Just picked up the Z from Piper, and new goodies are here!

Roll bar (I believe this is the same as John's design). X braced back to where the spring perches are.

Cobra Suzuka GT's (I installed these) with sliders. I may have to remove the drivers side slider to gain more headroom. I'm going to drop the seat in the sidemounts and tilt it back some to see if I can keep them. With the factory bus-like steering wheel, its easier for me to slide back to get in/out of the car.

Oil cooler. This required real fabrication skills, far beyond my skill and tool capability. Mitch built a manifold / distribution block (for the OEM oil pressure sensor, Defi pressure and temp sensors, and APS anti-drainback valve), used all AN fittings, and topped it all off by hogging out the generic sandwich plate to accept AN10 supply/return fittings. Of course he disconnected the sway bar mounts and moved it through its travel to confirm there was plenty of clearance.

I was originall going to use a giant (4"x4"x24") cooler from a stock car, but Mitch had concerns (it had one serious ding, and would have been very difficult to source a replacement had it leaked) about using it, and we found what appears to be a viable alternative - a Setrab 916 (I believe). Initial road-testing indicates this to be a HUGE step in the right direction. Prior to the cooler install, oil and water temps would equalize about 205 on the street. Post-install, I couldn't get oil temps to peak over 170. This includes back to back 3rd and 4th gear pulls. Water temps never broke the 200 mark. With the factory oil/water heat exchanger, keeping oil temps down should also help keep water temps down. Keep in mind I have the APS single turbo on the car.

As far as I'm concerned, this is why it can pay to find a real pro to do the work.

Day of truth is Nov 20th - VW/Audi event at VIR. Thanks to daveh's suggestion, I have a set of ST43 pads front and rear and new rear rotors to top it all off. Wish me luck!

ahm

 

looks nice!

A bar and seat will be my summer project.

Are you running FI of NA?

I havent seen any issues with just my bolt on's that would warrant a oil cooler so far.

 

B.F.I (before forced induction) after 20 minute sessions in 95 degree heat, even running 15w-50, I'd have idle oil pressure drop down to near zero. I didn't have a temp gauge at the time, so can't tell you what the numbers were. In retrospect, for a regularly track-driven car, even without FI, I'd add an oil cooler. Cheap insurance. Without all the extra stuff FI added, just the sandwich plate, lines and fittings, and cooler are what is required. Now that I have temp monitoring, I'd recommend that too.

I am FI now - an APS ST. MotherF'er of an install, but I got it done. I replaced the unichip with a UTEC, but other than that, the kit is as it came (minus the oil cooler). After the install, I ran one track day as a shake down, and the temps were out of control. Two laps into a session, a 3rd/4th gear pull would drive oil temps over 240, and water temps over 210. They clearly would have continued to climb higher, but I didn't want to play that game, so pulled off track. The addition of the oil cooler seems to be a massive step forward. We'll see if its enough next Monday. I'm hopeful, but not particularly confident, it will be enough vs having to replace the radiator as well. We shall see...

ahm

 

Looks nice. The Stillen that I have is def of the same caliber.

 

question: is the x-brace illegal in SCCA racing?

 

Looks nice man. I have talked to Mitch and John (?) before about putting a roll-bar/removable cage in my ZR. They were not sure it could be done and my car has been in and out of shops ever since for engine build stuff.

If I ever get the time/money for this, They will be the guys I go to, I know they do great work and they are just down the street from me now.

Hey did they ever get their webpage built/updated? Edit: does not look like it yet. Must be busy as heck with their new shop.
--B

 

What do you mean by 'SCCA racing'? Any 'real' racing is going to require a cage. This is only a rollbar. This is not a race car, but an HPDE / lapping day car that I can take students in (hence the passenger seat/harness). It makes a nice compliment to my spec miata - continue learning to drive smooth and efficiently in the miata, hop in the Z and work on those techniques in something with more power/grip without the pressure of race days.

ahm

 

They haven't updated their web page. I think they are swamped with work and still settling into their new shop. The 'reception' area is still empty (completely).

Mitch can be a little 'brusque' in my experience, but I think its because he has a ton of work and doesn't like dealing with the street car 'scene' - ricers I think is the non-PC term. He does primarily real race cars, so I think he is always a little sceptical of street car customers.

Removable bar huh? Mitch would probably like the challenge, but with the hatch, that would be tough I think to make strong.

ahm

 

Very nice!

I'm gonna have to get a ride on Monday! I'll be in the advanced group in my SS track model on Azenis.

 

Hopefully... If the temps aren't kept under control, it goes back on the trailer I'm trying not to get too excited in case the oil cooler isn't enough...

ahm

 

ah i see. by scca racing i meant more specifically t2. looks great!

 

When are you doing down to VIR? We have a caravan heading down Sunday around 9am from Dumfries/I-95. Me and a few BMW guys. PM me if you're interested!

 

definately not T2 legal. notice the full interior this is not a cage - there are no A pillar tubes, no A<->B pillar (longitudinal) tubes, door bars, etc.

ahm

 

Here is my 2 cents - since you have some of the same set up that I do.

If your oil cooler is in front of your I.C. air flow, you will see OK oil temps - but high water temps on track. And this is even with Water wetter in the radiator.

I am relocating my oil cooler to a different location and installing a fan on it so that I don't block my radiator. When I finalize my install, I will let everyone know - not much room on the Z with a TT installed!

 

i'm guessing you're right - the oil cooler alone won't be enough. perhaps in the cool/cold weather of november i'll be able to get away with it for this one event. we shall see.

do you have a stock radiator? if i end up having to replace it, my understanding is that there are two koyo options, a small (thin) and large (thick). thin is larger than stock, and is basically a drop in (even with the APS IC). thick is a lot more work and may require much fiddling to possibly including replacement slim fans. does this info track with what you know?

ahm

 

Very nice job, if I ever decided to do a cage in my car Id go there, they do amazing work.

 

I have done a little of all of this. Yes Koyo has 2 thickness. The thin is basically a drop in and lets you keep your stock fans. The thicker one will require some additional work for fitment and needs the slimmer fans. I looked at both and decided on the easier drop in thinner one.

I also have a custom oil cooler. This is located on the front bumper with some custom diversion panes angling the air from my front bumper ducts to the cooler. I works well enough on the street and for 1/4 runs, never hit a road course with it yet. I would think the easy answer would be adding a fan to increase flow when necessary. (FYI, I have the same setup for my Power steering cooler on the other side of the intercooler.)
--B

 

i know the bar isn't legal for t2, just that if it was a full cage, would the x-brace still be legal.

 

The cage would not be primarily for looks. Pushing as much HP as I am, chassis rigidity is important. Not to mention, the first time I go ripping down the 1/4 I will get tossed from the track without a cage. I have gotten approval to race at Summit Point next season with the stock roll bars (SCCA and NASA HPD events), but safety is most important and I would absolutely HATE to roll the car without proper protection.

The car is also used as a weekend driver, and I would like to keep the use of the top, but I realize that with a cage in, the top MUST be up to provide room for the rearward support bars. We discussed an option of a bolt in cage that would meet minimum safety requirements for track days and could be mostly removed to allow for the top to be taken down on the weekends.
There was no guarantee this could be accomplished. They said they would need the car for some time to figure out if it would be possible. Unfortunately I have never had the time to leave them the car for further analysis.
--B

 

i don't know. i believe there was an issue with some of piper's spec miata cages. i know he replaced/fixed any of those that were deemed non-compliant at no charge. i don't know what the issue was, but i vaguely recall it was related to the x-brace. when i talked to him about the bar, I did ask that he build it so it could retrofitted into a full cage, so I believe it would be legal, but can not confirm that.

is there some reason you think the x-brace wouldn't be a legal part of a T2 cage?

ahm