G'day all - just saying hi!

[SH30RB]

Welcome mate

unlike some other members on here, i like the red leather seats in the GT-B R's
and thats some pretty impressive stuff you've done so far

If your originally from QLD but are living in the ACT, and your a pilot, you dont have anything to do with the ADF by chance do you?

Cheers, Simon

[GT-B Spec R Pilot]

G'day, I don't fly commercially anymore. My licence lapsed while i was recovering from a motorbike crash and by the time I was up and about again I had no spare cash. I am actually a marine engineer by profession (spent 20 years at sea on ships and offshore oil & gas facilities) before going ashore full time. I don't work for the ADF but I do work for another federal government agency and I do deal with the ADF and Customs & Border Protection almost daily. I think i have been quite lucky in that i have enjoyed the jobs I have had, which makes it easy to learn fast and be promoted quickly. Cars and aviation are two passions of mine that i have put a lot of money into over the years (as opposed to watching it disappear at the pub &/or TAB like many of my co-workers have done) and i guess that shows from the previous vehicles i have owned bc (before children!). I have 2 young kids now so funds are a little tighter (and the only reason i sold the S6) but the passion doesn't go away.

Thanks to all for the very pleasant grettings... Cheers..

[bigBADbenny]

Awesome! Looking forward to pics and susp upgrade driving impressions

[Boostaddict]

Awesome work there mate. Sounds like you are onto a winner with your car and I'm sure we all can't wait to see how it turns out.

Sounds like you are a bit of a modder so pics of previous car porn is a must.

I also know the cash struggle when the kiddies come along. I've got 2 myself and I wouldn't change a thing, they are my greatest accomplishment that i will ever have. But I do regret that I didn't really have a good go at modifying a car before they came along as the cash does dry up some what.

Good luck and can't wait to see some pics

[GT-B Spec R Pilot]

susp upgrade driving impressions

That is a bit of a hard one at this point in time. Being new to ACT I am not familiar with places to go for a safe and "fun" drive without the unwanted attention of the local blue and white revenue raisers.

My aim was to get a balance between the comfort of a true GT car combined with track handling. I don't like cars that dive in the front end under brakes or squat in the rear under hard acceleration (I will get on two wheels for that sort of fun!) I don't like lots of body roll through corners but prefer progressive & predicitable roll angle as the cornering speed increases. I learnt to drive on r.w.d. V8's long before traction control was even heard of on production road cars so i like the front end to stay firmly stuck to the tarmac with a lighter rear end that power oversteers with a step on the loud pedal.

Having explained what i wanted to achieve (horses for courses after all), for the moment I am happy with the handling I have within the limits of what I have been able to explore. The steering is very direct (although a little slower than i would personally like given a choice), right angle left turns at 90km/hr through various roundabouts around the ACT are flat with little, if any, body roll. No diving under hard braking with the factory brakes and the bog standard engine doesn't produce any obvious squat under maximum acceleration. Feedback from both the steering and the suspension is positive and predictable - pretty much what i was aiming for and I can still take the wife and kids around town or for a drive to the coast without the need for a kidney belt!

Once I can get my hands on a set of wheels and upgrade the brakes I will get on a track and then see what happens. I have always been a believer that the brakes and the suspension have to work together, in harmony, to get the best results from both and I am certain some tweaking will be necessary to make the most of the final setup. (Is it ever final or does it always remain a work in progress?) Pushing those limits simply isn't something I am willing to try on public roads, particularly roads I am not familiar with though.

Weekend is coming and I am hoping for a chance to get a few decent pics to post. Cheers guys...

[bigBADbenny]

Great read!
Specifically, what settings are the f & r swaybars on right now?

[GT-B Spec R Pilot]

Thanks, the front is set a bit on the firm side of medium and the rear on medium. If anything the rear could be a bit firmer to suit my preference but nothing i can't live with for regular (i.e. sensible!) daily driving.

[Natty]

"right angle left turns at 90km/hr through various roundabouts around the ACT are flat with little, if any, body roll.

Pushing those limits simply isn't something I am willing to try on public roads, particularly roads I am not familiar with though."

Gold!

[GT-B Spec R Pilot]

I am guessing the limit is probably another 30-40km/hr in that situation with the current setup.

[Joshy]

Very nice ride, lets see some pics