update: bushes, brakes, air intake, oil cooler, lithium battery
- Thread starter Matt Scarbro
- Start date
Really enjoyed your videos, great to see the project developing. 8)
Have you weighed the standard seats? I’m curious how much they weigh being the manual, non powered versions.
As an aside, I’m impressed that the arb comes with reinforcement plates and grease nipples, it’s a properly thought out solution.
Have you weighed the standard seats? I’m curious how much they weigh being the manual, non powered versions.
As an aside, I’m impressed that the arb comes with reinforcement plates and grease nipples, it’s a properly thought out solution.
beanie said:
I have indeed, weighed them when I fitted them and was staggered that they weighed 28.4kg each
About 4kg each more than the non-sport electric heated seats they replaced… but much better looking!
Definitely worth the 4kg over the standard seats.
I suppose the upside of heavy, modern seats is that you make better savings if/when you go to a bucket seat. I put some buckets in an old 80’s hatch and I don’t think I saved anything worth mentioning once all the mounts and runners were factored in to it.
I suppose the upside of heavy, modern seats is that you make better savings if/when you go to a bucket seat. I put some buckets in an old 80’s hatch and I don’t think I saved anything worth mentioning once all the mounts and runners were factored in to it.
beanie said:
Absolutely, will be great to lose material weight without any sacrifice.
(I did the same in the NC MX5, installed buckets and added weight… at least I can control the car now though!)
Some more bits now in hand for many of the remaining changes before we get back to the track this year...
Stage 2 fixed camber plates, should hopefully nudge me up to about 3* -ve camber; together with the beefy Hotchkis front ARB and 8kg front springs I'm hopeful that this will give me a much better front end.
Brake ducts to replace the fog lights to get some cool air to the front brakes, got to give them all the chance I can, I'm putting a bit of focus on trying to make sure the car is well equipped to lap for more/longer sessions through the day, I've being quite kind to it so far without some of these supporting mods. There is an oil cooler on the way too.
I've mentioned the rear trailing arm bushes before, alongside some stiffer gearbox mounts to try to help reduce movement in the tunnel, making it easier to change gears with any lateral forces on the car. I'm a little nervous about adding vibration with these, fingers crossed, but I'll report back with my findings..
Some brass caliper guide bushes for the front as well to hopefully improve brake feel a touch and help the pad wear remain even. Trying to give the braking system as much chance as possible as I ramp up the use a bit on track as I 'd prefer not to change calipers and discs, the cost of the latter being so much less than many of the typical upgrades.
I do really like the sound of the car with the 'sound generator' that divides opinion so much, BUT, it's a bit too loud at cruising speeds and there's a an annoying resonance under certain revs/loads. So it's a well-developed BDS intake, claimed to get back some of those horses promised by BMW, but not always present in our cars!
I really hope it doesn't make it too quiet when giving it the beans, but old pipe and slippers here will be grateful of the peace on longer journeys, and hopefully some extra shove on track!
Stage 2 fixed camber plates, should hopefully nudge me up to about 3* -ve camber; together with the beefy Hotchkis front ARB and 8kg front springs I'm hopeful that this will give me a much better front end.
Brake ducts to replace the fog lights to get some cool air to the front brakes, got to give them all the chance I can, I'm putting a bit of focus on trying to make sure the car is well equipped to lap for more/longer sessions through the day, I've being quite kind to it so far without some of these supporting mods. There is an oil cooler on the way too.
I've mentioned the rear trailing arm bushes before, alongside some stiffer gearbox mounts to try to help reduce movement in the tunnel, making it easier to change gears with any lateral forces on the car. I'm a little nervous about adding vibration with these, fingers crossed, but I'll report back with my findings..
Some brass caliper guide bushes for the front as well to hopefully improve brake feel a touch and help the pad wear remain even. Trying to give the braking system as much chance as possible as I ramp up the use a bit on track as I 'd prefer not to change calipers and discs, the cost of the latter being so much less than many of the typical upgrades.
I do really like the sound of the car with the 'sound generator' that divides opinion so much, BUT, it's a bit too loud at cruising speeds and there's a an annoying resonance under certain revs/loads. So it's a well-developed BDS intake, claimed to get back some of those horses promised by BMW, but not always present in our cars!
I really hope it doesn't make it too quiet when giving it the beans, but old pipe and slippers here will be grateful of the peace on longer journeys, and hopefully some extra shove on track!
Had a few hours on the Z4 yesterday; stripped the front suspension cleaned it up and reassembled with the stage 2 camber plates.
Whilst I had the suspension off I rubbed down and treated the surface rust on the inside of the turrets with some Jenolite, I also did some spots on the front subframe and sump at the same time
Reassembled, you can see how the top mount is now significantly further inboard, I expect I'll be at about -3* camber now. Feels much better for it on a short test drive, though I definitely need to add more rear camber now too!
Whilst I had the suspension off I rubbed down and treated the surface rust on the inside of the turrets with some Jenolite, I also did some spots on the front subframe and sump at the same time
Reassembled, you can see how the top mount is now significantly further inboard, I expect I'll be at about -3* camber now. Feels much better for it on a short test drive, though I definitely need to add more rear camber now too!
Most recent vid talking final drive and oil analysis, some more Cadwell footage in there too:
[youtube]4SUFqoZ84NE[/youtube]
[youtube]4SUFqoZ84NE[/youtube]
maddox710 said:
There are now, it's been a bit of a case of working through the to-do-list ahead of summer use and trackdays, update incoming...
The last few months have been spent gently nudging the car towards hopefully becoming a more enjoyable track car (without ruining it!) and importantly, equipping it better for more track use and longer stints. I have been kind to it so far with modest track time and shorter sessions, though with the goal of a trackday at the ring next year, it needs to be capable of many reliable sessions through a day. It takes a lot of effort and money to get to a TD at the ring, not to mention it's a dream trip for me, so I want to be able to maximise both my time on track and enjoyment.
On the topic of the ring, we made another pilgrimage in May, just the one 7 tenths lap in the daily as it was TF and I don't like the liability risk (hence not taking the Z4 or MX5).
Before I jump into those updates, I fitted the BDS intake and did some performance testing at a local airfield. Unfortunately the usable section of the strip isn't long enough for high speeds where power increases would be most apparent, but even at modest speeds, there was a material and repeatable improvement in performance.
[youtube]oAL0QneZ68I[/youtube]
Note kmph rather than mph, no idea why I had it set to kmph...
With three runs performed with standard intake and BDS on the same day, with temps a touch higher with the BDS intake, there was a material improvement, with the biggest speed sweep providing the most valuable data, all recorded with a VBox Sport. I'm satisfied the improvement subjectively and objectively is aligned to both my hopes and BDS' claims.
It is a shame to lose the loud intake noise from the sound generator, but the cruising volume is much more tolerable and it sounds a bit 'harder' at full throttle now. I played around with retaining something of the sound generator pipework, but have now removed it all and blanked off the bulkhead hole.
From going to stopping, I am hopeful of continuing to use the standard calipers and discs, preferred very simply for cost, both in terms of capital expenditure and operating. The car isn't terribly powerful, nor terribly heavy, so hopefully I'm in with a fighting chance!...
EBC Bluestuff pads and Brembo HC discs were OK at the track last year, I had bought some EBC RP-1 pads for the front, but they were the wrong fitment, so had to go with the Blues. These were OK if not infinitely confidence inspiring, so have bought some EBC RP-X pads for track use on the front, and I have also added fresh fluid (Motul RBF660 this time), brass caliper bushes and some cooling at the front, utilising the factory fog light apertures. Weight is about net neutral for anyone interested.
I will likely add some cooling to the rear too, be it by way of some generic ducts or some GT3-style air guides, I'm favouring the former at the mo, perhaps mounted on the underside of the swing arm.
As I have been going through working on the car, I keep wire wheeling where necessary, treating any rust with Jenolite and painting, most of the front is done now and I have just treated the 1 year old driveshafts (should have painted them) along with some corrosion setting in at the bottom of the rear KW shocks, to be painted next weekend weather permitting. I had to resist temptation to waste time and materials on rear trailing arms and hubs as these will be replaced with properly reconditioned parts after the winter.
Talking of trailing arms, I now have the Powerflex Black RTA bushes in, along with some Powerflex Yellow gearbox bushes, both fitted by a mechanic friend. I haven't noticed much difference in drive or NVH from the RTA bushes, though hope to be able to feel an improvement at the track. The gearbox mounts on the other hand have improved the shift notably, although they have also introduced a little unpleasant, if not intolerable drivetrain noise. I think a stiffer rubber bush might be the right compromise here, lets see how the car feels at the track and if they bed in at all.
Next on the list was some oil cooling, I have used an //M2 oil filter housing (thanks Damien for the tip), which has the oil outlet and inlet and bunged the factory coolant hose that feeds the factory oil/water exchanger on the N52 filter housing. The oil cooler itself is a generic kit that I have mounted to take air from the kidney grilles, I will put some mesh on the back of the grilles to protect against stone chips; thought I had some in stock, but apparently not.
Whilst I had the grilles out, I painted the centre section matte black and polished the surrounds, you can also see the fog light ducts and how much I need a new license plate. I also need new BMW emblems in a few places on the car, however I'm afflicted with a desire to buy BMW Anniversary badges and am giving it a little time in case the affliction passes!
Continued in next post...
On the topic of the ring, we made another pilgrimage in May, just the one 7 tenths lap in the daily as it was TF and I don't like the liability risk (hence not taking the Z4 or MX5).
Before I jump into those updates, I fitted the BDS intake and did some performance testing at a local airfield. Unfortunately the usable section of the strip isn't long enough for high speeds where power increases would be most apparent, but even at modest speeds, there was a material and repeatable improvement in performance.
[youtube]oAL0QneZ68I[/youtube]
Note kmph rather than mph, no idea why I had it set to kmph...
With three runs performed with standard intake and BDS on the same day, with temps a touch higher with the BDS intake, there was a material improvement, with the biggest speed sweep providing the most valuable data, all recorded with a VBox Sport. I'm satisfied the improvement subjectively and objectively is aligned to both my hopes and BDS' claims.
It is a shame to lose the loud intake noise from the sound generator, but the cruising volume is much more tolerable and it sounds a bit 'harder' at full throttle now. I played around with retaining something of the sound generator pipework, but have now removed it all and blanked off the bulkhead hole.
From going to stopping, I am hopeful of continuing to use the standard calipers and discs, preferred very simply for cost, both in terms of capital expenditure and operating. The car isn't terribly powerful, nor terribly heavy, so hopefully I'm in with a fighting chance!...
EBC Bluestuff pads and Brembo HC discs were OK at the track last year, I had bought some EBC RP-1 pads for the front, but they were the wrong fitment, so had to go with the Blues. These were OK if not infinitely confidence inspiring, so have bought some EBC RP-X pads for track use on the front, and I have also added fresh fluid (Motul RBF660 this time), brass caliper bushes and some cooling at the front, utilising the factory fog light apertures. Weight is about net neutral for anyone interested.
I will likely add some cooling to the rear too, be it by way of some generic ducts or some GT3-style air guides, I'm favouring the former at the mo, perhaps mounted on the underside of the swing arm.
As I have been going through working on the car, I keep wire wheeling where necessary, treating any rust with Jenolite and painting, most of the front is done now and I have just treated the 1 year old driveshafts (should have painted them) along with some corrosion setting in at the bottom of the rear KW shocks, to be painted next weekend weather permitting. I had to resist temptation to waste time and materials on rear trailing arms and hubs as these will be replaced with properly reconditioned parts after the winter.
Talking of trailing arms, I now have the Powerflex Black RTA bushes in, along with some Powerflex Yellow gearbox bushes, both fitted by a mechanic friend. I haven't noticed much difference in drive or NVH from the RTA bushes, though hope to be able to feel an improvement at the track. The gearbox mounts on the other hand have improved the shift notably, although they have also introduced a little unpleasant, if not intolerable drivetrain noise. I think a stiffer rubber bush might be the right compromise here, lets see how the car feels at the track and if they bed in at all.
Next on the list was some oil cooling, I have used an //M2 oil filter housing (thanks Damien for the tip), which has the oil outlet and inlet and bunged the factory coolant hose that feeds the factory oil/water exchanger on the N52 filter housing. The oil cooler itself is a generic kit that I have mounted to take air from the kidney grilles, I will put some mesh on the back of the grilles to protect against stone chips; thought I had some in stock, but apparently not.
Whilst I had the grilles out, I painted the centre section matte black and polished the surrounds, you can also see the fog light ducts and how much I need a new license plate. I also need new BMW emblems in a few places on the car, however I'm afflicted with a desire to buy BMW Anniversary badges and am giving it a little time in case the affliction passes!
Continued in next post...
With the desire to cut weight from the car wherever possible, without hurting it's usability, I have been eyeing up lithium batteries for some time (we use an excellent 1.3kg Exide item on the MX5), however had been resisting temptation to buy one for the Z4 until I do the clutch and fit a slightly lighter flywheel.. got to give the poor little battery a chance!!
Unfortunately/fortunately the car had other ideas and when I visited my Dad, the standard battery decided not to battery anymore!
For most this would have been a pain, but I was quite excited to order a lighter battery and save some weight!
A couple of days later the Noco NLP30 arrived, very nicely packaged, finished and a bargain at south of £200 if you can wait for a sale or eBay discount. It's also a beast for it's size and weight, has some excellent in built management and importantly for me comes from a trusted name, giving me confidence it won't burn my garage down!
The standard replacement battery weighed in at 19.15kg, a touch lighter than I expected, but the Noco weighs 2.27kg, so a huge saving of nearly 17kg!
I need to find the right mounting solution for it, so it's currently bodged, I'm sure I'll find a cage to suit and will sort before it's next track outing. Importantly it starts the car without issue whatsoever, in fact it's never started as eagerly, it really is a beast of a battery for it's size and weight.
So as she sat last evening, there's a few small bits to sort and I'm going to book it in for a proper alignment, then it's back to the track and let's see how it feels!
Unfortunately/fortunately the car had other ideas and when I visited my Dad, the standard battery decided not to battery anymore!
For most this would have been a pain, but I was quite excited to order a lighter battery and save some weight!
A couple of days later the Noco NLP30 arrived, very nicely packaged, finished and a bargain at south of £200 if you can wait for a sale or eBay discount. It's also a beast for it's size and weight, has some excellent in built management and importantly for me comes from a trusted name, giving me confidence it won't burn my garage down!
The standard replacement battery weighed in at 19.15kg, a touch lighter than I expected, but the Noco weighs 2.27kg, so a huge saving of nearly 17kg!
I need to find the right mounting solution for it, so it's currently bodged, I'm sure I'll find a cage to suit and will sort before it's next track outing. Importantly it starts the car without issue whatsoever, in fact it's never started as eagerly, it really is a beast of a battery for it's size and weight.
So as she sat last evening, there's a few small bits to sort and I'm going to book it in for a proper alignment, then it's back to the track and let's see how it feels!
Aah love the lightweight battery idea, 17kg is a whopping saving from a single item!
I'm booked in on the 16th for rta, subframe and diff bushes from strongflex. Also if he spots any other bushes that need doing they'll get done too while it's under the knife.
Il bet you them trans bushes settle in a little more.
I'm booked in on the 16th for rta, subframe and diff bushes from strongflex. Also if he spots any other bushes that need doing they'll get done too while it's under the knife.
Il bet you them trans bushes settle in a little more.
maddox710 said:
Its so nice to know all the bushes are good, well worth the effort
Mr Tidy said:That's an impressive weight saving!
If I was more capable with tools and fixes I'd like to do something similar to my MC as the battery cage takes up a lot of boot space.
Ooh I can imagine the space would be really valuable in an //M!
The downside of the Noco is although it’s got big cranking power, it has a much smaller capacity, so could catch you out depending on how the car is used.