GVR4 mods quantified

You have really improved your car over the year! I love those Sub-Zeroes on a white car, too. Enjoy it & spend your next paycheck on more track time, rather than mods.

As far as handling tips:
Lowering the car an inch will give more rear neg. camber which will make that end stick better. Obviously, you'll need another 4-wheel alignment after lowering. And another alignment when you raise it back up to drive in the winter.

If you can afford it, get a LSD rear diff and you'll be faster in the wet. I also have a Quaiffe front diff that complements all my other handling mods, but that's a lot more $.

 

[curtis]

sub frame connectors are a must. Do a search I've posted how on here.

 

[CP]

"Subframe connectors"

Are you talking about the pics of the long bars running from the front to rear of the car that were posted a few months ago? If not, then I'm interested in details as I didn't like the look of those, or think they'd help my ground clearance at all.

Jim, have you looked into the Ingalls Arms or similar for rear camber adjustment? They'll let you have as much or as little camber as you want. Someone was making a knock-off here on the board, and they were supposed to be much stronger than the Ingalls units. Look into getting your rear trailing arms welded too, or pick up a kit from Larry.

On the alignment, do some research on how some of the Solo 2 cars are aligned. If the majority of your performance driving is autox, then you should get the car aligned to compliment that. It would be a different alignment than I'd get for my car, which requires high speed stability for longer tracks than the one you've shown us here, as opposed to an easy point and shoot setup. In other words, your toe settings will be different than what I've got mine set at, which is currently zero all around.

A lower center of gravity will help you alot too. And stickier summer tires if they're in the budget. I also really like my harnesses at these events so that I'm planted in my seat, rather than having to hold myself in place like I was doing with the stock and manual belts. They're a bit of an annoyance day to day, but you get used to two shoulder straps.

If we have a local meet sometime this fall, I'll take you for a spin so we can compare. Actually, is there something going on up near you at that track over Colombus Day weekend? We'll be at Stratton in southern VT all weekend doing some last minute wedding junk, but I may be able to get up to Btown for a day if there's an autox planned. Let me know soon so I can run it by the Mrs.

 

[Bimmubishi]

I would recommend COM. www.comscc.org

I've run with them for two seasons. I found the people to be very nice and the instruction to be top notch. The competitive day is the time trial, which is Sundays. You can opt to do only the instructional day and leave before the time trial which makes it completely non competitive.

The time trial is only available for either drivers who were "signed off" on through demonstrating safe and capable driving the day, or events before, or licensed drivers who have a competitors license.

 

[jogalant]

Great info on how to set up a performance suspension system. Thanks.

 

[curtis]

Quote:
"Subframe connectors"

Are you talking about the pics of the long bars running from the front to rear of the car that were posted a few months ago? If not, then I'm interested in details as I didn't like the look of those, or think they'd help my ground clearance at all.





Well instead of the 1 x 2 inch tube run a thicker gauge c channel or weld the tube to the side of the subframes. I didn't weld them on to be preatty but to give the car support and regitity along with a place to set the car on that doesn't crush like the factory frame rails. My mustang had the exact same grade and size along with a six point cage and I could jack any corner and lift 3 tires of the ground. All it takes is a drive before and after and you'll be hooked on this mod. Mustang and Camaro guys have been doing it for years the import guys just have never believed in it because most are fwd or don't make the torque like the V8's to believe they could benefit from what it does.

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Thanks Bob, especially for all your advice and knowledge you've put on this board. I've got the bug now and want to do more. I doubt I'll go through the trouble and expense of lowering and re-aligning this year as the snow tires will be back on in about two months. Next spring I will come down a bit in ride height, though. Hopefully my other winter beater car lasts a while and I can simply crank up the parabolic heater in the garage and get some Galant work done this winter and keep it off the road and out of the salt. I'm done spending money on parts for a while! I've got no end of stuff sitting on shelf. The highlights:
-Your Big 16G w/Bullseye 02 housing
-Ported EVO 3 exh. mani.
-Evo 8 IC + Brode pipes
-Walbro 255
-Evo 560cc injs.
-2G MAS and intake pipe
-90 oil cooler and filter base set up
-datalogger

I just need to buy an AFPR set up and figure out if I'm going to use that F-Con unit or go with a Keydiver chip. I'm leaning towards the latter option. It'll be a pretty mild set up by some folk's standards, but it's a proven set up and with a bit of head and intake porting from Charlie North when they go on and I'm hoping I'll be leaving that M3 behind and nipping at the heels of that modified STi at this track next summer. We'll see.

Cy, I'm actually running zero toe right now for versatility's sake. It may not give the best turn in but with the Azenis I'm pretty happy with the car's responsiveness and transisitions. The track is actually not in VT but rather NY state, all the way up on the St. Lawrence, near Ogdensburg. There's dreamy talk of getting some investors together to build a similar style track in VT but nothing other than talk at this point. Our club can't even find good autox sites in VT much less a decent race track.

Yeah, the camera needs to come up some. It's a $99 PureDigital handheld video camera that takes up to 30 minutes total. It's held in place by tucking it between the bottom of the left side of the passenger headrest and the top of the seat back. It's stays in there perfectly, and I tie it down with a strap and a long piece of vacuum hose. I just need to remember to move the seat forward and recline the seat back up next time I do in-car video so you see more of the track and less of the dashboard. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

The rear arms you mentioned would be great, but really I need a whole rear subframe. I hope to source a clean 4-bolt LSD rear + sub frame + suspension pieces this winter and build it up before installing it with the Whiteline bushings I already have, the active toe eliminator Larry Parker makes, and maybe if the budget allows, those adjustable rear upper arms.

I'm also very interested in the idea of stiffening the chassis with the subframe connection method. I'm not too worried about weight-shaving at this point. GVR4s are heavy cars. If I find a good deal on light FIA-appproved seats (the ones I mentioned earlier in this thread are definitely NOT FIA seats), that and the little battery (already done) full ABS,AWS,AC deletion will maybe negate the weight I've added with the sway bars, strut bars, bigger wheels/tires, etc. Again, we'll see.

-Jim B.
1432/2000
167k

 

[CP]

The 1G rear subframe (which I've got) won't eliminate the active rear toe, or give you any more camber adjustment. I too am interested in the bars. Got any pics of them welded on to a GVR4? With my suspension and tower bars, I can jack either side of the car and both end come off the ground, and I always lift a rear wheel pulling up into parking lots.

I guess I'm done with COM events for now, and don't plan to renew my membership next year. It appears that my Stoptechs will exclude me from that club's events unless I've got some sort of roll cage, which I'm not ready to install until I get another daily driver, or sell this car.

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I was back at this track yesterday. Normally it's a two-day event but other committments limited me to 3.5 hours of driving each way for just 8 timed laps on Sunday. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif Oh well. Next event there I'll get there early on Friday evevning and get more time in.

Ran a 58.41 which beat my best time in the old car from last year by 1.02 seconds. 6 of the 8 laps were better than the best time in the old car. If I'd had Saturday to practice I'm sure I could have gotten the time a bit lower. Ran about 14-16 lbs. of boost and between that, the FMIC, the 16G, and the 3.5 GM MAS, the car does feel a good bit quicker than the old car. 2-3 shift points were happening sooner, meaning higher top speeds before braking.

Ended up 4th out of 22 cars, beat only by a Turbo Miata, a heavily worked Mini Cooper S, and nipped by a tenth by a brand new Audi TT 3.2 Q running the same sticky Bridgestones as my car.

Cy's Ferodo race front brake pads were great, and never faded, although they did burn off a bit. I could feel the pedal get a bit longer by the end. This track is murder on brakes. Thanks for the pads, Cy!

Bridgestone RE-01Rs held up well, but the LF needed about 34 psi cold to keep from rolling past it's optimal point on the tire shoulder. This track is also murder on LF tires. These tires are very communicative at the limit, have the same or better grip than Azenis, and don't get greasy when hot. I love 'em.

Now the driveline's making more noise, though, I've got a small clunk from the LF (braked to late and had one grass excursion where I think I picked up that clunk). Got to take care of those two items before the end of July when I go back, and go to the track at Tremblant right after that.

Go-faster mods by then will mostly be lightening up the car (AC, swap out stock seats, hopefully hack down the front and rear bumper supports), and perhaps tweaking the suspension with some poly bushings, a bit more front neg. camber, and rear upper pillow ball mounts (using Hot Bits with stock upper rear mounts is noisy/squeaky). Not sure if I'll get a dyno. tune between now and then, but I know this set up can make a lot more power, esp. if I start using the methanol injection system this car has. Goal by the end of the year is to be getting close to the 56s that the modded Evos and STis have historically run at this track. We'll see!

May have some pics and video up soon...

-Jim B.
280/1000
1432/2000

 

[CP]

Why are you only running 15psi?

Once pads get thin, they tend to transfer more heat to the fluid through the metal backing plates.

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Not sure why the car won't make more than that at this point. Mark H. let me borrow his DSM Link on Saturday and we did some 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ( /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif ) gear tuning pulls, turning the boost knob up a half turn in between sessions.

At first the car was set at 10psi and would peg there and not creep. When I turned it up at first it pegged at 11-12 and crept to ~14 psi. as rpms built. We suspected an MBC leak so I swapped out the old school Hallman and put in the newer Boostvalve.com unit from my old car (which would peg where it was set with no creep in the old car). This yield boost pegging at 12-14 psi and more slowly creeping to 16-18 psi. Further half turns of the Boostvalve didn't yield anymore PSI so I suppose there's a leak somewhere.

We were only getting a bit of tip-in knock so I'm sure it's safe to set it at 18 psi. or so, but on the way home from the track I was getting lots of tip-in knock at 2500 - 3200 rpms in 3rd, 4th, and 5th gear. Not sure what running it hard did, but there was definitely more tip-in knock on the way home than on the way there, as indicated by the stock boost gauge and CEL, both set to come on when 5 or more "degrees" ("counts"?) of knock are detected. 20 degrees higher temps might have had something to do with it. I'm a total tuning newbie, so I really don't know. I wasn't getting any knock indicated on hard pulls all the way up to 7100 rpms on the track.

We leak tested it prior to those tuning runs and the only leak we could hear was up by the throttle body, likely the butterfly rod o-ring or one of the other seals or o-rings in there. Not a drastic leak at all, so I'm not sure if this would limit the amount the car is able to make. Turbo is a standard 16G and I'm not sure what the O2 housing is.

Ideally with a good tune and the methanol injection I suppose I could run 20-22 psi. safely, but I'm certainly not looking to blow anything up, just to give the car a chance against the STis and such.

-Jim B.
280/1000
1432/2000

 

[CP]

I ran 20psi with my 14b and currently am at 23psi with my EVO3 with no knock at all. You should be good for at least 20psi with a 16G if you've got all the fuel mods and a chip. Is the methanol really necessary?

 

[Hertz]

That "slight" leak at the throttle body is likely more than you expect, and only going to get worse. I had a expected "slight" leak at the TB (150k miles) and now it blows like nobodies business.

I mean, come on, you don't want any leaks at all, ever. SO fix it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It can only get worse.

 

[skivittlerjimb]

Yes sir! Actually, I do have pretty much all the gaskets and o-rings needed sitting on my "parts shelf." There's also another throttle body in there somewhere. Time to read up on the rebuild procedure and git 'er done.

Meth. inj. might not be needed, Cy. With 880s, Walbro 255, AFPR, Brode FMIC, and Keydiver chip with knock indicator light option, I may be safe running 20 psi. We'll see once I get my "slight leak" fixed.

-Jim B.
280/1000

 

^^ I think it's certainly on his list to fix. I believe Jim has a spare throttle body AND all of the parts to do a rebuild. When we did the boost leak test, it started to leak around 7psi (if I remember correctly) and wouldn't hold pressure in the system as a result. The difference will be significant once it's fixed.

Jim, before we pull the motor on your other Galant that's getting parted, we should do a boost leak test on it and see if that throttle body is leaking at all.

~Mark

 

[skivittlerjimb]

A couple of shots from Sunday:





-Jim B.
280/1000
1432/2000

 

[skivittlerjimb]

And some in-car video.

-Jim B.
280/1000
1432/2000

 

[464/2K]

your car looks very good!

 

[Bimmubishi]

Looking good Jim. I like the new car a lot. Are you going to NHIS with COM?

 

[CP]

Are you getting rear lockup like that at the longer, faster tracks (Calabogie)? What rear pads are you using? Is that video with the DS3000 in front?