Tomorrow will see me starting on the tranformation of Bob's slicktop from a fast road car to a much more extreme track car.

As with the original project to create the car i'm delighted to be involved in this next round of modifications.

Bob brought the car(as a rolling shell) to me on Saturday and we spent some time discussing the work to be done. I also took the opportunity of making a start on seat mounts/position while i had Bob to trial fit.:smartass:

Being securely located in your preferred driving position is an essential part of quick lap times.

The brief for the revised car is to create a competent track/strip/sprint/hillclimb 300ZX.

Many of the events to be entered specify the car to be road legal. In reality the car will be trailered to events so the need for creature comforts is minimal.

There are three goals to achieve...

1. More power.

2. Less mass(weight)

3 More downforce.

The combination of these three elements will be more speed. And its speed that counts

 

The big news on the more power front is the installation of a full Kyle Puckett built engine. formerly located in the 2+2 that Madmax(on this forum) had built and now owned by Bob

That isnt part of my job thank goodness.

Less weight and more downforce are tho and tomorrow i will be making a start on the weight saving task.

I will basically follow the same route as I have done on my own car and also what forum members Jaffa and EssBee have done. We all use the lightest car to begin with ... the 2 seater slicktop.

 

So hopefully those of you with an interest in the motorsport side and of going faster will find something of interest in this unfolding tale.:winkiss:

Those of you who are more concerned with modified lights. leds in everything, amps, subs, woofers and retrimmed interiors should stop reading now:whistling:

Initial pics and more detailed spec to follow tomorrow......:closedeyes:

If you need any fasteners of any sort and struggle to source them, feel free to ask. NAS bolts, quick release etc etc, I'd be glad to help

also the splitter would ally be better than say fiberglass or that other thing grp whats lighter n reduces flex under high loads...sorry if this is a stupit question but id fit somthing like this for astetics rather than purpose

 

Fibreglass would be too easily damaged, carbon would possibly be too brittle, ally is a good compromise but is relatively heavy when compared to Kevlar which would probably be the ideal. It's a shame, in a previous job I used to discard enough prepregnated Kevlar carbon every month to make a whole 300zx because it was 'time ex'!

Fibreglass would be too easily damaged, carbon would possibly be too brittle, ally is a good compromise but is relatively heavy when compared to Kevlar which would probably be the ideal. It's a shame, in a previous job I used to discard enough prepregnated Kevlar carbon every month to make a whole 300zx because it was 'time ex'!

 

cheers for that..a good insight into what makes a race cr build :-)

 

cheers for that..a good insight into what makes a race cr build :-)

 

Don't get me wrong I'm no pro at race car builds. That was just based on my experience of working with these materials and the properties as far as I understand.

Don't get me wrong I'm no pro at race car builds. That was just based on my experience of working with these materials and the properties as far as I understand.

 

all the same m8 im sure alot of ppl would just put a splitter on just for looks n not think about the materials used or how they affect downforce let alone the handling charictistics once fitted

Fibreglass would be too easily damaged, carbon would possibly be too brittle, ally is a good compromise but is relatively heavy when compared to Kevlar which would probably be the ideal. It's a shame, in a previous job I used to discard enough prepregnated Kevlar carbon every month to make a whole 300zx because it was 'time ex'!

 

I would have liked to have access to some Kevlar but hey ho!!

Thanks for the offer re fasteners.

Fibreglass using bi axial weave cloth would have been OK.

However ally is easy and I can do it myself.

I dont have time to wait for other people to make me stuff the car needs to be finished for next weekend.

 

Car is required to be road legal/MOTd for some of the events planned.

 

all the same m8 im sure alot of ppl would just put a splitter on just for looks

Im sure they do mate. However Bob n me are deffo not in the category "a lot of ppl":biggrin:

. Im not happy...... at all:taz:

 

 

 

Are you ever :tt2:

 

 

I doubt fiberglass with woven in it will work. Not at the the speed bobs car can go. you will get to much flex and will proberly fail. you could get it to work but it would start to weigh some so aluminium would be best i would say

Does the splitter need to be so thin Pete?? if you could run with say 15-18mm then cut it out of foam and just glass it up...Super strong and rigid and very light too.

Are you ever :tt2:

 

 

I doubt fiberglass with woven in it will work. Not at the the speed bobs car can go. you will get to much flex and will proberly fail. you could get it to work but it would start to weigh some so aluminium would be best i would say

 

As always Im listening to those who have relevant experience.

 

Does the splitter need to be so thin Pete?? if you could run with say 15-18mm then cut it out of foam and just glass it up...Super strong and rigid and very light too.

 

The honest answer is... I dont know.

Bob and me have no previous experience in this area. We have looked at other Time Attack cars and done some further internet research.

I "think" it needs to be thin to split the air smoothly. Its not a spoiler.

We are going to do this first one in the ally sheet we already have.

Then we need to see if it feels good in testing.

If so Bob has a contact for re doing one in Kevlar.

If not then it will be back to the drawing board early next year.

As said already Bob is picking the car up next weekend so I haven't a lot of time left to tidy up and finish off the work in hand.

Splitter.... Mk2.

Less extreme.

We think this is the one to go to ally with now.

That should be fun:blink:

 

Loving this thread Pete :thumbup1:

Just a thought would the splitter be to sharp? are there any rules?? maybe some rubber edgeing strip?

Just a thought would the splitter be to sharp? are there any rules?? maybe some rubber edgeing strip?

 

see previous post.:biggrin:

 

Its not pedestrian safe/friendly but the car doesnt get driven on the road nowadays so its fine.

Fitting some edging temporary will get it thru an MOT... or just unbolt it.It will all be easily removable single handed for mainteance/emergency pit access.

Quote Originally Posted by Car.Mad View Post

Just a thought would the splitter be to sharp? are there any rules?? maybe some rubber edgeing strip?

 

We have decided to add some thin edging to WE dont catch it ourselves on the shins!!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271087123016?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Are you planning to run with a complete undertray back to rear diffuser?

Are you planning to run with a complete undertray back to rear diffuser?

Under tray goes back to rad support panel. Then the next section back to the engine crossmember.

Third part runs from Hicas eliminator bar back to rear diffuser to eliminate the rear bumper " parachute" effect.

Rest of the underside stays "as is"

How do you go about making these panels Pete, plywood templates first or measurements and straight into it? When will you be doing that?

How do you go about making these panels Pete, plywood templates first or measurements and straight into it? When will you be doing that?

The rear tray is already done... Cardboard template then cut ally to size.(Just dont tell Bob its done..sssshhhh)

I will do the centre section the same. Or maybe plywood first then ally like the splitter.

The usual rules apply..

Measure TWICE.....CUT ONCE!:yes:

When??? This week... car is going on Sunday!:blink::blink:

So on to todays work....

 

Just a little white paint to throw on, that wont take long eh???

 

WRONG. Its pearl white . My nemesis in the paint world.

So step 1. rub down headlamps and 2nd hand roof vent.

step 2. degrease with panel wipe.

step 3. Paint with 2pack white primer

step 4. then paint with white basecoat.

step 5. paint with pearl basecoat.

step 6. finish with 2pac clear coat.

Result.. perfect... well not quite.. I put a little too much pearl of the roof scoop so it looks a little off shade.

The problem with pearl whie is it takes differently on fibreglass and urethane panels to metal.

So for an amateur like me getting it 100% is almost impossible.

Since most people will see the roof scoop overtaking them at 100mph I can live with a little shading variation.

While that lot is hardening off overnite i had a little play with the first splitter support rod.

 

Looks like another scary job looming when I have to cut a hole in the slicktop roof.

Probably measure THREE times and cut once! LOL!

Anyway enough chat... here are the pics... enjoy.

 

So on to todays work....

 

Just a little white paint to throw on, that wont take long eh???

 

WRONG. Its pearl white . My nemesis in the paint world.

So step 1. rub down headlamps and 2nd hand roof vent.

step 2. degrease with panel wipe.

step 3. Paint with 2pack white primer

step 4. then paint with white basecoat.

step 5. paint with pearl basecoat.

step 6. finish with 2pac clear coat.

Result.. perfect... well not quite.. I put a little too much pearl of the roof scoop so it looks a little off shade.

The problem with pearl whie is it takes differently on fibreglass and urethane panels to metal.

So for an amateur like me getting it 100% is almost impossible.

Since most people will see the roof scoop overtaking them at 100mph I can live with a little shading variation.

While that lot is hardening off overnite i had a little play with the first splitter support rod.

 

Looks like another scary job looming when I have to cut a hole in the slicktop roof.

Probably measure THREE times and cut once! LOL!

Anyway enough chat... here are the pics... enjoy.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]67624[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67625[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67626[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67627[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67628[/ATTACH]

 

Some nice work there Pete,just to give peeps an insight into splitters and their effect on the car,jaffas rear splitter is pulling his bumper fixings off at the sides it creates that much down force,see youve gone for braces Pete,should hold it on nicely,may have to look at something along those lines for James in the future.

Ere Jimmer, he must still be getting some parachute effect on his rear bumper getting above the diffuser and pulling it down as the diffuser won't be causing downforce. (Queue open can of worms!)

 

As the air flows under the car, its pressure drops to create a downforce, this needs to peak at the red wheels but the it needs to be dumped. If you have lots of downforce at the breakaway point at the rear the air will be turbulent and cause drag. The diffuser should, just after the rear wheels, increase the air pressure and slow down the airflow speed (diffusion) and effectively cause lift in that area. The design principle is mainly to slow down the airflow as much as possible so that when it breaks away and exits the airflow under the car, it matches the ambient air velocity/pressure around it and in turn (the target outcome) reduces the drag at the back end.

 

I hope I don't sound like too much of a toffee nose tvvat but its all interesting stuff I suppose! I know the principles but I cannot tell you what the results are likely to be in terms of performance, handling gains, I think Dave, legrath, is the man to ask about that.

Rather than guessing I'd just give UAS a shout to see what they did with their zed for WTAC the other year, because at the end of the day bad aero can have a huge detrimental effect on performance.

at the end of the day bad aero can have a huge detrimental effect on performance.

 

I thinks that's probably quite accurate, when your weight saving grams at a time I think the aerodynamic benefits from a good setup would be the same as adding lightness! But when it comes down to lap times in the real world without extensive testing in a wind tunnel I have no idea lol. It will no doubt be fun playing around with different setups though.

An extreme example maybe but I suppose when you consider the huge flap on that F1 engineers get when a small portion of rear diffuser or front wing gets detached during a minor prang during a Grand Prix, and the detrimental effect on stability that's reported by the driver as a result, you can see that aero harmony is quite important in the grand scheme of things

So a long day today and a big push to get this work finished for the weekend.

I dont normally go back out after dinner but tonite I did to get the splitter/undertray finished.

Earlier in the day I re assembled the painted headlights and fitted them in the shell properly.

The look is growing on me but Im pleased that following a few calculations the whole splitter /undertay weight is only slightly above the weight saving on these headlights.

Just the roof vent to go then...........