Special K

I collected my Stage 3 AVO car yesterday from Fensport, complete with HKS forged internals.
 
I shall be writing up my blog this morning with first impressions. Mind you, I've only done 70-odd miles so far - the first test will be next Saturday at Woodbridge followed by Sunday's TSS round.
 
I can admit I am in awe. This is, without shadow of a doubt, the most powerful car I have ever driven. The acceleration is unbelievable..
 
Spec K

I collected my Stage 3 AVO car yesterday from Fensport, complete with HKS forged internals.
 
I shall be writing up my blog this morning with first impressions. Mind you, I've only done 70-odd miles so far - the first test will be next Saturday at Woodbridge followed by Sunday's TSS round.
 
I can admit I am in awe. This is, without shadow of a doubt, the most powerful car I have ever driven. The acceleration is unbelievable..
 
Spec K

Many thanks for the pointers on the washer bottle....
 
I visited Fensport ten days ago when the car was on the ramp and the front bodywork removed. We discussed all the options.. it is not just the trans cooler coil that has to be resited, the electric oil pump and the motor fan have to be plumbed in... much scratching of heads.. at the same time I asked if we could replace the 4.67 final drive with the original 4.1 and also fit uprated drive shafts.
 
My washer bottle/reservoir is now sited in the boot. Both oil coolers are now at the front of the car, ducted either side of the intercooler -  the foglight apertures are way too small to allow sufficient airflow. Both exit through the (plastic) wheel arch internal liners, with mesh installed to prevent gravel etc. thrown off the wheels from puncturing the cooler coils.
 
This was a major engineering undertaking with custom made brackets, pipe runs, ducting and electrics, both behind the front bumper and leading to the washer bottle in the boot.  Dave and Alex at Fensport worked their socks off to get this done - and I am really pleased with the finished product (which you cannot see) .
 
Cost/benefit? - if it saves another fried autotrans / loss of competing at two Sprints it is well worth it. 
 
The engineering work was completed by last Monday and on Wednesday Adrian started mapping (and was at it until well gone 8.00pm!). If you recall earlier I had already completed to 500 miles running-in demanded of the new HKS forged engine, so it was a gentle trundle initially with eyes peeled on oil temps/leaks and then down to his wizardry..
 
I had asked for the approx. power output of my original two maps to be retained if possible - at 0.55bar (245bhp) and 0.75bar boost (265bhp). I then wanted a further two maps with the same increase in boost, so that map 4 was at approx. 1.05bar. This is way under the maximum working boost that the HKS engine is capable of taking but is a reasonable yardstick to start with.
 
However, the original actuator on the Stage3 AVO was not happy to play under 0.72bar boost, so a 'softer' actuator was quickly installed..
 
Thursday evening and Adrian had gone as far as he wanted, considering the ambient temps - it was the hottest day of the year so far. So I went up to Chatteris yesterday afternoon (pleased to find my spare autotrans has arrived from the States) and we tried it....
 
My map 1 is crap.... yeah, it's quicker than a standard car but nothing is working to any degree of efficiency. Bigger blowers want more boost, simple innit... map 2 is simply awesome, map 3 is manic and map4 is.... un-fscking-believable!! With the exception of the LFA I don't think I've ever been in a car which accelerates so quickly... please bear in mind we are talking getting up towards 400bhp here, and that's at the hubs on road fuel.. my car as standard gave 164bhp at the hubs..
 
Because of the ambient temp issues Adrian hasn't started getting to grips with it yet. The big plus is there is no signs of knock and the autotrans is working a smoothly as it ever has.. all logs in the three usable maps are right on the button.. on short maximum-attack runs both oil temps peaked at 90degrees (as they did in rush hour traffic at 6.00pm last night) and, by flicking on my manual pump/fan switch whilst stationery in traffic the autotrans oil dropped 8degrees in a matter of seconds..
 
72 miles home down the M11 in map2.... blurry eedjits in Beemers and GTI's getting in the way and Transit-man at 100mph trying to stay with me... mwahahaha... the acceleration between 70-120mph in fourth is mind numbing, the additional torque makes the whole thing tractable from 2000rpm... this is one heck of a machine..
 
More to come. I am at TDI in Thurrock on Monday to dyno these initial figures. Then it's (hopefully) back to Fensport on Friday to get the new Stoptech brakes fitted, if they've arrived from the States. Then it's Woodbridge on Saturday to learn a bit more about how to drive the thing, followed by Sunday's Sprint.. then back to Fensport for more mapping work.
 
Anyone at Woodbridge is welcome to passenger with me once I've got to grips with it myself.. you will be, err, surprised..
 
Spec K

Many thanks for the pointers on the washer bottle....
 
I visited Fensport ten days ago when the car was on the ramp and the front bodywork removed. We discussed all the options.. it is not just the trans cooler coil that has to be resited, the electric oil pump and the motor fan have to be plumbed in... much scratching of heads.. at the same time I asked if we could replace the 4.67 final drive with the original 4.1 and also fit uprated drive shafts.
 
My washer bottle/reservoir is now sited in the boot. Both oil coolers are now at the front of the car, ducted either side of the intercooler -  the foglight apertures are way too small to allow sufficient airflow. Both exit through the (plastic) wheel arch internal liners, with mesh installed to prevent gravel etc. thrown off the wheels from puncturing the cooler coils.
 
This was a major engineering undertaking with custom made brackets, pipe runs, ducting and electrics, both behind the front bumper and leading to the washer bottle in the boot.  Dave and Alex at Fensport worked their socks off to get this done - and I am really pleased with the finished product (which you cannot see) .
 
Cost/benefit? - if it saves another fried autotrans / loss of competing at two Sprints it is well worth it. 
 
The engineering work was completed by last Monday and on Wednesday Adrian started mapping (and was at it until well gone 8.00pm!). If you recall earlier I had already completed to 500 miles running-in demanded of the new HKS forged engine, so it was a gentle trundle initially with eyes peeled on oil temps/leaks and then down to his wizardry..
 
I had asked for the approx. power output of my original two maps to be retained if possible - at 0.55bar (245bhp) and 0.75bar boost (265bhp). I then wanted a further two maps with the same increase in boost, so that map 4 was at approx. 1.05bar. This is way under the maximum working boost that the HKS engine is capable of taking but is a reasonable yardstick to start with.
 
However, the original actuator on the Stage3 AVO was not happy to play under 0.72bar boost, so a 'softer' actuator was quickly installed..
 
Thursday evening and Adrian had gone as far as he wanted, considering the ambient temps - it was the hottest day of the year so far. So I went up to Chatteris yesterday afternoon (pleased to find my spare autotrans has arrived from the States) and we tried it....
 
My map 1 is crap.... yeah, it's quicker than a standard car but nothing is working to any degree of efficiency. Bigger blowers want more boost, simple innit... map 2 is simply awesome, map 3 is manic and map4 is.... un-fscking-believable!! With the exception of the LFA I don't think I've ever been in a car which accelerates so quickly... please bear in mind we are talking getting up towards 400bhp here, and that's at the hubs on road fuel.. my car as standard gave 164bhp at the hubs..
 
Because of the ambient temp issues Adrian hasn't started getting to grips with it yet. The big plus is there is no signs of knock and the autotrans is working a smoothly as it ever has.. all logs in the three usable maps are right on the button.. on short maximum-attack runs both oil temps peaked at 90degrees (as they did in rush hour traffic at 6.00pm last night) and, by flicking on my manual pump/fan switch whilst stationery in traffic the autotrans oil dropped 8degrees in a matter of seconds..
 
72 miles home down the M11 in map2.... blurry eedjits in Beemers and GTI's getting in the way and Transit-man at 100mph trying to stay with me... mwahahaha... the acceleration between 70-120mph in fourth is mind numbing, the additional torque makes the whole thing tractable from 2000rpm... this is one heck of a machine..
 
More to come. I am at TDI in Thurrock on Monday to dyno these initial figures. Then it's (hopefully) back to Fensport on Friday to get the new Stoptech brakes fitted, if they've arrived from the States. Then it's Woodbridge on Saturday to learn a bit more about how to drive the thing, followed by Sunday's Sprint.. then back to Fensport for more mapping work.
 
Anyone at Woodbridge is welcome to passenger with me once I've got to grips with it myself.. you will be, err, surprised..
 
Spec K

I collected my Stage 3 AVO car yesterday from Fensport, complete with HKS forged internals.
 
I shall be writing up my blog this morning with first impressions. Mind you, I've only done 70-odd miles so far - the first test will be next Saturday at Woodbridge followed by Sunday's TSS round.
 
I can admit I am in awe. This is, without shadow of a doubt, the most powerful car I have ever driven. The acceleration is unbelievable..
 
Spec K

I collected my Stage 3 AVO car yesterday from Fensport, complete with HKS forged internals.
 
I shall be writing up my blog this morning with first impressions. Mind you, I've only done 70-odd miles so far - the first test will be next Saturday at Woodbridge followed by Sunday's TSS round.
 
I can admit I am in awe. This is, without shadow of a doubt, the most powerful car I have ever driven. The acceleration is unbelievable..
 
Spec K

It could have been a sticky dog clutch, Tareim. Might be worth changing the transmission oil at your next service.
 
Spec K

Lol; but I did offer europe's fairest venues

I collected my Stage 3 AVO car yesterday from Fensport, complete with HKS forged internals.
 
I shall be writing up my blog this morning with first impressions. Mind you, I've only done 70-odd miles so far - the first test will be next Saturday at Woodbridge followed by Sunday's TSS round.
 
I can admit I am in awe. This is, without shadow of a doubt, the most powerful car I have ever driven. The acceleration is unbelievable..
 
Spec K

1 for Vogue!

Nescafe chief finally gets an audience with the new Pope..
 
"Your Holiness - we would like to donate 100million Euros to the Church"
 
"A gracious gift" says Pope Francis, nodding benevolently..
 
"Err, we would like you to change one word in your Liturgy - Lords Prayer - from ".. give us this day our daily bread"   to ".. give us this day our daily coffee.."
 
"I am sorry my son" says he Pope " .. this is the Lord's words and cannot be changed.."
 
"Holiness" says Nescafe, ".. we anticipated reluctance on the Church's part. May I increase the offer to 300million Euros, if you will change the word..?"
 
Francis smiled benevolently. "My son... beloved of the Church.. you must understand that the word of the Lord is sacrosanct. It cannot be changed.."
 
Nescafe - "My spiritual Leader and Leader of my daily devotions... our 'Liturgy' was translated off ancient Aramaeic hologryphs, then into Latin. No way can we verify or justify 'bread' as the translation .... "
 
"... our final offer - 500million Euros.That's HALF A BILLION EUROS. Every year. Please will you consider our offer..?" and he left..
 
Pope calls a Convocation of the Vatican and all the Bishops turn up..
 
"Holy Brothers - I have good news and bad news" says Pope Francis..
 
".. the good news is that we will be receiving half a billion Euros into the Vatican coffers.."
 
 
"What's the bad news?" as Bishop Abernathy.
 
 
 
 
 
" We will be losing the Hovis account..."
 
 
 
Spec K
 
 
 
 
 
 

Great pics Will..... best colour, of course....
 
 
Spec K.

Jamie, this is merely a comment, probably as the piccies don't do justice to the looks... your wheels/tyres look pretty big and 'sticky-outy' and could be throwing up a lot of garbage.
 
Have you thought about fitting mudflaps?
 
Spec K

The following is, I am assured, a genuine answer given by a mid-term chemistry student at the Univeristy of Arizona..
 
The answer was so profound his professor shared it with colleagues via the internet - hence I had the pleasure of enjoying it as well.. and I invite you to share..
 
" Bonus Question - is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat) ? "
 
Most students wrote dissertations based on Boyle's Law  (gas cools when it expands and heats up when compressed) or a variant thereof.. one student, however, wrote the following -
 
' First we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely. I think we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving..
 
As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.
 
Most of these religions state that, if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion we can project with certainty that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.
 
Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proptionately as souls are added.
 
This gives two possibilities -
 
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure will increase until all Hell breaks loose..
 
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over..
 
So.. which is it..?
 
If we accept the postulate given to me by Annabelle during my Freshman year that ".. it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you.." and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night - number two must be true and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.
 
The corollary of this theory is that, since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore extinct.... leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a Divine Being which explains why, last night, Annabelle kept shouting "Oh, my God..!!"
 
Spec K

Thanks man, it is in mint condition too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well you need to get the centre console armrest for a start

Alec

Become a premium member ohh dark one from the other side 

Thanks Ed. (Good to see you posting again..)
 
I don't think the risks as ".. laid out.." in regards to cooling issues give the full picture so far.
 
And, with respect to both you and Mark, none of us is sufficiently experienced in this subject, so the picture changes.
 
I think it is necessary that guys like you, Mark, Adrian (and to a lesser degree myself),  who are pushing these boundaries, should be giving information to aspiring owners. That's why this Forum is called a 'Drivers Club' and I for one have no issues in sharing my experiences.
 
Hominids would have not evolved into sapiens without interbreeding... mentally as well as physically.. And today's ultimate sapiens is a GT86 (1) owner !!
 
(1) Oh, okay... I'll give BRZ a close runner-up..
 

 
 
Spec K
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spec K

Thanks Ed. (Good to see you posting again..)
 
I don't think the risks as ".. laid out.." in regards to cooling issues give the full picture so far.
 
And, with respect to both you and Mark, none of us is sufficiently experienced in this subject, so the picture changes.
 
I think it is necessary that guys like you, Mark, Adrian (and to a lesser degree myself),  who are pushing these boundaries, should be giving information to aspiring owners. That's why this Forum is called a 'Drivers Club' and I for one have no issues in sharing my experiences.
 
Hominids would have not evolved into sapiens without interbreeding... mentally as well as physically.. And today's ultimate sapiens is a GT86 (1) owner !!
 
(1) Oh, okay... I'll give BRZ a close runner-up..
 

 
 
Spec K
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spec K

Err... ".. twin drifts..." ?
 
.. and we're meeting up on holiday in a few weeks? .. for a 'chill-out, meet my friends and cruise along the Promenade'...?
 
AARGHH! What have I let myself in for..?
 
(Resigned mode) - oh, okay...
 
Spec K

Ah... so she's still going to be ratted the day after... makes sense..
 
Spec K

As the 'Age of Recovery' threads on this Forum seem to be an interesting subject I will add my own. Not only to waste half an hour on a keyboard but hopefully to give some guidance, insight and depth of pockets required for those who seek the ultimate.
 
"eh?" I hear you think.... "..ultimate what?"
 
As MLK said, 'I have a dream'. And mine is to own, drive (and ultimately sell) the fastest, best driveable road-going auto GT86 in Europe.
 
I am not interested in pretty - I want power, roadholding and predictability... but I insist it is controllable for road (my Granny should be able to drive it, she's 134 and in a wooden box) yet capable of testing her grandson's capabilities at Sprint and trackdays.
 
Over last winter I engaged Fensport to rebuild my engine with an HKS kit - stroked crank (to 2.2L), new cams (to accommodate the higher piston lift), forged pistons to their design and forged rods. At the same time new injectors and new oil pump. And a stage 3 AVO turbo to mate with my existing 3" exhaust system (also AVO).
 
Why not Cosworth? They are still poncing about with their forged kit, Adrian at Fensport was still prototyping their stuff, first engine they produced had big problems and it will be a year next Thursday before Cosworth get off their arses and do anything for genuine enthusiasts andget more than their basics on the market.
 
Why not Carillo and the other stuff from the US? Because I have only met one US supplier worth anything in terms of meeting overseas motorsport commitments - SSP for auto gearbox upgrades. I know Mark at Abbey swears by the 'other stuff'  suppliers, having built LFA's engine - but he/they don't use them on the road and they are, to my mind, unproven in the UK where no alternative has existed. (And LFA chooses to dismiss my invites to prove his car inthe UK..)
 
The downside with the HKS kit - for a turbo car - is dictated by their marketing platform. They want to sell their s/c kits, so the compression ratio is left high. It detracts from the benefit of bottom end boost generated by turbo. They offer three different cylinder head gasket thicknesses (which make a difference of 11.8:1 and 11.5:1 by my maths). And when Carillo/other kits are offering 10:1 c/r (or slightly lower) it seems perverse - Cossie have learned the lesson over the market resistance to 'package' selling, why has Japan not reacted?
 
But... with the Fensport ECU mapping the turbo boost can be 'progressive'.. (money).. and it is customised to your specific car (money). Hence the decision to map my car in  (1) road  (2) extreme road (3) wet track (4) extreme track (more money).
 
Some of you may be aware that I am the only auto trans competing in Europe. Last year, after advice that the Toyo autotrans is built of tissue and stuck together with bubblegum (it is a Lexus de-engineered 8-speed to a paperweight 6-speed, worthy of a max 260bhp), I went to US and got an upgraded autotrans from SSP.
 
I chose stage 2 valve body (see website) - and, sure enough, it kicks you up the arse when you change on road, it is uncomfortable and, after five miles, my daughter went into premature labour!  (I joke). On track it is seemless.. instant response when driving over 4k revs.
 
As I was planning my engine upgrade,  Kris (at SSP) made me aware of a clutch upgrade which was going well with the dragsters over there. One car in NewYork State is pulling 600bhp at the wheels and running a standard Toyo box upgraded with this kit. Has to be the way to go, I think, and ordered a kit  - discussed it with Fensport who washed their hands of it - autotrans they have no knowledge about, other than getting it out of your chassis and refitting it.
 
Howver, Adrian gave me a contact - a man who is, ostensibly, the top competition autotrans guy in the UK
 
(. to be continued)
 
Spec K
 
 
 

Awesome, Keethos.. truly awesome.
 
If you would like to try some Ferodo DS2500 pads in your K-Sport calipers I've got some spare sets you can try.. I shall be selling mine when the StopTech replacements arrive.
 
Spec K

Welcome Steve, I hope Alec didn't talk you to death.... 

Okay, Here is my entry, yes it's standard, but it will be immaculately clean come the 20th June.
 
I feel I would be a good representative of the club as I like to chat to everyone and hope i come across as friendly, I could also leave the Drivers club decals and track plates on, as well as also promote the TSS with there sponsors. Hopefully this will be a nice platform to attract others to our forum and the TSS. I could also capture lots of lovely photos on the day. Please don't rule me out because my car is standard I only live 5 miles away from the event.