Getting faster

Well, as fortune would have it, I had the opportunity to replace my N/A 2.5 liter engine in my Subaru hillclimber with the 2.0 turbo motor from my wrx wagon. The motor is 166k miles young. This weekend was the Ascutney hillclimb. I had run this hill in the spring with the non turbo motor, and it was my first visit to the hill. Very tough hill to learn. I was anxious to see what sort of improvement the motor change would make. I found that while it is definitely faster, it didn't necessarily make me a ton better. I was carrying more speed, but that messed my head up a bit, causing me to over brake....and certainly killed my smoothness. I got lot more stabby on the throttle. I suppose time will cure that....I hope.

In car video with data. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y4u3ya-FsY

Since I data log, I thought graphing the speeds might be interesting. Keep in mind, the hill was shortened for this event, so the difference in speeds at the 2.30 mark vary, because one car was racing and the other was transiting.

There are a hundred things that fascinated me about this post! Good job. Keep up the good work.

The first red spike around 0.15 is interesting in itself. That is the first hard corner. The previous motor didn't launch hard enough to get enough speed to have to slow down to enter the corner.

The second red spike at 0.23 is just before turn 3. The highest spike at about .45 is at turn 7. The red valley at 1.25 is at turn 13. Second red valley at about 1.50 is at turn 15. 2.25 is check 7 which was the finish for this event. The blue continues on through turn 30 or so which was the finish for that event. I like learning this stuff, but tough to do it real time at the event. So then I have to wait until the next event to try things that I think will improve my driving.

Those that care about such things. This car is a bit of salvage queen. Started out as a 99 subie 2.5rs. Crashed it. So everything that survived the wreck got bolted to a 02 wrx shell. Suspension, subframes, dash, engine, transmission and so on. I just recently put in the 2.0 turbo from my 02 wrx wagon that rusted to nothing, along with a new turbo subrame. So I still retain the RS suspension and rear subframe, transmission. Put the wrx dash in. Engine has a utec piggy back engine controller and a custom exhaust from before the turbo back. I run toyo RA1 tires that I bought on grm about 4 or 5 years ago.

Son of a biscuit does that look like fun! Thanks for posting the video.

It is fun. Lots of fun. To give you an idea. I'm about a mid pack driver. Finished 23rd out of 42 I think. I did that in in 2:29 and the ftd did that in 2:04. I can't overemphasize what a good group of people that are involved in the sport. Family friendly weekends of racing. If you have the opportunity to try a NEHA event, try it. Nobody will care how fast you go up the hill so long as you are safe. We have one left in the season at Mt philo in Charlotte VT the weekend of October 12-14. You'd be hard pressed to find a more welcoming group.

Very Grassroots. Well Done!

It's very interesting to watch how you and I differ so much on this course despite only a 5 second difference in the result.

I think I need more power and you need more grip.

Seth,

Sounds great. Looks great. I do not have the "nerve" to race up between the trees and rocks. Funny, the concrete at NHMS bothers me not?

Hope to be at Philo in a support capacity.

Look at it this way, sometimes the trees keep you from hitting the rocks.

Yes Dave wish your battery didn't quit. Though I hope you put your camera further forward on the cage when it is built....the lighting makes it tough to see the course.

I think I want to get a raw copy of Terry's video and put it side by side with mine and sync up the start. I have software to do it.

I've always felt this car handles pretty good, first time in a while that I felt like it couldn't hold the turns. The RA1s are quite old. Think I might see if I can swing getting some new R888's this off season in a smaller diameter but wider setup.

Yeah I was short on options for camera mounts this time around.

I think fresh rubber would certainly help your cause.

Fresh rubber is never a bad thing.

I need to get a good alignment and maybe firm up the springs in the front. I'm still picking up the rear wheel on the sharper corners, which is suspect has more to do with the rear sway bar. I meant to put it on it's weakest setting last weekend, but forgot to to do it during prep. It has good initial bite, but less grip on steady state corners. Good for autocross, not so much for hillclimb.

If you had the same bolt pattern I'd have you try my slicks. They're truly addictive. I was flat foot from turn one up to 13 on my fast run and I'm not sure if I really need the confidence lift I take heading into turn 1.