Most liked posts in thread: Graham's Track-Toy - Cooper Flags MINI of the Month - August 2009

Great looking car !

A couple of questions about the mods........
You list a 6-point harness but I see a pic with stock seats. How did you get the harness to work with the stock seats?

I also noticed that you have the newer hydraulic engine mount. Was that changed at some time?

And lastly......what oil cooler parts are you running? I like the location.

Again, congrats !

 

Congrats. I pretty much knew as soon as I saw your car on the list, I had no chance. Congrats again.

 

OK, two points are on the harness bar, 2 points are for the subs under the rear of the seat tracks, one is on the stock rail on the outer side on the floor, and the last one is on the inboard side of the seat itself where the stock receptical goes. I figured if I used mostly stock locations I would be good.

The oil cooler is actually a stock CVT tranny cooler converted by MINI-Madness. I also have the converter that goes where the stock oil cooler goes, also by MM.

 

Your using stock seats with a 6 point harness?

 

Well done . I love seeing a daily that can tear up the track. I see you are using an MTH tune. Have you considered getting one of the available custom dyno tunes? I think that you would be pleased with the difference it would make on the track.

 

It's a daily driver and I switch from the stock seat belt to the 6-points for the track. I like the fact that on the street I still have 6 air bags! Don't forget I have to deal with regular traffic on a daily basis.

 

I'm thinking about a custom tune with Way Motorworks. I'd have to drive to Atlanta though from Pittsburgh. The Revolution guy doesn't come up here as far as I know.

 

Sorry missed the engine mount question. After all the HP increases (bigger valves, high lift cam, etc) I started to feel some twist up front with all the torque. I then figured out that MINI had tried to fix this in '05 with the hydraulic mount. But I've broken two of these also. The TSW V2 damper has worked well to settle everything down up front so I am pleased with that product.

Graham

 

I have to voice my concern and surprise at the 6-point belt use also. Are you saying you are sitting on the anti-submarine belts or that they are going all the way to the front of the seat and then going back under the seat.

You really need to ditch that belt for the Schroth quick-fit. It would be a much safer installation with the stock seats.

 

Not a safe set up for the track at all.

 

I sold my Schroths 4 years ago because of the dangerous down angle to the rear receptacles. Instead I have the shoulder height harness bar. Also, I am sitting on the sub straps that pass through the rear of the seat cushion. You can't "push" straps so that's the only way to go.

 

Only if your shoulders are quite a bit above the seatbacks is this a problem. The design of the Schroth belts incorporates both the pretensioners of the OEM system and an anti-submarine feature. Neither of which your current belts have. If I understand you correctly, you have your current anti-sub belts going between your legs, under your butt, and then out between the seat and the seat back to the floor? This will definitely not be the set-up I would want to test out........

 

Don't forget that most of the load is taken by the lap belts across the hips, the anti-sub belts don't carry much load. When I was using the Schroth system, I had a big outcry from the track world about how potentially dangerous they were. I went to a lot of expense to get the harness bar designed and it has a 250g load rating and mounts right into the stock B pillar seat belt location. It also retains the stock seat belts for everyday use.

The TeamTech harnesses are state of the art for track use and are wider-webbed than the Schroths and have more attach points. To me the Schroths were too entry level and a bit Mickey Mouse. Nobody in the track world I'm in uses them.

Anyway I will soon migrate to race seats and a cage so maybe this is all moot.

 

You have a Hans for the track when your wearing the 6 point? How do you hold the shoulder belts in place?

 

The car looks great, well done and congratulations !

 

CONGRATS Graham . I have the privilege of knowing you and "Track Toy" and you deserve the award :cornut:.

 

Great car and a very nice addition to the monthly car list!

btw, where do you get the Amsoil filter for the Alta, I'd like to look into one for my car.

 

Congratulations Track-Toy! A deserving Mini of the month, and a gentleman to boot.

For those questioning the belts at all, you'd have to see the car and how the driver fits in it before passing such harsh judgement. They're definitely safer on the track than street belts (hold him in place, minimal risk of spinal compression), but maybe a couple points less safe than a full caged/belted setup, which would hav esome serious limitations on the street. They're well thought out. I'm normally not a fan of the harness bar setup unless it's properly fitted and maintained - which Track-Toy's is. 'Nuf said there.

My favorite part is the overall "of one piece" engineering in the car, the custom pieces, and how well it's meant to work as a total system. While this takes NOTHING away from those of us with "mere" bolt-ons, it's that "one step beyond" that sets Track-Toy apart. Well, that, and watching Track-Toy embarrass a lot of more expensive iron out on the track as a HPDE instructor with Yoda-like skills.

OK, enough, before his head swells so much he needs a bigger helmet. Congratulations Graham!

 

I think our concern about the belts has to do with the safety of the installation and location of the anti-sub belts at the legs.

They still can't be as good as the SCHROTH system tho. And with no risk of spinal injury, or no more than his current system.

 

I guess that only those of us that have seen the belts in action and know Graham fully understand what he does and how the belts work :idea:

Mark