Spec Boxster Build

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by CrisZenithBlue

Hi guys! Sorry to hijack the thread but who else than a knowledgeable group like you to help me with my little issue. I am the proud owner of a set of cloth GT3 seats for my Boxster (alien ones) and the Velcro on the seat base is worn and would not hold the cushion under the thigh in place. I see that the original Velcro strip is sown on so I am trying to figure out how can I replace it. Maybe some of you have had a similar issue and can help with some advice. Thanks! I can find sticky Velcro but that sticky part prob won't last long in cloth.

On my driver seat (I have cloth Recaro seats too, not the GT3 seats but similar) the bottom of the seat cushion is worn where it attaches to the seat base Velcro, and when I have the sub belt running under that cushion and out the front of the seat, the seat cushion slips on the Velcro, because the cloth is worn where it sticks to the Velcro. In your case, if it is the driver seat, maybe swapping the driver and passenger seat cushion may provide some immediate relief.

The Velcro on the seat bottom is unfortunately not part of the removable seat cover:

Gt3 Bucket Seat Cover Perlon Velour

Hopefully some of this will give you some ideas...

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by jaykay

If one were to install the optimum bushing set ....what would it be? I don't think I can go back to the spongy black bushings in the front end of the 986; nor do I desire race car solids. A urethane kit would be the ticket

These guys mention a sport hardness bushing available for some of the suspension bushings:

Elephant Racing | Rubber Suspension Bushings | Porsche Boxster/Cayman

[CrisZenithBlue]

Originally Posted by steved0x

On my driver seat (I have cloth Recaro seats too, not the GT3 seats but similar) the bottom of the seat cushion is worn where it attaches to the seat base Velcro, and when I have the sub belt running under that cushion and out the front of the seat, the seat cushion slips on the Velcro, because the cloth is worn where it sticks to the Velcro. In your case, if it is the driver seat, maybe swapping the driver and passenger seat cushion may provide some immediate relief.

The Velcro on the seat bottom is unfortunately not part of the removable seat cover:

Gt3 Bucket Seat Cover Perlon Velour

Hopefully some of this will give you some ideas...

Yeah I have exactly the same issue especially with the sub belt that came included. I think it's a combination of the Velcro and the cushion being worn and I already swapped the drivers seat but both are bad. Maybe there's something I can do about the Velcro but is ther any way to recondition the cushion cloth and not having to buy a new one?

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by CrisZenithBlue

Yeah I have exactly the same issue especially with the sub belt that came included. I think it's a combination of the Velcro and the cushion being worn and I already swapped the drivers seat but both are bad. Maybe there's something I can do about the Velcro but is ther any way to recondition the cushion cloth and not having to buy a new one?

I think the seat cushions (at least mine) have a Velcro flap so you can remove the foam cushion from inside. You could remove the cushion and then sew a piece of Velcro onto the seat cover that lines up with the Velcro on the seat base. I am looking into that because I don't want to swap my seat cushion (one seat is newer than the other and I want to keep the new cushion on the new seat )

If you do (or I do) we should make a DIY thread We have probably hijacked on this thread enough

[CrisZenithBlue]

That's is EXACTLY what I'm gonna do! Thanks Steve!

Sorry Tom

[thstone]

Originally Posted by CrisZenithBlue

Sorry Tom

No worry! I'm glad that people come here and ask other questions beyond what I post. At the end of the day, its all about the Boxster community!

[thstone]

New color for my second set of wheels!

[Need_for_speed]

Nice yellow! Not too garish. Will look great on a blue box. Plastidip?
Let us know how you like the Toyo's.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Need_for_speed

Nice yellow! Not too garish. Will look great on a blue box. Plastidip?
Let us know how you like the Toyo's.

Professionally painted, not PlastiDip, so its somewhat of a commitment. I hope that I like the color on the car!

The Toyo RR's are the spec tire for Spec Boxster racing. Overall, I'd say that they are a good compromise between grip and longevity. Compared to a street tire, tons more grip but that comes at a price in longevity and they do fall off a bit after a number of heat cycles so most of the drivers at the front of the pack are running a new set every race weekend.

[thstone]

"Racing is life".

There is a lot of truth in that statement. Here are the ups and downs of racing last weekend;

On Friday, I attended the High Performance Driving University (HPDU) event as a practice day in prep for the weekend races and paid extra for professional coaching. HPDU keeps attendance low (40 or so drivers) and has open track all day (7 hours) so there are no run groups or sessions; you can go out as often and for as long as you like.

I did four 30 min sessions and reviewed video with the driving coach in-between sessions. The coaching was excellent! I often get to a point where I am not sure exactly what to try next to improve my lap times.

The coach worked with me to find three corners where he made suggestions on how to approach them differently with the ultimate goal of taking 0.3 sec off my time per corner. Three corners at 0.3 sec improvement would yield an overall improvement of about a second per lap.

Of course, this didn't happen in one day, I will have to continue to work at the new approach and perfect it - then it will hopefully yield the results that I am looking for.

I have video but I'm not going to post it quite yet for competitive reasons. Let's move onto Saturday...

[thstone]

Saturday started out great! I scrubbed in a set of new tires in the morning practice and then went out and qualified 2nd! I had a lot of anticipation for a good race.

Then I screwed up.

The weather was fairly hot in the afternoon so I set up my cool shirt system and when I filled the reservoir with ice and water, it seems that I forgot to strap it down. Fast forward a bit and when I hit the brakes for the first time on the out lap (before the race start), the cool shirt reservoir shoots across the passenger side like a rocket.

Oh crap. I can't start the race with the reservoir flying around every time that I accelerate, brake, or turn, so I pull off just before the start and hastily strap it down in the infield parking lot. While doing this, I hear the race start - and I'm not in it.

At this point, I'd like to reach around and kick myself in the ass, but you gotta let these things go and move on or you'll never get your head straight for the rest of the day. So, I pull back into the garage to wait for the second race on Saturday...

[thstone]

I have everything ready and double checked for the second race. Good to go.

I start dead last since I finished last in the first race. As we come to the starting line, I judge the timing right and get an awesome jump. As we go down the front straight and around the NASCAR banking, I pass almost all of the Boxsters. Then I carry that momentum into the infield where I pass a few more cars.

Then I screwed up.

At the Turn 9 buttonhook, the rear end loses traction and I don't catch it in time and and spin around. I don't hit anyone but I am looking at 1/2 of the field coming straight at me! Oh crap. Kudos to my competitors as they all swerve around me and get by safely. Now I am back in very last place.

I spin the car around in the right direction and give chase. Over the next 14 or so laps, I catch and pass 5 out of class cars and 2 Boxster's. I stayed focused and I think that might have been the best series of 14 laps that I have ever driven.

While I should have been down on myself for all of the self-inflicted mistakes, I felt good about hanging in there and recovering as best I could.

Onto Sunday...

[thstone]

I wake early at 3am on Sunday with a splitting headache, sore throat, and I'm sweating like I've just run a marathon despite it being 72F in my house. I'm sick.

I realize that there won't be any racing for me that day, so I turn off the alarm for 7am and sleep in until 9am. I spent all day Sunday and today either sleeping or laying on the couch feeling like crap.

What a weekend! Lots of ups and downs. I see moments of brilliance interspersed with major mistakes. I'll take the ups and work on eliminating the mistakes and be ready for the next race.

[thstone]

*** Weight Update #7 ***

After the race on Saturday, the total weight was 2,679 lbs - 29 lbs over the min weight of 2,650 lbs.

Subtracting 15 lbs for the cool shirt system, gives me 14 lbs over the min weight with 1/8 tank of fuel.

I am still working on losing 5 lbs more myself and another 5 lbs from the car. That will put me within 5lbs of the min weight with 1/8 tank of fuel at the end of a race. Perfect.

[thstone]

Here are a few pic's from racing last weekend with the POC at AutoClub Speedway...

[Van914]

Yellow wheels look great!

[BruceH]

I like them

[RedTele58]

+986 on the wheels! They look awesome!

[thstone]

A few more photos from other racing dates. Busy getting ready for racing at Buttonwillow in three weeks.

[bkovac]

cheater, practicing