[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by Vicegrip

Jebezus that sounds like work and lots of gas fumes.

It does explain a lot about Miata racers though, doesn't it?

"Hmmm... those guys seem a little... off"
"Yup... gas fumes..."

[arob]

Originally Posted by Trak Ratt

^ I'd rather just look at a gauge

Same here. I'm too lazy for all that.

[N0tt0N]

Originally Posted by Jazzbass

01-02-2016, 06:59 PM
My daughter got her driver's license last week, so I picked up this 99 328i 5 speed yesterday:

Parenting strategy makes ever more sense each day....

Daughter: "Dad! I need a car! You said you'd buy me a car! Son got baller Maxima! All my friends have cars! I want to drive to the beach with my boyfriend. You're ruining my liiiiiiiiffffffffffffe! "

Dad: "Um, Bbboyfriend? I did buy you a car. Its right there in the garage. As soon as it is road worthy it is all yours. I don't want you driving around in an unsafe car. Should be ready any day now. The Scandinavian Mink blinker fluid is on backorder. Also, Bimmer, Baby. Totally worth the wait."

Daughter: "I wanted a Jeep. Also, I'm pregnant."

[Dr K]

Originally Posted by Vicegrip

Jebezus that sounds like work and lots of gas fumes.

Actually easy. Snap the female fitting/hose onto the gas line fitting, turn on the fuel pump (jumper for that), and run until empty. You're putting the gas right into a gas jug. Don't forget to turn off the fuel pump... Fill the jug up to how many gallons you want and pour it into the gas tank.

I do have a fuel gauge too, but it's below empty for about the last 4 laps.

[Rob in VA]

Originally Posted by roundel

Dr K is pulling your leg. In a Miata, you need to give the gerbil 3 thimbles of bird feed per lap. Cheaters remove the bearing from the water bottle tube.

[Rob in VA]

Originally Posted by Dr K

Another option if no fuel gauge Rob, is to do what the Miata racers do. We install a fitting on the gas line and drain all the fuel before a race, then add back exactly what we'll need plus one gallon (less for qualifying). For example, for a 20 lap race at Summit Point figure 22 x 2 = 44 miles (we have 2 gridding laps because field is so large). At 10 MPG that's 4.4 gallons, so put in 5-5.5 gallons (probably put in 5 because will get >10 MPG for those slower gridding laps). Of course, with 102 HP a couple of pounds of saved weight means more than with your car, but at least we know we have enough gas to make it through the race.

That's a lot of work to not win. I'm surprised you do that.

[Lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by Rob in VA

That's a lot of work to not win. I'm surprised you do that.

You're forgetting, the Dr is no stranger to poking around the backside and handling smelly fluids.

[Dr K]

Originally Posted by Rob in VA

That's a lot of work to not win. I'm surprised you do that.

You probably remember Skanky Frank. He had a need to win, and it drove him from racing. I don't have that need (thank God, given my level of natural ability). I'm in a class with 46-50 cars per race, and whether you're racing for the podium or for 20th, it's very competitive and there are multiple cars vying for that position. So if I'm improving I'm happy. First race of the season I was very lucky with qualifying (it was very cold and wet) and was gridded 10th (out of 46). I was racing with people I'd only seen on the track when they were lapping me last season, but I was able to keep up with them and ran my best lap in the Miata ever (finished 12th). That great lap time was NOT a consistent lap time, and the front-runners are still a full second faster with their more consistent times, but it was a full second (actually 1.2 seconds) faster than my previous Miata PB. And only 3 seconds slower than my Porsche PB (the 911 has more than double the horsepower and is only 480 lbs heavier).

So it's a little work for perhaps limited benefit, but when you have 100 HP, you do what you have to do.

Sorry for taking the thread off-topic.

[VaSteve]

Chris...this thread seems to have died without resolution. Did you finish the car? Still on the road? Did you ever do the front suspension?

[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

Chris...this thread seems to have died without resolution. Did you finish the car? Still on the road? Did you ever do the front suspension?

Yeah, I got arm deep in getting the damn thing back on the road and updates went out the window. Let's see - last update on this thread was the reinforcement plates being welded in. Let me see what I can dig up after that...