Hi Guys,

I currently drive a 2005 g35x sedan AT as my daily driver. Want to try out tracking it as some club events, auto cross events, ect. What do you suggest as some first and most beneficial mods?

Most everything i've seen is for the coupe.

Thanks

 

can't go to a track with stock suspension and exhaust bro. Personally I'd focus on both handling and speed. Pick up some nice coils and upgrade your brakes and then move towards speed. Exhaust and spacers etc...
Everybody goes their own route.

 

I've never taken my car to the track, so take my advice for what its worth. Everything I'm going to say is what I've researched. I have zero experience but I will be tracking my coupe in 2 weeks. But you do not need to make any mods to take your car to the track for an HPDE (high performance driver education). And most instructors do not recommend that you spend any money on the car before you've been to the track and learn what you actually need.

And the LAST thing you need to do is spend money trying to make it faster. On a road course or autocross you will be unlikely to be able to handle the speed/hp that the car comes with and most instructors say it is harder to learn how to drive in a powerful car than in something like a Miata or Civic.

The main things you need to focus on are that your car is in good working shape and then brakes. If your current pads are past 50% you probably need to get new ones. Cornering is hard on brakes. OEM pads will wear very quickly and are likely to fade after a day at the track. If your OEM pads are newish, then you're probably safe. The other issue is brake fluid. Typical OEM fluid will boil sooner than the proper brake fluid (ATE Super Blue, Willwood, Motul, etc). So if the brake fluid is normal fluid and/or hasn't been changed in a while it will likely be worth doing so. A flush and fill is in order.

My G is a coupe but I'd be doing the same for a sedan and this is what I've done so far, and all I'm going to do until I've been to the track:

EBC Yellowstuff pads front and rear.
EBC slotted sport rotors up front.
ATE Amber 200 flush and fill.

If I really get into this I will likely add Hotchkis front and rear sway bars and better shocks. The springs on my coupe are fine (Sport Package).

Having said that, most cars run on the track are manuals but I've been told automatics a perfectly fine for HPDE, there is just a different approach to cornering, etc. I'd maybe do a little research about whether or not you might need to change tranny fluid.

 

the last thing i would worry about is exhaust when auto crossing like you said sway bars will be a good mod as well as brake pads. your stock suspesnion will be fine just hone in your driving skills and if you get serious do weight reduction

 

Well, I have now been to the track. I'm signed up for another track weekend in Feb.

Here are the things on my current wish list:

1) Helmet, you've got to have one. (It is under the Christmas tree right now).
2) Front tow hook. The stock one for my car is missing. If you wreck, the crew will try not to damage your car but their primary goal is getting you off the track. A tow hook prevents damage to your DD.
3) CG Lock. This is a device that hooks to your seatbelt to lock the lap belt in place. You'll find that you are all over the stock seat in the turns. My knee was sore from bracing against the door panel. This distracts you from driving. Racing seats and 6 point ideal but not practical at this point.
4) Stainless brake lines. Braking is everything at my local track. A set of stainless lines will be less than $200 installed.
5) Hotchkis sway bars. Probably a year down the road. The sport suspension in my coupe does pretty good but a little less body roll will be a good thing.
6) Koni or Tokico adjustable shocks. At least a year away.

Way down the road: track tires and wheels, oil cooler and gauges, maybe some strut tower braces, better seats and harnesses. Finally, a Quaife limited slip. By the time I get to seats and a Quaife, it will be time to gut the car and make it a dedicated track car.

There are no engine mods on my list. No exhaust. At my skill level, handling, braking and safety are so much more important than HP.

 

^^^ very very nice list

 

I actually race locally on the 14th of January and I appreciate the comments here. Have you noticed your clutch fluid getting hot? N80?

 

I did not have any clutch problems.

 

What other people said.

Check your fluid levels, new oil, new transmission fluid, check brake pads. The goal of HPDE is to drive home with your car and go to work on Monday with your daily driver...

Upgrading the brakes would probably be next. These beastly heavy cars have terrible brake fade, and that is scary and unsafe. Using hawk HP+ pads right now, and while I haven't had any brake fade, it is so noisy it is un-drivable with my windows down. sounds like a gd bus.

In the end it's all about skill, and all about personal enjoyment. You will get passed, you will pass others, make friends, decide how far you want to go.

 

I used EBC Yellowstuff pads for my first and only track day. I had no problems with them at all. No fade, no overheating. I'm sure that true track/racing pads provide better and more aggressive braking but at my skill level (low) the Yellowstuff pads were fine.

The nice thing about them is that there is no additional noise over stock pads. Soemtimes when they have been wet and sitting a while they will make some noise when you brake the first couple of times, but that is rare.

They do make a lot of dust and it is pretty nasty stuff but that is no big deal to me.

I'm selling my G35 today (it is burning oil) and picking up an 07 350Z. I've got a track day scheduled in Feb and I'm looking at various brake pads. The CarboTechs come highly regarded, particularly XP-8 and XP-10. Some folks say they work fine on the street too. However, a complete set of these is over $100 more than the Yellowstuff pads so I think I'm going to stick with them.

 

Brakes - Stock brakes just won't cut it. Once they are warm, they will feel like crap. My opinion is to upgrade to a front BBK. The rears are fine. Rotors and pads will do the job. You can also upgrade to the Akebono rear brake setup from the G37/370z sport model for way less than an aftermarket kit.

Suspension - Sway Bars in combination with a set of coilovers will do very well. Don't bother with a spring/shock setup if you have the $ for some decent coilovers.

Driver - The more events you do the faster you will get. You will learn to be a better driver over time. Practice makes perfect.

 

I'm no expert but the racers and time trialers tell me there is no need for a BBK unless you are running track tires. If you have more brake than your tires can handle it is easy to lock the brakes unintentionally.

 

all this is good info to know

 

start off with some sways for better handling

 

So, I can now chime in to help since I just completed my first track event. I moved up from HPDE 1 to 2 and if it wasn't raining I would have asked for a check ride to go into 3. Ran a good 250 miles this weekend. My pointers would be...

1. Make sure all your fluids are correct. Also, if you suspect oil consumption bring oil.
2. If your brake pads are 6MM or less...Change them. This heats up your brake fluid and will increase the chances of boiling..Not Good.
3. As a precaution either put a Zinc additive in the oil or use fresh oil that has Zinc in it.
4. The handling isn't as bad as one would expect, but if you are planning on going that route I would wait until you have "maxed out the potential of the car" <--This could take a while depending on the person.

Our cars are actually pretty quick. A miata will ruin your day though. I had a friend of mine that was driving an 84 hp. beast of one. It was on slicks and could kill me in the corners but I would find him at the end of the straight. He was topped out @ 95 mph. I was doing 120mph. Then the turning began and he was gone.

Main things are make sure your fluids are newish and tires are in decent shape. I was on Goodyear RS-A's that were on the car when I purchased it, so if I could go out there and rip and tear in them anyone can.