QUOTE(Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Dec 10 2006, 10:44 PM)
how about some technical info Bill?
what adjustments did you make, what tires did you use, how was the general feel of the car in turn 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10?
inquiring minds want to know
The car felt very soft on day 1. I couldn't dive bomb into turns like I could with Fritz. The car just wouldn't stick. A large part of that was the conditions (rain, very cold) but the skinny tires compared to the gonzo slicks really make a difference. I had the shocks on a medium setting left over from the Sear's setup but I stiffened the car substantially on the clickers and it made a big difference in the car.
On day 2 I could take 1 much more aggressively. Turn 2 the Boxster liked the double apex or 914 line. Turn 3 and 4 the car definitely liked the inside "hugging line. Not enough tire to try to whip it into the trough and out. 5 I could take in 2nd or 3rd gear (I settled on 3rd). 6 was a learning process again as I was feathering the throttle at turn in all weekend then realized I didn't have 300HP anymore and during my last session I kept my foot in it and the car was fine. 7 I took the normal way. The car liked 8. With a little more grippy service there is alot of time to be had there (I looked down at the digital speedo and I was over 100MPH through there). Turn 9 had no drama, just need to remember to carry momemtum up the hill. Turn 10 was good for the Boxster, I could rail through their pretty quickly and catch several cars between 10 and 11. Turn 11 was a give up corner. The gear ratios of the Box suck for that turn. 2nd gear is too low and 3rd is too high. I used second in traffic to squirt out of there but if I was alone I left it in 3rd. 12 and 13 I stayed off the berm areas as they were really slick from the rain and several cars that tried running over them spun out during the side to side transistions. 14 and 15 were really slick, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't exit with full throttle until very late into 15 because the car wouldn't hook up (limited slip anyone!).
I ran the Victoracers all day 245/45/17's front on 7 inch rims and 275/40/17's on the rear. Trekkor took tire temps of my tires and they were ~95 degrees HOT when I came off. Arctic conditions. As a point of reference, Trekkor's Hoosiers were I think barely over 98 degrees, and the track surface temp was 50 degrees. My next test will be either a wider tire or Hoosiers on 8.5 inch rims up front. I think with the added rim width the car will really turn in with confidence instead of the rollover feeling we're getting from the skinny rim up front.
It isn't going to be easy for me to turn 2:09's, but the car is capable. I don't know if I am but the car is.
I was much more comfortable in the car after the suspension adjustments and some seat time and when I picked up the pace I could turn 15's and 16's in cruise mode.
One thing I was very surprised with is how good the stock Boxster brakes are. I found during my last session I didn't need to brake so early and I could modulate the braking down quickly. And the car is very stable under heavy braking with a slight rear twitch if you pitch the car forward with a strong stab of the brake pedal.
I do need to make a block for the accelerator pedal to facilitate heal and toe. The brake pedal is has so little travel you really have to articulate your foot to get to the throttle.
I'll also have to pull the nose and re-tighten the center radiator lines I just installed. No leaks per se, but if you look underneath there is weeping that is forming on the bottom of the car from both sides, so I'll need to pull down both side radiators again.
On a comfort note, since my heat was still functional, I ran the heater when on the track with the windows down. It kept the cabin VERY comfortable and I never got cold. A very nice feature for a track only car.
I'm signed up for Laguna Seca on Sunday, January 7th. Can't wait for that!
Here's some pics of the car this weekend. You can see how well the suspension was working in some of the shots.
First shot on the backstraight between 13 and 14.
Bill P.