John McM

Yes, it is at Steve's. We need to get the cracks sorted in the paint as well. I think we get the body
Panel as close as possible. Lift the paint around the cracks, fill the gaps, buff the clear coat, prime then paint. Apparently super cheap can do spray cans to manufacturer colours. Then spray on a clear. It won't be perfect but it should represent RSG the way we want.

John McM

BB2 will be easier. The replacement front guard, door and mirror are already OE black.

We'll probably need a couple of trips to HD to get these items sorted. BB2 will need a WOF and if you can get one for BB you will rise to legend status

Macca

Doug. I found myself being more risk adverse this year too. I've had my big out of pocket "event" for a while (bit like your August event in terms of the unforeseen cost) and I'm mindful I don't have bandwidth for costly mistakes now. Also you had someone new to your driving in the car and it takes time for both to learn trust. The rest of us knew our driving buddies pretty well. Your pace in the wet/damp was good IMO. The contact patch of those 19" tyres coupled with PASM and TC definitely increase confidence in those conditions. We struggled in the wet. 25 year old design window, wipers and HVAC coupled with my right foot as TC and a lack of time for a while in the 993 slowed us down plenty. Once the road, car & driver warmed up it was different. You had a few stages where you were "on it" and a few we noted you were definitely off the pace you are capable of. But that's just the thing really - and a good reason a RSG group would be a good thin - we all know each other's driving pretty well now after all these KMs on road and track. Because one chooses not to maximum attack a particular stag doesn't mean they are slow - we know who can haul *** out there so there s nothing to prove which means we can all relax a little doubt enjoy it more for what it is. We took the thing at our own pace. The good thing with knowing the drivers around you well is when you feel you want to push on a bit for a while you take the lead and no one complains. Remember the bloke in the BMW m3 race car who shoulder tapped you to move forward on day 2? Wondering where he is now? Probably still waiting for his car to get to the panel shop in Auckland! You made it back without a chip to your window screen even!!!

O2GO

Well put Macca.

Just cleaned the car. Removed lots of tar, especially around the back bumper where it seems to get sucked on. Found a few new paint chips around the front and bonnet but no more that I'd expect from normal spirited use. Finished with a polish.

Need to get some of that dragons breath for my wheels. Lots of brake dust and also plenty of tar yet to be removed off the wheels. Saving that for another day. Done enough cleaning today :-/

O2GO

Oh, IMO a locator beacon is not much help for a car accident as too slow to get help, but good for being lost in the bush and being found within 36 hours. If running with 3 cars there's always the possibility of driving to a hilltop or farm house to raise the alarm while one stays with the victim. Still keen to find the cost of a satellite phone.

gt38088

My car was delivered back to welly on truck Friday and checked it out Saturday. We had stripped most things out of it that might have been exposed to weather before we left it in Cambridge (monit, trackit, intercom, seats, etc ) and brought that back in the service van. The boys were pulling the shocks off Saturday and they will go for dyno test to make sure all is ok.
standard STI shocks put on and it will go to panel shop Tuesday.

All repairable just a question how far to go given we are doing work anyway. That is further lightening work. options are 1) lightweight boot 2) cut boot floor out and replace with some tubular frame and carbon or aluminium sheet. 3) trim out some metal - inside panels, parcel tray, 4) given we may as well take the engine out we could trim the loom back to bare basics as a lot of things are no longer needed. maybe save 5-7 kg (heater/aircond, electric mirrors, rear window heater, diff controller, electric windows out? is an easy list)

pretty much thought through all the issues and causes in my mind and no doubt its always driver responsibility but we had wanted to do some set up testing pre event and I have given target dates to the race prep guys but the end the car wasn't finished in time. We had too much rear brake bias on which wasn't obvious in most conditions and but in this case the rear end flicked around as soon as I went for the brake and with only maybe 5 degrees of steering lock on. Not much gravel but low grip with a new very coarse chip seal. Gonna have to test later.

Still annoyed I didn't just cruise to the end as we didn't really have anyone to race in the class anymore but its a bit easy to say and hard to do. Gonna play on the mind for a while

996tnz

Snap - an hour or two to get her clean outside then half an hour to get that awful TrackIt supersnot mounting gloop off the inside base of the windscreen. The Orange Lambo driver had obviously been there before as he refused to let them stick it that low. Like yours she's actually just almost clean now - did the wheels but there's so much tar/tyre residue on the back that I've left that for a dedicated attack on a drier day.

Graeme - thanks for the update on the rebuild planning. Always interesting to have news from the pointy end of things. If I get more serious about rallying I may have to pick your brains for some ideas!

996tnz

There may be cheaper avenues but here's some idea:

http://www.satphonestore.com/tech-br...idium-nav.html

http://www.satphonestore.com/airtime...m-airtime.html

O2GO

Snap, I had a hell of a job getting the trackit glue off the screen last Sunday night. If I do it again next year I'm using my scissors to cut the backing film when it's torn off and making it into a thin strip of the glue top and bottom only.

Spokes

Doug, I carry a sat phone most of the time in my "go bag". Goes with the job. But "we" get them for about $1400.

S

Macca

Looks like the locator beacon is the wrong product for the job.

My research indicated Iridium (Motorola) 9555 handset. I found one used with accessories in very good condition on TM for just under $700 NZD a few months ago but failed to act on it. Cheapest 12 month prepaid global airtime plan is around $500 with Sim out of the USA. Running costs are not cheap then....

Macca

I also have the tar residue over the whole back of the 993. What a mess! Tail pipes are covered in melted tar and will need removing, degreasing and polishing. Paint will need a cut after getting all of that stuff off...

996tnz

A sat phone is better for this purpose as it can carry voice so you're sure to get an ambulance rather than a SAR chopper, but no way does it take 36 hours for a PLB/EPIRB activation to be responded to unless a massive storm blocks rescuers. My PLB is a GPS one (McMurdo FastFind - specs say it notifies SAR within 5 minutes of activation and provides a location accurate to within 70m), so a response should be initiated within 15 or so minutes and a rescue authority would likely be there within an hour, conditions permitting:

http://www.kask.org.nz/plb-or-epirb/

A response to a non-GPS enabled beacon may take a few hours longer though as they have to wait for enough satellites to pass overhead to triangulate a position:

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Recrea...ent/EPIRBs.asp

They are very valuable to trampers, mountaineers, kayakers and boaties so I wouldn't want to see anyone put off by rumours that the response is that slow.

O2GO

Thanks for pointing that out Walter. My information is obviously old from the days when it took a fair while for an emergency beacon from a boat to be triangulated and responded to.

996tnz

Anyone have more information yet on the upgrade timelines and track closures following the sale of Hampton Downs to Tony Quinn?

http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/05/21/...owns-purchase/