Patrick's build thread. (IT RUNS!)
04-22-2012, 01:54 AM
#466
Pro
Patrick, glad you are ok and not too discouraged about your shunt. Hopefully you and the car will heal quickly. Amazing how quickly something like that can happen. Something clearly wrong with the tires or car entering the corner - maybe a puncture? Obviously fluid / oil is another consideration. It looks like you were loose before you even loaded up the suspension. Credit to the track for the tire barrier.
04-22-2012, 02:06 AM
#467
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
According to someone else, another car previously might have lost a bit of oil earlier. Not sure. The data said I had got off the brakes earlier and was travelling faster than the previous laps but it still didn't look much faster than I'd done other times before.
ps...how does one tell if ribs are bruised, cracked or broken....
ps...how does one tell if ribs are bruised, cracked or broken....
04-22-2012, 02:36 AM
#469
Rennlist Member
Thanks for all the good wishes guys. Much appreciated.
The day was going pretty well but the car felt a little taily and sort of darty from the outset. So we took the rear sway bar off completely and changed suspension settings a little. Car felt better. Engine felt strong.
Well here's the video. This is on the new short North track at Eastern Creek.The new flip flop is quite challenging and quite a bit heavier on the brakes than I anticipated. I was behind an 'interesting' car. An AlfaSud....Sports Sedan. Mid engine 13B with GT35. Pretty fast in a straight line but he was holding me up in certain sections. So having fumbled around trying to create 3rd gear from 5th at the top corner (to date, this refuses to comply) I set sail after him and was quite deep before shifting to top gear. Car just seemed to get a bit light initially and I corrected but then the surface just felt like it was pulled out from underneath me. All I could think of was not to over correct too much and snap back onto the inside left wall. Seen this happen quite a few times and it's not pretty. Totalled cars are the norm, roll overs not rare. So I just had to sit out the ride across some wet grass and through the gravel. Even had time to downshift. Managed to scrub off a bit of speed but as you can see, the impact is still pretty solid.
Ribs are sore and to make matters worse I have a cough which kicks in at night as you lie down. Tore the muscles even further in a very painful bout last night.
Got the car back to the shop and on the hoist. From appearances it looks like the frame is ok. Roof and windscreen are straight. Whole left hand side it damaged but from underneath could only see lh tie rod bent. Will have to slowly build up an inventory of spare parts and put it back together again. That's the risk with this hobby.
ps...if you really want to feel sorry for me you can all join in and sing Happy Birthday! haha...too funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eprQ4YK5kNU
The day was going pretty well but the car felt a little taily and sort of darty from the outset. So we took the rear sway bar off completely and changed suspension settings a little. Car felt better. Engine felt strong.
Well here's the video. This is on the new short North track at Eastern Creek.The new flip flop is quite challenging and quite a bit heavier on the brakes than I anticipated. I was behind an 'interesting' car. An AlfaSud....Sports Sedan. Mid engine 13B with GT35. Pretty fast in a straight line but he was holding me up in certain sections. So having fumbled around trying to create 3rd gear from 5th at the top corner (to date, this refuses to comply) I set sail after him and was quite deep before shifting to top gear. Car just seemed to get a bit light initially and I corrected but then the surface just felt like it was pulled out from underneath me. All I could think of was not to over correct too much and snap back onto the inside left wall. Seen this happen quite a few times and it's not pretty. Totalled cars are the norm, roll overs not rare. So I just had to sit out the ride across some wet grass and through the gravel. Even had time to downshift. Managed to scrub off a bit of speed but as you can see, the impact is still pretty solid.
Ribs are sore and to make matters worse I have a cough which kicks in at night as you lie down. Tore the muscles even further in a very painful bout last night.
Got the car back to the shop and on the hoist. From appearances it looks like the frame is ok. Roof and windscreen are straight. Whole left hand side it damaged but from underneath could only see lh tie rod bent. Will have to slowly build up an inventory of spare parts and put it back together again. That's the risk with this hobby.
ps...if you really want to feel sorry for me you can all join in and sing Happy Birthday! haha...too funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eprQ4YK5kNU
That was a hard hit the the right side of the ribs for sure, and you must have stressed your whole right side ... Thank God your OK
Regards
Ed
04-22-2012, 02:51 AM
#470
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
The frustrating thing is that if it was the car in front of me, I was thinking to myself that I should back off and give myself some clear space to get a decent run. Doesn't mean that I wouldn't have done the same thing. Will never know. Was meant to be doing another track day today with a few guys from our Porsche club. Pity to miss that. Hope nobody else hits that same spot as me.
04-22-2012, 03:47 AM
#471
Instructor
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Geez Pat sorry to hear it. Car was looking great & really hope you can get it back together quickly & easily.
As we know from our friend at the BMW club the tyre barrier is a much better alternative to the inside wall, and you did the right thing pointing it out wide.
As we know from our friend at the BMW club the tyre barrier is a much better alternative to the inside wall, and you did the right thing pointing it out wide.
04-22-2012, 03:48 AM
#472
Race Director
Mate thats ugly to watch, did you get knocked out?
PS I dont want to tell you to suck eggs, but rules here are to have padding on the cage where ever you can come in contact with it, like your hands / arms on the beam that goes down the A pillar etc. Might be worth looking into, also a hans device?
Again, not trying to sounds like a dick, but yeah.
PS I dont want to tell you to suck eggs, but rules here are to have padding on the cage where ever you can come in contact with it, like your hands / arms on the beam that goes down the A pillar etc. Might be worth looking into, also a hans device?
Again, not trying to sounds like a dick, but yeah.
04-22-2012, 04:16 AM
#473
Bollocks! 
That's really bad to hear and even worse to watch. Hated seeing your head snap to the left so much. We are so lucky these cars are built like tanks. Take it easy for a while and do get yourself checked out if you're still in pain.
That's really bad to hear and even worse to watch. Hated seeing your head snap to the left so much. We are so lucky these cars are built like tanks. Take it easy for a while and do get yourself checked out if you're still in pain.
04-22-2012, 05:20 AM
#475
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Yes still a few more things to be done when back again. I do have a Hans but we just ran out of time to fit the Helmet fasteners. Stupid really, but HANS won't help so much in lateral incidents, more front to rear movement. I'm sure it would have been better to have it than not though. Neck is sore. Didn't get knocked out but the helmet actually hit the GoPro behind me so quite a bit of head movement. Might have to get a seat with a Halo I think.
04-22-2012, 08:31 AM
#478
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Just had the hoop spoiler from the S2 on a stock glass hatch. Haven't had time to put the big wing on yet. Maybe could have used it!
