CarlB

I got rid of my ignition switch because I didn't want anything else to keep up with at the track. I really do not believe anyone could steal the car the way my switch panel is configured. Nothing is marked and the ignition and fuel pump are separate switches. I have extra ones and could make it so they would have to flip some more switches, but I am not going to get that far from the car. The kill switch is a safety thing for the track. You do not need it to do track days. It is an extra layer of protection. The switch I have did not come from Caterham. It is very popular with racers, and it might be the same as Caterham, but you will need to check to make sure the knob or key comes out. Not all the disconnect switches have a key.

I do not think there is that much difference in the sound between side and rear exit exhaust. The disconnect switch is for racing in general. On my car I eliminated the normal key and use the disconnect switch key. The point of a shift light is so you do not have to take your eyes off the road (track) and look at the tachometer. I do not use it on the street. I think the ride is better on the 13-inch wheels. They are lighter and if you are looking for ride quality you can get tires with taller sidewalls. There is more tire selection with 15-inch wheels. it is adjustable but the 15-inch wheels generally give you more ground clearance. If you want to use the car on track get the big brakes. They are not needed on the street. The regular brake calipers are iron and the upgraded brake calipers are aluminum. there isn't much weight difference. IF I were to guess I would say the upgraded brakes are lighter.

You might try adding a lot of caster to improve the straight line feel. Mercades on some of their cars with reciprocating ball steering uses 6 degrees.

I checked some old tire guides. Once Apon a Time I was in the tire business. For a 3.5-inch wheel the recommended tire is 145.

I have a 2000 S3. It does not have lowered floors, but my guess is your height will not be a problem. What is your shoe size? The foot box is small, and the pedals take some getting used to. I ware size 11 D and do not have a problem, but I had to get used to it and ware specific shoes. I live in Fairfax and am about 2 miles from 66 and The Fairfax County Parkway. My car is not home now. It is getting a new roll cage, but I expect it shortly. It has carbon fiber race seats in it, but I have the normal seats and can put one in for you to try. The race seats are not real comfortable, but the regular seats are actually very comfortable. I weigh more than you and it is snug, but I look at that as good. You do not want to be moving around. Consider getting in a Caterham like putting on a shoe.

I did not realize this was for an older car. If you have 13X3.5-inch wheels you need a 165/ R13 tire. Croc made good recommendations; however, they are expensive. If you have 5-inch wheels you might look at the Vrdestein classic. They make a 185/70R13 tire. I have a set of Toyo Proxes R1R tires for street use and they are fine in the rain. This is a street tire with a 200 treadware rating. The RA1 is a DOT legal competition tire that is also good in the rain.

I can answer questions, but I do not have an SV.

It would not be my choice. This is an all-season tire. I would use a tire designed for more performance. All season tires have a chunky tread pattern. This type of pattern reduces the grip and makes the steering response less responsive. The Avon tires were designed for the car. I am not aware of any other street tires that were designed for such a light car. The Toyo tires seem to work well, but their tires were designed for heavier cars. Heavier cars require stiffer sidewalls and that can affect performance.

MV8 is giving you good advice. You need a diagram of the evaporative emissions system to make sure everything is hooked up properly. I have never seen one that did not include electrically controlled valves. If you want to eliminate the system, you need to make sure the tank is vented. It may or may not vent through the gas cap. It probably isn't because the car has an evaporative emission system on it. The point of the system is to vent the vapors into the engine. The engine should only get vapor not liquid fuel. If you install a vent to atmosphere line you need a one-way valve to prevent fuel leaking out if the car goes upside down. If you look on Summit Racings web site, there are pages of options for rollover valves.

I was thinking about throat microphones. Most seem to be configured for push to talk, but I did find this one for two-way radios. Midland AVPH8 Acoustic Throat Microphone Headset (midlandusa.com) Has anyone ever used a throat microphone?

I have had the same problem being instructed. The instructor turns the volume up and my ears ring for two days. I really want to get my own intercom so I can hear my instructors. What have you tried, and do you have any suggestions?

It isn't just the Avon ZZS tires that loose grip in cooler weather. All the performance tires do. Tires grip by tearing a small bit of the rubber off. More grip requires softer tires. The mix of different components used to make high performance tires get harder as the temperature goes down. If you look at the manufactures data sheets for their high-performance tires, they tell you not to drive on them below 40 degrees.

In 2008 I wanted a new MINI to Autocross. I went to the dealer and drove a new JCW but was disappointed. The first generation of BMW MINIs were more fun to drive. The newer ones a very BMW, better cars, but not as much fun. I guess the first ones still had some Rover. It took me some time to find it, but I got a 2006 JCW without a sunroof. I call it my point and shoot car. Front wheel drive cars respond well to getting all the turning done early and then get on the gas. I haven't driven it in a few years, but it is almost ready now. Re-valved shocks, fresh rubber and some cleaning up to get it back on the road. I want to defend the Shelby Charger mentioned in a different post. I had a Shelby GLHS Charger and really enjoyed it. This car was built in a similar fashion to the Shelby Mustangs. Shelby built 1000 cars based on Dodge Shelby Chargers. They had the typical modifications for more power and handling. Car And Driver did a short review of the car. They said the car was crude, but faster than anything available under 50 grand. This was in 1987. They then compared it to the Sten sub machine gun. This is the gun you see the British commandos use in war movies with the clip sticking out sideways. The gun was so cheap to make they through them out of airplanes to the French resistance without parachutes. There was only one machined part in the gun. Everything else was a stamping. Crude but effective.

I have a S-3 and ware 10.5 medium shoes. I do not have a problem if I have appropriate shoes. It takes some time to get used to it, but it wasn't a big deal to me.

Thank you Croc! best information I have seen. Do you know what tire they are using?

I can't make a commitment now but would love to do this event. Barber is a track I would love to get on.

Unfortunately, I am not close to you, but I am close to your weight and have the same waist. I am 5' 11" and do not have the seat all the way back. where I think you will have a problem is with your feet. The foot box is very small compared to other cars. It can take some getting used to. When you try a car make sure you try with your shoes off or very narrow flat shoes. If you have driving shoes use those. I have a 2000 S-3 Caterham.

My car isn't here currently so I can't check but I am confident it is metric. My car is a 1999 SE imperial deDion.

Despite all the manufacturers know about vehicle dynamics it has never been defined quantitatively. The manufactures and the Formula One teams all use a combination of qualifiable and subjective analysis to tune a cars handling. There are two distinct areas that haven’t been quantified: the driver and the vehicle dynamics of the car. If you look at a vehicle like a rocket, the control system directs the rocket. The control system in a car is the driver. Every driver is different, even among elite race car drivers. That is why great race car engineers and great drivers sometimes do not work out. When you drive a car what do you sense that conveys control? What inputs do you use when given feedback from the car? The car is as complicated a problem. There is very good math for figuring out the kinematics of suspension systems, and good rules of thumb to pick spring frequencies and percentage of damping. This is the type of thing I assume Croc was referring to. However, it isn’t complete. The manufacturers and high-level race teams have models of the dynamics, but they still are not complete and require subjective analysis. Tire models are a particularly difficult problem. Trying to quantify vehicle dynamics has been going on for a long time. Mercedes Benz was working on it before World War Two. There were big improvements in the 1960s because of work sponsored by GM and conducted primarily by Bill Millikin. The six-wheel Tyrell was part of a effort by Goodyear to quantify vehicle dynamics. A Ford engineer named Mikey White put transmitters/antennas on a car and multiple receivers around a racetrack. It took weeks to set up and they got tons of data they couldn’t properly analyze. This was done in conjunction with the Ford Stewart F-1 project, but it was seen as very useful to Ford. Having said all this, is it useful to us? Even figuring out the kinematics, spring frequencies and damper percentages takes a lot of time measuring the car and input it into a software program. There is a lot to be said about paying for experience and buying components from someone with a good reputation. He might not have what is best for you, but time and experimentation might cost you more time and money. If you would like to read something I would suggest one of Croc’s country men. The Dynamics of the race car by Danny Nowlan. I will warn you it gets into math really quick. It is a newer book and has the current approaches. Bill Millikin is still the gold standard.

I do not have an SVT but I think the regular Zetec and the SVT are the same. The sensor is in the block not the bell housing. The sensors are a failure point on race cars. The signal is a wave, and the wiring can affect what the ECU sees. The wires should be shielded. I would replace the sensor and if that doesn't do it, look into the wiring.

The original equipment connectors the car companies use aren't made to be taken apart very many times. Wiring just wares out on our cars quicker than an ordinary production car.

I believe you will find the wiper motor is the same one used in all the British sports cars. Moss has them. The wipers are moved through a cable inside a tube and that is different for different cars. In the late 60s the motor changed to two speeds and the earlier one I believe has been discontinued. Here is some information that might help. I downloaded this off the web and there are some duplicates. I did not want to use the Lucus switch that is made to work with the wiper motor. I used the wiring diagram marked Factory Five. That worked for me. Lucas windscreen wiper motor 75704.docx

I have a Zetec and I mount mine on the engine compartment side of passenger foot well. If you would like to eliminate the sheet metal filter on the exhaust side of the block Quicksilver Racengines in Frederick Maryland has a part to eliminate it. If you eliminate the block breather your engine can't have much blowby.

I can recommend a transmission place. He is slow but does good work. Hopefully he will not retire on us. Quantum Mechanics 315 Riggs Street Building A unit 3 Oxford, Ct 06478 203-463-8299

I think the brakes are fine, but they haven't been used yet. I had everything ready the end of July and have not been able to touch the car. My wife broke her ankle and is just now starting to put weight on it. I am actually going to take the car back apart to get the guy who put a cage on Bartman's car to put one on mine.