Prawn and BigAls A3 Track Car

[Prawn]

Fitted the pagids today, not much to see, they're also yellow!



Instantly felt sharp just on leaving the road. A good sign. I headed to local test facility, and bedded them in as per Pagids instructions:



Impressions so far: HOLY CRAP these are powerful, considerably sharper than the EBC, better pedal feel, and whilst both pads could easily lock up the wheels at any speed, these just feel somehow more positive already. no overheating yet either, or nasty brake smell.

Further impressions to follow after a drive tonight, but early reports are very good.

I decided that with the outside of the car finally looking pretty again, the inside needed a mini refresh.

The footwells were looking horrible, and the grip tape I had put down looking well past it's best:





I whipped the seats out, hoovered it all out, scrubbed it, hoovered it again, keyed it up, cleaned it out, and threw about 5 coats of satin black in there.

As an extra measure, I also had some extra hard wearing clear coat I've used in the past, so I threw a few coats of that over the main footwell area too. it gives a slightly more glossy finish, but not a full gloss black, and it SHOULD be slightly more hard wearing than the plain black.

Whilst I was waiting for that to dry, I was bored, so decided to paint the footrest too.



And all back in, seems to tidy it all up nicely

 

[16Klappe]

Sweet.

 

[badger5]

Pagid RS29 pads finally ordered. Can't wait to get them installed!

how much do the pagids cost compared with ds3000?

 

[ScottD3]

Prawn, ever thought about trying this?

http://plastidip.co.uk/eStore/index.cfm?type=Home_Solutions/Super_Grip&stage=1&menu=0

 

[Andrew@A.L.D]

how much do the pagids cost compared with ds3000?

About £45 more from the last time i looked. It was thinking about getting some myself.

 

[Prawn]

Compared to standard DS3000 prices Bill, the pagids are usually a fair bit more expensive.

For some utterly bizzare reason though, DS3000's for this pad shape were £360!!!!

Pagids were £250, so considerably cheaper, for a pad that's considered to be equal, if not a little better for my needs.

Just got back from a 100 mile round trip in the track car. The N75 died (again) on the way down so I was on actuator only, but that didn't spoil it at all, down almost 100 miles of country A roads, the car was absolutely fantastic. SO much more confidence in the brakes with the pagids in there now, back to the good old days

 

[16Klappe]

It's currently on michelin Pilot sport 2's, not the most grippy tyre in the world, but it really struggles to put the power down already out of the bends with just 230bhp. I think having 300bhp+ in a FWD track car would probably be pretty pointless.

Chances are, it'll end up with a CRT04 ko3/4 hybrid turbo, which should see it to around 280bhp. it's a fairly low cost upgrade needing just the turbo, MAF, and injectors over what I've got already.

 

[Prawn]

haha. Man that feels like a long time ago! Funny how things change ey!

Im still as cheap as they come, and this IS still a budget build in so much as anything that can be sourced second hand, or made, has been, but its kind of developed a bit further than I think Dad and I, or anyone else really expected when we first had the idea sat in the tent in Camping AM Nurburg in September 2010

 

[666markyboy]

£360 ??? Holy cow.. Thats pads , calipers and discs then is it ?

 

[Prawn]

That's daylight robbery

Had a chilled day today, was good.

Took a wicked country road blast up to my mate Dan, who worked his magic with the rotary on the right hand side of the car, which was looking so lacking compared to the newly painted passengers side.

Only a quick afternoon going over, Mopped with swirl remover, then some awesome polish I don't know the name of, then finally sealed with something called black hole that costs far too much money, but it's worked, car looks ace!









Absolutely amazed with how it's come out, considering the paint on that side had been neglected since Jardo left town ( ) a few years ago, it's come up incredibly well

We did just the quarter first to see the difference, when Dan did the door and wing too, and managed to remove almost all the scratches and marks, even the proper bash on the wing from the crash, I was very impressed

Will get some proper pics tomorrow, but very happy with it now, looks the same all round at last



Dedication!



And Dan's lovely LCR, also sporting a BeachBuggy ko4 hybrid



Massive thanks to Dan, he really knew what he was doing, and considering he called this a 'quick' job I can't imagine the results given a bit more time. All this was done in about 4 hours this afternoon.

Other news:

Brake pad update - these pagids are AMAZING.

SuperCar chasing sunday news - came across a brand new ferrari, looked ugly. Google reveals it was a california convertible. he saw me in my chavy hatch back with a sun strip in his mirror, and decided to show me what his itallian stallion could do, it sounded lovely.

Only, he didn't really get away, at all, even a bit. Poor bloke. Was fun though

 

[16Klappe]

He didn't even mask the plastic?! Realllllllly.

Get some proper pictures, you always were poo at photography.

:/

 

[Prawn]

Feck off and be miserable elsewhere kiddo

 

[16Klappe]

There isn't a person in the land that won't agree with me.

 

[666markyboy]

That LCR looks very tidy.... and the A3's looking tip top once again..... a good afternoons work

 

[Sam_]

That's a nice looking LCR, if there ever was one. They do have a nice front end.

Was that down Portsmouth way you were playing with the California? A friend who lives there has one I think. He had a 430 but traded it in. Drives like a girl too.

 

[Prawn]

nah, up near wokingham Sam.

DIdn't really push it too much, hit a bump whilst flat out and decided to back out after that!

Had a fun little tear up with a Triumph Speed Four today though, no idea if they're meant to be quick or not though, I know NOTHING about bikes!

 

[Rice]

Waaaaaaaaay too many pages to read through, so not going to even attempt it, one page will do .
Weapon of a car man. Love that LCR too, makes me want rotas !

 

[Prawn]

Went to Ace Cafe last night.

Had a really good evening











Amazing how a decent camera makes it look so much nicer

 

[superkarl]

Hehe the magic tree is smiling for that shot in the back

 

[Adam P]

awesome pictures!!! liking the rotas on the lcr aswell!

 

[Prawn]

Hehe the magic tree is smiling for that shot in the back

I LOVE will citrus magic trees, they're orange, they're happy, and they smell funny so they pretty much sum up the car for me

orange one on the right is a wunderbaum though, the German version, bought for me by Pierre as a consolation prize after the accident!

awesome pictures!!! liking the rotas on the lcr aswell!

everyone loves Dans Rotas, he's been a bit different in going for 17's on an Lcr and I think it works. I'd love to see how they looked on mine one day, but I'm far too tight to buy a set!

 

[Rainbird]

I was offered a set of rotas for mine about a week after I bought the CHs and was seriously tempted but it would have been a little silly. Kinda wishing I'd gotten involved after seeing that!

Car's looking good, Nick. Much prefer it in its somewhat more subtle guise :icon_thumright:

 

[Prawn]

What's going on ey?

Another weekend, and MORE polishing?

Madness.

Despite me being incredibly happy with the left hand side of the car, Jamie wasn't 100% happy with the finish, and last weekend Dan wasn't too keen on cutting into fresh paintwork, so focused on getting the old paint on the driver side back up to standard.

Yesterday, Jamie came over, and attacked the whole side of the car with some 1500g wet n dry, to remove any slight hint or orange peel and 1 or 2 tiny imperfections in the finish that I hadn't even noticed!








Not got any after pics, but needless to say, it looks properly amazing!

 

[Prawn]

And of course, the obligatory pic of Jamies Ibiza:

 

[16Klappe]

What the **** has blown up in your garage? It looks like someone has tipped a skip out in there.

Sort it out man!

 

[Prawn]

Nothing

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Grale1]

Your car looks awesome mate, great thread for the A3 boy's. be nice get get somewhere condition wise one day lol

 

[boost-addict]

i was under the impresion once you wet sanded it you would never get a deep gloss finnish back, but i stand corrected. a friend of mine attempted it on his car, but he may have gone ott on it so i cant compare.

 

[Prawn]

Wet sanding can be risky, and if you go through the laquer you'll never get the shine back, but Jamie being the man that painted it, is the best man to know how much paint is on the car and how far he can flat it

ive learnt a load from him just looking at the paint, when first done the surface was perfect, then over time it mottled slightly as the paint dried and pulled in at different rates. The wet flat takes it back to a perfect glass finish that's now rock hard, then it's cut back to a shine with the mop and a few different compounds.

 

[Gops]

N75 work ok prawn? And can I bring my car, I need a good detail on it!

 

[Prawn]

Oh yea. And a massive thanks to Gops for the n75! Top man!

Normal boost service is resumed

 

[Prawn]

Anyone have an old tailgate they fancy donating to the cause of experimentation? Doesn't have to have glass, or even be in good shape, just need it for the top part really to try something before attacking mine.

 

[ScottD3]

Anyone have an old tailgate they fancy donating to the cause of experimentation? Doesn't have to have glass, or even be in good shape, just need it for the top part really to try something before attacking mine.

breakers yard near Miller has a couple of 8Ls in.
Ask jardo to pick it up for you?


EDIT: Classifieds

 

[Golfyste]

I like the sound of this! Haha

 

[superkarl]

spoiler?

 

[Prawn]

Something like that lads!

I've bought something, that if installed as intended, will almost certainly look terrible, but if my thoughts are correct and my chopping up of a tailgate is successful, could look pretty good, and more importantly, work.

 

[Jason.s]

Understatement of the century lol.

It needs to be inline with the roof line ish. Not stick way up high. Something like the Clio optional cup spoiler would be the max.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/birt82/DSCF1704.jpg

 

[16Klappe]

A3's have a fairly sharp back end, I should think that at decent speeds the amount of rear end lift would be quite substantial.

A spoiler should be a good shout; and I really think you should get a second rear bumper which has been drilled for track use only. It's not like you haven't got a spare.

 

[Prawn]

It all ideas at the moment chaos, hence wanting a spare bootlid to try it on before destroying mine.

Jase: something like the Clio cup spoiler is EXACTLY what I'd like to recreate

as you say, the issue with a surface mounted spoiler is getting it low enough and back enough, but I think I've got it sussed.

Just need someone to volunteer a bootlid from a breaker!

 

[bigal 1]

A3's have a fairly sharp back end, I should think that at decent speeds the amount of rear end lift would be quite substantial. A spoiler should be a good shout; and I really think you should get a second rear bumper which has been drilled for track use only. It's not like you haven't got a spare.

"the amount of rear end lift would be quite substantial". . We know that, remember the clip of traveling at 144mph at the end of the straight at SX.