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FK8 First TD in FK8 - any pointers?

allycooke

allycooke

Messages
437
I've done quite a few TD in the Lotus but on Sunday Feb 11th I'll be popping Holly's Cherry at Donington Park for a few laps. I'm not planning to do that many laps, and if it's wet then I'll be doing even less, but want (should conditions allow) to have a couple of spirited runs to get a better feel for the car power and performance than the BiB will let you do on the public roads.

  1. I'm thinking already one issue to be aware of I don't believe there's a towing eye at the front or rear, so I better keep it on the black and well away from the green stuff and definitely out of the gravel.
  2. While the track and weather temperatures will be down being February, any thoughts on tyre pressures (I'll be running the Conti's that the car came with) for the day?.
  3. also welcome any suggestions on exploring the car setup in terms of use of Sport versus R+ and ASC/TC turned on or off etc.
I'm definitely more stirling moss than lewis hamilton, so will be taking it steady and progressing only at levels I feel comfortable with. The FK8 is my daily drive and need to drive it home ;-)

so yeah welcome any tips or pointers, especially if you've tracked your FK8 already.

PS: there are 2 other CTR on the day, Tyler Way / Tony Markham? anyone on here?
 
Hey mate - al the best with the TD, hope it goes well....and remember your an ambassador for Fk8 owner's so if you don't get the best lap time dont come back on here :p

1 - there is a tow eye on the back. its to the left of the 3 bazookas...just need to pop the trim off. Its why there is that random split in the bodywork compared to the right hand side.
 
FaNtheMaN said:
Hey mate - al the best with the TD, hope it goes well....and remember your an ambassador for Fk8 owner's so if you don't get the best lap time dont come back on here :p
1 - there is a tow eye on the back. its to the left of the 3 bazookas...just need to pop the trim off. Its why there is that random split in the bodywork compared to the right hand side.
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thanks mate (I think) :lol: not sure Stirling Moss be caring too much about laptimes, I'll leave that to my mates with their GT3/GT4s :)

I had checked the Bible and it basically it just said "towing, contact your dealer/honda recovery". I wonder if John Banks know where Craner Curves are :)
 
I wonder if at the front they're set quite far back under the bumper? I think a photo was posted about this recently but I can't remember the thread.
 
Krzys said:
I wonder if at the front they're set quite far back under the bumper? I think a photo was posted about this recently but I can't remember the thread.
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Hmm very interesting. Oulton Park won't let you run if you don't have a towing eye visable at the front.

How was the track day? Did you change brake fluid/upgrade to stainless lines?
 
My approach will be to set to R Mode leave TC on, drop tyres by 3. Simples.

Drive a 10 minute session, come in hot and check the tyres and adjust, then pop back out and enjoy, personally I wouldn't do more than 15 minutes the tyres and brakes will struggle imho. The Elise you can drive for 30 minute sessions no problem so not comparable in any way. I would turn the TC off but then 14 years of Elise ownership gives you the confidence to fling a car around.

I have yet to track mine but doing a couple when I get back from my hols end of Feb, tyre pressure are going to be tricky, one of the issues you will have is run the pressures too low and you may create really bad wear, too high and the same. If it rains I would use that as a great opportunity to learn the car, imho the car drives on the road in the wet nearly as good as the dry so don't be put off.

Whilst I'm sure many will disagree but I think that the standard pads will not be up for 20 minutes of hard lapping, what fluid is standard? I think the brakes lack a little feel on the road after a hard thrash so think a braided hose is needed. On a hot day not convinced with the car either, I swear I can feel the heat in the car on a fun run on the road god knows what it will be like on track in 20c heat, think the engine needs better cooling and a more efficient intercooler.
 
Loxy said:
You won't be able to track an FK2 at Oulton then, there isn't one.



That was the FK2. The front towing eyes are very underneath. https://type-r-owners.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?102892-Towing-an-FK2
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A quick google brings up a picture on a US forum where it's wayyy back on the passenger side in a similar position. So, our drivers side.

You'll have to run a strap or something out the front, or they wont let you on?

Here in Ireland, the onus is on you to fit a towing eye. You then sign a waiver if you don't want to attach a towing eye, or if it's in an inaccessible position, and you come off the track, they will use the teleporter to lift the car from the gravel.
 
VTECMattC said:
My approach will be to set to R Mode leave TC on, drop tyres by 3. Simples.

Drive a 10 minute session, come in hot and check the tyres and adjust, then pop back out and enjoy, personally I wouldn't do more than 15 minutes the tyres and brakes will struggle imho. The Elise you can drive for 30 minute sessions no problem so not comparable in any way. I would turn the TC off but then 14 years of Elise ownership gives you the confidence to fling a car around.

I have yet to track mine but doing a couple when I get back from my hols end of Feb, tyre pressure are going to be tricky, one of the issues you will have is run the pressures too low and you may create really bad wear, too high and the same. If it rains I would use that as a great opportunity to learn the car, imho the car drives on the road in the wet nearly as good as the dry so don't be put off.

Whilst I'm sure many will disagree but I think that the standard pads will not be up for 20 minutes of hard lapping, what fluid is standard? I think the brakes lack a little feel on the road after a hard thrash so think a braided hose is needed. On a hot day not convinced with the car either, I swear I can feel the heat in the car on a fun run on the road god knows what it will be like on track in 20c heat, think the engine needs better cooling and a more efficient intercooler.
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thanks Matt, sound advice. I will certainly make allowances for the fact while it's not a bloater, it's very much unlike my 820kg Lotus Elise. My S2-111S has no electronic gizmos (not even a brake servo let alone ABS) so I'm at least looking forward to have a few more assistants onboard. I've been out with my brother-in-law in his RS3 with over 400bhp and amazed despite all the power you can't really do more than a 2 or 3 committed laps before needing to come in and cool everything down. he even melted one of his hub covers as well as losing the pedal one-time, where the lotus is just happy to go on and on and on.

will report back how I get on with brakes/tyres/pressures etc, but certainly also with the (lack thereof) of a front towing eye, normally we're told in safety briefings, that if you don't fit it then you accept the recovery people can and will use whatever means they can to drag you out...which would be bad enough in the FK8 but unthinkable in a fibreglass body with the Elise. :eek:
 
I have read of some issues with tracking the car over on CivicX....overheating, rotors deforming etc...

So its a road car designed to be a track car, but not really a fully blown track car. Guess around the 'ring it was one lap at a time, in, then cool. Rag. cool. Repeat.
 
FaNtheMaN said:
I have read of some issues with tracking the car over on CivicX....overheating, rotors deforming etc...

So its a road car designed to be a track car, but not really a fully blown track car. Guess around the 'ring it was one lap at a time, in, then cool. Rag. cool. Repeat.
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Its the same engine and braking system as the FK2. I tracked my FK2 4 times last year including a full day at Spa and Brands Hatch.

I would recommend changing the brake fluid to higher temp. I boiled my fluid at my first track day and the brakes deteriorated rapidly at Silverstone. After this I used Motul 660 and changed the pads to Project Mu.

the car performed a million times better at Spa and I was hammering the brakes all day. they were Blue almost all day. After the day a Spa a had vibration coming from the disks. This was due to deposits collecting. This cleared up after a couple of days and I went on to do the Ring and a full day at Brands on the same disks.

I would be surprised if the disks were deforming.
 
Any cooling issues i'd say were climate related. Places in the US like Arizona get really hot in the Summer, far hotter than we'd ever see in the UK.
 
str6mik said:
Hmm very interesting. Oulton Park won't let you run if you don't have a towing eye visable at the front.

How was the track day? Did you change brake fluid/upgrade to stainless lines?
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Sorry for the delayed reply.

Haven't yet done another since December. Will be a while before we get our next one booked due to money mainly!

Yes we've got braided hoses and changed the brake fluid to Motul RBF600. Along with a 4pot Stoptech 330mm BBK up front too.
 
TiMtImInYtImTiM said:
Its the same engine and braking system as the FK2. I tracked my FK2 4 times last year including a full day at Spa and Brands Hatch.

I would recommend changing the brake fluid to higher temp. I boiled my fluid at my first track day and the brakes deteriorated rapidly at Silverstone. After this I used Motul 660 and changed the pads to Project Mu.

the car performed a million times better at Spa and I was hammering the brakes all day. they were Blue almost all day. After the day a Spa a had vibration coming from the disks. This was due to deposits collecting. This cleared up after a couple of days and I went on to do the Ring and a full day at Brands on the same disks.

I would be surprised if the disks were deforming.
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Thanks confirms what I will do before tracking mine, you can feel them fading on the road imho no excessively but you get more brake travel than I would expect.
 
VTECMattC said:
Thanks confirms what I will do before tracking mine, you can feel them fading on the road imho no excessively but you get more brake travel than I would expect.
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Its difficult for Honda because they need the car to stop during a quick trip to the shops. Pads are always a balancing act. They best pads on track will need warming up before they perform. that last thing you want is to have to perform and emergency stop 300 yards up the road and the pads dont bite.

The PMu HC800's were very good out on track and they perform brilliantly on the road as well. Only criticism is the amount of brake dust they create. Can't have it all though.

I'm going to get them again for the new car.
 
some pics from yesterday was great to meet Richard (and his son charlie) and for the first time see another FK8 on the road alongside my own.

the FK8 colour scheme certainly reflected yesterday's mood weather with snow white and grey clouds :) certainly not the best day for a track outing.....

donny3.jpg

donny2.jpg

donny1.jpg
 
Great to see the car being used properly Ally and nice to finally meet you. It was a shame about the weather - rain, sleet, snow, hail, sunshine, I think you had everything!

It would be really good to get a few FK8s on track - do Honda's on Track still do joint days with Lotus on Track? Over the years there have often been a group of Hondas at the annual Croft visit but not many last year. I will probably try and do the LOT Croft/Anglesey days on 15 and 16 June and may take the FK8 to ease the journey - 600miles plus track time over 2 days in the S1 or 340R might kill me!
 
Track days in the rain are the most fun though, not fast but tricky and certainly makes you work for the results!

Also my last track day at Donny was in the rain, nice sideways moment at around 95mph which I held, followed by some doughnuts with the Stagea in the empty car park which got me told off, rightly so but still I enjoyed it haha!
 
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