Save yourself the drive and check out the event we're doing at the TX Z Party.

Better yet, sign up and play with the rest of us. We'll be doing the exact same thing at MSR as what they're doing at TWS.

And yes, as Soundmike said, it's open to anyone who wants to sign up. Well, anyone that's not a douchebag.

That said, I was at the TWS "school" this weekend. Two GTRs showed up, a couple 350s, and 2 or 3 G coupes were there.

If you have any questions about how that stuff works, feel free to shoot me some questions via PM or post it in the appropriate forum. I've been to probably 50 of these events at something like 10 different tracks. I can tell you how a lot of the local clubs are set up and how they run the events and whatnot.

 

Too late, I went up there and watched. What car were you running? Were you in that red turbo'd 240?

I was in the '08 sedan looking out of place with my friend while watching everyone run haha.

Is the Z party thing going to be as controlled as the TWS event? No passing unless waved by, run groups according to experience, runs with instructors, etc?

 

Ok, i know he has a 240... but turbo'd? Matt, was that the part you left out with the hint you were dropping?

Matt was the past president of the Z Club of Houston, an avid road course/auto-x enthusiast, he also makes parts for Maxima's and is a highly regarded member ... heck, more like forefather of Maxima.org, among other things.

Anyhow, from what he's mentioned in the other thread, we'll run in groups. Noobs like me will stay with the slow group and passing will only be allowed when waved. Anybody who goes out of line is black flagged. Instructors will be available throughout the event. And, knowing MSR, there will be a short class prior to running. Lastly, we're all bound by MSR's track rules.

And like what you've experienced at TWS, there, too, will be a victory/parade lap. In fact i'm taking my family with me on that. I was just telling Matt how my two "mods" are two LATCH-fastened child seats.

 

I thought it was Turbo'd?

Yeah I'm coming closer and closer to doing this event haha. The only thing is like at TWS its a lot of guys that are really serious about it, and an older crowd I feel. Z party is going to be lots of kids (not unlike me I guess) just going at it and driving dumb - instructor or not.

Let's see how Autocross goes this weekend and how finding a new set of rear tires goes

 

If you were talking about the red S14 running on Sunday, yes that was me. (pics to follow in another post if I can stay awake long enough to download them from the camera.)

And no, I'm not turbo'd. just bolt-ons for the engine. stock S13 cams (more duration than S14 for emissions. shifts powerband up), ASP crank pulley, Fidanza flywheel, I, H, E. stock ECU, stock internals, 130k miles on engine.

I was parked in the back 40 under EZ up, where the Z club usually parks when we have group events. This was my first time on track with the roll cage and a buuunch of other changes. I had some growing pains with the car after ripping out the interior to install the roll cage and modifying the power steering system.

my PS failed after two laps during the first session and my exhaust was so hot it melted the heel of my right shoe!! So I spent the rest of the morning converting the rack to manual and wrapping the exhaust in header wrap.

I only drove the first couple laps of session 1, and then was out in both sessions in white group after lunch.


As for TX Z Party, there will be a LOT of n00bs to the track, so we are gearing up for that. We plan to run the event very similar to how TWS runs theirs- run groups based on experience/skill level, and some sort of training for the less experienced folks. This is how it's almost ALWAYS done on a road course, in any club.

Passing with point bys only, so on so forth. that's also the norm....

 

Wife took 190 something pictures of me and the Zs Gs and GTRs at TWS last Sunday, and not one is worth posting!

I REALLY need to teach her how to shoot a freaking picture.

 

Yep! I saw you back there. I commented to my friend about how high "that nissan over there" was jacked up haha. Drove past your car once in my '08 sedan just kinda looking around with my friend past the garages. Honestly man, it was a good lookin car. Saw you running in the group after lunch, but ouch. Now I get why you were parked in the back jacked up before and during lunch!

I'm hoping to sign up for the next TWS event. Let me know if you're doing it too, I think it's set up for the last weekend of the month again. You seem REALLY knowledgeable about tracking and it'd be good to know someone out there if I needed help!

Yea, thats exactly what I'm worried about at Z party but I think i'll come out and do the parade lap at least like I got to do at TWS.

WOWWW, well post a few decent ones on here at least. I would've taken a few if I knew - I was thinking about going over to that guy in the silver coupe and seeing if he was on here and wanted me to shoot any of him.

 

Well I'm not sure how closely you looked at my 240, but it's all track car now and has 130k on the chassis. It's going to have more 'issues' than your car should/would if you'd take it to the track. Especially with an '08, I'd bleed the brakes and go. Maybe install some Hawk HP+ pads after you do a couple of events and are running the car harder, but otherwise the car is perfectly capable of running an event.

My power steering failure most likely stemmed from an accident I had at an event at Harris Hill back in Feb. I went off course and hit a cooling line, spewing fluid all over the car, and then I drove it a few more minutes with no fluid to get into the pits. Sooo, it's not really surprising that the thing failed. That was my own damn fault.

anyway, something like that is VERY unlikely to happen to a regular street car at an event unless you get stupid. The instructors don't let you get that aggressive on your first few events and generally most people are too scared to really push it for the first few track days.

As for experience... yeah, I've got a bit of it. Been doing these things for about ten years now. Feel free to ask anything you need to know and I'll be glad to help.

The Z Club of Houston also goes to many of the TWS and MSR events. Before Risi bought TWS, they used to give us a nice discount at events. The new owners have changed things around, but we're working on them again. Usually we'll have 3-4-5-6 or so members at an event. I decided to go last-minute to this one and went by myself.

 

Yep, I saw the inside and all as you drove past on the straight. We were in the VIP boxes watching for the first two heats after lunch.

Could I bleed the brakes by myself at home? I'm not that handy yet, but I'm trying to workmy way up (gonna try and start doing my own oil/oil filter changes from now on). And once these brakes are gone (soon) I'm gonna look at aftermarket pads.

I'm planning on doing a few autox events (starting this weekend) to sort of build my skills and get more comfortable with this car at its limits. I would be way nervous doing the TWS right now, hopefully I can do 2 or 3 autox and come out for TWS later this month with a few more full speed miles under my belt. I have a question on tires but I'll just PM you.

Thanks a lot! We hijacked my own thread but I'm glad we did

 

They have "one man brake bleeder" kits at the parts store for a few bucks, but I really don't like using them. I don't get the best results with them.

But yes, you can do it at home. There are writeups all over the place on bleeding brakes. Use two people though- one person at the caliper, another person pumping the brake pedal. Works better that way. But make sure you're comfortable working on your brakes.

If your brake pads are almost worn out, then you should get new ones before going to a road course. At minimum, bring the pads and the tools to change them at the track, but you want AT LEAST 35% of the pad remaining at the start of the event. Some cars (like mine) will burn through a 1/2 set of pads at a place like TWS, but only 1/8 or so at MSR because of the end-of-straightaway speeds and the amount of braking done. MSR isn't that hard on brakes really, but you still don't want to skimp. Brake pads are small, relatively cheap, and easy bring spares so make sure you have another set available (vs. tires and other wear items) at the track.

After 10 years of doing this, I just have a box with all my spares. 2-3 qts of oil, 1-2qts tranny fluid, 1 qt ATF (power steering), 1-2 qts brake fluid, a brake bleeder bottle, oil filter, fuel filter, and a set of brake pads front and rear.
I also threw in a bag of zip ties, trash bag, sunscreen, roll of blue tape, and paper towels.

All that stuff fits in one box, which usually jsut stays in the car when I get home. Then I'll pack my tools separately. I have spares for pretty much everything I need all in one box, and it takes 15 seconds to toss in the trunk.

I'll answer your PM about tires later, but the Cliff's notes is to go ahead and get new ones. The Kumho will be fine. yes, learn on them. try to replace all four if you can fund it so you have matching rubber front/rear. If your wheels are the same size, don't mess with staggered tires. you want the extra meat up front to battle understeer on a Sedan, plus you can rotate tires, which you will need to do every couple of events to keep tire wear even.

 

Great information, Matt! Thanks for sharing, really! I'm always enlightened when i read your posts (or listen to you talk... either way)

I have the one-man kit from Autozone for $40 if it gets too late in the game and i absolutely have to do it already (it's branded "OEM" but the instruction manual says Motive, so it's probably a rebranded kit). Although i'd like to do it the 2-person method, just having a hard time finding someone capable enough, i think i confuse my wife too easily.

The process, i don't think, is the hard part. Having changed oil, rotated tires and swapped out pads on the 2nd gen, the tricky part is jacking the car up itself. I still think having two jacks would be more helpful. Unlike my old car (Maxima), the G just doesn't have enough room underneath the front to get even a low-profile jack underneath. And, unlike the Max, i'm not familiar enough with the undercarriage to find a suitable alternative jacking point at or near the side rails.

I eventually built this, but still, two jacks would be better. (Like in my case, i can't get both front and rear end lifted up with just the one jack that i have... hard to explain without actually seeing it, which is another reason i'm having a hard time performing the bleed process.

 

I'm down for a meet and ride to Galveston.

 

G35/G37 meet July 4 in Memorial Park

 

nooo, not july 4th - i feel like everyone (including myself) will already have other plans

what about a date around then?

 

After some discussion on myg37 forum those who had input didn't have an issue with the date. Any date will be inconvenient to some, but most will be off work and available.

Drop your other plans and come!