Living with a G8 GT

Mines Road Redux

One of the most convenient and fun roads to drive in my area is Mines Rd. I have driven it many times in several different vehicles.

Previously I drove the G8 on the road with my GoPro and DL1 data logger. That run was before all of my modifications, so I was very interested to see how the car does now that the modifications have been performed.

In summary… Wow!

It was difficult to tell how much faster I was while driving, but the can felt so much more composed around the corners. There was very little body roll and it allowed me to carry much higher speeds through the corners… as well as to get back into the throttle quicker upon exiting the corners.

I was trying to “push” to a similar level as I did on the previous run, and the comparable lateral G-forces (top graph) from the two runs are evident of that. What was exciting to see is that I was able to enter the corners faster (bottom graph) and keep the speed up (2-3mph) through the corner. Exiting the corners I was able to accelerate quicker and achieve higher speeds (5-10mph) between the corners. As a result, in the 2.785 mile section displayed above I was able to trim 11.4 seconds from my time!

I am very happy with how the modifications have transformed the G8. I am sure I will surprise a few people with just how quick a dour-door sedan can be around a track!

Goodguys All American Get-Together

It has been two years since I last had the G8 out in a car show. Living near Pleasanton, Ca gives me several chances to put my car on display, but lately I just have not been available to attend. As has become a tradition, the NorCal GOATs showed-up with good numbers and received a fair bit of attention.

Last time the G8 was lightly-modified (mostly electronics), but this year was a different story. With a highly modified car I knew I was going to get some attention… and rather than explaining all of the mods to everyone over-and-over again, I decided to make a “Fact Sheet” for the car.

In the future I plan on having a display stand for the fact sheet, but for now I just had it in a window.

Watching the number of people who spent quite some time looking at the fact sheet, many of whom might have just walked past “a four door sedan”, I was really glad that I made it. Also, having the photos of the underside saved people from having to crawl under the car.

I have been joking with people about how I don’t want to “show” my car, as I care more about making it fast, but for some reason when you have a supercharger people just want to look under the hood. I have NEVER even cleaned under my hood, but I guess I’ll have to start now!

I took the opportunity of being around show cars to wonder around and see what people were doing to dress-up their engine compartments. I think I was able to pick-up a couple good ideas to dress things up without going overboard.

One of my favorite parts of the show was visiting the Adam’s Polishes booth. I have quite a few of their products, but have been really curious about their machine polishing systems. I was treated to a great demonstration, including some hands-on testing, and have to decided to dive-into the world of “finish correction”.

It was really nice to get out and “show-off” the G8 a little. I know have the car for my own enjoyment, but is really nice to get compliments on it as well. I can’t wait until the next event where I’ll be better prepared to properly exhibit the G8!

“You are the weakest link…”

There is something wrong with this picture…

Let me give you a little hint…

Well, after the metamorphosis I have found the next weak link. In this case it was the front Sway Bar End-Link. This piece should connect the end of the Sway Bar to the wheel/shock and help keep both front wheels moving together (greatly reducing body roll). The ball/pin that has come out of the End Link and the Sway Bar was not even connecting the two wheels!

This is one of the few stock pieces of the suspension that were not upgraded as part of the metamorphosis, so it doesn’t really surprise me that it was the new weakest link… but not for long!

I have ordered some new, stronger, BMR Sway Bar End Links and they will be installed before the next time I hit the twisty roads!

Two Years… Where did the time go?

It is hard to believe that another year has passed. The G8 is doing great, despite not being driven much this year. The odometer is at 20,500 miles (yeah… I only put 4k miles on it this year) so there is lots of life left!

This year, being away from the G8 and all of my NorCal GOAT friends, has been quite rough. Having worked so much has allowed me to transform the G8 into the car of my dreams, but it didn’t come without suffering. I spend my nights dreaming of when I’ll be back home with the gang and all the time I’ll have to spend with the G8.

This year I plan on taking a little time to myself and going on some “explorations”. There are all sorts of roads around the US that I have a desire to drive… and I think I’m going to try to take some time to explore them. I will also be getting the G8 out onto the track (Road Course and Auto-X) to test out all the new upgrades.

Metamorphosis is Complete!

After months of patiently waiting… the metamorphosis is complete!

Over the past year I have been working on a plan for converting my G8 GT from a mild-mannered daily driver into a Road Course and Auto-X attacking beast. I put a plan together to modestly increase the power and tighten-up the handling without compromising the drivability and reliability. The car is still my daily driver, but it now has a new attitude.

Engine/Exhaust:
Magnacharger TVS1900
60lb Injectors
Ported throttle body
Roto-fab Cold Air Intake
JBA Shorty Headers
SOLO High Flow Cats (w/wideband bungs)
Corsa Cat-back Exhaust
Billet Prototype Catch Can

Drivetrain:
Camaro Differential w/3.45 Gears
GForce 1000 HP Race Axles
Transmission Cooler

Suspension/Brakes:
Pedders Track II kit with Super Car Coilovers
Spohn Rear Lower Control Arms (Poly Bushings)
Spohn Rear Trailing Arms (Poly Bushings)
Spohn Rear Toe Links (Poly Bushings)
Baer Pro Plus Big Brake Kit (Front & Rear) w/14″ Slotted Rotors

Chassis:
BMR Sub-Frame Connectors
BMR Driveshaft Tunnel Brace

Interior/Electronics:
In-Dash GPS
JHP Double Hump Gauge Pod w/Autometer Sport Comp II Gauges (Boost & Fuel Pressure)
HSV Smoker’s Package
Sliding Console Lid
Back-up Camera w/VIM and iPod integration
Factory (2009.5) OnStar w/Bluetooth
V1 Radar Detector w/custom Remote Display
DashHawk
Race-Technologies DL1 Data Logger (20Hz Advanced GPS) and DASH 3 Display

Exterior Appearance:
Maverick Man Carbon Fiber Spoiler
GXP Rear Diffuser

Wrenched & Tuned by:

The engine has received a modest upgrade and now puts 444hp and 460tq to the rear wheels (an increase of over 36%)!

The Magnacharger TVS1900 is running the stock pulley size, so is producing around 6psi of boost. This is a very manageable level for the otherwise stock engine. If I ever feel the urge to get some more power I have the option of decreasing the pulley size on the Magnacharger (which makes it turn faster… producing more boost), but that will also require an overhaul of the stock fuel system.

Some may say that bolting a supercharger to the engine would be the most noticeable change, but the most complex and noticeable upgrade has to be the suspension. Yes, the suspension!

While the added power from the Magnacharger TVS1900 is nice, it is only there when you decide to push on the gas peddle.  The suspension is always there, keeping the car glued to the road… Just begging to be driven harder and faster!

The first time I drove the G8 after the mods were performed I was shocked just how well the car handled. It’s not like the stock suspension in the G8 was bad (read any of my previous entries where I was hitting the corners hard), but the difference is just night and day.

Even at low speeds, “scrubbing the tires” (turning right/left quickly) you can feel how instantaneous the steering response is. The car just goes where I tell it… without any hesitation or hints of body roll. When pushing things harder, like a 90-degree turn at an apex speed of 35mph, there isn’t even a chirp from the wheels. I truly believe… I will fly-out the door… before the car looses grip of the road.

There are some consequences to having a car that handles so well… and it starts with a decrease in overall ride quality. While there is huge adjustability built into the Supercar Coilovers (which I have not yet had the time to experiment with), removing the “slop” and “flex” from the suspension has resulted in not having anything to keep the bumps and imperfections of the road from reaching cabin. Driving over pavement that once seemed smooth is now a bit rough… and probably more than most people would desire in their daily driver. Also having the car almost an inch lower means I can no longer shop at the supermarket down the street (because of bottoming-out over the entry way), but when you can do this… who cares!?!

For me, I think the setup is just about perfect…

With the suspension setup for handling, there was also a nice side-effect… the rear suspension is now ready to take the added power being produced by the Magnacharger. Having all the power in the world means nothing if you can’t get it to the pavement. Before the suspension upgrades I was experiencing wheel hop due to flex in the rear suspension.

Time will tell if this is fixed, but the leading causes (Lower Control Arms, Trailing Arms, and Toe Links) are all new/stronger. I also upgraded the axles and rear differential to minimize the risks of breaking something when putting the new power to the ground.

The new 3.45 rear gear ratio (up from 2.92) gives the car a real kick when accelerating. First gear is very quick, and is nearly impossible at wide open throttle (especially with traction control off). One of the down sides of running a taller gear ratio is needing to use higher RPMs at freeway speeds… and in turn a decrease in fuel economy. Remarkably, after a 26 mile drive on the freeway (average speed 55mph) I had an average fuel economy of 28.3mpg!

Now, what good is a car that can go fast and turn… if it can’t also stop? To help complete the package of my G8 I decided to also upgrade to a Baer Big Break Kit.

I have not yet had a chance to fully test-out the new brakes, since I’m waiting for the rotors/pads to fully break-in, but so far they are very nice. Slowing from speeds unimaginable before has been very predictable.

Before I said the G8 has a split personality… now it’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde! I can drive around town in a quiet car with almost no hint of the beast waiting to be unleashed…

Overall, I am very pleased with how the car turned-out. I was getting a little afraid that the suspension would be too firm/rough, or that the 3.45 gears would be too tall, etc… but everything has come together better than I could have ever imagined!

The next round of mods are already in the works. Since I have the “go” taken care of, I figured I would work on some of the “show”. I could tell you all my plans now, but that would take away some of the surprise of revealing it when it is finished!

Living Without a G8 GT

I dropped the G8 off at the shop today to begin the transformation. I had to pack an SUV to the gills to get all of the parts to the shop. When I dropped everything off, even the mechanics were shocked at how much was going to go onto the car. It’s going to take a while to wrap-up (especially since I’m still waiting on some suspension parts to be delivered), but hopefully by Christmas I will have a whole new beast of a machine.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting “old” and needing some excitement in my life, but I have always wanted to attend a racing school… and I’ve made the decision that I’m going to do it. Today I signed-up for a 3-Day Bondurant Grand Prix Road Racing class.

The course includes time on the skid pad and on the track in a Corvette! The goal is to gain maximum car control. Exercises include heel-&-toe down shifting, skid control, braking techniques (ABS and non ABS exercises), accident avoidance, and weight transfer.

On track they cover cornering techniques, early and late apex points (the racing line) and the quick way around the track… all the way to mock starts, real use of SCCA rules, racing etiquette and racing flags.

The course is held at the Bondurant School near Phoenix, Az. I was looking at some of the local schools (Skip Barber at Laguna Seca and Jim Russell at Infineon Raceway), but decided I liked the course offered by Bonderaunt more (and the 25% off holiday sale didn’t hurt). I figure this is a great opportunity for me to get away and use the free airline tickets and hotel rooms I’ve been racking-up with all this travel for work! Now all I need is some time away from work to take the course…

GoatRun 2010

GoatRun has turned into a staple event on my calendar. This year I have spent much of my time traveling for work, but even before I started the job I put in my time for this weekend off.

My trip to GoatRun started with a flight home from Utah, followed by the early morning meet-up for the 500 mile drive to Vegas. This year my father wasn’t sitting in the passenger’s seat, which made the trip seem a little longer, but the talk on the two-way radios made the trip enjoyable.

It was great to have another G8 in the pack this year, even if we had to wait a few minutes for him to show-up for the start (something about a car being towed). His passenger was even nice enough to snap the above photo of my car on the road.

We took the same route as last year, minus a few of the unscheduled gas stops, and made good time. This year I had my GoPro Cameras, so took a few videos of the drive down to Vegas… even had a Dodge Charger that wanted to play:

The group arrived in Barstow and met-up with the folks from SoCal and headed towards Vegas. Again, like last year, the group wasn’t very organized and broke-up quickly (a couple CHP officers didn’t help the situation). Fortunately this year a few of the NorCal GOATs stuck together and made the drive much more enjoyable. I stayed in the same hotel as last year (can’t knock free hotels!), so went and checked-in before heading to the Palace Station for the Meet n’ Greet.

At the Meet n’ Greet there was a bit of a surprise… the organizer of the event planned a really great proposal to his (now) fiance. We arranged GTOs on the top of the parking structure to spell-out “Marry Me”. I was fortunate to be involved as the photographer and videographer. It was really fun to setup my GoPro cameras in hidden locations around the room (no reason to spoil the surprise) and capture the moment.

The Meet n’ Greet was dominated, for me, by the proposal… but I did get to spend a little time talking-shop with a few of the other people.

Last year Saturday was spent at the drag strip, but this year there was no drag racing. Instead, the Car Show filled the afternoon. I was able to get a proper chance to check-out the other cars and pick-up a few ideas for my own. For some reason I didn’t apply and sun screen and found myself hiding in the shade looking like a boiled lobster. Speaking of lobster… I made a trip back to Joe’s Crab Shack for a ‘traditional’ GoatRun dinner (minus the companion).

My favorite part of GoatRun ’09 was the cruise to Red Rock Canyon. This year the cruise was not nearly as exciting. After a 15min drive on the freeway we drove out a road (not a bad one) and then back. I kept asking myself “when are we going to get to the cruise”… eventually, I realized it was the cruise. Fortunately I had setup my cameras on cars before leaving the hotel so captured some good footage.

One of the nice things about not having a passenger along for the cruise was that I could push the G8 a little harder than I would have with someone else in the car. The G8 really handled the sweeping corners well, and I even passed a few GTOs along the way! I had wanted to have the modifications to my G8 finished by GoatRun, but it didn’t come together (and I wasn’t going to rush it).

Sunday night a few of the NorCal GOATs headed back to the Hofbrauhaus. This year was a little more reserved than last, but there were still quite a few shots (and the required paddling). This year several of the wives/girlfriends came along, so rather than the crazy walk of the strip from last year… the guys took the ladies out to the theater. I didn’t want to participate in that activity, so decided to head back to the hotel after dinner.

Monday was the brunch at the Bellagio, which was incredible again… before the long drive back home. Before the brunch a few of us were going to drive out to Red Rock Canyon for some photos/videos, but it didn’t work-out. After brunch the group had an uneventful trip back up to the Bay Area.

In the end, I was a little disappointed with GoatRun this year. I’m sure much of that was because last year was so incredible! I think the biggest let-down was the cruise… I really would have liked something more interesting/involved… I figure when people are getting together from many states (as from as far away as Missouri) that the cruise would be more involved than an hour long drive out/back on a single road. There has been some talk that this might be the last GoatRun for a while, but hopefully it returns again next year… If it does, I know I’ll be there!

DL1 + GoPro = Win!

In preparation for my future Auto-X and Track Day activities, I picked-up a Race Technology DL1 Data Logger.

The DL1 collects data using GPS, two accelerometers, and a connection to the vehicle’s OBDII port. Everything is compiled into the analysis software in various graphic views. Here is an screenshot showing the GPS path (with satellite images), a graphical representation of the speed and lateral G-force over time.

Things get really powerful when you start comparing multiple laps together… in this case speed over distance for four trips over this route.

Looking at the speeds, G-forces, steering angles, etc. from run to run should be very valuable at the track.

One of the really fun things about the DL1 is the ability to generate graphic overlays that can be integrated with the video footage I record using the GoPro HD cameras!

2011 Mustang (305HP v6)

I was able to get a Saturday away from work so decided to head-out with the 2011 Ford Mustang rental car to shoot some video. This is the road that I drive to/from work each day:

The Mustang has a 3.7L 4V Ti-VCT V6 producing 305 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque. The balance and handling of the car is very predictable (or maybe it’s because I’ve been driving this road every day for three months). In the twisties I really wished there was some more torque to get the rear-end to rotate through the exits of the corners, as it is the ‘Stang tends to push a little more than I would like (the 225 all season tires I’m sure don’t help). I know the car is down on power being between 5226ft and 6535ft over this pass, so having the V8 from the GT would make the drive really interesting.

Video was shot over multiple runs using a pair of GoPro HD cameras and then clipped together using Final Cut Pro video editing software.