Esprit Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 Thankfully it SOUNDS even better! Doesn't drive too badly either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testament Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 pretty much the most badass exige on the planet now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Not sure about that, but I like the way it's turned out. In everything I've done, the wheels and tyres are the only actual cosmetic thing I've done to the car.... everything else is going on behind the scenes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Had a great day on track with SEXIGE on Sunday and thought I'd share. The car is going great now and ran trouble-free all day This was the first session of the day, and was a bit caught out with the extra grip from my fresh Toyos on the first corner and ended up apexing early (got the blind entry wrong and apexed the penultimate ripple strip rather than the last one),ran a bit wide onto the grass, but was a pretty good session: The third session of the day was brilliant fun, I got to have a bit of a play with a freshly built V8 Supertourer (NZ's version of the Aussie V8 Supercars). These things are normally a good deal quicker than me, but this one was having its first shakedown run and I was just about to keep up for a lap or three. It was also my personal best laptime at Hampton Downs, lapping in the high 1:13s bracket, which is pretty nippy. I love my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage Grumble Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 This makes me happy. Glad to see everythings going swimmingly for you/the car once again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlownCorona Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 i dont even care if the holden is faster, your car just looks so much better! good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furai Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 It was a good day that, your Exige was defiantly fast as well as that S14 surprisingly. I was just on the skidpan having a ball with the gymkhana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 Yeah that S14 was very quick and fairly well driven. It monstered me in a straight line and not bad in the corners, I was only really making lots of ground up under brakes. It's a good example of how a car doesn't have to look crazy to go fast, it was very subtle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My name is Russell Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 FUCK YEAH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 Well, I made it out to the track again this weekend just gone. Two weekends and two trackdays. Car ran almost faultlessly again and went even quicker, despite running more fuel and a less-grippy track. This is from the second run of the day (first being a warm-up): And this one is the third, where my third flying lap was a new best lap for me around Hampton Downs of 1:13.5s: This session was cut short by a high oil temperature warning, that made me s**t myself. However, subsequent sessions showed it to be nothing more than a dying temp sensor, which is on the cards to be replaced. Even so, I restricted my pace for the last couple of sessions. She's quick! I'm not sure how many road-legal cars can turn Hampton Downs laptimes like this, but there can't be many. With the car getting better and better, and my driving having another second or so in it, it's not doing too badly for itself! It's also so nice to drive quickly, it has very few vices and while it's not an easy car to drive fast, it's a very predictable car once you get it up to pace. Just how I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10Speed Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 those are awesome times for Hampton... very impressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Oh dear, it seems we find ourselves here again! I took the car out at about midnight tonight, I'd not driven it in anger since the trackday a couple of weeks back and thought I'd take a midnight run out to Bethells Lake out in the Waitakere ranges. Had a lovely drive out there gradually leaning on the car more and more. Out towards Bethells the road really tightens up and it's all pretty much from the bottom of second gear to the top of third and the car seemed really on-song and healthy. I wasn't really hammering it, generally shifting at about 6800-7500 or so. Then, just as I was nearing the end of the road I heard a nasty metallic buzzing/rattling sound so I immediately backed off it and could hear all sorts of mechanical knocking/banging as I slowed down.... sounded very much like a bearing had spun or I'd lost a big-end. I coasted the car to a stop and the oil pressure low warning was on and it was down at about 20psi at idle, which in retrospect was about right for the oil temperature (~102 degrees) but at the time seemed a touch low. Anyway, the engine was still running okay, with what sounded like a bit of a knock. With no cellphone coverage I thought I'd try and limp the car back as close to Auckland I could get it without it sounding too awful. As I drove on, in 4th-5th gear it sounded generally okay, at about 2500RPM it sounded pretty gnarly but if you stayed off the throttle it sounded okay, with just perhaps a slight rattle, and it didn't seem to be getting any worse. As the oil cooled the pressure came back again and whereas before I'd convinced myself the oil pressure was too low it was now reading about normal. Anyway, I pressed on and it wasn't until I came to a set of traffic lights in Henderson that I finally figured out what was wrong.... I changed down into third, and then down into second and then GNAAAAAARRRRRRRRNNGNGNGNGNGNNGGNNGGNANNAANAGNNGNNANAN..... FUCK! I came to a stop, and at a halt, it generally sounded okay, pulling away in first again I could hear a slight rattle but then when I slotted second it snicked home with no synchro action at all and I could hear a KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK through second that was quite loud. In third gear again it was fine bar a light rattle and 4th/5th/6th it generally sounded just fine. So to me it sounds like it's knocked a couple of teeth off second gear or a baulk-ring or something has flown itself to bits inside the box. I got it back to the workshop and the engine oil level seems just as it was before I set off and looks clean, second gear is definitely gone though. I guess right now I'm just feeling a bit thankful that it's not a big end, as I'd really rather not rebuild the engine again right at this moment, but it looks like the box is going to have to come out and apart again..... At least Ken's used to getting it in and out again now. It's a shame though because I was just beginning to get confidence in the car as it'd run like clockwork at the last couple of trackdays, now I'm back paranoid again. I might treat her to an oil and filter change before I take the engine in, at least then I can inspect the oil filter to make double sure there aren't bits of big-end floating around in it. Oh well..... sodding car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixx Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 mate, thats a real shame. Sorry, videos are awesome tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 fucksake. that gearbox outfit seem to have a fair bit to answer for in my opinion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durty Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Jesus man. The worst luck At least it isnt big ends probably? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I'd much rather kill a g-box over a bigend any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlownCorona Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 shit man, wasnt that a quaife gearbox? there no way that should have been killed, even with the engine running as it is. id be talking to them first of all! gutted to hear it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My name is Russell Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Agree, surely you shouldn't be having this many problems with a Quaife gearbox! Drop the car of and say here you go fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Sadly, I bought the box used, it's second-hand so Quaife have no obligation, and even so, a warranty wouldn't extend to this. The box has seen a few seasons racing and while it's been rebuilt/serviced before, that's only extending to replacing worn components. This 2nd gear may have been overstressed before and the damage is only now becoming clear. When I strip it this time, I'll probably send all the internals off for crack testing to make sure there's nothing else there about to go tits-up. It's just a case of it never having been rebuilt properly in the past and it's now coming back to bite me in the arsehole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlownCorona Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 well i guess its probably the very last thing left rebuilt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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