Special K

I think I should be selected as my car had been highly modified, but with my own unique touch. The supercharger adds the power that I've always wanted from the car, and the exterior modifications make it an eye-catching spectacle whether it's stationary or on the move. All mods are done with a purpose, either to improve power, handling or purely for aesthetics

This is straight from Scotland...
 
Students in an advanced Biology class were taking their mid-term exam and the last question, worth 70 points or none at all, was "Name seven advantages of Mother's milk"
 
One student in particular was hard put to think of seven advantages. However, he wrote -
 
1) It is a perfect formula for a child
 
2) It provides immunity against several diseases
 
3) It is always the right temperature
 
4) It is inexpensive
 
5) It bonds the child to Mother, adn vice versa
 
6) It is always available when needed
 
 
... and then the student was stuck... finally, in desperation just before the bell rang indicating the end of the test, he wrote
 
 
7) It comes in two attractive containers and it's high enough off the ground where the cat can't get it
 
He got an A
 
 
Spec K

Keethos - I am hoping that, if all goes to plan at Fensport and barring any further mishaps, I shall be at Woodbridge. I booked the hotel today...
 
Before I do I have to put my 'L' plates on. I've never driven a car in competition with the power I'm now looking at.... and I now learn there's an 'open pit lane' trackday at Woodbridge the day before the Sprint....  hmmm....
 
Spec K

I guess I must have been driving it harder, can't think of another explanation. Though I did drive it in Sport mode which kind of made it feeling like it was holding back all the time. That might not have been helping. But, yes, I do like to use all the revs! 
 
Spa is much faster though and there are good opportunities for a lot of airflow and longer gaps between corners, so less braking and accelerating, plus your average speed will be a lot higher round Spa. 
 
I hope your cooling problems are behind you now. 

(continued)
 
In addition to the engine and transmission upgrades Adrian and I had decided to consider a number of other issues, primarily the heat build-up when I track the car. This is not an issue when driving quickly on the road nor when Sprinting - as proved by Adrian's car - but I had experience high temps after a number of laps at trackdays.
 
My engine oil cooler is sited to the left  front of the intercooler  and had already been modified with ducting to guide the air flow. I had also fitted a separate transmission oil cooler with electric fan and pump (again, supplied by SSP) sited behind the rear bumper. Additionally we had vented the engine undertray.
 
Yet this did not prevent the engine oil temp reaching 135degrees at Oulton Park in February - and it wasn't even a hot day! I had to ask Lauren (who was driving at the time) to slow down... sure enough, the temp dropped by 20degrees..
 
As I mentioned previously, the plan was to remove both engine and transmission for rebuilds at the same time. However, the uprated clutch pack did not arrive from the States in time, so we went ahead with the engine rebuild and I collected the car on a Friday, nine days before Snetterton (the first of this years Sprint Series).
 
Adrian had installed a 'zero-boost' map for running-in purposes and I was under instruction not to exceed 3000rpm for the first 500 miles and to avoid prolonged cruising at set revs.. I achieved 487 miles in 48 hours by visiting my niece in Cumbria and dropped the car back to Fensport on Sunday. No problems - six days to Snetterton...
 
On the Monday morning, when Fensport were putting the car on their ramp, the drive would not engage. I had a gut feeling that this might slow me down when Sprinting....
 
... Adrian spoke with Andy Frost at Penn Motors (our trans man), whipped the trans/torque converter out and, together with the spare trans I bought last year and the uprated clutch pack (which had arrived) , I took the whole lot up to Andy in Woverhampton on the Wednesday... goodbye Snet...
 
Adrian had tried long and hard to get hold of the autotrans workshop manual without success. Possible in Japanese but a bit impractical for our purposes. It appears that UK Toyota dealers, in cases of repair/warranty, are required to replace the whole trans with new and ship the faulty bit to.... a black hole, nobody knows.. somewhere there is a big pile of autotrans being gloated over by a bunch of invisible, uncommunicative goblins... (mebbe they go from Platform 9A at Kings Cross...)
 
However, two phone calls later and I had a .pdf copy of the manual - in English!  I dare not mention where this came from... but they now take pride of place on my car as a sponsor when I sprint... (cough)... and I shall be eternally grateful.
 
Rebuilding an autotrans which you're familiar with is not a lot different than a manual box. Rebuilding a completely unknown autotrans requires constant referral to the workshop manual, thereby quadrupling the time it takes and, as no-one in the UK had attempted this feat on a GT86 trans, it took time. Three weeks...
 
I collected my uprated bits from Andy and delivered them back to Fensport eight days before round 2 at Blyton, together with the totally overheated/wrecked clutches which had been replaced. Adrian wasn't back from Australia until the Wednsday for re-mapping the new engine - bit there was just enough time to get it ready. The car was back on the road on Thursday morning.. and the box wouldn't play nicely! Something to do with dropping all power in fourth, reverting to third, back up to fourth, back to third...
 
Adrian spoke with Andy - he wanted the whole car, please. On his original rebuild he had been unable to accurately measure the trans oil pressures which are so critical (it was on a bench) and had used air pressure - now he wanted to check every little item. So the whole car was low-loadered up to Wolverhampton, together with the spare trans - in case he needed bits..
 
My car was returned to Fensport last Thursday - Adrian took it for a road test and says the trans is working perfectly (still on zero boost). In fact, he says it is smoother now than it has ever been... the problem was an 'input shaft clutch basket' - don't ask me what it is, I haven't a clue!. (Andy refused to charge me for this, despite new seals etc., he stands by his work... but he may not want to see a GT86 trans ever again!!) 
 
Work can now resume. And, in my quest for 'cool'  we have decided to remove the front foglights and reposition both coolers, ducted, one either side.
 
A minor mod required to accomodate repositioning the offside oil cooler is replacement of the washer bottle, which is huge due to the headlight wash demands (2 litres a minute, I am told!), so this will be replaced with a smaller capacity bottle for windscreen washing purposes only.  (We will be leaving the unplumbed headlight washer mechanisms there for MOT purposes...note this if you are contemplating the same mod..).
 
Another mod, requiring a simple re-map, was to reduce the temp at which the electric water cooling fan comes on, it's now at 70degrees .. and, at my specific request, there is now a transmission oil temp guage (fitted in the drivers air vent) which compliments the Blitz panel on the passenger side which has engine oil temp, oil pressure and boost guage.
 
I have fitted a Seibon vented bonnet - again, to aid cooling - and a Seibon rear bootlid with spoiler to aid downforce at the rear. I'm not sure about this last item but one thing I am sure of - the newly ordered Stoptech front and rear brakes will be needed, as a replacement to the K-Sport front-calipers-only setup I currently run. The new brakes are the same as Adrian ran last year (albeit to fit my 17" rims, not his 18"), so I am hopeful that they will adequately deal with the added power demands.
 
I have also bought a complete Stage 2 uprated transmission from SSP, fully assembled, as a spare. Hope I won't need it...
 
There is one other 'mod' which has reached fruition. When I originally discussed this with Mas at HKS he decided he would go the same route sooner rather than later.
 
I thought that this 'supercar' scenario would be a bit unfair to other f/i competitors in the GT86 TSS so, after discussing this with him and with Adrian, a new 'class' has been introduced to the TSS.  The F1-S class (forced induction, forged engines, street going) will supplement the existing classes and should - in theory - be competing with the top five cars for overall TSS honours. 
 
I'm sure Mas will be up there when his car is launched - whether this old sod can is another story...
 
Spec K

Pressure's on me, Lauren...
 
Spec K

(continued)
 
In addition to the engine and transmission upgrades Adrian and I had decided to consider a number of other issues, primarily the heat build-up when I track the car. This is not an issue when driving quickly on the road nor when Sprinting - as proved by Adrian's car - but I had experience high temps after a number of laps at trackdays.
 
My engine oil cooler is sited to the left  front of the intercooler  and had already been modified with ducting to guide the air flow. I had also fitted a separate transmission oil cooler with electric fan and pump (again, supplied by SSP) sited behind the rear bumper. Additionally we had vented the engine undertray.
 
Yet this did not prevent the engine oil temp reaching 135degrees at Oulton Park in February - and it wasn't even a hot day! I had to ask Lauren (who was driving at the time) to slow down... sure enough, the temp dropped by 20degrees..
 
As I mentioned previously, the plan was to remove both engine and transmission for rebuilds at the same time. However, the uprated clutch pack did not arrive from the States in time, so we went ahead with the engine rebuild and I collected the car on a Friday, nine days before Snetterton (the first of this years Sprint Series).
 
Adrian had installed a 'zero-boost' map for running-in purposes and I was under instruction not to exceed 3000rpm for the first 500 miles and to avoid prolonged cruising at set revs.. I achieved 487 miles in 48 hours by visiting my niece in Cumbria and dropped the car back to Fensport on Sunday. No problems - six days to Snetterton...
 
On the Monday morning, when Fensport were putting the car on their ramp, the drive would not engage. I had a gut feeling that this might slow me down when Sprinting....
 
... Adrian spoke with Andy Frost at Penn Motors (our trans man), whipped the trans/torque converter out and, together with the spare trans I bought last year and the uprated clutch pack (which had arrived) , I took the whole lot up to Andy in Woverhampton on the Wednesday... goodbye Snet...
 
Adrian had tried long and hard to get hold of the autotrans workshop manual without success. Possible in Japanese but a bit impractical for our purposes. It appears that UK Toyota dealers, in cases of repair/warranty, are required to replace the whole trans with new and ship the faulty bit to.... a black hole, nobody knows.. somewhere there is a big pile of autotrans being gloated over by a bunch of invisible, uncommunicative goblins... (mebbe they go from Platform 9A at Kings Cross...)
 
However, two phone calls later and I had a .pdf copy of the manual - in English!  I dare not mention where this came from... but they now take pride of place on my car as a sponsor when I sprint... (cough)... and I shall be eternally grateful.
 
Rebuilding an autotrans which you're familiar with is not a lot different than a manual box. Rebuilding a completely unknown autotrans requires constant referral to the workshop manual, thereby quadrupling the time it takes and, as no-one in the UK had attempted this feat on a GT86 trans, it took time. Three weeks...
 
I collected my uprated bits from Andy and delivered them back to Fensport eight days before round 2 at Blyton, together with the totally overheated/wrecked clutches which had been replaced. Adrian wasn't back from Australia until the Wednsday for re-mapping the new engine - bit there was just enough time to get it ready. The car was back on the road on Thursday morning.. and the box wouldn't play nicely! Something to do with dropping all power in fourth, reverting to third, back up to fourth, back to third...
 
Adrian spoke with Andy - he wanted the whole car, please. On his original rebuild he had been unable to accurately measure the trans oil pressures which are so critical (it was on a bench) and had used air pressure - now he wanted to check every little item. So the whole car was low-loadered up to Wolverhampton, together with the spare trans - in case he needed bits..
 
My car was returned to Fensport last Thursday - Adrian took it for a road test and says the trans is working perfectly (still on zero boost). In fact, he says it is smoother now than it has ever been... the problem was an 'input shaft clutch basket' - don't ask me what it is, I haven't a clue!. (Andy refused to charge me for this, despite new seals etc., he stands by his work... but he may not want to see a GT86 trans ever again!!) 
 
Work can now resume. And, in my quest for 'cool'  we have decided to remove the front foglights and reposition both coolers, ducted, one either side.
 
A minor mod required to accomodate repositioning the offside oil cooler is replacement of the washer bottle, which is huge due to the headlight wash demands (2 litres a minute, I am told!), so this will be replaced with a smaller capacity bottle for windscreen washing purposes only.  (We will be leaving the unplumbed headlight washer mechanisms there for MOT purposes...note this if you are contemplating the same mod..).
 
Another mod, requiring a simple re-map, was to reduce the temp at which the electric water cooling fan comes on, it's now at 70degrees .. and, at my specific request, there is now a transmission oil temp guage (fitted in the drivers air vent) which compliments the Blitz panel on the passenger side which has engine oil temp, oil pressure and boost guage.
 
I have fitted a Seibon vented bonnet - again, to aid cooling - and a Seibon rear bootlid with spoiler to aid downforce at the rear. I'm not sure about this last item but one thing I am sure of - the newly ordered Stoptech front and rear brakes will be needed, as a replacement to the K-Sport front-calipers-only setup I currently run. The new brakes are the same as Adrian ran last year (albeit to fit my 17" rims, not his 18"), so I am hopeful that they will adequately deal with the added power demands.
 
I have also bought a complete Stage 2 uprated transmission from SSP, fully assembled, as a spare. Hope I won't need it...
 
There is one other 'mod' which has reached fruition. When I originally discussed this with Mas at HKS he decided he would go the same route sooner rather than later.
 
I thought that this 'supercar' scenario would be a bit unfair to other f/i competitors in the GT86 TSS so, after discussing this with him and with Adrian, a new 'class' has been introduced to the TSS.  The F1-S class (forced induction, forged engines, street going) will supplement the existing classes and should - in theory - be competing with the top five cars for overall TSS honours. 
 
I'm sure Mas will be up there when his car is launched - whether this old sod can is another story...
 
Spec K

Team RRG Macclesfield AKA "The Stabbed Rat" and the celica are all booked for Woodbridge and the PI on saturday night
Cant resist to try out my new improved acceleration & handling.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(continued)
 
In addition to the engine and transmission upgrades Adrian and I had decided to consider a number of other issues, primarily the heat build-up when I track the car. This is not an issue when driving quickly on the road nor when Sprinting - as proved by Adrian's car - but I had experience high temps after a number of laps at trackdays.
 
My engine oil cooler is sited to the left  front of the intercooler  and had already been modified with ducting to guide the air flow. I had also fitted a separate transmission oil cooler with electric fan and pump (again, supplied by SSP) sited behind the rear bumper. Additionally we had vented the engine undertray.
 
Yet this did not prevent the engine oil temp reaching 135degrees at Oulton Park in February - and it wasn't even a hot day! I had to ask Lauren (who was driving at the time) to slow down... sure enough, the temp dropped by 20degrees..
 
As I mentioned previously, the plan was to remove both engine and transmission for rebuilds at the same time. However, the uprated clutch pack did not arrive from the States in time, so we went ahead with the engine rebuild and I collected the car on a Friday, nine days before Snetterton (the first of this years Sprint Series).
 
Adrian had installed a 'zero-boost' map for running-in purposes and I was under instruction not to exceed 3000rpm for the first 500 miles and to avoid prolonged cruising at set revs.. I achieved 487 miles in 48 hours by visiting my niece in Cumbria and dropped the car back to Fensport on Sunday. No problems - six days to Snetterton...
 
On the Monday morning, when Fensport were putting the car on their ramp, the drive would not engage. I had a gut feeling that this might slow me down when Sprinting....
 
... Adrian spoke with Andy Frost at Penn Motors (our trans man), whipped the trans/torque converter out and, together with the spare trans I bought last year and the uprated clutch pack (which had arrived) , I took the whole lot up to Andy in Woverhampton on the Wednesday... goodbye Snet...
 
Adrian had tried long and hard to get hold of the autotrans workshop manual without success. Possible in Japanese but a bit impractical for our purposes. It appears that UK Toyota dealers, in cases of repair/warranty, are required to replace the whole trans with new and ship the faulty bit to.... a black hole, nobody knows.. somewhere there is a big pile of autotrans being gloated over by a bunch of invisible, uncommunicative goblins... (mebbe they go from Platform 9A at Kings Cross...)
 
However, two phone calls later and I had a .pdf copy of the manual - in English!  I dare not mention where this came from... but they now take pride of place on my car as a sponsor when I sprint... (cough)... and I shall be eternally grateful.
 
Rebuilding an autotrans which you're familiar with is not a lot different than a manual box. Rebuilding a completely unknown autotrans requires constant referral to the workshop manual, thereby quadrupling the time it takes and, as no-one in the UK had attempted this feat on a GT86 trans, it took time. Three weeks...
 
I collected my uprated bits from Andy and delivered them back to Fensport eight days before round 2 at Blyton, together with the totally overheated/wrecked clutches which had been replaced. Adrian wasn't back from Australia until the Wednsday for re-mapping the new engine - bit there was just enough time to get it ready. The car was back on the road on Thursday morning.. and the box wouldn't play nicely! Something to do with dropping all power in fourth, reverting to third, back up to fourth, back to third...
 
Adrian spoke with Andy - he wanted the whole car, please. On his original rebuild he had been unable to accurately measure the trans oil pressures which are so critical (it was on a bench) and had used air pressure - now he wanted to check every little item. So the whole car was low-loadered up to Wolverhampton, together with the spare trans - in case he needed bits..
 
My car was returned to Fensport last Thursday - Adrian took it for a road test and says the trans is working perfectly (still on zero boost). In fact, he says it is smoother now than it has ever been... the problem was an 'input shaft clutch basket' - don't ask me what it is, I haven't a clue!. (Andy refused to charge me for this, despite new seals etc., he stands by his work... but he may not want to see a GT86 trans ever again!!) 
 
Work can now resume. And, in my quest for 'cool'  we have decided to remove the front foglights and reposition both coolers, ducted, one either side.
 
A minor mod required to accomodate repositioning the offside oil cooler is replacement of the washer bottle, which is huge due to the headlight wash demands (2 litres a minute, I am told!), so this will be replaced with a smaller capacity bottle for windscreen washing purposes only.  (We will be leaving the unplumbed headlight washer mechanisms there for MOT purposes...note this if you are contemplating the same mod..).
 
Another mod, requiring a simple re-map, was to reduce the temp at which the electric water cooling fan comes on, it's now at 70degrees .. and, at my specific request, there is now a transmission oil temp guage (fitted in the drivers air vent) which compliments the Blitz panel on the passenger side which has engine oil temp, oil pressure and boost guage.
 
I have fitted a Seibon vented bonnet - again, to aid cooling - and a Seibon rear bootlid with spoiler to aid downforce at the rear. I'm not sure about this last item but one thing I am sure of - the newly ordered Stoptech front and rear brakes will be needed, as a replacement to the K-Sport front-calipers-only setup I currently run. The new brakes are the same as Adrian ran last year (albeit to fit my 17" rims, not his 18"), so I am hopeful that they will adequately deal with the added power demands.
 
I have also bought a complete Stage 2 uprated transmission from SSP, fully assembled, as a spare. Hope I won't need it...
 
There is one other 'mod' which has reached fruition. When I originally discussed this with Mas at HKS he decided he would go the same route sooner rather than later.
 
I thought that this 'supercar' scenario would be a bit unfair to other f/i competitors in the GT86 TSS so, after discussing this with him and with Adrian, a new 'class' has been introduced to the TSS.  The F1-S class (forced induction, forged engines, street going) will supplement the existing classes and should - in theory - be competing with the top five cars for overall TSS honours. 
 
I'm sure Mas will be up there when his car is launched - whether this old sod can is another story...
 
Spec K

James,
 
The GT86 torque converter has particularly thin blades, which are prone to warp under heat - mine did.
 
Uprated valve body assembly/pressures engages the dog clutches/input shafts faster and more positively, reducing friction/heat.
 
Uprated dog clutches (again, SSP) were part of my 2015 upgrade but they failed to arrive from the States before my engine rebuild was almost complete.  Without the time to install these before the TSS commenced I took the decision to re-install the modified engine, run the first Sprint and then go for the planned transmission upgrade before the next round.
 
However, the trans failed just after I had completed the 500 miles engine bedding-in a week before Snet  (round one)  - and the failure was overheated/burned out clutches. (The running-in was completed with zero boost and a strict 3000rpm rev limit).
 
As I have stated previously, the standard autotrans is rated up to 260bhp - no need to do anything if you're below that level and pussyfoot around country lanes in old biddy mode...  
 
 
Recommended ATF for high output trans (and endorsed by Andy Frost, see Red Victor 1 Racing) is Red Line Synthetic ATF.
 
Stocked by Fensport.
 
Spec K

One of the issues I feel is the huge difference between cold and hot oil pressure.
 
Using a thicker oil will make a higher cold oil pressure that I am a little worried about , my road car runs 0w20 and I see 110+ psi on cold start up being careful until the car is warm.
 
My friend in NZ that runs a turbo powered GT86 uses a 0W40 oil in his stock motor , he runs a 25 row oil cooler he is also running a M1 motec ECU and dash so has a lot of dataloged data, he sees 120+ oil pressure on cold start @ 3000rpm , , when running on the track he sees 115C oil temp (big baffled sump also fitted) he only sees around 50psi hot oil pressure, which we both feel isn't enough. He also said running the thicker oil doesn't cause any issues with the cam control.

.. because I've bought one as a spare...  ( I've bought every other fscking thing on the market as a spare so I thought I'd make it a full house.. can't drive it though, it's a blurry manual..)
 
 
Special_K , I have been 'Special K' (with helmet design, pictures and copy in Autosport/Motoring News) since my original entry as a 750MC competitor in 1967. It was my moniker through my advancement into Clubmans Supersports (driving the works Haggispeed) until I took a short break, in 1976. I returned to motorsport in  2013, a mere 37 years later (I said it was a short break!), when I was enervated to find that the moniker had remained unused. 
 
I am happy to concede this title/honour to you if you can demonstrate an earlier precedent. 
 
Spec K

I'm the Chinese one?

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
 
 
 

Nige.... Nige, Nige, Nige.... forget the engine, my blurry eardrums would break !!
 
Have you heard a s/cut sequential? Adrian is/has putting one in his car... how's he gonna get earmuffs inside his bone-dome?
 
Listen to the in-car video of the GPRM projectile.. you're trying to put me in a box before my time!
 
(C'mon, man - speak up! I can't hear you....) 
 
 
 
 
Yes, Tareim - the SSP upgrades will meet the extra demands of f/I.  Yes - Fensport declined to touch the auto box because they admit to having no knowledge of it. (Considering that all Toyo warranty claims on auto boxes result in a replacement, not parts - and every box is shipped out to nowhere - is it fit for purpose? Raises questions, yes?).
 
What matters is what your demands are, so listen to your f/i installer...
 
If you are looking for just a street car with added grunt up to, say, 210-240bhp at the hubs (which is 35%-45% more than the std. car) the SSP uprated torque converter and stage one valve body assembly will suit you. That's it - a simple replacement jobby, nothing else required. Well, mebbe a better ATF...
 
If you are looking for street car with attitude (and a yearning to take it seriously, say 240-260bhp, with Sprint) then I would choose the torque converter, upgrade stage two valve body assembly and consider seriously the rear trans oil cooler option, which includes an electric pump. This is not a simple replacement jobby - this is tapping take-offs/returns to the trans oil sump and routing oil pipes, mounting the heat exchanger on brackets inside the rear bumper, mounting/wiring in electric pump and (I recommend) fabricating a stone-guard over it. So we're into Abbey Motorsport/Fensport  techy fit territory
 
If you're looking at more than the occasional trackday as well (or, like me, wanna drive 200-odd miles at Spa on a 2013 day or seriously give it some beans at Oulton, as Lauren and I did in Feb this year) then, at that level of bhp, you're gonna need the uprated clutches. You would also be looking to improve the trans oil cooling, as the 'rear bumper' location is inefficient
 
My car was dyno'd in Feb this year in both maps - road and race. The turbo boost difference, mapped at my request, was approx 0.2bar
 
At the lower pressure I was producing, at the hubs 244bhp at 6700rpm / 216lb-ft torque at 4600rpm. Add 0.2bar and the respective figures were 265bhp/234lb-ft, which I ran for the final Sprint last year.
 
I have happily run the lower figure for over a year, on the road, without autotrans upgrade. But I was on the ragged edge of reliability when it came to trackdays - it was a blessing I survived Spa and was (I think) down to the fact it's a low gear-change circuit. Oulton Park (with the added boost) cooked my box, we now know - my engine temp went up to 130degrees, so the trans oil was way above that.. the dog clutches removed from the box were 'blued/burned out' through overheating.
 
Tareim - merely to give you another matter to put into you mental arithmetic. I am running a 4.67 diff ratio - not the standard 4.1 diff ratio - so I am faster off the line and using more gears... even in road traffic my car is changing gear far more frequently (and with more slip) than normal. Slip generates heat - and it is heat/distortion which buggers the box.
 
Happy to share because it can improve the breed.
 
Spec K

Lol, we need to call Keith Grumpy Special K, or Special Grumpy K

I do not think i can give you a better reason then that! Its just a nick name my friend has give me since i moved to uk from hong kong! Thats all i got. Think how you got the name its better then how i got mine for sure!!

Great write up, Keith - book marked for the next installment 

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
 
 
 

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
 
 
 

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
 
 
 

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
 
 
 

.. because I've bought one as a spare...  ( I've bought every other fscking thing on the market as a spare so I thought I'd make it a full house.. can't drive it though, it's a blurry manual..)
 
 
Special_K , I have been 'Special K' (with helmet design, pictures and copy in Autosport/Motoring News) since my original entry as a 750MC competitor in 1967. It was my moniker through my advancement into Clubmans Supersports (driving the works Haggispeed) until I took a short break, in 1976. I returned to motorsport in  2013, a mere 37 years later (I said it was a short break!), when I was enervated to find that the moniker had remained unused. 
 
I am happy to concede this title/honour to you if you can demonstrate an earlier precedent. 
 
Spec K

.. because I've bought one as a spare...  ( I've bought every other fscking thing on the market as a spare so I thought I'd make it a full house.. can't drive it though, it's a blurry manual..)
 
 
Special_K , I have been 'Special K' (with helmet design, pictures and copy in Autosport/Motoring News) since my original entry as a 750MC competitor in 1967. It was my moniker through my advancement into Clubmans Supersports (driving the works Haggispeed) until I took a short break, in 1976. I returned to motorsport in  2013, a mere 37 years later (I said it was a short break!), when I was enervated to find that the moniker had remained unused. 
 
I am happy to concede this title/honour to you if you can demonstrate an earlier precedent. 
 
Spec K

Lovely! LOL at the comment about hearing it from 1/2 mile away!
 
Look similar to the HKS manifold.
 
In the defence of the Cosworth manifold it does costs £1,554.00 but it is a proper stepped design for max hp gains (I forget the formula but these is one for runner length tuning to give max torque at a given rpms), flow tested for 380HP, and has a very expensive and quality cermic coating on both the inside and out.
 
A top quality ceramic coating costs the best part fo £500! Having said that, there is no CAT in the cossy which also costs the best part of £500!
 
Are you going to re-dyno the car once you get the tune?