Guys-

I'm getting ready to sign up for two days at Mid-Ohio and wanted to get ideas on what mods to make on the car. My first priority is safety, and we're required to wear helmets. I'd also like to keep the financial investment to a minimum. Here are my questions :

1. What helmet should I get? What are the merits of the various designs.

1b. I have had a fused spine for scoliosis since I was 14. This generally doesn't affect me much. But, in an accident, I would likely experience signifantly more stress on my neck then a typical driver due to the fact that the rest of my back doesn't bend. So, I'm thinking of either getting either a neck restraint or a racing harness to replace the OE seat belt. Which gives a better bang-for-the buck in terms of safety? How hard is it to install the racing harness?

2. I'm thinking of upgrading the brake pads. I would probably install the new pads the weekend before going to the track and take them off the weekend after. So, what brand/model of pads should I be looking for that can be run on the street (for two weeks), but are essentially dedicated to the track?

3. Should I upgrade the brake fluid? To what?

4. I just did the 30K PM. I've put AMSOIL in the engine and the differential. Should I upgrade the transmission fluid before going to the track? Which of these should I change after returning from the track?

5. I'll be running S03's on the front (oe size) and Dunlop FM 901's in the rear (nominally the oe size, which means that they've got a smaller contact patch in addition to less sticky rubber). This will probably set me up for a little more oversteer than oe. Will a track-novice such as myself have difficulty with this setup?

6. I also plan on getting a camcorder mount and am thinking about installing modifry's shift indicator. Anything else I should be thinking of?

Thanks in advance for any insights you can give me. I'm obviously really excited about this!!!

 

(Mods, move to Racing and Competition.)

1) Snell SA2000 full-face. https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=218997

1b) NEVER install a harness without a full rollbar/cage and race seat. When search function is up you'll see why.

2) & 3) Yes, DOT 4 fluid and upgraded pads are a good idea. You *might* get away with the stock system, but there's no point really. Get some moderate "street/track" pads and some ATE Blue from the S2Ki/GoFast Labs store.

4) You're good to go.

5) Can't judge your handling from here. Just drive "within yourself" (respect the car and track) and you'll be fine.

6) Video is great (but get a good solid mount). Shift light is unnecessary. For your first couple days, no need to run it to redline in every gear anyway -- you'll gain more time by concentrating on your line.

Other stuff: Water, sunscreen, extra qt oil, etc.

 

I have a Bell M2, which is full face, and supposedly has a bit more room for glasses. Even if you don't wear prescription, sunglasses might be desirable. I have nothing to compare this helmet to, although it seems to be a very popular model. Tire guage is useful, perhaps a pump also (or borrow).

I asked somewhere on the board about when to change oil before or after a track day and (using Mobil 1) I was told new oil for track day then change it after next 1000 miles.

Cool - have fun!

 

If you are worried about neck strain, you might consider a foam neck collar (or whatever they call it) or a more fancy head restraint.

Personally, wouldn't run different brands of tires. Other than the obvious traction differences, they probably have different temperature, road surface , pressure, etc. characteristics which vary while running. That being said, it's your first time, so don't be a hero and you'll be fine. The first track day is about learning about the line, modulating brake and throttle in turns and how the car behaves through the phases of different types of turns. This can, and should be done by novices, at sub 9/10'ths of the car.

When you are starting a stint, do a warm up lap to get the tires and brakes (more for race pads) up to temperature. Do one or more cool down laps for the engine and brakes before pitting. Once you stop there is no more moving air to cool everything down. Do not use your parking brake, the rotors need to cool evenly to prevent possible warping.

It'll be a blast!

 

Got it! Done.

 

Full face helmet is a good idea. With your medical condition, it's probably worth spending more on a light-weight helmet. Foam neck collar also sounds like a good idea.

Stock brake pads and fluids will probably be fine for your first day at the track, but if you have some track experience, get a compromise pad and higher temp fluid.

Seriously try to get your tire situation straighted out with same model front and rear!

Camcorder is nice, and I really like Modifry's shift beeper.

Drink lots of fluids and have fun!

 

Hey guys - I'm new to this group but not the forums in general. Been doing Watkins Glen the past 3 years, so I'm an intermediate, but hey, just another perspective, take it for what you think its worth

Agree on the full face helmet as well. When you try them on, have a conversation with someone a few feet away, when I first started, my instructors drove me nuts cause I couldn't hear them....oh and get one that is well vented, I sweat like crazy, it was worth the extra $$

Tires? I've always run stock, so no comment there

Brakes - OEM was fine the first two years, this past May I ate a set of stock in 1 day, will be graduating to light track use pads next time around. If you run the OEM pads, I'd advise bringing an extra set just in case

Have a blast, Getting on the track was one of the best things I ever did, totally hooked now....good luck!

Bob

 

I know that Sparco released their harness bars (for select cars like the Integra and Civics) and it looks like a worthy product if you're not looking into a full roll-cage install. I wonder how the product stacks up?

 

Guys-

Thanks for all the good advice!

1. Very interesting stuff about the harness requiring a roll-bar. Makes perfect sense now that I've read more about it. But, since I'm not getting a roll-bar, I'm keeping it simple with the helmet/restraints and I went ahead and bought a Bell M2.

2. I think I'm leaning toward the Hawk HPS pads. My thought for those is that I would use them permanently, as opposed to using them just for the track. Can anyone give me an idea of how the Hawk HPS pads compare to OEM pads on the track. They claim to not be very noisy (don't care) and not produce much dust (this is good for the winter when I don't get to wash the car as much as I'd like). But most importantly they claim to offer significantly better performance on the track. Is this true?

3. I'm switching to ATE brake fluid.

4.

5. I'm still set up with S03's in the front and relatively crappy Dunlop FM901's in the rear. I'm having trouble cost-justifying almost $400 for new tires. This whole thing is really starting to add up (since there are a lot of one-time costs).

6. I decided to build my own camera / camcorder mount. I went to Lowe's and bought 36" of 1 1/4" uni-strut (square cross section, and hole drilled every inch on each of the four sides) for $13. I cut it into three two inch sections and a 9" section. Two of the 2" sections became feet, with the long section like a bridge on top. The third 2" section is mounted behind the bridge to form the base for the camera. I canibalized a rubber kitchen gripper (you know, the thing you grab to give yourself more friction while your trying to open a jar) to make bases for the feet and the camcorder. All told, it looks like a$$, but I'm very proud . PM me and I'll send you a picture. Video looks good, although I've not had it above 65. I actually had to install quite a bit of electrical tape in the CAMCORDER itself to stop it's pieces from vibrating.

I went on ebay and found a nomex suit, gloves, and shoes in my sizes for $110. Hasn't arrived yet, though.

Once again, thanks for all the advice!