Nothing to see here, just project Sisyphus, move along
#2323
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (37)
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Very NorCal
Posts: 10,441
Total Cats: 1,899
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Its been a weird balance this year. I needed the car derivable for MRLS or I was going to loose momentum and part-out. The hardware on the car is 90% of where I want it to be in the end and I'm super stoked about that, but I rushed to the finish and I've neglected certain things and they need to be sorted out.
To me, these 3 things breed confidence
If I don't feel safe in the car its just not going to work. Sliding around on the stock seats does not qualify as safe to me. This last weekend at MRLS I realized that I need to do a complete overhaul on the "safety" aspects of the car because frankly, I scared the **** out of myself a few times. I'm the ******* in the overpowered quasi street car with stock seats and 3 points, you guys with the 6 points and race seats have a certain level of confidence beyond whats available to me. Go put the stock seat and 3 point back in your car and take a turn at 1.5+ sustained G's and tell me how that makes you feel. The turning point for me was when Ed's cousin asked for a ride and after thinking about it for a bit I kinda backed off and declined. I didn't want to risk someone else in the car with marginal safety equipment should I **** something up. Then, like the moron that I am, I eventually realized why am I risking MYSELF with marginal safety equipment? Seats, harnesses, helmet, possibly new roll bar are all on the table.
I don't have unlimited time or money for this project so I've been focusing on the hardware. Hardware is easy when you have been sitting on most of the parts for 4 years and all you need to do is assemble things. If I feel like the car is going to explode constantly, I'm never going to feel safe pushing it. I tend to buy really nice stuff from consistent vendors with good track records of quality and service. This has obviously bitten me in the *** in a couple places but for the most part its paid off quite well. For example, I mentioned before that the Trackspeed Radiator is a gem. With the reroute. The absolute last thing I worry about on track is my coolant temperatures and I'd like to see more systems in the car operating at that level. I feel like that's taken care of for right now, so I need to look at a couple other things. But they are not things that keep me from driving the car. I dunno, its hard to explain.
If I don't feel safe and I don't feel like the car is reliable then I'm never going to push it and I'm never going to learn anything.
I feel like I did things completely out of order. I should have put the safety equipment in the car first, then worked on my skills while driving N/A, then added boost.
But hey, boost is fun. I have few ragrets.
To me, these 3 things breed confidence
- safety
- reliability
- skill
If I don't feel safe in the car its just not going to work. Sliding around on the stock seats does not qualify as safe to me. This last weekend at MRLS I realized that I need to do a complete overhaul on the "safety" aspects of the car because frankly, I scared the **** out of myself a few times. I'm the ******* in the overpowered quasi street car with stock seats and 3 points, you guys with the 6 points and race seats have a certain level of confidence beyond whats available to me. Go put the stock seat and 3 point back in your car and take a turn at 1.5+ sustained G's and tell me how that makes you feel. The turning point for me was when Ed's cousin asked for a ride and after thinking about it for a bit I kinda backed off and declined. I didn't want to risk someone else in the car with marginal safety equipment should I **** something up. Then, like the moron that I am, I eventually realized why am I risking MYSELF with marginal safety equipment? Seats, harnesses, helmet, possibly new roll bar are all on the table.
I don't have unlimited time or money for this project so I've been focusing on the hardware. Hardware is easy when you have been sitting on most of the parts for 4 years and all you need to do is assemble things. If I feel like the car is going to explode constantly, I'm never going to feel safe pushing it. I tend to buy really nice stuff from consistent vendors with good track records of quality and service. This has obviously bitten me in the *** in a couple places but for the most part its paid off quite well. For example, I mentioned before that the Trackspeed Radiator is a gem. With the reroute. The absolute last thing I worry about on track is my coolant temperatures and I'd like to see more systems in the car operating at that level. I feel like that's taken care of for right now, so I need to look at a couple other things. But they are not things that keep me from driving the car. I dunno, its hard to explain.
If I don't feel safe and I don't feel like the car is reliable then I'm never going to push it and I'm never going to learn anything.
I feel like I did things completely out of order. I should have put the safety equipment in the car first, then worked on my skills while driving N/A, then added boost.
But hey, boost is fun. I have few ragrets.
![Party Kitty](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/birthday[1].gif)
#2327
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (37)
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Very NorCal
Posts: 10,441
Total Cats: 1,899
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Yes, but that hunk of junk on frozen tires is also being driven by someone with tons more track time than me at this point. ![wink](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/wink.gif)
That's an HJC, right? Link would be rad, its a nice helmet and I've got nothing against a SA2010.
![wink](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/wink.gif)
That's an HJC, right? Link would be rad, its a nice helmet and I've got nothing against a SA2010.
#2334
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (37)
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Very NorCal
Posts: 10,441
Total Cats: 1,899
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Until I snap something trying to do burnouts on NT-01s ![Giggle](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/gay.gif)
It's another $400-$500 I really didn't want to spend right now and probably can't justify until the end of November after bonus time. IF I get a bonus. I need to do some juggling and sort out my "needs" and "wants" for this project going forward into the next year or so.
Safety equipment comes first, then I can start thinking about buying and swapping more hardware.
![Giggle](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/gay.gif)
It's another $400-$500 I really didn't want to spend right now and probably can't justify until the end of November after bonus time. IF I get a bonus. I need to do some juggling and sort out my "needs" and "wants" for this project going forward into the next year or so.
Safety equipment comes first, then I can start thinking about buying and swapping more hardware.
#2339
SADFab Destructive Testing Engineer
![](/mt2011/images_td/ranks/supporter1.gif)
![](/mt2011/images_td/ranks/moderator.png)
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Beaverton, USA
Posts: 18,642
Total Cats: 1,866
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I say skip the GT3 rollbar and get seats+harness+harness bar.
Roll bars aren't going to drop in value with use so you can always upgrade the rollbar later.
I distinctly remember you talking about the price of track days being expensive at MRLS. Just means you gotta save more![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
200 +-50 is standard at PIR, and PIR is much more boring than MRLS. Next summer I think I'm going to be spending more time at ORP and less at PIR. Probably won't spend a lot of time at PIR anymore unless I ever reach instructor status.
Roll bars aren't going to drop in value with use so you can always upgrade the rollbar later.
I distinctly remember you talking about the price of track days being expensive at MRLS. Just means you gotta save more
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
200 +-50 is standard at PIR, and PIR is much more boring than MRLS. Next summer I think I'm going to be spending more time at ORP and less at PIR. Probably won't spend a lot of time at PIR anymore unless I ever reach instructor status.
#2340
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (37)
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Very NorCal
Posts: 10,441
Total Cats: 1,899
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Yep, that's exactly it.
I'm somewhat torn between a full on race bucket and something like an Elise seat. I can put a proper harness in an Elise seat with a bit of work, so we'll see.
http://revlimiter.net/blog/2015/08/e...ommet-install/
http://www.sector111.com/parts/track...t_grommets.cfm
I'm somewhat torn between a full on race bucket and something like an Elise seat. I can put a proper harness in an Elise seat with a bit of work, so we'll see.
http://revlimiter.net/blog/2015/08/e...ommet-install/
http://www.sector111.com/parts/track...t_grommets.cfm