The Phoenix - The GP Roadster Project

Discussion in 'Car Builds, Projects, Idea's Experiments' started by BlimeyCabrio, Jun 24, 2014.

  1. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 5, 2009
    3,378
    3,368
    113
    Ratings:
    +3,369 / 0 / -0
    Coming from a guy named Dick, that's pretty damned funny!
     
  2. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    #522 BlimeyCabrio, May 10, 2015
    Last edited: May 10, 2015
    At MOTD, Colin rode along with me for a day. He commented that the seating position with my Corbeau seats was a bit "flatter" than he would like. I hadn't really thought about it before then, but as soon as I heard it, I knew that was correct... they really did need a little more tilt to the lower cushion.

    So I pulled the seats and added about 7-8mm of spacer between the seat base and the slider rail, on the front bolts. Didn't impact the function of the sliders or the integrity of the seat, just pitched the seat back a bit. And OMG I can't believe the difference. Wish I had done this before I drove 2000 miles last week. :eek:

    In this pic, the passenger seat is "done", driver is yet to be done. Subtle in the pic, significant in person. Both took less than an hour.
    [​IMG]

    Yesterday, had planned to swap the auto accelerator pedal, for the one from the GP.

    Why? Because the auto pedal has a "kick down" detent at the bottom of travel, to activate the gear kick down function on the auto tranny control. No such thing on the manual. Everything still works fine, but the detent is vestigial.

    After getting the alloy pedal cover swapped, I discovered that some crafty engineers used a slightly different connector on the auto wiring harness and pedal, I assume to prevent a careless technician from accidentally doing what I'm attempting to do on purpose. :roll eyes:
    [​IMG]

    So, an hour wasted, as I put everything back to it's original state. I plan to disassemble the GP pedal and see if it's easy to swap the connector module between the two pedal assemblies, but this requires a 5-point tamper resistant driver bit, which I had to order from eBay. I'm traveling next week, so will be a couple of weeks before I can make another attempt.
     
  3. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,305
    6,277
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +8,070 / 10 / -3
    Would would be wrong about your manual having a kick down. It's a manual kick down! :D
     
  4. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 5, 2009
    3,378
    3,368
    113
    Ratings:
    +3,369 / 0 / -0
    Seats are the last thing I need to do--nice tip, I'll file that one away for future reference.:Thumbsup:
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    25,021
    13,497
    113
    Burbs of Philly, PA
    Ratings:
    +14,644 / 10 / -4
    Yeah that tilt for the bottom is everything epically on long drives.

    When I put in my recaros I noticed the same thing on the first test drive. I put 1 inch spacers and that gave me the perfect pitch for me.
     
  6. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
    Supporting Member

    May 4, 2009
    8,767
    2,547
    113
    Bend, OR USA
    Ratings:
    +2,678 / 1 / -0
    Can't believe that Dave is a bit laid back.........just doesn't fit.


    :D
     
  7. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    In California!

    [​IMG]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69fPof-ZTnU"]Billy Squier - The Stroke - YouTube[/ame]
     
  8. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
    Supporting Member

    May 4, 2009
    8,767
    2,547
    113
    Bend, OR USA
    Ratings:
    +2,678 / 1 / -0
    LOL....yesterday was Billy Squire's 65 birthday
     
  9. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    Finally received the 5-point torx security bits. Easy swap of the accelerator switch from the side of the pedal assembly. Two screws out, and the switch lifts right off. Now my manual Mini has a manual accelerator pedal with an automatic body harness...

    Also... RIP Blimey. Assimilated by GPness.
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

    Mar 30, 2009
    25,144
    10,052
    113
    Writer
    Short North
    Ratings:
    +10,069 / 0 / -0
    LOCUTUS is male I see. At least if I remember my Latin genders correctly.
     
  11. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,305
    6,277
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +8,070 / 10 / -3
    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItHcsIHshhs"]I am Locutus of Borg - YouTube[/ame]
     
  12. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    Blimey was always a "he". So, appropriate.
     
  13. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    #533 BlimeyCabrio, May 28, 2015
    Last edited: May 28, 2015
    Small GPness arrived...
    [​IMG]

    949 racing 6UL, Tungsten finish, 15x8. Nitto NT-01 225/45R15. For the track.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. DneprDave

    DneprDave Well-Known Member
    Supporting Member

    Oct 23, 2010
    2,959
    1,505
    113
    Engineer
    Pacific NW
    Ratings:
    +1,731 / 0 / -0
  15. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 5, 2009
    3,378
    3,368
    113
    Ratings:
    +3,369 / 0 / -0
    Yeah, those look fantastic, if I knew that finish looked that good I might have gone for that. That's going to look great on your car.
     
  16. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

    May 15, 2012
    6,023
    5,310
    113
    11 years in the ARMY, 2 years of being a multitale
    North Denver CO.
    Ratings:
    +5,322 / 0 / -0
    You will be needing tires again in a few months if you drive the GPness regularly.

    Think I got about 3-5K miles out of my old NT-01's. :(

    Given the grip I had at the Dragon (except that one time) and the fact that they are still usable, I will be sticking with the Hankook R-S3's from now on. As a bonus the Hankooks are cheaper too!


    One run up the Dragon... At a brisk 30 MPH pace...
    [​IMG]

    Post trip (2600 total miles of highway, plus all the running I did around the Dragon/Knoxville)...

    [​IMG]

    Driver side front...
    [​IMG]
     
  17. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    Thanks - I thought that color was a good compromise between silver and black. Will still get dirty with track pads, but won't look immediately filthy like silver. And they're BLACK on the inside of the rim behind the spokes. So I won't have to clean that part!!!
     
  18. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    These are for the track only. I'll keep running the 16" Star Specs for the twisties.

    I'll probably drive three hours each way to the track on the NT01's next week. After that, I'll have a wheel trailer.

    But it's possible I might have the trailer ready by next week...
     
  19. ColinGreene

    ColinGreene Well-Known Member
    Motoring Alliance Sponsor

    May 15, 2009
    438
    293
    63
    Male
    Orange county Ca
    Ratings:
    +293 / 0 / -0
    Dunno man, we made it to the dragon and back on the RS3s on jans GP and it never wore the hankook lettering out of the center band neither of us drove that car easy out and back and jan was like doing more than 30 on the dragon and hellbender.
    I fully do not believe that you were doing only 30 to put that tyre wear on the tread.
     
  20. UKCoopeR

    UKCoopeR Active Member

    May 21, 2009
    293
    109
    43
    VA,USA and UK
    Ratings:
    +109 / 0 / -0
    Great choice, you will love them! I drove home from the track on them once when I was being lazy. They were crazy loud, I didn't do it again lol. Maybe the wind noise from no roof will prevent that from being an issue for you?

    The biggest difference you will have to adapt to compared to a starspec/rs3 etc is the longitudinal grip. You are able to brake way later and accelerate way earlier. I wouldn't skip 2 brake markers first lap out but work towards it slowly and ease into it. You can be way more aggressive without locking the wheels under-braking with the NT-01 than you can with street tires.

    Where is your event next week?
     

Share This Page