My 2003 T-Sport Celica

So headed off to auto heros on monday. Landed there before half 8, fine and early. So early in fact that I missed the sign inside the gate telling me to turn right for grip practice. So anyways I turned left as normal and headed into the paddock. Unloaded the car, had a stroll around. Thinking to myself, jaysus tis all drift cars here. I'll have the grip track to myself!!! Up I went to sign on at 9.15. track opening at 9.30 and she tells me im in the wrong place!!! well the panic! all the drift cars were at this stage lining up in the pit lane, and I needed to get across the track. Thank god I had a mate with me who drove the van and I hopped into the Celica. barely got across before the opened they track!

Landed over then in the right car park and went to sign on there. I have to say I was shocking disappointed with this bit. Track opened at 9.30 which was when I joined the queue to sign on. 45 minutes later I eventually got signed on. Only one girl there and she was flat out. But loosing 45 minutes of track time was a joke. I know it was my own fault for being late but still, 45 minutes is way too long.

Headed straight out on track and as Keith had said it was so busy. lines of 10 plus cars and no one going anywhere quick! Eventually it lightened off and I got a few good runs. I'll post the video below.

The car again was fantastic. The LSD made a huge difference. HUGE!!!! Couldn't actually believe how it transformed the car. It nearly felt like a 4wd. I did destroy a set of tyres though! The extra weight shed too im sure made a difference too.

Anyway cant wait for the trackdays.ie day now on the 18th November on the full international track.

Would I do an auto hero's day again.... Not sure really. Maybe if I was bursting for a bit of track time and it was my only option for a while then I suppose. But for sure its more focused towards the drifting. Felt like we were kinda forgotten about!

https://youtu.be/c_zyQJ80H30
 
Few bits done for trackdays.ie first day on Friday. Oil and filter changed. Went with the millers with nano drive this time. Its expensive but hopefully worth it. Front discs were covered in a glaze too so sanded them down with a sanding disc in a mini grinder.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG2507.jpg
    IMAG2507.jpg
    3.7 MB · Views: 66
  • IMAG2506.jpg
    IMAG2506.jpg
    3.8 MB · Views: 63
Fair play lad would love to be going too but I'll have to wait till the bits are finished, hope to get out over Christmas.
Enjoy the day and take a few videos ????

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
 
Ah sure its only small stuff compared to the amazing work your doing to the saxo. Very impressive stuff!
 
I think it's to be dry. Cold but dry, look forward to hearing how you get on and seeing the videos. Also want to hear feedback on robs first trackday event ????

Sent from my SGP511 using Tapatalk
 
Ah sure its only small stuff compared to the amazing work your doing to the saxo. Very impressive stuff!

Small stuff is the way to go man[emoji106]I was told only make changes when you feel your getting the very most from what you have.This in theory should help car and driver develop.
Always look forward to your onboard videos,and watching your own progression with the car.Your doing great man keep up the good work[emoji108]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
great job Martin, you remember saying this back at the start of the year? ha ha

Im going to leave it as is. its too nice inside to go ripping it out for the sake of a few kilos. And i'd always have the option of putting it back on the road if I wanted to. Its nct'd till next January.

its great to see the car coming along and you as a driver, its mad how chasing times grips you but like what Adrian has said, small changes are the way to go now for a while because if you keep making the car better it will get faster as a car but it wont let you as a driver develop. enjoy the car now for a few sessions and see what you can get from it, then you can stand back and see does the car need rebuilding or you?

sometimes you need to let someone else drive the car also to see are they doing something better than you are and you can then learn from that.

if its good enough in f1 to have test drivers its good enough for track day car

10 months into the build and you have come along way, welldone man, you doing the track day on new years eve?
 
Ha ha! Did i really say that ya??? ????????????

That's exactly my plan. Drive it now as it is for a while and see how it goes! There really is not much else i can do to it unless i start with racing cams and new ECU etc... Or turbo charge it! And that's all big money! So will see how i get on now for a few sessions.

Wont be there new years eve. This is my last day now till February maybe.... ????
 
Waterless coolant, power cool 180!

Had been putting off doing this for a while as id read it was a pain to do, and by god they were right!!! Decided id go at it this morning as i had a few hours to spare. Drained the system no problem. Added in the prep fluid that needs to be ran in the system for 20 minutes, then drained again and the waterless coolant added. Sounds simple ya!

What a pain to try and refill it! I followed the Toyota manual exactly and raised the expansion bottle etc. Filled the bottle up and it just sat there. Couldn't get it to circulate up around the head etc. An hour later of pumping the pipe by hand i had managed to get the 5 litres in. Let it ran a d then had to drain it all out again and start all over again with the waterless coolant!!

Got there eventually and im fairly confident i have no air in there. Matrix blowing lovely warm air into the car etc.

But really, youd think they would have a rad cap somewhere up at the head and not have you fighting gravity!! She's done now anyway and never to be repeated!
 

Attachments

  • IMAG2515.jpg
    IMAG2515.jpg
    4.9 MB · Views: 47
It's ment to be good stuff all right but have never used it yet let us know how it goes . Pig of a job alright if you jack the front up or park it on a hill Nose up it kinda forces it into the heater as it higher :icon_grin: least you'll know for next time :icon_grin:
 
Trackdays.ie - 18th Nov 2016

Just sitting down now after a long day. Drove out my gate at 6am. Wrecked now!! But god what a great day!

Morning was slippy, very slippy... With lots of cars spinning off. I had a good few sideways slides but never spun or stalled thank god! It dried up around 12pm and we had no rain then till 4pm which was great.

Still after lunch we were fairly plagued with red flags though. Engine in a vectra. Gearbox in a classic Sti which stuck in gear and had to be telly ported in which took a long time. And a few more. But these things happen.

Again though the star of the day for me was my celica. That car is going so well it has shocked me! 6 days iv done in it now and its flying. I even managed to dip into the 2.06 bracket this evening a few times. Doing 2.07's no bother all day. And im so so happy with that. 10 months ago i would never have thought id get near that!

Rob and the lads done a great job. All day tea, biscuits, buns and at lunch a stunning spread of sandwiches and wraps from O'Briens. We all left stuffed!

All in all a great day and cant wait for the new year!

Few videos below. One quick lap and a few laps then stringed together....
 
Just sitting down now after a long day. Drove out my gate at 6am. Wrecked now!! But god what a great day!

Morning was slippy, very slippy... With lots of cars spinning off. I had a good few sideways slides but never spun or stalled thank god! It dried up around 12pm and we had no rain then till 4pm which was great.

Still after lunch we were fairly plagued with red flags though. Engine in a vectra. Gearbox in a classic Sti which stuck in gear and had to be telly ported in which took a long time. And a few more. But these things happen.

Again though the star of the day for me was my celica. That car is going so well it has shocked me! 6 days iv done in it now and its flying. I even managed to dip into the 2.06 bracket this evening a few times. Doing 2.07's no bother all day. And im so so happy with that. 10 months ago i would never have thought id get near that!

Rob and the lads done a great job. All day tea, biscuits, buns and at lunch a stunning spread of sandwiches and wraps from O'Briens. We all left stuffed!

All in all a great day and cant wait for the new year!

Few videos below. One quick lap and a few laps then stringed together....

There great times man well done!It was near perfect weather today with that nice crisp air,would have loved to been out.See some great pics of your car on book face she looks great[emoji106]That sun visor made the car[emoji1][emoji1][emoji1][emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Fair play lad great times there and a really reliable car which makes it more enjoyable,

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top