Motorsport_S

looking to track my s2k for the first time and dont wanna damage anything. my friend said a baffled oil pan is really important. what other mods do you guys recommend that I should look into?

hoobastnk90

Just throw some brake pads on and make sure all your fluids are fresh and go out and have fun. I wouldn't worry about the oil pan right now just go get some seat time!

Fokker

Title says, "autox," opening post says, "track." Which is it? If you're new at either, do the above and to add to it, make sure your tires are in good condition with a fair amount of tread and that you've had an alignment recently.

Sylvain2000

All as already been said.

Enjoy

Motorsport_S

yeah my bad lol i saw another thread that said "autox" and got confused and couldnt change the title. i meant track but im new to both.

bgoetz

I think you can even get away with running OEM pads your first time out. I would flush the brake fluid, toss in fresh oil, tranny/diff fluid (if it has been over 15k miles for either), and make sure you have decent life on your tires.

You wont need a baffle until you get a good bit faster, but if you have an AP1 I would do an oil catch can. Some tracks you won't have an issue others you will be blowing smoke mid-way through the session.

Take a torque wrench to check your lug nuts periodically (not when they are super hot though), a pressure gauge to adjust tire pressure, and a quart of oil and check frequently.

Beyond that have fun!!

Sylvain2000

At my first track day back in 2002 i had the oem pads ( the car had a little over 4k miles) and the pads hardly survived the day.

It was a small track that is hard on breaks tho.

BoboTheMonkey

You can track this car in stock form pretty easily. Like was stated before, you may need to make some upgrades in the future, but I find it to be good to address these issues as required. If you have crappy all seasons on, your braking and G-forces stay pretty low, so an baffled pan does nothing but cost you money. I found that my car was getting pretty hot during long sessions, so I put in a larger radiator and put on some brake ducting. Also, put braided stainless lines on and all was well! Once you have an idea what the car will be going through, then you can decide. For example, I bought RE-71R tires and they are less than great when they get too hot. Initial grip is outstanding and everyone raves about them, but those are mostly the autocross people(short runs that don't typically create a lot of heat). On a large track with warmer temps, you will get them good and greasy after a couple laps. You would find yourself very dissapointed most likely. Update all your fluids and make sure you have good brake pads and you should be good for your first runs. Once you get better, you will drive the car much harder and start finding limits you weren't initially(this came to me in the form of smelling my brakes cooking and making a very distinct smell). Basically, just go out and have fun!

Motorsport_S

good info , thought i was at least gonna need some safety stuff like roll bar, harness, etc
also can i use my motorcycle helmet at the track?

BoboTheMonkey

All of this depends on the track you are going to. You would have to check what the regulations are at the track you plan on racing at. Different events at the same track can have different rules as well. The HPDE I do, they just require a Snell 2015 helmet. I use a motorcycle one that is just DOT rated for this and no one has ever checked... Most tracks will also have loaners. The roll bars in the s2000 also qualified for me, but some tracks will require the "broomstick test" where your rollbar to front window is above your head. This also kind of goes along with my "as needed" statement. Safety is always a great thing to add, but I don't really want to hack up my car either, so it limits where I can go and what I can do.