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Thread: Which cabrio?

  1. #151
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    Next on the list are two:







    Fínally figured out how to take the driver´s one out: Two torx screws though holes under the steering wheel!

  2. #152
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    The DIY lighterweight muffler is not taking the desired shape just yet and of significantly lighter wheels I am only dreaming too so time to value the little things:

    Scored more than a kilo by changing the EVAP and tank breather/charcoal canister. Lines and canister out, one way vacuum valve in.
    Scored just under another one by replacing the ashtray/lighter combo with a voltmeter and usb port.
    Right, I value those two marginal gains so? Bring on the big ones!!

  3. #153
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    I've just noticed the matte black bonnet. As much as I like that, shouldn't the engine cover be matte black?! You're about to tell me it already is...

    Are the red stripes in homage to the ones from the headlights back on the old 356 etc racers in the 1950s?
    "A man of little significance"

  4. #154
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    Quote Originally Posted by Foxy100 View Post
    I've just noticed the matte black bonnet. As much as I like that, shouldn't the engine cover be matte black?! You're about to tell me it already is...

    Are the red stripes in homage to the ones from the headlights back on the old 356 etc racers in the 1950s?
    Well, the bonnet was/is painted non-gloss black to avoid the glare off it blinding the driver and it works. So that is regardless of where the engine is. The rear lid stays the way it is. I did remove the drip tray to improve ventilation and the DIY muffler should improve that a lot too.

    The red stripes are indeed homage to the 550 Spyder. Could have been blue, yellow, green as it was to distinguish the different cars during primairily the Le Mans 24H. I choose red matching the calipers.
    Hunting for lightweight wheels and depending on which ones they may go on in the same red. Imo the best looking color for the wheels depends só much on the design. I positively swoon over Enkei RPF1 but.... the factory silver for the 15" is áwful on those yet looks good on vintage Tecnomagnesios.
    Rota Sliptream shows its best in yuk gold yet don´t come in that anymore and the Royal Gunmetal is a definite NoNo. So the default the in non gloss black and that combines with the tyres in the car flaoting on black holes.
    Anyway; weight is the crucial bit and if the rims I can score at my budget are the imo wrong colour, I will have to spray them. Speaking of which; I sprayed the slightly tired looking side panels of the seat backs and that turned out pérfect.

    Just got a message that the bits I need for the muffler epibrating have arrived where I am not untill Saturday. So, next week! I should recieve the door spacers too by then.

    Hilarious anecdote about the airbag removal btw. But later; the gf just walks in....

  5. #155
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    Back to the anecdote.

    The mountain gf noticed me working out how to get the passenger airbag out.
    Later in the evening she said; ´If you remove the airbags, don´t espect me to éver drive that car!´
    My son; "You do realise that you are putting forward a convincing argument to remove them?!"

    Looking most forward to spacing the doors: Making the doors funtion as braces will make the tub resist torsion a lót better, which should be definitely noticeable on initial turn in and sequences of quick directional changes.

    Today drove the Malaga gf´s Peugeot cabrio and even cruising that comfortable along the hard folding roof could be heard moving less than the tub/windscreen frame. The MR2 is a lót stiffer but the same principle applies so it wíll make a difference.

  6. #156
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    Ok, the muffler fits but....







    the design details need some more attention.

  7. #157
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    more lightness and tightness added

    Fitted the magic spacers in the doors.
    Just a slight push to close fit.
    Maybe I will add some extra tape for a tighter fit if they settle, but for now they are just perfect; any tighter and I would need to explain thréé women not to start SLÁMMING the door.

    The difference is noticeable. Much like the front strut brace though now more balanced as it braces the tub itself. I.e. more effect than the strut brace for a third of the price and a lót easier to fit.
    Again not a world of difference but certainly not a marginal gain as it is noticeably more responsive to steering input.

    Also added another 4 kilos of lightness by removing the explosives from the dash.




  8. #158
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    A bit chilly but bright blue morning, so parked Belle in the sun to fold the hood down when I go.
    Leaving a bit earlier because of the above: Needs be enjoyed to the full and going mounting route. Immediately over the Pedrizas pass the exit towards Villanueva de Gauche and from there it is all winding down the southern slopes to Malaga. Looking forward to experience the two 360 degree corners (past the Fuente de la Reina just above Málaga) as she is now.
    Will take more than double the time but is obviously not the same order of enjoyment than the highway.

    What fun!
    Drifting through hairpins steep down is usually rather tricky as bothe braking and lifting makes matter wórse if you overcook it.
    Ok, still tricky but with a feeling of control because of increased direct feel/feedback.








    This morning for breakfast to the beach:






    Back into the mountains was even more fun than the trip down. Down is way more tricky ánd I was getting accustomed to the feel.
    Back in the mountains, through the valley thréw it through the corner, passing several cars till I closed up to a Seat Cupra. Took the bloke two corners before he got the spirit; húge fun! Impressive accelleration btw.
    Back in the village took a few of the star of today:




  9. #159
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    The MR2 is interesting but I've never had the pleasure of driving one. If I was looking for a cheap rag-top I'd be looking for the cleanest Z3 3.0 (the 231bhp straight 6 petrol). They really were underrated IMO and a well looked after minty one would be a joy to have.
    Last edited by MarkJS; 8th February 2019 at 18:38.

  10. #160
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    Spaced out.

    Back at the farm checked the door spacers/bushings. The tape compressed most of its thinness so took the blocks off and added another layer to space the space tighter still. The doors now need a bit of a spirited closing but as I now know the tape will settle quite a bit, no worries there.

    Back to the effect on the handling.
    Spacing them out shows I am rather pleased with the improvent.

    Having slid the thing about hárd through uncountable mountain road corners, sliding it from 30 to 130 km/h, my conclusion sofar is:
    The improved integrity of the tub means that suspension is now by the suspension and the tyre, not the flex in the tub.
    Since I have not méasure anything I cannot say anything about the actual roadholding, about the corner speeds.
    What I díd notice is that now the load is spread better over the foúr wheels/tyres. How much no idea, did not measure.

    The control is another matter. Thát is in a different league.
    The feedback is more direct because you now do not ´feel´ the chassis moving; al you now feel it is the contact patch.
    As such you feel the movement éarlier and also there is less euhhhhmmmm, únflex in the chassis when the tyre starts letting go.
    To understand that it is important to understand that a sliding tyre has léss friction than one that is about to; max deforming = max. traction and letting go is a sharp decrease in grip.
    Past the slide point, the load on the chassis thus gets lower rather rapidly and that gives a reaction.
    In extrema it is like the pogo response of a high 4x4 when that breaks out, then grips and spits you out to the other side because you in a reflex overcorrected for the refound grip.
    On the MR it is less so but still there.
    With the tub flexing less, there is less of that ánd the feel of the tyres is no longer masked by the flex in the tub.
    Since you feel more, you can respond earlier, more measured and drive way closer to both sides of the limit with an amplitude you can control.
    That latter bit is imo the real benefit: With less flex in the chassis, the amplitude of feel of nearing the limit and going over it is way smaller and thus the chance of being too far over is reduced.

    Near the farm there is a corner I take umpteen times daily and through which it is too easy to make ány car slide. With the MR it was the corner that made the resident female observe I nééded better wubbahs.
    The angle between noticing it going, catching it etc. had a certain amplitude.
    The amplitude of catch is not all that far from the beyond catching angle.
    Nów that amplitude is not in the same order of tail out. That enlarges the safety margin, which can also be seen as the play ground, consíderably.
    To stay in MR2 jargon; it takes a chunk out of the snap of the snap oversteer.
    The slogan; Takes the snap out of snap oversteer! ;)

    I am still not completely happy with the feel in the front. Also the front wubbah gets hotter than the rear. I already put a bit more air in so not going more thataway. Since the outside gets more of the brunt, I will order camber bolts.

  11. #161
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkJS View Post
    If I was looking for a cheap rag-top I'd be looking for the cleanest Z3 3.0 (the 231bhp straight 6 petrol). They really were underrated IMO and a well looked after minty one would be a joy to have.
    Intereting pov.
    Why do you think they were underrated.

    Imo, being BMWs they were and are óverrated. At least from the driving fun side.

    Compared with the SW30 it is 35% more lardy ánd the relatively heavy engine sits up front vs in the middle.

    I drove one and in no way did it feel sporty.
    Imo it felt like the anti-MX5; a boulevard cruiser instead of a mountain road blitzer.
    Last edited by Huertecilla; 8th February 2019 at 18:54.

  12. #162
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    Intereting pov.
    Why do you think they were underrated.

    Imo, being BMWs they were and are óverrated. At least from the driving fun side.

    Compared with the SW30 it is 35% more lardy with 10% less oomph to ove each kilo ánd the relatively heavy engine sits up front vs in the middle.

    I drove one and in no way did it feel sporty.
    Imo it felt like the anti-MX5; a boulevard cruiser instead of a mountain road blitzer.
    I think a lot of opinions on those cars back in the day were based around the 1.9 engine which wasn't great and didn't do the rest of it justice. Then there was the 2.2 which sounded great but was still relatively low on power whereas the 3.0 really made a huge difference to the whole package. It did the E30 chassis justice. I've never understood the Japanese never having more flair with their engine choices on their 'sporty' soft tops. I'm sure you're right regarding the Z3 feeling more cruiser than a W30 but I don't think all BMW's are overrated....because they're BMW's.

  13. #163
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkJS View Post
    I think a lot of opinions on those cars back in the day were based around the 1.9 engine which wasn't great and didn't do the rest of it justice. Then there was the 2.2 which sounded great but was still relatively low on power whereas the 3.0 really made a huge difference to the whole package. It did the E30 chassis justice. I've never understood the Japanese never having more flair with their engine choices on their 'sporty' soft tops. I'm sure you're right regarding the Z3 feeling more cruiser than a W30 but I don't think all BMW's are overrated....because they're BMW's.
    Ok, thanks.

    Concerning the Japanese roadster, I do. Completely. The Z3 is a good point in case. The bigger, more power delivering engines make for more acceleration and top speed but not for better handling, more like worse handling because the lump weighs more. It is the first step towards the ´sports car´ conundrum.
    Additionally, more power does not necessarily make for more fun driving, again more like less.

    It is the same thing with the Boxster. There is no disputing that the suspension is in a league above the rest and that makes for roadholding. It is just that 1300 (and up) kilos are not leightweight.
    Same thing the power. Although it has roadholding, traction and brakes to match you also need the road and skill set.

    That observed, not everyone looks for the same in a car so the differences are GREAT!

    The japanese for their roadsters stay true to the definition of sports car which includes light and nimble.
    Hence I am not coaxing more horses from the 1ZZ but ´adding lightness´*.

    * quote from Colin Chapman**.

    ** Lotus, with Chapman weilding the scepter, did development work for DeLorean. This engineering concept was later sold by the Administrators to Toyota, who used it to develop the MR2.
    Last edited by Huertecilla; 8th February 2019 at 22:41.

  14. #164
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    ...and


  15. #165
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    Beejeezuss; thréé days and the only thing I have been able to is black out the P/S fault light....

    Ah well, the resident girl is a hopping happy bunny with her Valentine´s present; stuck a two tone vinyl vine with flowers/butterflies on her ´new´ black SUV. Have to say it looks a lót more chirpy indeed.

    Fingers crossed I get around to do something about the airbag fault light and the horn.

    The re-plumbing of the no-longer-power-steering will have to wait till next week when I can hopefully try mod. the muffler too.

  16. #166
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    Woahhh....;
    Sofar been taking things oút, mostly modern ´essentials´.
    Today put something ín, modern at that!
    A panel with USB charging ports. Also a Voltmeter to keep an eye on the featherweight battery.
    Totals 190 grams and put it, since I don´t smoke, in place of the ashtray/lighter unit weighing 960.



  17. #167
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    Those Enkei RPF1´s dó look good



  18. #168
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    The modded motorcycle muffler sits in place of the OEM fatty: a whiff over 10 kilos lighter!!!
    As the OEM cat sits underneath and I left all the heat shields, the muffler can only be spotted if you look for it.
    The car is definitely louder but does not molest. Will have to measure hów loud.

    The muffler is 50 cm. al absorbtion,straight through, the note has completely changed, deepened. Sounds really good now. Not like mom´s Corolla shopping cart but like the sporty throwabout it looks to be.

    It is only 10 kilos so marginal gains only, but as it sat/sits behind and above the rear wheels, it ís noticeable.

    55 kilos off in total now.

    There is about another 50 that can be ´added´ without gutting the thing but apart from lighter wheels, imo the cost outweighs the kilos.

  19. #169
    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    The modded motorcycle muffler sits in place of the OEM fatty: a whiff over 10 kilos lighter!!!
    As the OEM cat sits underneath and I left all the heat shields, the muffler can only be spotted if you look for it.
    The car is definitely louder but does not molest. Will have to measure hów loud.

    The muffler is 50 cm. al absorbtion,straight through, the note has completely changed, deepened. Sounds really good now. Not like mom´s Corolla shopping cart but like the sporty throwabout it looks to be.

    It is only 10 kilos so marginal gains only, but as it sat/sits behind and above the rear wheels, it ís noticeable.

    55 kilos off in total now.

    There is about another 50 that can be ´added´ without gutting the thing but apart from lighter wheels, imo the cost outweighs the kilos.
    Whearas lighter wheels are the most cost effective way of lightening a car and improving unsprung weight, every kilo off unsprung weight is equivalent to five kilos, so 20 kilos off the wheels is equal to 100kilos car weight, so a little bit of money, about 30 minutes of time selecting and fitting, and no dicking about with the rest of the car.

  20. #170
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    If I would réally throw money at it,
    Btw. this is a potential minefield.
    It is generally surprisingly easy to share your life with three loves but thís has them totally divided; one would be véry pissed about ány € spent on changing perfectly good looking wheels and at the other extreme is the one who would be happy to contribute some. Now that latter would upset twó.
    Not changing them upsets mé!!

    I will need changing tyres before summer and I could say ´they came with the tyres´ but unfortunately I fall for intelligence.

    Basically unsolvable.
    For the moment at least. Change is a certainty so, who knows?!


    p.s. I really messed up my own post here!

    Yes Adrian, wheels are thé most cost effective bit to save weight on.
    On the MR2 the OEM ones are already quite light; on par with mid range OZ Racing; only 26.8 in total.
    Keeping expense within reason I could save 2.2 kg/wheel.
    If I would REALLY throw money at it 3 kg/wheel.
    Last edited by Huertecilla; 21st February 2019 at 12:24.

  21. #171
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    The new muffler is véry hard to spot but definitely audible. Not sure how much or íf I am pleased with the new sound level (read; noise!).
    On the outside it is not molesting and rather pleasantly impressibve. On the ínside though... You are, almost painfully, aware that it sits only one meter from your ears. I probably need to get used to it.






    The no-longer-power-assisted steering has markedly improved with the loop on the rack itself. Am quite pleased with how it steers and how it looks now.



  22. #172
    Grand Master Foxy100's Avatar
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    That bracket looks heavy!
    "A man of little significance"

  23. #173
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    Quote Originally Posted by Foxy100 View Post
    That bracket looks heavy!
    Yes, I know, been tempted but the spare wheel bucket rests on it if I want to put that in for whatever reason such as a lóóóóng trip.

  24. #174
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    Been out for some ´testing´.
    The thing is pretty loud now inside but the decibel meter app is crap. Will measure again tomorrow with a different one.

    The thing is also surprisingly much better revving. It behaves literally unthrottled.
    Several members on spyderchat dynoed before and after of similar set ups and measured at least 15 hp more. Also reported the markedly easier revving at the top end. In standard set up with precats and all, the engine runs out of breath nearing 6K and tails off going over.
    Now it gets stronger all the way to 6.5K. Never mind the extra hp as I did not search for that; the big difference is the eagerness to climb up the revs scale; the extra torque in the mid range.
    55 kilos less, a bit fatter torque curve; it is like having lower gearing! and the steering is ... well, makes me SMÍLE! The imo overly strong power assistance means the MR2 has a low reduction so it is véry direct and the feel is too, literally; it gives max. confidence. Looking forward to mounting/setting up the camber bolts!

    Tomorrow first some glitches though; the plugs in the steering are leaking, the airbag light is still on, the horn still does not work.
    Not sure how much I can do; a freind had been clobbered off his motorbike by a 4x4; femur, kneecap and tibia broken. Was operated yesterday; the femur too bad to put a pin in and the tibia they wanted to think another day about/ needed order stuff for, so been done today. Will be dropping by tomorrow.

  25. #175
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    Oh my, that was depressing.
    Also visited a lady friend and a female acquaintance of the gf.
    The former is going downhill slowly with no chance on recovery and the second is dying. Both younger than me.
    The motorbike bloke is in bád shape. Basically his leg is shattered.
    Good thing I have become a bit more boring, ....ooops responsible, but CARPE DIEM!!!

    The wife of the bloke is like a frightened rabbit on a good day and now as shattered as his leg, laying awake scared most of the night in their lonely farm house. Can´t be helped though as even if we would offer she comes sleep at our farm the local Brit community they are part of wil make that into something worse for her than a few sleepless nights.

    Anyway, memento mori I put spanners to the MR2. The horn is working again, some sealant added to the steering house plugs, but the airbag light is still on.
    Even washed it as it is good sunny weather; top down time!

    Also the above mentiong ´gf´ observed the same about living life and said ´what the heck if you want the wheels; it´s your money and having fun with it!´.

  26. #176
    Oz Ultraleggera if they do the size, best value wheel on the planet,

    My Renault has a custom set of image wheels, worth looking on their website.

    The Noble has Trafficstar split rims but the are silly money.

  27. #177
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Oz Ultraleggera if they do the size, best value wheel on the planet,

    My Renault has a custom set of image wheels, worth looking on their website.

    The Noble has Trafficstar split rims but the are silly money.
    The Ultraleggeras are great wheel but not in the correct size.

    Lóve the split rims and think they are worth some extra, but indeed not thát much.
    Most split rims are not that light.

    Looking at Enkei PRF1´s as those are both spot on for the MR ánd available discounted at the moment here.
    Only 4.4 kilos btw!!

  28. #178
    For when you really get obsessed with weight.

    https://www.reverie.ltd.uk/seats.php

    I should say the owner is a friend of mine.

  29. #179
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    For when you really get obsessed with weight.

    https://www.reverie.ltd.uk/seats.php

    I should say the owner is a friend of mine.
    Thanks for the link!

    A set of those would shed 20 kilos. Quite a lot, so ´obsessed´?

    First the wheels though.
    Well, not first; fist are the camber bolts. Then vent the hood to reduce ligt at speed. The wheels are on the list for March. Hope to have a set with good rubber fitted coinciding with spring and Brexit.

    With the 55 kilos shed aready, then wheels, one or two little things and lightweight seats, I would total 100 kilos. Nothing to sneeze at.
    The seats are central and low though so not nearly as effective as emptying the frump and cost a lot. They would be third on the ´dream on list´ after a lightweight bonnet and rear deck. Those two shed less but are out where it is more noticeable.

    Ah and then there is the rear spoiler. For it to have noticeable effect it needs be rather large and mounted high. Both not very pleasing to look at and some 5 - 6 kilo at least. Not sure it is worth the effort at the mountain road speeds.

  30. #180
    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post

    Ah and then there is the rear spoiler. For it to have noticeable effect it needs be rather large and mounted high. Both not very pleasing to look at and some 5 - 6 kilo at least. Not sure it is worth the effort at the mountain road speeds.

    Don't bother with the spoiler, it may look good but the car doesn't go fast enough to benefit from any extra downforce, the drag it will generate will circumvent any weight saving you may implement.

  31. #181
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Don't bother with the spoiler, it may look good but the car doesn't go fast enough to benefit from any extra downforce, the drag it will generate will circumvent any weight saving you may implement.
    Well, it is a bit more complicated than that.
    There is a wide range of ´spoilers´ and how they can be mounted. All with widely differing, even opposing, effects. All related to the shape/aerodynamics of the car they are fitted to.
    A boot lit lip spoiler cán reduce drag; improve top speed and fuel economy.
    A different design on a p.e. coupé shape improve directional stability, reduce sensibility to side wind without any neagtive side effects.
    So.... it all depends.

    An inverted wing sufficiently high above the deck relative to the roof can give a lot of downforce at surprisingly low speeds while not adding significant drag up to high way max speed.
    How is thát possible? The wing can reduce drag so at the ´lower´ speeds the down force is compensated for.
    That brings me to the ´look good´. Imo the effective inverted wings look rather bád; spoiling indeed. They have in my eyes also a huge ´wannabee´ look to them even though they cán be effective. So no, not so good in the eyes of this beholder.

    Here one interesting publication about the very subject

    https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/v...text=mech_mstr

    The neat thing with the MR2 is that it being light means that a moderate wing has a large % effect. I mean only 100 kilos = 10% extra downforce (without any centrifugal penalty) at the rear in a 50 kmh corner is worthwhile.
    Those 100 kilos are surprisingly easily reached with an only 1500 cm2 wing.

    It would be rather obtrusive; ´ugly´: a real inverted wing on 20 cm. high stilts on the rear deck...
    And yes it would increase drag above highway legal speeds and seriously reduce top speed.
    So again pick your choice; better cornering/stabilty at legal speeds or better fuel economy at illegal speeds and venturing further into the illegal.

    Bottom line is that because I rarely venture above 120 km/h I know I can fit a dynamically worthwhile wing but am in serious doubt whether it spoiling the looks is worthwhile.

  32. #182
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    This illustration shows how a rear wing creates downforce while reducing drag





    Before going the whole hog, will first go with a small universal lip providing a break off edge eliminating the curve down creating a back eddy giving drag. This phenomena was studied by Wunibald Kamm.
    The MR2 has a rear end particularly suited for such a lip like the Audi TT has.




    Last edited by Huertecilla; 28th February 2019 at 19:36.

  33. #183
    If you feel the urge to look it up, there is a series of articles in racecar engineering about the aero project I fit with Simon Mcbeath,

    https://www.reverie.ltd.uk/Downloads...eNobleData.pdf

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hT0NgBbJPck
    Last edited by adrianw; 28th February 2019 at 19:44.

  34. #184
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    If you feel the urge to look it up, there is a series of articles in racecar engineering about the aero project I fit with Simon Mcbeath,

    https://www.reverie.ltd.uk/Downloads...eNobleData.pdf

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hT0NgBbJPck
    Thank you.
    I feel that urge véry much indeed.

    Have looked at it and ... the way Í see the results, relatively minor changes effected a whopping 40% more downforce at 80 mph. and at very modest extra drag. All in all 4 times more downforce than increase in drag.

    The rear of the car btw is very much like I extracted from info; an inverted wing above a Kamm lip.


    Btw A Gurney flap is




    and I find it übercool the Noble has one on the rear wing!
    Last edited by Huertecilla; 28th February 2019 at 23:31.

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    looks the whole hog


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    Bandoleroooooo

    Today drove my son to Alameda for a science project.
    Lovely drive through the deep andalucian interior; áncient olive country.
    The country where legends have roots. One of the most fanmous it that of the bandolero Jose Maria Hinojosa Cobacho a.k.a. El Tempranillo.
    His legend spans from 1820 till 1833.
    There is sh@tload of tourist stuff around the bloke.
    By 1833 he had turned sides and was killed in an ambush by part of his old band.
    The site of this is an old cortijo in Alameda off the main road and unknown to tourism.
    As such it is as a century ago. Not even a paved path to it!

    So dropped off my son and went look for the old farm.
    Ah, there it is!



    It lies in an olive grove some 100 meters off a local road with a 2 meter wide track going past it.
    The track was closed of but not padlocked so with a bit of creativity I gained access and carefully manouvred the car to the farm.



    On the way back we did record the sound accellerating up a high(literally)way. It should be here as an attachement. Ah, apparently mp3 does not upload.

  37. #187
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    Right, some more time to write.
    Am in the mountains on the farm. Well, in the village at the moment; sunny, going to be 25 degrees, flirted with the post office lady (package with camber bolts for the MR) and now behind my laptop with a coffee.
    Up here because my son is working in the mountains: It is a bank holliday here so there are lóts of people and he is earning good money as a climbing instructor.
    His mom is at the coast, in recluse in a hotel to prepare Brexit info for the Brit expat pensioners.
    Málaga love can´t come up because it is her weekend to look after dementing granny and the other one is helping her daughter.
    Life...

    Ok, yesterday, MR.
    I started the day with





    Sent this ´Flintstone car´ photo to my loved ones with the caption; ´Ok, what to take out next?!´
    The reactions were immediate and hilarious.

    Next was my son trying out the LED light set we bought for under the side bars of his mums car. The argument was the panel with USB ports I mounted.
    Looks very, véry cool indeed. I may buy one too and have red glow under the car :D

    Left the car in the sun for the hood to soften and later in the afternoon we went top down to Alameda.
    My son is determained NOT to like my car as he thinks it is too childish for me. Hence his nickname for it too.
    Anyway, some 10 kms up the road there is a series of turns and a passage through a tunnel .... :-)
    The engine now warmed up, I put the pedal to de metal and let it rev accelerating as fast as it goes.
    Mán did it RÍP through the tunne; like tearing off the tarmac at the dotted line.
    He sat with a smile form ear to ear. ´Yes´ he observed ´that ís cool.´

    Further on we had to go through Humilladero to get to Alameda. From the provincial road turn left on a roundabout into Humilladero.
    The terrace on the right of that street was filled with youngish people.
    My son was late with the instruction so I had to go left racther sharp, on the pedal to oversteer in order to make it, drifting rather angled and loud.
    Standing ovation from the terrace.

    Alameda is all olive business. Several press coops ín town, the worn shiney tarmac coated with oily residu.
    There was no way to keep the rear neatly following the front; hónest ;D
    The local youths again approving.

    Dropped off my son and went tourist.
    Picked him up at the agreed time and he was on the second!!
    Three nerd friends behind him, gleaming at the car.
    Son got it cool as a glacier. Narrow street so lots of sound and I had a bit of wheelspin because of the slippy surface; really.

    Working our way out of the town had to round the square in front of town hall. Again no possibel way to avoid sliding; I really NEED a spoiler for more downforce ;)
    I decided to go easy on the loud pedal now as this way sooner or later we were going to draw attention of the law.

    Once out of the village we recorded the sound.
    Up on the highway I had to ease off to pass behind a car on the right lane but by that time we were doing 160 anyway so enough.

    Back at the farm he said that yes it is a fun and cool car. Not yet quite convinced about a wing ánd I need something different than the silly baseball cap he said.

    Ok, time to get some work done now.

  38. #188
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    Cool Oh my

    Just saw this one:


    @harrismonkey
    Follow Follow @harrismonkey

    MX5 defenders: drive an MR2, back-to-back, on the same road. It's cheap, it's proper fun. Why don't people go all goooeeeey over MR2s?



    Although he was right, there was a simple answer, because MR2´s were at that time almost a decade out of production already and a lót less common.

  39. #189
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    Just saw this one:


    @harrismonkey
    Follow Follow @harrismonkey

    MX5 defenders: drive an MR2, back-to-back, on the same road. It's cheap, it's proper fun. Why don't people go all goooeeeey over MR2s?



    Although he was right, there was a simple answer, because MR2´s were at that time almost a decade out of production already and a lót less common.
    And because he has a somewhat irrational hatred of MX-5s.
    "A man of little significance"

  40. #190
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    Quote Originally Posted by Foxy100 View Post
    And because he has a somewhat irrational hatred of MX-5s.
    Nah, that is imo unjust and also he is not against the cár. He is not over the moon with it, but his peeves are with the almost religious reverence of the car which he thinks irrational and not backed up by the car. The second is him not being keen on the image/look of it which he admits is subjective/silly.

    I have the latter with the Boxster which is totally mý issue and the car is simply an awesome, much hallowed driver´s car desérving the accolades. The latter is the issue Harris has with the MX5 reverence. And come on, he does have a point. The MX5 is for most people a very likeable car rocking not a single boat, it sat very competently in a niche that at the time nobody occupied and from there it´s halo was developed.
    Next Harris simply pointed out that the NC was not fitting in those almost mythical shoes and asked why the more competent SW30 was overlooked by those same people. From there it derailed because the fans did not read/hear his relativation but took it as personal critisism of their beloved child.

    I agree with Harris and also with those who point to an NA with LSD, ditto with those who discard the SW30 as being (too) impractical. In this case I think all are correct.

    On a side note: My French Buldogs lóve the MR2; I think because it is at their level. My son because it looks like a frog he says. They are wonderfully troublesome on the access path as the three females scale the fence when they hear it and do not want to make way.
    I had the firm plan not to éver let one in the car because that is sure to make them worse still, but...
    The male never ever jumps out to bother me yet he loves to accompany me most of all. I asked the resident female to modify an old beach towel for use as seat/footwell cover. Mán you should see him sit in it!!
    I can only take him if someone can stop the girls from following the car ;-)

  41. #191
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    Nah, that is imo unjust and also he is not against the cár. He is not over the moon with it, but his peeves are with the almost religious reverence of the car which he thinks irrational and not backed up by the car. The second is him not being keen on the image/look of it which he admits is subjective/silly.
    I'm pretty sure disliked the MX-5 long before the NC came along. But then he owned things like 911 CS and Gallardo (and possibly 993 GT2) when he was still in his 20s, with easy access to just about any fast car he wants to drive, I think the MX-5 is a long way from his radar and unlikely to be good for his image (although that doesn't explain the 2CV). Isn't the MX-5 the best-selling sports car in the world? If the MR2 is so good what does its lack of sales and reverence have to do with the MX-5? I tried an MR2 on-track and over a weekend on the road back when it was new, I wasn't particularly bothered by it but I remember the first time I had a Mk2 1.6 MX-5 for the weekend and had to pull over and wait for the police to catch me up on the A339 and give me my first speeding ticket. Magnificent thing. I found one a few years later in the same spec and colour and when I had to choose between it and my Boxster S, it was the Porsche that went.
    "A man of little significance"

  42. #192
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    Well, I seriously at a Boxster too (because a friend of mountain love was selling hers) and yet it was between the MX5 and the MR2. Nót though because these are better than the Boxster; they are nót; the Boxster is as you know in a whole different league. The latter also explian why the two Japanes are better suited to my use in the mountains here.

    As to claiming sales succes as proof of quality.... nah; well made, good product yes, but proof of sportyness? No, not really. If anything it underlines that it is middle of the road in that aspect. Same point which was never going to make the SW30 a success.

    About the relative ´sportyness´ c.q. capabilties for mý kind of use I think the SW30 holds an indisputable edge because of the mid engine lay-out. It is very much a proper soft top, more comfortable, more affordable alternative to the much more uncompromising hard core Series 1 Elise.
    If I would not have had back up cars though; I would have deemed the MX5 sporty/good enough with the added practicality sealing the deal.

    About Harris I don´t know. You are probably correct. Humble/mundane stuff never is appreciated by the self conscious, but then he does seem to like the SW30. Never mind; to each his own and long live the different options!!

    Just went out for a spin with the MR and should nót have thought about the rear sway bar. Now I want a stiffer one. Grrrrrr. Is there no end to the things one can come up with?!

  43. #193
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    I have one of these which I cruise around in all over the place. Couple of minor niggles, but other than that it's rock solid and goes like the wind (260bhp in this one).

    It does draw a lot of attention however.



  44. #194
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    Quote Originally Posted by Filterlab View Post
    I have one of these which I cruise around in all over the place. Couple of minor niggles, but other than that it's rock solid and goes like the wind (260bhp in this one).
    A comfortable 5 adult, top down cruiser indeed!! Would be ideal for the N-340 road trip.

  45. #195
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    A comfortable 5 adult, top down cruiser indeed!! Would be ideal for the N-340 road trip.
    Oh yes! Hehehe! When I have some cash I’m going to drive through Europe on a jolly. Before it’s too late.

    It’s only a four seat though.
    Last edited by Filterlab; 7th March 2019 at 15:23.

  46. #196
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    The Friday plan executed:

    Went down from Antequera early in the morning to Malageña blond love over the most inland of the routes.
    Down the Las Pedrizas about 50 kms of twisty mountain roads.









    She heard me downshift coming down the bridge entering the housing estate while under the douche.
    As I parked in front she was already on the balcony waving, dressed as nature intended.
    Another advantantage of the loud pipe :D

    For tomorrow an outing with the classic car club is planned.

  47. #197
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    The Saturday plan executed:
    Woke up De Kikker early. Folded the hood down and we went west of Málaga to collect the paperwork put in her name for mountain love´s car.
    Then back east to the gathering point of the car club.
    A meager turn out but then the Marbella dweller don´t venture very far that early in the morning.Or so they say. The real point is that the late lunch is enjoyed/downed with rather a lot of alcohol and they need to drive back ::)
    Nevertheless a nice variety of cars so I could explain a wide range of difference/aspects to Málaga love. Like a vintage Jag, a Ford one and two from India; an original 356 and a grp replica, The MGA right next to the 370Z so I could point out the hazard of the old steering colomn. Things like that.

    The ride out is a bit of a bore. The charming company had laid down some basic rules:
    1. NO OVERTAKING
    2. NO STOPPING and then make up the distance-
    3. NO ROUNDANDROUNDABOUT
    I did get ´lost´ though at one point and hád to get back on the route via a shortcut ;D

    Anyway, we also left the group near the end of the route and went further east on the N340 as the bit from Nerja to La Herradura is breathtaking.
    Lunch at the beach there and the scenic route back.

    I have a proper sunburn in the face :-[
    We will rise up early and visit the Sunday morning flea market. With a bit of luck the hat stand is there.




  48. #198
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    Woke up De Kikker early and went to the Málaga flea market; it´s huge. Half a dozen stands with cap, hats and such. The gf found a light cotton, grey cap halfway between train machinist and baseball. Looks better than de baseball cap, airy and the whole of 4€

    Drove back to the farm, enjoying some interior roads.
    Mountain gf liked the new cap, wanted to lunch in the village so she hopped in.
    Had not yet heard the new exhaust so asked to go for a spin after lunch.
    She thought it WAY too loud but could not stop laughing and asked to go past áll the terraces around the village! Never mind the cheese fiesta she said; let´s get LOUD!!

    We even went up to the climbing park where our son is teaching.
    What views 8)



    So, Sunday plan down too.

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    Fitted the camber bolts and had the car alligned/set up.

    Unsurprisingly the allignment was all over the place with the worst being 3.5 degrees of toe out on both wheels.
    Rather a ´lot´ of difference between the two sides.

    Is is now spot on, with -2.0 front camber and -2.2 rear.

    Did the standard test run and... not much different, just lighter, easier, giving a confidence.

    The weather is jaw dropping good. Good between brackets as it needs to rain and is also wáy to hot with too much difference between day and night. It was around 0 this morning with the windscreen of the car frozen and >25 just now.
    Lóvely for living but a horror for nature and crops.

    Left the hood down and after lóóóng luch on the sunny town square went enjoy the new settings on the local touge route between Trabuco and Archidona.


    Monday plan accomplished.

  50. #200
    Equal toe would just cancel each other out, other than tyre wear it will make no difference to handling,

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