ThomasSoerensen

@UNABASHED: I agree on going slowly. I do not want to wreck my car there - I need it for work. And I think I will need 100 laps before feeling really comfortable.

@gazhull8474: Suggest a day. I think going on a workday afternoon is safest. And I can usually fit it in several times a week as I drive in the area for sales meetings quite often. But of course a weekend day will be different as there will most likely be more cool cars. But i will be afraid to be moved down by some dude in an old BMW on semislicks

@andlid: Love you too bro and I have no idea about the ruf - but it sounded like a mix of thunder and earth quake when he moved around the carpark - mental machine

@martinmac: Thanks - the sticker HAS to be earned

Hi all

I was working really well today - finished stuff that usually takes 3 days in 3/4 of a day so at 15:00 I thought - what the hell I might as well go for it.

I went to the Nüburgring webcam sitehttp://nurburgring.org.uk/webcams.html and the weather and track looked dry.

I got into the Z and went. I had not really had lunch so I popped into a petrol station for a few rolls to eat on the way.

This way my timing became perfect. I arrived at the Ring entrance at 17:04 and the Touristen Fahrt session was scheduled to start at 17:15.

I planned on arriving and taking a stroll in the car park to see if there were any goodies and then get a 1 lap ticket and then do my Virgin killing lap at a very modest speed.

When I arrived at the car park there were goodies:

A Gumpert Apollo

Lots of Alpinas

A Ruf (tuned porsche)

A few Wiesmanns

A few TVRs

Lots of exotic Audis including an old Broup B Qattro monster car

A few Nissan GTRs

And of course now there was a Zed :-)

the super cars were there there for some Micheling photo shoot I think - they did not drive on the Nordschleife

After taking a few bad snapshots on my phone I went to the souvenir shop and looked at the Ring stickers.

But of course I could not buy it before I did the lap.

I then proceeded to buy my 1 lap ticket and procrastinated a bit while looking at the other guys going onto the track in everything from Porsche turbos to Supras with huuuuuge wings to classic Minis to Dacia Sanderos - and a few bikes were there as well - the only one I recognised was a Hayabusa - monster machine.

I packed all the loose crap in my car into my back pack - set the D1Spec tohrottle controller to normal - re-laced my shoes and went for my lap.

WOW!!!!!

I am glad I have done hundreds of laps on the computer in various games so I knew which way the corners after the bling crests went but I concentrated so hard it seemed like the straight bits of track contracted to 50% length and I just drove slowly around trying to position the car well for the next corner.

I focused on getting some critical points right because my experience from the games told me these were places where you easily stuff the car - the tight final corner of Hatzenbach - Aremburg -the tight corners in Adenauer Forst - Wehrseifen - Breidscheid - Steilstrecke - Eiskurve and Pflanzgarten.

All corners went well and I even dropped into the Carousell and gave the Zed a bit of beans when I arrived at the final straight.

What a ride - I have never imagined from the games that the hills were so steep and the corners so tight.

After parking I was sure I had done a 6 minute lap as time had passed so quick in my head. But I think it was more of a 15 minute lap.

I then bought the Ring sticker and I now have a cool black sticker on my black car - nice and discreet like I like it. (Never mind the fat dude holding the camera and the fact that the pic is out of focus.

After my lap I drove out to a few of the spectating points and looked at the other guys going round - then drove down to Adenau to have a look see - and then it was time to drive home.

What a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Now being "local" (1.5 hours drive) to the Ring has taken on a new quality

I hope you enjoyed my little trip as much as I did - but somehow I doubt it.

I agree. This would be very nice.

Is that not the weekend of Le Mans?

If so you might have problems with traffic as there are a few of your country men going to the race.

Hi

I noticed - but my mechanic was super slow in getting an appointment for the change organized.

On my last drive, Frankfurt-Copenhagen and back of 1000 miles I was very careful not to need any emergency braking.

On the other hand - the car never felt unstable under braking and was always arrow straight.

And I have the slotted Dixcels now with Ferodo DS2500 pads and that setup is great. I have not been on the track yet with the new brakes. But my feeling is that they will only be more of an improvement on track.

This is what a used brake pad and disc look like after you have worn away all the padding and you start braking by having metal pushing against metal.

Hi like the title says im now posted in Germany with the Army and was wondering the more experienced members know if there is any good tuning places or shops that sell parts for the 350z have had a look but cant seem to find anywhere. If i do get info then i could look to bring stuff back as i travel back monthly to the uk and can bring things back with me if people want to order from them.

Hi

I am also in Germany. In Frankfurt am Main.

Where are you based in Germany?

CTD are near Duisburg north of Cologne. http://www.ctd-germany.com/shop/index.php

Just south of Frankfurt there is a company called Quantum Auto Sport. http://www.quantumautosport.com/

There is aslo 5 Star Performance in the south http://www.5sp.de/index.php

I have not used any of them myself yet.

My first choice (based on location) would be QAS and then CTD.

give me a heads up if you want to meet up or join me to one of the MTZ Jap meetups on sundays.

voted for you.

Like your Cosworth stuff.

Hi all

Mine arrived to Germany today.

Installed it in 5 minutes by being a 6foot4inches 16stone contortionist.

Did a short test drive around the block. It has transformed my monster of a car into a monster. And I can really feel a difference between Eco4 and Sp7.

Now I can use Eco4 when the wife is in the car so the complaining does not tire her too much and I can use Sp7 in the wet for a bit of fun.

Amazing kit that allows you to have 2 cars in 1.

I would be interested in a normal - informal Sunday afternoon type meetup.

Suggest where and when and I will try to be available.

I can most likely not attend as I have to drive to Denmark that day for a monday meeting.

I will think of you guys having fun a cry a little.

still not working?

I finally convinced my wife to video my exhaust.

Enjoy

In your thread about your fitting of the K+sport BBK you say it is TÃœV approved.

This makes me very very happy as this kit looks very good.

what is the biggest kit that would fit 18" wheels?

their website is a bit weird - is a kit for both front and rear brakes?

I might call them tomorrow

cheers

Thomas

Thomas, this is a guide i posted a while ago wrt brakes upgrade:

 

Stage 1: replacement pads and disc(front only or front & rear) +/- steel lines +/- RBF eg DBA 4000 0r 4000xs with Ferodo or PF pads (up to 10-20% improvement over Brembo)

 

Stage 2: 2 peice OEM sized disc/pads replacement (front only)eg DBA 5000 or PF + steel lines + RBF( better pedal feel and resistance to boiling) and up 20-30% improvement over Brembo

 

Stage 3:OEM sized 2 piece disc/pad replacement (front and rear) + RBF + steel lines eg Stoptech aerorotors (up to 40-50% over Brembo but better fade resistance

 

Stage 4 (which is the only real option for serious track work )

 

a- front BBK only +/_ uprated OEM sized rear discs and uprated pads

b- Front and rear BBK, for the perfect match

 

Based on your last response i would say invest on a BBK as it will be cheaper in the long run and as you improve you will go quicker. i found that the big brands cost a lot and went for an unknown brand at the time but i have been nore than very satisfied with the result 1yr on now

 

i went for Ksports big brake kit and they are cheaper now. you can do a stage 4 a only and that will be fine. the best combination is with the performance friction 01 pads. But if you dont want dust then get the ferodo Ds2500 pads.

If these are too much for you then just get brembo pads and ferformance friction pads or pagid yellow(ps29 pads) if they make them in OEM size. It will be nice to change your brake fliud to a racing type to resist boiling

Good tyres are essential too the gripier the tyre the more the brakes work hence wear Falkens are ok but i would not use them seriously on the Ring.

you need MPS 2, pirreli p zero, continental contisport 3 etc or have a set of track tyres on the side eg toto R888 MPS cups, Kumho V700 etc

 

see links for info on my brakes and where to get them. they are half the price i paid :

 

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=25910

http://www.ksport.co.uk/order.asp?id=267&loc=2

http://www.ksport.co.uk/order.asp?id=209&loc=4

 

Thank you for your responses GT4.

 

what would be the next level up on brakes?

 

Regarding the Ring - I do not plan on driving decent times as I have only driven it in games so far and it would be 6-10 times per year I would go for a few laps - I believe I should spend the first years sessions on getting to know which way the corners turn.

 

But even when driving the ring at moderate speed I expect the wear on brakes to be more than on road driving just because the driving style on track is either acceleration or braking - so the brakes are used much more than on autobahn where I can go for 15 minutes between using the brakes.

 

So, what would you consider the next level up in brakes from the stock Brembos?

 

AP Racing?

HKS?

 

please tell me there is something cheaper than those as they look good but very costly.

I have new Falkens 452 on - 275/35-19 on the rear and 245/35-19 on the front.

I guess to find out if my brakes are better than my tyres is to try to see how easy it is to activate the ABS on a dry road.

I have tried a few times and have not been able to activate the ABS.

Then I suggest you quickly find a Z and drape her across the bonnet - if not we cannot see her

Thank you for your responses GT4.

what would be the next level up on brakes?

Regarding the Ring - I do not plan on driving decent times as I have only driven it in games so far and it would be 6-10 times per year I would go for a few laps - I believe I should spend the first years sessions on getting to know which way the corners turn.

But even when driving the ring at moderate speed I expect the wear on brakes to be more than on road driving just because the driving style on track is either acceleration or braking - so the brakes are used much more than on autobahn where I can go for 15 minutes between using the brakes.

So, what would you consider the next level up in brakes from the stock Brembos?

AP Racing?

HKS?

please tell me there is something cheaper than those as they look good but very costly.

Ask Seb Vettel as apparently he had brake failure today

I will check that he did not use EBC

I just went out and felt up my disks/rotors and there is a definite 'lip' on both sides of both of the front disks and on the outside of the rear ones.

I also felt like there is no brake disk braking surface on the inside of the rear ones.

So it seems the disks should be changed as my mechanic says and I assume that when changing disks it is natural to change pads as well so they wear together.

Does anyone have a warning against me going the rout of EBC Turbo groove and yellowstuff - I have come to this conclusion from reading up on brakes on this forum. Please tell me if I am completely wrong.

thanks for this.

I will take a look tonight.

My garage mentioned that I should have my brakes replaced in 5000 km (2 months for me)

And I am just growing curious.

I have the Brembos but I bought the car in November 8000kms ago and I do not know and cannot read from the papers of the car had its last service "type III" 15 months ago and 15000 kms ago. I assume the brakes have been looked at at this time.

I am thinking of upgrading to "EBC turbo groove" disks and "YellowStuff" pads as I will mainly be using it for work going to customers meaning high speed autobahn driving but I will also go on the Ring quite regularly and I do not want to have the brakes fade 3 kms from the end of a Ring lap.

So I am looking into knowing more about my brakes.

Is there a visual indicator of pad wear that can be seen without removing the wheel?

Or should I wait the the screetching sound and when I hear it I book a time for replacement.

Sometimes I now hear a slight screetching when braking and coming to a halt

Thanks for your help.

and what am I looking for?

Sorry for being a newbie