JhnRX7's 2017 Season Track Tour: Rotary FD & MX-5 Powah'ed
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
Recently uploaded a video from the track day a while back. Just one lap of my leisurely stroll around NJMP's Thunderbolt track 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWYIurlXans
I'll have a full update soon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWYIurlXans
I'll have a full update soon
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,807
Likes: 648
From: FL-->NJ/NYC again!
John, your interior looks awesome, glad to see it taking shape 
Consider sending your e-brake handle off to be recovered as well if that's a service that's offered. Looking forward to seeing you on the track with the RA crew in 2011
Consider sending your e-brake handle off to be recovered as well if that's a service that's offered. Looking forward to seeing you on the track with the RA crew in 2011
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
Only reason I have not sent out the e-brake handle was that it is my only one and I would be without an e-brake.... but now that the car is down I can send it out. I have also since replaced the shift boot and e-brake boot with some quality black leather pieces thanks to turbodrx7
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
Update!
Car has been down since Thanksgiving, but with work and the Holidays I have not had much chance to really get much accomplished. However the other night we got hit with a blizzard up here in the NE and I was snowed in so I decided to check off something from my list of winter projects.
Ducting: Done.
Getting this done was a huge accomplishment and a giant leap forward in my build. I have been working on it off and on for months. I used 6061 T6 aluminum to make sealed ducts to my radiator and both oil coolers. I incorporated two NACA ducts in the radiator ducting which will feed my brake ducts which I am currently fabricating backing plates for.
I used weather stripping every place the ducting mates up against a cooler or frame.
On to the pics:
The hoses are only in there for moc-up purposes. They do not hang down below the bumper at all when they are secured down to their mounting locations. I also Have a carbon fiber under tray that will cover up everything leaving nothing exposed.
I am also in the process of fabricating quick release block off plates which will cover up the NACA ducts to eliminate or restrict flow to the brakes for street driving. I dont want the brakes being too cool for street driving. I will have to do some road tests once everything is all back together to see if they are really necessary or not.
Car has been down since Thanksgiving, but with work and the Holidays I have not had much chance to really get much accomplished. However the other night we got hit with a blizzard up here in the NE and I was snowed in so I decided to check off something from my list of winter projects.
Ducting: Done.
Getting this done was a huge accomplishment and a giant leap forward in my build. I have been working on it off and on for months. I used 6061 T6 aluminum to make sealed ducts to my radiator and both oil coolers. I incorporated two NACA ducts in the radiator ducting which will feed my brake ducts which I am currently fabricating backing plates for.
I used weather stripping every place the ducting mates up against a cooler or frame.
On to the pics:
The hoses are only in there for moc-up purposes. They do not hang down below the bumper at all when they are secured down to their mounting locations. I also Have a carbon fiber under tray that will cover up everything leaving nothing exposed.
I am also in the process of fabricating quick release block off plates which will cover up the NACA ducts to eliminate or restrict flow to the brakes for street driving. I dont want the brakes being too cool for street driving. I will have to do some road tests once everything is all back together to see if they are really necessary or not.
Good job on the ducting.
Some comments:
- Talk to Rishie at AutoRND about the Stance or Pettit about his coilovers.
- Stock bushings are fine and quite long lasting. Replace what you need to fix your clunks but you don't necessarily "need" new bushings everywhere.
- Once the suspension is done and you have your tires, Get a GOOD alignment - preferably from a race shop. A good race shop will take the time and use properly calibrated equipment to get the alignment right.
- Talk to Rich's buddy Ganesh about the brake pads. You will want some more track worthy pads and sticking to the same brand as your street pads is generally a good idea as the transfer layer on the rotors will be happier that way. Don't go overkill on overly aggressive pads. You might not be able to get them up to temps properly. Get a good "medium" compound pad and use them till you build your skills and speed and move up the ladder once you get there. You need to trust your brakes.
- Reliability is key. Power and speed come after good brakes and suspension.
Some comments:
- Talk to Rishie at AutoRND about the Stance or Pettit about his coilovers.
- Stock bushings are fine and quite long lasting. Replace what you need to fix your clunks but you don't necessarily "need" new bushings everywhere.
- Once the suspension is done and you have your tires, Get a GOOD alignment - preferably from a race shop. A good race shop will take the time and use properly calibrated equipment to get the alignment right.
- Talk to Rich's buddy Ganesh about the brake pads. You will want some more track worthy pads and sticking to the same brand as your street pads is generally a good idea as the transfer layer on the rotors will be happier that way. Don't go overkill on overly aggressive pads. You might not be able to get them up to temps properly. Get a good "medium" compound pad and use them till you build your skills and speed and move up the ladder once you get there. You need to trust your brakes.
- Reliability is key. Power and speed come after good brakes and suspension.
Jhn, I like the setrab oil coolers you're running. Many people don't know how crucial large oil coolers are for road racing until it's too late.
I'm curious why did you choose those pads as opposed to other pads such as carbotech, hawk DTC60/70's, or cobalt's?
I'm curious why did you choose those pads as opposed to other pads such as carbotech, hawk DTC60/70's, or cobalt's?
Good job on the ducting.
Some comments:
- Talk to Rishie at AutoRND about the Stance or Pettit about his coilovers.
- Stock bushings are fine and quite long lasting. Replace what you need to fix your clunks but you don't necessarily "need" new bushings everywhere.
- Once the suspension is done and you have your tires, Get a GOOD alignment - preferably from a race shop. A good race shop will take the time and use properly calibrated equipment to get the alignment right.
- Talk to Rich's buddy Ganesh about the brake pads. You will want some more track worthy pads and sticking to the same brand as your street pads is generally a good idea as the transfer layer on the rotors will be happier that way. Don't go overkill on overly aggressive pads. You might not be able to get them up to temps properly. Get a good "medium" compound pad and use them till you build your skills and speed and move up the ladder once you get there. You need to trust your brakes.
- Reliability is key. Power and speed come after good brakes and suspension.
Some comments:
- Talk to Rishie at AutoRND about the Stance or Pettit about his coilovers.
- Stock bushings are fine and quite long lasting. Replace what you need to fix your clunks but you don't necessarily "need" new bushings everywhere.
- Once the suspension is done and you have your tires, Get a GOOD alignment - preferably from a race shop. A good race shop will take the time and use properly calibrated equipment to get the alignment right.
- Talk to Rich's buddy Ganesh about the brake pads. You will want some more track worthy pads and sticking to the same brand as your street pads is generally a good idea as the transfer layer on the rotors will be happier that way. Don't go overkill on overly aggressive pads. You might not be able to get them up to temps properly. Get a good "medium" compound pad and use them till you build your skills and speed and move up the ladder once you get there. You need to trust your brakes.
- Reliability is key. Power and speed come after good brakes and suspension.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
Good job on the ducting.
Some comments:
- Talk to Rishie at AutoRND about the Stance or Pettit about his coilovers.
Pettit Stage III's already installed
I initially wanted to go with Zeal's, but decided to give the Pettits a try and save some cash for other necessary upgrades.
- Stock bushings are fine and quite long lasting. Replace what you need to fix your clunks but you don't necessarily "need" new bushings everywhere.
Thats good advice that a friend of mine recently informed me about as well. I ended up purchasing a full SuperPro kit, but I don't think I will be using them all (for now at least). I do NEED to replace all the pillowballs though. I will be pulling the control arms this week to prepare for the bushings. I will also be replacing my worn sway-bar end links and tie rod ends.
- Once the suspension is done and you have your tires, Get a GOOD alignment - preferably from a race shop. A good race shop will take the time and use properly calibrated equipment to get the alignment right.
I will have to find a good shop near me... There is one somewhat local that I have gone to with Scrub for his alignment, but we were not thrilled with the shop and their work...
Tires will be Advan AD08's
- Talk to Rich's buddy Ganesh about the brake pads. You will want some more track worthy pads and sticking to the same brand as your street pads is generally a good idea as the transfer layer on the rotors will be happier that way. Don't go overkill on overly aggressive pads. You might not be able to get them up to temps properly. Get a good "medium" compound pad and use them till you build your skills and speed and move up the ladder once you get there. You need to trust your brakes.
Haha oh I know Ganesh He is the man currently responsible for getting me my wheels (should be here in February).
I got a set of Endless rear pads from him earlier this year and will be sticking with them. However, I was considering going with a dedicated Endless race compound pad for track days. But you do make a good point about them not getting up to temp... Maybe I should stick with some MX72 pads up front for a while.
- Reliability is key. Power and speed come after good brakes and suspension.
Thats what this build is all about
Some comments:
- Talk to Rishie at AutoRND about the Stance or Pettit about his coilovers.
Pettit Stage III's already installed
I initially wanted to go with Zeal's, but decided to give the Pettits a try and save some cash for other necessary upgrades.
- Stock bushings are fine and quite long lasting. Replace what you need to fix your clunks but you don't necessarily "need" new bushings everywhere.
Thats good advice that a friend of mine recently informed me about as well. I ended up purchasing a full SuperPro kit, but I don't think I will be using them all (for now at least). I do NEED to replace all the pillowballs though. I will be pulling the control arms this week to prepare for the bushings. I will also be replacing my worn sway-bar end links and tie rod ends.
- Once the suspension is done and you have your tires, Get a GOOD alignment - preferably from a race shop. A good race shop will take the time and use properly calibrated equipment to get the alignment right.
I will have to find a good shop near me... There is one somewhat local that I have gone to with Scrub for his alignment, but we were not thrilled with the shop and their work...
Tires will be Advan AD08's
- Talk to Rich's buddy Ganesh about the brake pads. You will want some more track worthy pads and sticking to the same brand as your street pads is generally a good idea as the transfer layer on the rotors will be happier that way. Don't go overkill on overly aggressive pads. You might not be able to get them up to temps properly. Get a good "medium" compound pad and use them till you build your skills and speed and move up the ladder once you get there. You need to trust your brakes.
Haha oh I know Ganesh
He is the man currently responsible for getting me my wheels (should be here in February). I got a set of Endless rear pads from him earlier this year and will be sticking with them. However, I was considering going with a dedicated Endless race compound pad for track days. But you do make a good point about them not getting up to temp... Maybe I should stick with some MX72 pads up front for a while.
- Reliability is key. Power and speed come after good brakes and suspension.
Thats what this build is all about
Thanks for the comments!!
...response above
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
I went with Endless simply because my buddy Ganesh works for them and I know that Endless makes a great pad. Also a couple of my friends that track their FD's have made the switch to Endless and noticed a huge improvement. However if I were to look elsewhere I probably would have gone with Carbotech as I have heard great things about them.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,807
Likes: 648
From: FL-->NJ/NYC again!
John, I plan to run MX72s at all four corners this coming season...... I don't think anything more aggressive is warranted right now, at least for my level
John,
Very nice! The car is definitely coming along nicely! I really liked what you did w/ the ducting. Maybe I missed it, but how exactly did you secure the the ducting itself? For both the intercooler and oil coolers?
Ryan
Very nice! The car is definitely coming along nicely! I really liked what you did w/ the ducting. Maybe I missed it, but how exactly did you secure the the ducting itself? For both the intercooler and oil coolers?
Ryan
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
Brake Ducting
So I completed my brake ducting and backing plate setup a while ago but just got around to taking some pics to update the thread...
I have created a dedicated ducting setup to keep my stock brakes cool on the track. One of the biggest benefits of a BBK setup is its superior cooling capabilities over stock so I figured I would attempt to make the best out of my stockers until its time for me to make the jump to BBK.
There are a few backing plate options out there available for purchase such as the crooked willow backing plates which are currently being reproduced and the N-tech backing plates. Unfortunately the crooked willow setup does not allow the connection of a brake hose, so they were out. The N-tech plates were pretty much what I was looking for, and while I probably could have found a set I decided to just go ahead and make my own... How hard could it be
For the plate I used 0.05" 6061 aluminum which I cut out to just cover the stock rotor opening, about 7 1/4" diameter. I then cut out the center and made all the necessary mounting holes. The next step is determining how to mount the 3" hose to the backing plate and making the opening large enough as to not restrict flow. This was the hard part. There simply is not enough room to weld a circular 3" tube so I decided to get creative.
I mounted the plate to the hub and from the back traced out as large of an area as possible regardless of shape that was not obstructed. Then with some hole saws and a jig saw cut out the shape. Now, in order to go from this random shape to a 3" circle i decided fiberglass would be the simplest option to get any shape I wanted. I made a mold out of cardboard and some duct tape and got to work.
The mold had to be done in two halves in order to be able to release the cured part from the mold. The two halves were then bolded together with additional fiberglass and the whole thing was riveted to the backing plate.
I had considered making a lip around the edge of the plate that would extend inside the rotor, however for simplicity sake I decided to just oversize the backing plate slightly then use washers to space it out as close to the rotor as possible without touching.
The hose attaches to NACA ducts within the radiator ducting and then travels about 1.5-2ft to the backing plates.
Initial test fit with stock wheels. I had originally planned to crush this section of tubing to flatten it a bit for additional clearance, however I do not believe that will be necessary. With the stock wheels I have about 1.5" of clearance. My new wheels are a fairly low offset in the front 18x10 +36. By doing the math that pushed the wheel 11mm closer to the hose. This is with the wheel in its full droop position which roughly places the wheel at its closest point, so I think I will be ok. We will see.
The view from the front. The ducting sits up just high enough that it will not be in danger of scrubbing the ground. Regardless, I have a Shine 3-piece carbon undertray that will cover it all up protecting it from any potential road hazards.
So I completed my brake ducting and backing plate setup a while ago but just got around to taking some pics to update the thread...
I have created a dedicated ducting setup to keep my stock brakes cool on the track. One of the biggest benefits of a BBK setup is its superior cooling capabilities over stock so I figured I would attempt to make the best out of my stockers until its time for me to make the jump to BBK.
There are a few backing plate options out there available for purchase such as the crooked willow backing plates which are currently being reproduced and the N-tech backing plates. Unfortunately the crooked willow setup does not allow the connection of a brake hose, so they were out. The N-tech plates were pretty much what I was looking for, and while I probably could have found a set I decided to just go ahead and make my own... How hard could it be
For the plate I used 0.05" 6061 aluminum which I cut out to just cover the stock rotor opening, about 7 1/4" diameter. I then cut out the center and made all the necessary mounting holes. The next step is determining how to mount the 3" hose to the backing plate and making the opening large enough as to not restrict flow. This was the hard part. There simply is not enough room to weld a circular 3" tube so I decided to get creative.
I mounted the plate to the hub and from the back traced out as large of an area as possible regardless of shape that was not obstructed. Then with some hole saws and a jig saw cut out the shape. Now, in order to go from this random shape to a 3" circle i decided fiberglass would be the simplest option to get any shape I wanted. I made a mold out of cardboard and some duct tape and got to work.
The mold had to be done in two halves in order to be able to release the cured part from the mold. The two halves were then bolded together with additional fiberglass and the whole thing was riveted to the backing plate.
I had considered making a lip around the edge of the plate that would extend inside the rotor, however for simplicity sake I decided to just oversize the backing plate slightly then use washers to space it out as close to the rotor as possible without touching.
The hose attaches to NACA ducts within the radiator ducting and then travels about 1.5-2ft to the backing plates.
Initial test fit with stock wheels. I had originally planned to crush this section of tubing to flatten it a bit for additional clearance, however I do not believe that will be necessary. With the stock wheels I have about 1.5" of clearance. My new wheels are a fairly low offset in the front 18x10 +36. By doing the math that pushed the wheel 11mm closer to the hose. This is with the wheel in its full droop position which roughly places the wheel at its closest point, so I think I will be ok. We will see.
The view from the front. The ducting sits up just high enough that it will not be in danger of scrubbing the ground. Regardless, I have a Shine 3-piece carbon undertray that will cover it all up protecting it from any potential road hazards.
John, just be careful that the scat tubing doesn't rub on anything cause the metal wire in them is a lot stronger than you would think. I see this stuff ALL the time on the airplanes that I work on and I can tell you that I've seen that cut into steel tube engine mounts due to chaffing if not properly secured away from it. Just a little heads up for ya.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 30
From: Philadelphia, PA
John, just be careful that the scat tubing doesn't rub on anything cause the metal wire in them is a lot stronger than you would think. I see this stuff ALL the time on the airplanes that I work on and I can tell you that I've seen that cut into steel tube engine mounts due to chaffing if not properly secured away from it. Just a little heads up for ya.
Yes, definitely make sure it's not hitting your oil cooler line for sure! That could get very bad. Very nice build with some neat ideas (some I plan to duplicate in the future).