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Welcome to Saab92x.com!
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I've been wanting to do it for about 15 years now...
I bought a nb2 miata in April (has the stock sport brakes, and torsen rear end), and have started in on it.
Here's where I'm at:
1. all interior trim, and carpet is gone
2. a/c system, including compressor is gone
3. spare tire and trunk trim is gone
4. stereo is gone
5. fog lights are gone
6. removed the factory soft top in favor of a lightweight fiberglass hardtop w/ a lexan rear window
7. dash was swapped to a first gen
I'm in an airport flying back from a visit with OG Racing (if you're going racing, you really need to talk to them - really fantastic customer support and stock selection).
Here's the plan:
1. Enter and participate in the One Lap of America in 2018
1.a. This means I have to have a roll cage installed... having an 8 point put in by summers end
1.b. Since I have to have a cage to compete, I need to get seats, harnesses, a helmet, and a HANS device... safety equipment will be first due to the entry rules.
1.c. Upgrade brakes - ss lines, ate fluid, basic blanks, and either g-loc or hawk pads
1.d. Tires - I'll likely need to ride the factory suspension with either Conti's or the new RS4's... the wheels i want (15x9's) require the use of coilovers and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have the funding to get all that on before the event.
2. Start running in local hpde events with my eye on competing in Gridlife's Time Attack series
Once safety, brakes, and suspension is completed, I'll be looking towards swapping out the vvt engine and doing a honda k swap. likely the k24a2 with a e46 transmission from the m3 (that's one of transmissions thats in the running atm).
the OLOA is a benefit event, and I'm in the final stages of choosing a brain cancer organization to raise funds for. My father, Bill Robertson, was an avid car enthusiast, & did racing of his own back in the day. He & I entered the '02 OLOA, but were forced to withdraw. I've been wanting to go ever since. He was diagnosed of a glioblastoma, & died later. This is in his memory, & for future memories with my son, Willem, who my father was never able to meet.
I'll post more updates as they happen, and will likely be looking for any help that you're willing to offer.
https://www.facebook.com/RobertsonRacingMiata
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It's been a while... and I've done some upgrading since the last time.
Got my fancy headwear in
Front and Rear tow hooks to be all legal and whatnot
Then I took the car over to Ohio to have Mark the rollcageguy put in an amazing cage. He did a fantastic job - I can't give him enough praise.
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And finally with the harnesses and padding in place!
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Knowing I was heading to the track soon, I got my boat-bilge-blower-defroster up and running (picture will be coming later), brake fluid flushed with ATE Type 200, and some basic Stoptech Sports for the weekend.
This past weekend I went to Gingerman for Gridlife's round 5 and get on track myself - it was fantastic. They're running a great organization, and my instructor, Jan, was a great teacher and moved me up a class the second day.
I was on stock suspension and engine, and the V2 all seasons and I got a few point by's which was awesome. With some work I managed to find another gear in a few sections.
I found my co-driver for the OLOA, and have a plan:
-brakes will be upgraded to G-Loc R8's front and rear w/ some napa blanks
-Type 200 fluid will be used and I'll get some ss brake lines
-tires will be the continental extremecontact sport as my weapon of choice
-I'll need to get some input on the best alignment numbers to go with since I'll be on stock suspension, running a lot of highway miles, and driving on track... any input is much appreciated.
-I won't be able to afford suspension before the OLOA starts, but I think it's going to serve me well to upgrade a bit at a time and learn to drive the car as it gets better.
-I'm going to try and make it to Mid-Ohio for Gridlife's first round next year, and then get an open track day or two at Gingerman to work the car and setup before the start of the OLOA
That's all i know for now!
Last edited by apexanimal (2017-10-11 17:27:51)
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A few more action shots I found from the weekend:
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Gridlife? I was at Gridlife Sunday in the STi. Good luck with your plans.
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92xGot2boostit2 wrote:
Gridlife? I was at Gridlife Sunday in the STi. Good luck with your plans.
what class were you in?
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Nice! I've wanted to do OLOA for a while. Looking forward to updates.
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apexanimal wrote:
92xGot2boostit2 wrote:
Gridlife? I was at Gridlife Sunday in the STi. Good luck with your plans.
what class were you in?
HPDE instructor backup. I was in my 2004 STi, sold the Saab a few weeks earlier.
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Awesome. My plan is to try and get to round 1, then an open track weekend at gingerman before the oloa next year...
here's hoping!
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car is prepped, and we're ready to go!
we had a shakedown with the new alignment, tires, and brakes at Gingerman, then at Mid-Ohio - all seems to be in order.
We leave this Friday morning to head down to the Tire Rack, get tech'd, and slap some stickers on the thing...
If any of you are around these tracks - come on out and say hi!!
5/5 am - Tire Rack Headquarters, South Bend, IN
5/5 pm - Autobahn, Joliet, IL
5/6 - Gateway, Madison, IL
5/7 - Hallett, just west of Tulsa, OK
5/8 - High Plains, east of Denver, CO
5/9 - MSR Cresson, just sw of Ft. Worth, TX
5/10 - NOLA, New Orleans, LA
5/11 - NCM, Bowling Green, KY
5/12 - Tire Rack Headquarters, South Bend, IN
or feel free to follow the insanity:
https://www.facebook.com/RobertsonRacingMiata/
https://www.instagram.com/RobertsonRacing/
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Wow, that is a lot of driving in a short time. Good luck.
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Hell yes it is - 56 hours and 3,750 miles according to the Googles.
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yeah... it's going to be a thing for sure. let alone in a tiny tin box of a miata.
thanks guys! we'll keep the facebook and instagram page updated throughout the week.
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How was One Lap, would you do it again, and what did you think about High Plains?
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hi!
1. it was awesome amazing cool incredible... seriously a great event. it was also hot... like hot hot. and we were in a car without a/c... so... it was hot.
great people on the trip which really makes the event. i've got tons of stories but it's a lot to type out...
2. we were talking about next year on day 3... so... yeah i think we're going to do it again.
3. high plains was great fun. tough track with some really interesting features... also the most elevation i've experienced at a track... i'm very glad i did my video recon before that day because that would have been quite an unwelcome surprise... we also had a couple guys from colorado who helped give us some advice. i was in the slow miata on 91 octane so the front straight was painfully slow, and getting up the hills was painfully slow, but it was a fun track for sure (also, in the middle of, literally, nowhere... miles from anything resembling civilization)
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Great to hear. I would love to do a multi track excursion like this one day. Did you run the entire time on one set of tires?
I do wish High Plains wasn't so isolated. Its ~20 miles from the nearest town, which is barely a town.
Last edited by ERP (2018-05-23 15:22:21)
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ERP wrote:
I do wish High Plains wasn't so isolated. Its 20 miles from the nearest town, which is barely a town.
Sounds even more remote than Willow Springs. Lancaster isn't exactly a cosmopolitan center, but it's pretty big.
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The nearest 'town' to the East is 16 miles away and called Last Chance.
Last edited by ERP (2018-05-23 15:23:00)
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ERP wrote:
The nearest town to the East is 16 miles away and called Last Chance.
It looks to be quite the bustling metropolis.
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According to Wikipedia the population was 23 in 2000, but a large fire in 2012 burnt much of the town. So probably less people now.
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yeah... it's "remote"
heading to gridlife midwest this weekend... anyone from around here going?!
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