Good job. I was going to replace them, as they do prevent some gravel rash, but I haven't bothered

 

Out before the tourists wake up.

 

Isn't it a pleasure when you open a box and find that sort of quality work.


Was down last week with the wife, Anita did us a great local ham sandwich.

 

I know that sign! My neighbour Jess probably served you! 2 miles away!

 

Where is that

 

B3306 St Just to St Ives coast road, very scenic.

 

The mine is Wheal Carn Gulver, which next to what was the GB climbing club house. Commando Ridge is down on the cliffs, where the Royal Marines did alot of WW2 training.

 

No climbing ropes involved these days the HMS Raleigh boys just use hele's from Torpoint to Tregantle they then either drop them in the brinny or use amphibious craft from HMS Albion where they "hopefully" swim / wade in to Whitsand
and then assualt the beach jomp up the slope to Tregantle Fort and fire on the range, then friday afternoons they wave out the hele door on the way back then round here in taxi's for beers.

 

Absolutely love that in yellow. A really special car.

I was hoping to get home back up north before the tourists go and ruin the north of Scotland with the NC500 but as the car is still on axle stands and missing a bunch of critical bits I've sadly missed that boat.

 

Thanks. I'd love to run round the top of Scotland, but having road tripped from Land's End to Edinburgh two years in a row, pre covid, it took a while to realise that it would still be a fair hike up there, having taken in Dartmoor, East Wales, Lake District, Borders, Northumberland, and the Dale's and North Yorkshire.
But then again, there is also some of the best surf breaks in the UK up there as well.

 

It's a bloody long way from where you are, that's for sure. The madness has already arrived up there, sadly, with motorhomes doing 25mph in the middle of the road, people generally behaving like 'lads on tour' and guys on motorbikes rattling through villages at 6am to get a clear road while waking everything within 10 miles of them.

Then again, if you're calling it a surfing holiday then I reckon that seems more justified

 

Sounds very similar to down here, it's like July, without the weather.

 

Fantastic pictures mate, you certainly have the knack for a good picture 👍 keep em coming.

 

@hedgecutter did you re-attach your exhaust trims once the diffuser was installed?

 

Hi Rusti. I painted them black a couple of years ago, but it was a crap job and peeled. I've repainted them, but they're still sitting in the " to do" box along with the downpipe, exhaust, turbo inlet and blanket, AOS, brake fluid, coolant etc etc.
On the plus side I've managed to do my top mounts, arb bushes and droplinks and an oil change this week.
To be honest, it's not worth leaving the house down here in Cornwall at the moment because there are so many people about; I had a 2 mile test drive yesterday and gave up.
edit....they didn't need to come off for the spoiler to fit.

 

Hi Hedge, sorry to hear the holiday traffic is causing issues, glad you got the top mounts done. very pleased with mine but has now highlighted that my lower ball joints are on their way out!

I ask about the exhaust trims as I am thinking about getting the rear diffuser but 1) didnt know if it would fit with them on and 2) if it would be too silver on the back end bearing in mind my hatch is silver in colour as well. Painting them sounds like a good option.

 

Hi, when doing your rust treatments did you check under the hatch weather seal?

I had that off yesterday and found rust!

Treated with converter for now, but need a solution for water there.

 

Hi Matt, the whole hatch lid seems to be quite susceptible; I had a little bit on the bottom corner seam, and the foam under the glass catches alot of crap.

I'm trying to get ready for Japfest, but I've snapped a thermostat housing bolt so I'm attempting to deal with that today. I'll probably have to take the whole front off ffs

 

Back on the road after a summer incapacitated by stripped bolts on thermostat housing, and more annoyingly on brake calipers that I had asked to be timserted. All days before setting off to Coombe.
I had a PTP turbo blanket fitted, and at the same time a noise like induction hissing air, present since Enginetuner removed the engine, disappeared; the motor is far more punchy now. Possibly the GR stumble has gone too.
A Fuji road pitch stop went in, the last engine/ transmission mount to be uprated; definitely upped the vibration, but very tight now.
New Brembo discs and PFC Z pads on yesterday and just time to bed them in.
The Sard downpipe fitted perfectly but had to come off as no mapping was available before Coombe.
Winter plans are to get Defi oil gauges fitted, plus Perrin turbo intake and AOS, and maybe a hybrid vf53. Going to sell the unused titanium Invidia cat back. And downpipe mapped in.
With the downpipe, turbo blanket, intake and hybrid turbo I'll have taken the spool and responsiveness as far as it will go.

 

Glad to hear it’s sorted now! Do you have track time at JDM Combe? I was hoping to attend but not going to happen now.

 

Yes I'm popping my cherry there on a beginners in the morning and a standard in the afternoon. When I posted about it back in the summer, Tubbs immediately said" Noo, all the 18 year olds in **** boxes next to your spec C"!! but I'm nearly a pensioner so I'll take it easy.
Ive been frustrated with road driving not fulfilling the potential of the car for 5 years, so it's about time, and will hopefully lead to some trackday and road trips further afield

 

Nice! I've never driven round it myself but was very tempted when I was there a couple of weeks back. It looks like a fun track. My advice is just give other people a wide berth, I always prefer driving with a clear track ahead of me so I take it easy on the first lap and let people past, then do my hot laps and catch them up again. No one actively goes out there to smash their car up at the end of the day.

It's a shame you're so far from the tracks as once you've had a taste I'm sure you'll be wanting more!

 

Here I am, just by chance, behind HH on my first trackday. He left me for dead.

 

My new pads either weren't bedded in or just weren't up to it after a couple of laps. Shocks didn't inspire confidence either, they're pretty tired. And I was rubbish; 1st session involved just hanging in there.

 

That first picture where you’re coming round camp is a corker!

What pads were you using and what brake fluid?

I was following your conversation with 2pot on the suspension setup and have to admit I was pretty lost!
Did you find it too soft or just a bit sloppy? I have a standard spec c setup on my new one so am interested to see how it handles on track as it’s amazing on the road. I guess it’s difficult to set it up to be perfect on both though.

 

Soft and sloppy. I've got braided lines, 5.1dot fluid and I was recommended Pfc Z pads which were twinned with Brembo discs. Fine on the road but soon got overheated with my crap technique.
It's a dilemma, track vs road spec; whilst the car is composed and settled with virtually all road conditions, it didn't feel the same at all on track. Most of all, I've really felt the loss of front camber in reverting to oem strut mounts, which is something coilovers would address.

 

I've heard a lot of people recommend the PFC pads, that's what I've got on the RA and have a spare set here that I was going top use on the track project, maybe I'll go for something else. My mapper recommended Ferodo DS3000, DSUNO or Pagid RS29; with the Pagid being the kindest to disks to coming it at around double the price of the PFC. I probably wont need to put a new set on the track car until next year now though.

Handling is such a specialised area. You can spend thousands on components but it's all for nothing if it's not set up properly. I've heard very good things about how Chevron can set a car up from several people now. Obviously they're not very close to you but then not many places are!

 

Now that you have done a few track days what way are you leaning. More of a track car or fast road, well faster road set up.

 

That's the dilemma! But definitely a road set up that won't disappoint on the track; I dont mind it being a bit harsh. Suspension is between a Meister R set up or an Oem set up designed for the last version of the hatch/saloon, the TS RA.

 

Rob Day seems to have a good balance as he uses his as a road car as well as a track car, you should compare notes.