What have you done to your car today?

Firestar_3x said:
I seem the recall he thinks the F1A's are poor tyres or something, annoying what a little track time can do to some people, pro tuner now.
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I didn't mean that - I get that some people dont get on with some tyres. But it seems that today he has fitted 4 brand new tyres but has deliberately opted for different make and model front to back. This seems like an interesting and unusual choice :)
 
Kind of. I have more AD08s but wanted to try the Bridgestone out. Turned out pretty good, the steering is exquisite now, better response than AD08 and the car has superb balance.
 
Fantastic. The only downside is how much it wears the front tyres. My last pair of AD08 off the front were showing cords on the inside and had 5mm on the outside. I have reduced the front camber and added some toe-in (I'm told this can help shoulder wear when using relatively high camber and driving 'highway' a lot, I don't claim to understand how but I will give it a go) this time.
This type of tyre transmits a lot of noise and harshness compared to your standard stuff. This is compounded by using stiff springs and solid mounts. Some might complain about this but I don't really mind.
Next job is to fit my new seat..
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Stock seat doesn't give nearly enough support for hard cornering. I used to borrow shoes' bucket seat for trackdays but he sold them now so I had to get my own. Turns out it's a nightmare trying to fit a side mount seat in an e36 centrally with the steering wheel. Had to build a custom frame, smash the transmission tunnel, and trim the side of the seat :/
On the plus side, the Imola seat has pretty low sides so is not too hard to get in and out of. I might yet unstitch the Driftworks logo.
 
How come none of the manufacturers have caught onto the amazing idea of deliberately using different brands of tyre front to back if its so awesome? :p
 
[TW]Fox;23982127 said:
How come none of the manufacturers have caught onto the amazing idea of deliberately using different brands of tyre front to back if its so awesome? :p
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Some tend to get the balance right with suspension rather than tyres. Most just dial in understeer.

Either way both Avons and BS are a stiff sidewall tyre and i doubt the current road conditions really can be used to determine whether is actually balanced. Although the old setup of F1s on front and Avons on back will be unbalanced so i guess it is all relative.
 
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played with the throttle position sensor on the M3

autodata told me the range of resistance it should show, which it didnt.

pulled apart, cleaned up, refitted, tested, perfect.

hoping for about 900 more bhp
 
[TW]Fox;23982127 said:
How come none of the manufacturers have caught onto the amazing idea of deliberately using different brands of tyre front to back if its so awesome? :p
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Because they just use different tyre sizes instead.
 
[TW]Fox;23982127 said:
How come none of the manufacturers have caught onto the amazing idea of deliberately using different brands of tyre front to back if its so awesome? :p
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Because it's retarded, like everything I do with my car, never argued otherwise.

Simon said:
Some tend to get the balance right with suspension rather than tyres. Most just dial in understeer.

Either way both Avons and BS are a stiff sidewall tyre and i doubt the current road conditions really can be used to determine whether is actually balanced. Although the old setup of F1s on front and Avons on back will be unbalanced so i guess it is all relative.
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Avon are not a stiff wall tyre, and today was sunny and dry here, great conditions.

With the F1 front and Avon rear you were never quite sure where you stood with it. I was actually warming up a bit to the F1 though, after a while I guess you get used to the poor turn in and cease to really notice it.
No doubt about it though, fit some proper stiff tyres and the difference is night and day. The RE070 is drastically stiffer walled than the AD08, you can't really bend the wall by hand at all, and the tyre machine needed assistance to get them over the rims :D I expected to be bouncing off the roof but the ride isn't really any worse than with AD08 (which FWIW, is a lot harsher than your every day stuff, comparable to runflats?)
 
Clarkey said:
Because it's retarded, like everything I do with my car, never argued otherwise.



Avon are not a stiff wall tyre, and today was sunny and dry here, great conditions.

With the F1 front and Avon rear you were never quite sure where you stood with it. I was actually warming up a bit to the F1 though, after a while I guess you get used to the poor turn in and cease to really notice it.
No doubt about it though, fit some proper stiff tyres and the difference is night and day. The RE070 is drastically stiffer walled than the AD08, you can't really bend the wall by hand at all, and the tyre machine needed assistance to get them over the rims :D I expected to be bouncing off the roof but the ride isn't really any worse than with AD08 (which FWIW, is a lot harsher than your every day stuff, comparable to runflats?)
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I felt the same i think, much better with less tread. My F1s are very worn now and feel great. No traction issues even full throttle in 1stvon a wet road
 
Fitted new crank impulse sender yesterday (which now ranks as one of the worst jobs i've done), car starts and runs like a charm, very happy :)

Collected a new coolant expansion tank after i cracked one of the mounts, was prob due for a change anyway.
 
Not so much done, but the 600 has been a really nice ride on the 80 mile per day commute, so I'm ordering a few bits and bobs:

- Front discs and pads (Delphi discs, Mintex pads)
- Rear pads (Mintex)
- CV joint grease (a little clicky, hopefully will sort it out) and gaiters
- MTF94 gearbox oil (it's on its first clutch, so gear oil has probably never been done)

Should set me back about £65 for that lot.
 
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Firestar_3x said:
Fitted new crank impulse sender yesterday (which now ranks as one of the worst jobs i've done), car starts and runs like a charm, very happy :)

Collected a new coolant expansion tank after i cracked one of the mounts, was prob due for a change anyway.
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Crank sensors never seem to be pleasant on VAG stuff, but its rarely a job you have to do more than once on a car. I dying crank sensor can be one of those MOST irritating failures when they start to go due to how unpredictable it can be
 
Matt82 said:
Crank sensors never seem to be pleasant on VAG stuff, but its rarely a job you have to do more than once on a car. I dying crank sensor can be one of those MOST irritating failures when they start to go due to how unpredictable it can be
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100% pain in the bottom.

Its hidden behind the oil filter and oil cooler, you can't see it, so a feel exercise.

5mm hex then the sensor is a press fit, finally got it out with some plumbers pliers, getting the new one to fit is equally entertaining since you can't get any weight on it, attached some foam to a bit of wood and tapped it home.

What would take 30 seconds ends up taking 2hrs simply because you can't see the ******* thing, ARGH!

160k on the original (i think) so fingers crossed i never have to touch this again.
 
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