Living with a G8 GT

Road Trip: Day 5

Today was less about the roads and more about the scenery… I don’t think I drove a single “technical” stretch all day. Sure, there were some twists and turns, but much of the day was spent on straight roads just trying to make good time to/from Crater Lake National Park.

View Larger Map

Before I got too far into the wilderness I stopped to top-off my gas tank. This was the first time I’ve bought fuel in Oregon, and having someone else pump my gas was a bit awkward. The attendant did complement the G8, and I was able to get 92 octane, so maybe it’s not a bad concept?

I reached Crater Lake and was able to jump to the head of the entrance line due to my National Parks Pass. I headed-up to the crater and it didn’t take me long to find a good location for my daily photo of the G8.

I also had a nice conversation with a photographer who was shooting on 8×10 film. I felt like such a “tourist” showing-up at 10am with my DSLR… especially since he’d been there since sun-up. We spent a few minutes talking about the lost art of film… and we discussed a few photo locations around Yellowstone. While I didn’t have a tripod or a large format camera, I’m happy with the “snapshots” I came away with.

Despite several attempts, I wasn’t able to meet-up with my parents at Crater Lake. The first try I went the wrong way around the lake… the second I just couldn’t find them in the sea of people around the visitor center. Cell reception was also spotty, so after waiting around a while (and taking some more artsy landscape photos) I headed North out of the park.

That reminds me… I can’t wait for the Labor Day Weekend to be over! I know I spent the day in a National Park, but the number of people was just ridiculous The morning wasn’t bad, but the afternoon was just wall-to-wall people. To put it into perspective… when I left Crater Lake there was a line of cars 8/10ths of a mile long waiting to get in!

While I’m venting, several times today I was surrounded by the most annoying type of driver. It’s one thing to be going slow (I complain about them), but if you’re going to be driving fast… make the pass or get off my ass! I was cruising along going the speed limit, and I understand people who don’t want to drive 55mph, but if you want to drive faster than me… and you have a broken center-line with no oncoming traffic… just pass me! At least three times I pulled off the road to let people by, despite numerous passing lanes… argh!

Tomorrow is scheduled to be a really long day (I have over 8 hours of driving planned), but with all the holiday traffic I have a feeling I might call an audible once I get on the road.

Road Trip: Day 4

Several times on my trip I’ve seen hitch hikers on the side of the road… I keep thinking to myself; what it would be like to pick one up? I know it’s not something I’d do, but it would be kinda fun to see their reaction to my driving in the turns.

The drive on US199 from Crescent City up into Oregon was a bit hit-and-miss. The road was good, but all the weekend travelers made for lots of slow sections. There was one time I got stuck behind a minivan driving 35mph (in a 55mph zone)… seriously? To make it even worse, they wouldn’t use any of the turnouts! I can understand slowing down in the corners, but even if you have a screaming/puking kid in the back seat… there is no excuse for going that slow.

When I eventually got some clear road ahead of me, I started playing a new game… how far can I coast in neutral without using the brakes. With two lanes to use (and light traffic) it was great fun to setup the corners, drop to the apex, and run-out onto the straights… trying to stay as smooth as possible.

Once I entered Oregon the road straightened-out, but I was OK with that… it made for quick travels. Besides, I kept thinking about the new sticker I was able to add to my state map!

I arrived at my hotel early in the afternoon and settled-in for a relaxing evening. Tomorrow I have a nice day of mountain climbing, and might even rendezvous with my parents at Crater Lake!

Road Trip: Day 3

I’m really glad tomorrow is a “recovery day”, as today was another long day of driving through the twisties.

View Larger Map

After waking-up a bit earlier than planned, I headed out to get some breakfast, then started North on Highway 32 towards Lassen Volcanic National Park. I didn’t know what to expect from this route, but it turned-out to be a nice drive. The road worked its way through the pine trees following a river (complete with a fisherman), steadily climbing up into the mountains.

I had a great time laughing at just how much torque the G8 has… I easily climbed to an elevation 7,000 feet at 55mph in 6th gear! Even when I needed to pass a slower vehicle, I didn’t even need to down-shift… just added a few revs and away I went. That being said, there were a few times I “quickly” made the pass… you know, so the other driver didn’t have to stop when using a turnout… and the G8 performed flawlessly at WOT.

When I got to Lassen National Park I was able to purchase a new America the Beautiful annual pass. Last year it took me forever to find one, but this year I’ll have one for my entire trip!

I planned my route to drive through Lassen National Park, because of the twisty roads, but never really thought about the park itself. While the roads only had a 35mph speed limit, I barely noticed… I was far too busy looking at all the scenery.

After leaving Lassen I jumped on Highway 44, but it was boring… very much a “point A to point B” sort of road. I also found myself stuck behind several groups of Labor Day Weekend campers (towing trailers). It was so bad that when I reached Redding I didn’t want to stop for lunch and risk being stuck again.

Yesterday I drove Highway 36, which turned out to be a euphoric experience. Today it was time for Highway 299, and while it wasn’t as good, it was still enjoyable…. lots of long sweeping corners!

This road is more heavily traveled, and with the holiday weekend, I spent more time behind slower traffic (many hauling trailers). In addition to the weekenders, it was also spotted with large road construction projects. Over the ~135 miles there must have been at least a dozen sections that were closed-down to a single lane of traffic. Unfortunately this resulted in large groups of cars closely spaced on the road… at least the G8 had no problems taking advantage of passing lanes!

Tomorrow I get to sleep in and recover a bit. With only 190 miles to drive I can take my time on my way into Oregon.

Road Trip: Day 2

The first word that comes to mind about today’s drive is… WOW! I know I’ve not been driving the G8 much over the past few months, but I didn’t expect to feel like this worn-out so quickly… I feel like I just got my ass kicked.

The route for today headed North out of Ukiah up the coast on Highway 1 then across into the Central Valley on Highway 36.

View Larger Map

The drive up Highway 101 wasn’t anything to write home about, but the traffic was light. Things really started to pick-up when I turned onto Highway 20 and headed into the redwoods. These road and scenery reminded me of the Santa Cruz hills, and I really enjoyed pushing the G8 through the turns.

During one of the descents I found myself behind an 18-wheeler hauling lumber. It clearly wasn’t the driver’s first time on the road, as he was doing a great job “using all the road”… including the “rumble-strips”. I was shocked just how quickly he was driving, especially with such a heavy load. The great thing about roads designed for trucking is that they are perfect for “spirited driving”.

The fog at the coast was fairly heavy, so while the roads were great the views of the Pacific Ocean were not as spectacular as I’d hoped. Hopefully one of the days I’ve planned driving along the coast will be clear.

When Highway 1 left the coast and headed inland towards Hwy101 it really got good.

For about 20 miles the road snaked up and over the mountains, curving through large redwoods. The road was flawless, and it made for a nice drive.

Despite getting slowed by a couple construction zones, the spirits of Pontiac were looking down on me today… There wasn’t a single time all day where I was held-up behind a slow moving vehicle! I even found a cool carving for today’s obligatory photo.

I was also blessed with an abundance of 55mph speed limits… despite roads that were nearly impossible to even drive at that speed. I kept asking myself, “How do they expect me to drive 55mph on this road… I’m pushing hard, yet only going 45mph.”

After stopping for a quick lunch (and to call-in for a work telecon) I started Eastbound on Highway 36. I’ve been looking forward to driving this road for quite a while, as it “has taken on an almost higher state” for some. After driving this road, I have to agree with them 100%.

What makes this road so great? Well, it starts with a sign warning semi-trucks of tight corners for the next 140 miles! The speed limit is almost entirely at 55mph (but you’d have to be completely insane to try to take most stretches at that speed). The majority of the pavement is smooth and well maintained. Still not convinced? Check out the elevation profile!

My favorite part about Hwy 36 is the wide variety of corners. Traveling Eastbound the drive starts out with a steep climb with lots of technical corners (little banking, blind exits, etc.). The middle section has a mix of climbs and descents with sweeping corners. The final section is truly a “natural terrain road course” that drapes like a ribbon over the countryside.

Now the road didn’t come without it’s excitement… the early part was being repaved, resulting in several long delays. Just after the “trucks beware” sign was one saying “pavement ends 2 miles”. At this point I was afraid as there isn’t an alternate route (and every other vehicle ahead of me are 4×4 trucks). Fortunately the unpaved road was only ~100 yards long and I was able to tip-toe my way through. Another fun part was when I came around a corner to find a cow standing in my lane!

Of all the roads I’ve driven, Highway 39 definitely one of the Top 5. I’d put it up against The Tail of the Dragon and The Cherohala Skyway. If it was closer to home it would for sure be my favorite road in California.

Overall today was awesome, but it definitely was tiring. I will need to drink a bunch of water and get a good night sleep… as tomorrow has another 290 miles of twisty roads scheduled!

On the Road Again: Day 1

Today I set out on another crazy Road Trip. The destination, like last year, is the National G8 Meet in Iowa… but this year I’m not taking the long way there. Over the next few weeks I’ll be driving thousands of miles on all sorts of fun roads!

After packing the final provisions I headed-out to start my journey. Today’s drive was a short one (only ~5 hours), but it covered several great roads I’ve never driven before.

View Larger Map

The freeways leaving the Bay Area were congested, like always, and I was really looking forward to get out on the backroads. Once I pulled-off the I-80 and headed into the foothills I started to really feel like I’m on a vacation. The traffic today was really light, being mid-day on a weekday I’m sure helped, and made the drive very enjoyable.

The last time I drove around Lake Berryessa I saw some cool animals (deer, turkey, etc.), and today was no different… first there was a roadrunner (running on the road) and then a peacock!

Highway 128 looked to have been recently re-paved, and it made for a smooth ride around the lake and down into Napa. With moderate climbs and sweeping turns this was a great road to warm-up on. One of these days I need to lead the NorCal GOATs on a cruise up here.

View Larger Map

Being late-August the hills were golden in color, and the vineyards really stood-out on the landscape. On my way out of Napa I made the mandatory stop for a quick photo.

After leaving Napa I turned onto Highway 29 North and started on the best section of road of the day.

The route around Clear Lake wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped, with many slow radar-monitored sections, but it was quite scenic. I found a spot to pull-off the road to take a couple photos.

The remainder of the drive was mundane, but went by quickly. I’m spending the night in Ukiah, and the air quality is very poor due to a 34,119 acre wildfire… also, the hotel parking lots are packed with fire trucks (I’m glad I made hotel reservations).

Tomorrow I continue my trip by driving to Chico… It’s going to be a long day (~7hrs), but most of the roads will be nice and twisty!

More than meets the eye…

I headed-out this morning to get some video footage of the newly rebuilt G8.

Now, more than ever, the G8 really does have a split personally. Someone has even refereed to my G8 as a Transformer, so I wanted to highlight the two-sided nature of the car. Hopefully I got my point across.

The Six Million Dollar G8

Some have refereed to my car as “The Million Dollar G8”. I’ve never been a fan of that title, but I think I’m going to go along with it now…

In April my engine got the flu and went in for service/repair. As the engine was being dismantled I kept thinking to myself: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We can make it better than it was before… Stronger… FASTER!”

After nearly 4 months, and just under six million dollars, my G8 returns to the road!

Previously I added a TVS1900 supercharger, but didn’t open the engine to change any if the internals. Since the top half of the engine was now open to fix the broken part(s), I took advantage of it and replaced parts to make the engine better fit my performance goals.

Cam:
The G8 came from the factory with Displacement on Demand (DOD) that deactivated four of the cylinders to save fuel. I never liked the way this made the car behave, so turned it off during the last round of mods. Since some suggest the DOD hardware is a weak-link with the L76 engine… and I’m not using it anyhow… I had it all removed.

The G8 is primarily my daily driver, so I didn’t want to go crazy and install a “donkey dick” cam (yes, that is the industry term) that would kill the drivability of the car. I also didn’t want to be forced to change to a higher RPM stall converter, again affecting daily driving.

Ultimately, I wanted a cam that would give me more power than the stock one… but more importantly, I wanted one that generates more torque at the higher RPMs. With the Magnacharger (roots-type blower) I’ve had more low-end torque than I can put to the ground, but the car tended to “fall on it’s face” over 3200rpms (where I was at peak torque). Shifting the power curve a little should have a dramatic effect on the overall performance of the G8.

Lastly, I have always loved the “sleeper” nature of my car, so I didn’t want to install a cam that would be too obvious while at idle. Many people like the old-school muscle car sound of a really lopey cam, but I’d rather no one know anything is different (until I blow past them at WOT).

With all of this in mind, the cam chosen was a 223/231 0.610/0.610 117LSA

Heads:
Since the heads needed to be removed to access the lifters (the suspected failed part), it made sense to send them out to West Coast Racing for some TLC.

Fuel System:
The G8 has a decent fuel system, and can pushed with a Boost-a-Pump, but with this round of mods I wanted to take care of the fuel once and for all.

I gave Andy at Squash Performance (a fellow G8 owner) a call and purchased one of his in-tank dual-pump units. With dual 255LPH Walbro pumps this unit can provide more fuel than I could ever use (with this engine block).

The pumps are connected to a Hobbs Switch, which uses the boost from the supercharger to turn-on the second fuel pump when extra fuel is needed. A new fuel pressure regulator and 80lbs injectors were also installed to make sure the engine has a consistent flow of fuel. Everything is installed neatly under the car with the rest of the not-so-stock parts.

Exhaust:
For the longest time I had the goal of keeping my car “CARB friendly”. I ran shorty headers with HF cats, but was really hampering my car’s performance (especially on the top-end). Due to some unfortunate circumstances with a friend’s G8, I obtained a set of Kooks 1-7/8″ Long Tube headers. I’ve held-off installing them for such a long time, but with all the internal engine mods now was the right time. A custom connection pipe (w/HF Cats) was made to bolt the LT’s to my Corsa exhaust.

With the long tubes the G8 is definitely louder, but at normal amounts of throttle it’s not too bad. What I love is just how raw the car sounds when I jump on the throttle! The first time (windows down, radio off, next to sound walls) I even scared myself a little. It will be interesting to see if I keep under Laguna Seca’s 92dB sound limit…

Supercharger Pulley:
The stock pulley on the Magnacharger is 3.3″ and was producing ~6psi of boost with the shorty headers. With increased exhaust flow, in order to not loose boost with the LT’s, a 3.0″ pulley was installed… producing just under 9psi at WOT. In the future I could increase the boost (either with a 2.8″ pulley or a rear overdrive pulley), but that will likely require the addition of a water/methanol injection system.

Results:
All of this is seems good on paper, but the proof is in the pudding!

I’ve never been too concerned with the numbers, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard my car is putting 537hp and 505tq to the rear wheels (an increase of 21%)!

Drivability of the car is still very good. I’m having to get use to being in the G8 again (I’ve been in an SUV for the past 4 months), but nothing seems unpleasant. The idle is a bit rougher than before and there is more noise, but nothing crazy. Cruising on the freeway or being stuck in stop-and-go traffic is all handled smoothly. The added power is great, and the car feels much stronger at the top-end than before. I’ve only put 75 miles on the G8, but so far I’m very happy with all of the modifications.

Like always, I really have to thank the guys at Synergy Motorsports for putting together such a perfect package.

I still have a few more mods to install, but this is enough for now. I need to get some seat time in to shake-out everything before my annual pilgrimage to The National G8 Meet!

Engine Service

In April I was at Laguna Seca Raceway and my engine started making a “ticking” noise. I pulled into the pits and ended my track day early. That night I was able to make it home, and a few days later took the car into the shop to get looked at.

On the G8 Forums I’d previously read about “lifter tick” and based on the symptoms I was really suspecting a damaged lifter. The “ticking” noise is obvious at all times, but is especially loud when the car is cold. My mechanic agreed with the diagnosis, and after a few more tests decided that the engine would need to come apart for repairs.

When I did my initial engine modifications (supercharger, etc.) I feel I didnt’ need to open the engine to reach my desired power levels (and I was right). At this point, with the engine apart, it doesn’t make any sense not to… If have pull-out parts to check for damage, I might as well replace it with something fine-tuned to my goals.

I have a good handle on the work that will be performed (heads, cam, DOD delete, fuel system, etc.), now I just need to be patient and wait for everything to get put back together again.

CFRA Member!

Last week I attended a Checkered Flag Racing Association (CFRA) event at Laguna Seca as a guest. Seems like I made a good impression, as today I was invited to become a member!

Now I really want to get the G8 fixed-up and ready for the track… there is another CFRA event at Laguna Seca coming-up at the end of May!

G8 at Laguna Seca Raceway!

Today was the first time I’ve taken taken G8 out on-track, and I couldn’t think of a better place in the world to do it on than the iconic Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterrey, California.

I had originally planned on attending my first track day at Thunderhill Raceway, due to the lower risk of damage due to off-track excursions (aka. the walls are farther from the racing surface). When I heard that the Checkered Flag Racing Association (CFRA) was inviting guests to a Laguna Seca track day (and for only $99 after 50%-off) I just couldn’t resist!

I have a very long-standing relationship with Laguna Seca Raceway; attending races there since before I was born! I’ve been told the story of how my Father helped my Mother (7 months pregnant) up the hill to The Corkscrew. When I was a child I was running around the paddock checking-out all the historic race cars… including a memorable experience with Sir Jackie Stewart. I attended my first professional race at Laguna Seca in 1993 where I saw Paul Tracy win the race and Nigel Mansell win the CART Championship. Laguna Seca Raceway was also a track I photographed on a regular basis (23 different events between 2003-2008).

CFRA is a “members only” group who got together to organize and attend, not-for-profit, track day events. One of the primary goals of the group is to maintain a safe and courteous environment for driving/racing on-track. They have three run groups (resulting in 2.5hrs of track time each event) at various levels of competitive ability/desire.

For this event CFRA was not taking any drivers who had not previously been on-track before. Group B (point-by passing) was for drivers with fewer than 10 days experience and Group A (open passing) was for those with more than 10 days experience. There was also a Group R for those with lots of experience and who wanted to do wheel-to-wheel racing (aka. not me).

While I’ve never done a track day, each of my driving schools counted for several days of experience, and I was invited to join Group A for this event. While I’m sure I would have done a good job in Group A, I decided that I wanted to take things a little slower… especially for the first time out in the G8. As a result I didn’t get the 50% discount (all the discount spots for Group B were already filled), but I felt being in the right group was worth a couple extra bucks. In the end I made the right decision, as I took things slow and probably would have been getting in the way of the faster drivers of Group A.

Another really exciting thing about this event was that Dito Milian of gotbluemilk.com was photographing the event. Dito and I have shot quite a few events together, so I knew I was going to get some really great photos!

CFRA events are not really focused on teaching someone how to drive on a track (there are other groups/schools for that), but they do offer “mentors” to ride-along with other drivers. During my first session I requested a mentor, as I wanted to make sure I could quickly get up to speed.

The first couple laps on-track I took things really slow, really focusing on trying to drive the proper line around the track.

Most of the corners at Laguna Seca are late apex, so really make you be patient on turn-in. Fortunately most of the corners are also banked, letting you carry a bunch of speed through them. Building on what I learned at Miller Motorsports Park, I made sure to get my braking done early… so I could get the car turned-in… and back on-power as quickly as possible. There were only a few times that I found myself carrying too much speed into the corner without the ability to get the car turned.

Unlike the tracks I’ve previously driven on, Laguna Seca has huge elevation changes and many blind corners… making navigating the course quite difficult. Every driving school I’ve been to has really focused on vision and keeping your eyes scanning where you want to drive. At Laguna Seca I found that 7 of the 11 corners had some sort of “blind” element…

The ultimate example of this is “The Corkscrew” (Turns 8 and 8a), which is a left/right turn combination that drops 59 feet in elevation (the equivalent of a five-and-a-half story drop) over only 450 feet of track. As you drive up the hill towards Turn 7 all you can see is sky until you crest the hill. To the left at Turn 8 there is a wall/fence and corner worker station that makes seeing the rest of The Corkscrew impossible. After slowing the car down (in my case to ~30mph) you turn into the apex of Turn 8… with absolutely no view of the right hander (Turn 8a) to come. It is not until you have already committed to a line, and dropped into The Corkscrew, that you have any idea if you’re on the proper course.

While I’ve driven Laguna Seca many times in video games, watched lots of in-car videos, even walked-up/down the track… there is absolutely nothing like doing it from behind the wheel of a car. The first time I entered The Corkscrew I made sure to slow way down, and even turned-in more than I thought I would need to… only to find my two right wheels on the rumble strips through Turn 8a. While it was an awesome line, it sure was a surprise… especially when I thought I was being conservative!

As the session progressed the speeds increased and my lap times decreased. Unlike the driving school, this time I had my Race-Technologies DL1 running… and gathered some really great data (click images to see them full-size).

Lat. Acceleration (Left/Right)

Lon. Acceleration (Front/Back)

Looking at the data I’ve been very impressed with how the G8 performed. Lat. acceleration was more than I was expecting (especially for a street tire) with several sustained periods each lap over 0.75 G’s with peaks as high as 1.25 G’s. While the Lon. acceleration wasn’t as extreme, under braking I was experiencing 0.4-0.6 G’s and ~0.25 G’s while accelerating. I can only imagine how this numbers will compare when I get more experience (and a 275/35-18 Hoosier slick)!

For the second session I was on-track without a mentor… without anyone to guide me around the track… on my own!

Driving solo was actually kinda relaxing… I didn’t have the pressure of needed to “show-off” or drive “perfect”. I felt like I kept things slower, again to perfect the driving line, but the the data actually showed I was within 1 second of my fastest first session lap after only two laps!

Between session… after I had double-checked the tire pressures, oil levels, etc… I decided to put a camera on the front of the car to record some video. Here is a video of a typical lap around Laguna Seca.

As the second session progressed I felt I was really getting a hang for the driving line, as well as feeling-out how the G8 handles on-track. I found myself being able to put together several laps without having any major “oops” moments. My lap times were in the ~2:00 range, which wasn’t great, but for only my second session at Laguna Seca wasn’t too bad. I also knew that while I gained a feel for the G8/track I wasn’t pushing 100% down the straights and was taking it easy in the braking zones.

Unfortunately, late in the second session, as I crested the hill on the front straight I heard my engine start making a strange “ticking” noise. As I exited Turn 2 I heard the car beep, indicating a check engine DTC. On my run up the back straight I again heard the noises, so I backed-off and made my way into the pits. Here are clips from the front mounted video camera, where you can clearly hear the “ticking” noise.

Once I made it to the pits I checked/cleared the DTC (P0300 “Random Misfire Detected”) and tried to replicate the sounds/DTC. I was unable to, as there is a 4,000 rpm limiter in park, but when got the engine over ~4,500 rpms in 1st and 2nd gears I was able to replicate the noises and the DTC. Rather than risking further damage to my engine, I made the decision to park the car for the remainder of the day.

Despite only having two sessions on-track, I drove ~50 miles and used half a tank of fuel… yup, I was getting ~6.25 miles per gallon!

While I didn’t get a chance to spend the afternoon out on-track, I took advantage of the rest of the day to talk with the other drivers about all sorts of things. The main topic of conversation was typically tire selection, as I know I’m going to need some different tires if I’m going to be spending more time on-track (so I don’t eat-up the tires I need to drive to drive around town).

This whole experience emphasizes the reason why people have dedicated track cars… it’s hard to get to work the next day if you damage your daily driver on-track. Hopefully the noise I’m hearing from the engine isn’t anything major, and the G8 will be back in action soon!