manystyles

Jei finally published the sign up and I'm just now researching what consumables need to be replaced. I'm hoping that this winter will be pretty dry/mild, since last winter was wet (they seem to alternate here in NorCal). My main concern is value. If the winter is mild and there will be consistent events being held this winter, I want my brakes to hold out all season. Tire wise, I don't need the fastest on the track, plus this is my only car, so I do drive it daily, when I don't commute by train/bike to work. I was debating to go with the Hankook RS-3s, but there seems to be good feedback and reviews for the Firestones.

My 04' is pretty much stock, except Spoon Rigid collars, and plan it to keep it that way as I learn how to drive on track, and increase my personal limit.

Shopping list:
- Arai GP-5W helmet: Still need to find a local Arai dealer to try on a helmet. I think the GP-5W doesn't have alternative shapes (default, vs oval)
- Stoptech SS brake lines (F/R)
- Front GiroDisc rotors
- Rear Centric premium rotors
- Project Mu HC+800 pads
- Project Mu G-Four 335 fluid
- Firestone Firehawk Indy (in OEM size)

All the other fluids; trans, diff, clutch, will be replaced too.


I'm stoked! The last time I tracked a car was back in early 2000, at BW with my old 91' Si HB!

Cheers,
Alex

jst2878

You have a good list right there. Dunlop z2 is a decent all around tire to run or re-11.

dc2-2-ap1

I would go with the rs-3 over the Firestones any day of the week. The Firestone are daily driver tires- they won't handle the heat very well. I also think the Girodiscs are severe overkill for your setup. Brake temp is very important, and the rotors are great, but I think regular blanks will be more than sufficient for your first couple events, especially running dual purpose pads and street tires. You are looking at about a $650 difference.
Aria helmets seem really nice, very pricey, but nice. Since value is a concern, have you looked into Bell? They make really nice, affordable helmets, such as the sport ev. I have an HJC ar10ii and really like it. I don't recall if HJC is making SA2015 helmets yet.

dc2-2-ap1

Motorcycle accessory shops such as Cycle Gear usually have a variety of Aria helmets. They don't have SA helmets, but still a good outlet to try on helmets from different manufacturers to determine appropriate sizes.

Dead Serious

Will be disappointed how durable any rotors are. Just buy cheap ones and buy more before they crack. Autozones arent the absolute cheapest but come with a warranty that is frequently honored. RS-3s are a fantastic tire.

FRSKLLR

Buy the rotors from rock auto, but I have that exact setup with the FireHawks, and it's decent

Ricky_Flowers_

The Firestones are a great tire that can handle a track day without chunking. We did an open test day at Buttonwillow in August with them on an S2000 and they were fantastic considering what they cost. Didn't overheat to quickly and they more than handled the 100+ degree weather. There's this myth floating around that you NEED a tire like an RS-3 to get on track. That's complete bullshit. If you're spending 95% of your time commuting in your car, it makes zero sense to buy a tire that is loud, doesn't deal with standing water all that well, and wears out relatively quickly like an RS-3 does. Besides, if this is your first track day, you won't be nearly fast enough to fully exploit the additional grip you'd get from that tire. Buy the Firestones, and if you find yourself really hooked on tracking your car, buy some OEM wheels on craigslist and put some sticky rubber on those for your track weekends.

Also, you don't need to spend 900 dollars on rotors for your first track day. Buy whatever oem-style rotor blank you can find, and use that. They all crack just the same.

Focus on getting the car ready by changing all your fluids out, nut and bolting the car, and getting yourself a decent helmet. It doesn't have to be an Arai. Try a bunch of others and see which one fits best.

Hope this helps.

manystyles

Appreciate everyone's feedback!

Ricky, your thoughts on the Firestones are spot on. That was my reasoning for picking those, vs. RS3s. In additional to our other discussion on BFG GForce Comp2 (same class at Firestones) being the spec tire for Skip Barber, is another good point. Finally, there seems to be a lot good review/feedback for the Firestones on TR's website, and that's saying a lot as the BFG's are the baseline in that perf category.

Yes, if I get addicted to tracking I will think about getting another set of OEM wheels + stickier tires.

As far as brakes go, my initial thought for the Girodiscs were throw them on and forget about them (for occasional track / DD). So the value (not just $, but time) but not having to deal with cracked rotors at the track. I've been monitoring Andrew Hake's built thread regarding these rotors, and besides the first batch for the S2K, I haven't heard him mention about cracks.

If that isn't true, I'm more than happy of saving a few bucks and just purchasing a few sets of blank OEM sized rotors.

Cheers,
Alex

RedCelica

I tracked my first two years on star specs and OEM pads. I think you're going a little overboard on the brakes and a little underboard on tires. That fluid is $60 a pint...which is nuts. Get some ATE fluid ($15 vs $60), and get a little more tire. Centric rotors are completely fine and I've ran them for 4 years now. No problems whatsoever.You want to match the brakes to the tire and find the right balance. I don't think you have it in that list. Moreso, This is about you learning the car. Having all the right gear is great, but honestly I'd say run as close to stock as you can until you really start developing consistent times. The front rotors in your list are complete overkill. I would highly recommend RS3s for a tire. They give you a lot of confidence and are affordable. Work on spending on your development more than the car's. The stoptech lines are more of a generic fit...so look at the SOS lines instead.

King Tut

Do that and practice a REAL cool down lap. That means an entire lap not using the brakes and going as fast as you can to still have time to engine brake for the next turn. Take care of the OEM rotors, and they will take care of you.