Tonight I learned how good the Skyline brakes really are
02-02-2001, 10:22 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 234
I went to the Friday night Starbucks meet. There was a lot of cool cars. There were a couple Supras, a couple RX-7s, several Vettes, several NSXs, a Mustang, a couple F-bodies, several Miatas and a few Vipers. We all left as a group to do a cruise. Once on the highway, the group was split due to an earlier light. Several of us we moving up to catch up with the others. At the same time, I was shadowing an S2000. I was trying to set up for a race, so I stayed with him as we moved through traffic. We got as high as 120 mph.
We settled into the line and then the S2000 moved out to get a better position. I moved out with him. He got on it and I closed behind him. Then in the group of Miatas up ahead, I see a Miata jump out of the right lane onto the shoulder and then dive left across 3 lanes of traffic. The S2000 and I were doing somewhere around 100. I was only about a car length behind him when he hit his brakes. I reacted pretty quickly. He instinctively thought I would hit him, so he hit the gas and then back on the brakes as we came up on the crash. I saw him lift off the brakes. So I also lifted, not knowing what was in front of him. I was only about 5 feet at the most behind him. We were now in full braking. From about 70-mph all the way down to a stop, we were both braking as hard as we could to stop. I kept floating between 2-5 feet behind him. I was concentrating so much on the road, that I didn't look at the tach. I left the clutch out and stalled the engine. I stayed on the brakes after it stalled until we came to a stop. I watched my rear view mirror as cars braked and jumped all over the road to avoid the accident. I had 2 cars crossed over the lanes right behind me.
We parked the S2000 and the Max on the side of the road. The driver got out and said he couldn't believe I didn't hit him. He made some very nice comments about the brakes. The one that still sticks in my mind was, "thank god you were the one behind me." Keep in mind that I do not have ABS. Fortunately, I was able to keep the brakes from locking up as we braked. Had I not done the Skyline brake project, there would be a Maxima and an S2000 on there way to a body shop or wrecking yard.
Brake Components - $1100
Engineering Time - 2 weeks
Saving your car and your life - PRICELESS
BTW, everyone seems to be fine. The Miata that started it all looks in bad shape, but the passenger compartment was completely intact. After it went into the center retaining wall, it was hit by a truck that took out most of the side. Fortunately, the car had a competition roll-bar that kept the interior in tact and saved the driver's life. I had a similar roll-bar put in my Miata and this night definitely reinforces that purchase. 2 other Miatas were wrecked in the process and a very nice Callaway ZR-1 had its rear corner damaged. This is a night I will not soon forget. You have to excuse me while I go change my underwear.
[Edited by Loren00Miata on 02-03-2001 at 12:26 AM]
We settled into the line and then the S2000 moved out to get a better position. I moved out with him. He got on it and I closed behind him. Then in the group of Miatas up ahead, I see a Miata jump out of the right lane onto the shoulder and then dive left across 3 lanes of traffic. The S2000 and I were doing somewhere around 100. I was only about a car length behind him when he hit his brakes. I reacted pretty quickly. He instinctively thought I would hit him, so he hit the gas and then back on the brakes as we came up on the crash. I saw him lift off the brakes. So I also lifted, not knowing what was in front of him. I was only about 5 feet at the most behind him. We were now in full braking. From about 70-mph all the way down to a stop, we were both braking as hard as we could to stop. I kept floating between 2-5 feet behind him. I was concentrating so much on the road, that I didn't look at the tach. I left the clutch out and stalled the engine. I stayed on the brakes after it stalled until we came to a stop. I watched my rear view mirror as cars braked and jumped all over the road to avoid the accident. I had 2 cars crossed over the lanes right behind me.
We parked the S2000 and the Max on the side of the road. The driver got out and said he couldn't believe I didn't hit him. He made some very nice comments about the brakes. The one that still sticks in my mind was, "thank god you were the one behind me." Keep in mind that I do not have ABS. Fortunately, I was able to keep the brakes from locking up as we braked. Had I not done the Skyline brake project, there would be a Maxima and an S2000 on there way to a body shop or wrecking yard.
Brake Components - $1100
Engineering Time - 2 weeks
Saving your car and your life - PRICELESS
BTW, everyone seems to be fine. The Miata that started it all looks in bad shape, but the passenger compartment was completely intact. After it went into the center retaining wall, it was hit by a truck that took out most of the side. Fortunately, the car had a competition roll-bar that kept the interior in tact and saved the driver's life. I had a similar roll-bar put in my Miata and this night definitely reinforces that purchase. 2 other Miatas were wrecked in the process and a very nice Callaway ZR-1 had its rear corner damaged. This is a night I will not soon forget. You have to excuse me while I go change my underwear.
[Edited by Loren00Miata on 02-03-2001 at 12:26 AM]
02-03-2001, 09:11 AM
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 234
Everyone is just now starting to post about it. I am sure there is going to be plenty on the MKIV, ZR1, LS1 and Miata web sites. Everyone thinks the 10AE Miata is totaled, it was in pretty bad shape. The driver of the car posted today and feels pretty good.
The Miata is doing pretty good, but sits in the garage most of the time. I don't like driving it with the top up.
It has never seen rain and has never been washed since new. I usually go over it every week to week and a half with Quick Detailer to get all the dust off. I have put a few things on the car.
I has a dual exhaust which required cutting the rear bumper cover with. The exhaust is all stainless steel with a polished muffler and polished 3.5" tips. It looks very nice from the rear. It has resonated tips, so they look aggressive; but not too big to be obnoxius. The sound is great. A low rumble down low and smooth medium pitch up high. I put a 4-point roll bar in(no diagonals). Since I got it for autocrossing, I can not put the turbo in. But it has the other legal mods: K&N filter, extended reach plugs and Magnacor wires. I have done a few styling things: aluminum front grill, chrome door handles, chrome gauge rings, a leather shift boot, a leather parking brake boot and a Nardi shift **** that perfect matches the factory Nardi steering wheel. Today, I am drilling through the floor to do the last mount for my 4-point harness.
It definitely does accelerate like a VQ, but the handling is incredible. I got mine with the optional sport suspension that has bilstein shocks, siffer springs, a bigger rear sway bar and a front shock tower brace. I already upgraded teh brakes with Axxis Deluxe pads front and rear(yes, the same pads as on the Max). The brakes work extremely well with a hard pedal, great feel and modulation. Oversteer is easy. Turn-in is incredible(I scared the sh*t out of Wic and Mitch at Courtesy taking the U-turns on Central at 35 mph). I come out of turns with my foot on the floor and the car does whatever I steer it to do. It has the best ride/handling balance of any car I have ever driven. If it had about a 100 more hp, it would be perfect.
As far as the turbo goes, I have been actually looking into it. I likt the FMII setup with the small ball bearing turbo. With a mid-pipe and exhaust, it starts building boost at 1500 rpms. It flattens the torque from 3500-6500 rpms. It does 245-250 hp at the wheels with a stock motor. Keep in mind that is in a 2300-2350 lb car. It would be a lot of fun, but then I can't autocross in stock class. I am not saying it won't happen, it just won't happen for at least a year.
I haven't changed anything on the Max for a while. It is still at 284 hp @ 6350 and 262 lb-ft @ 5100. The good news is that Vinny at Courtesy is negotiating a VLSD tranny for me. In addition, now Courtesy is an ACT dealer. I can now get a good deal on the clutch and flywheel at the same time. I wonder what a difference the lightweight flywheel makes on wheel HP?...
The early 300ZX brakes are 11.0x0.8" vented discs with 4-piston aluminum calipers. The later 300ZX brakes are 11.0x1.1" vented discs with 4-piston iron calipers. Skylines are 11.7x1.3" directionally vented and cross-drilled discs with larger 4-piston aluminum calipers. Z calipers came in either black with silver "NISSAN" script or unpainted with "NISSAN" script. Skyline calipers are gray powder coat with silver "NISSAN" script. Skyline calipers are so much larger than Z calipers that the won't fit inside the stock wheels on a 300ZX-TT without shaving the lettering off.
[Edited by Loren00Miata on 02-03-2001 at 07:00 PM]
The Miata is doing pretty good, but sits in the garage most of the time. I don't like driving it with the top up.
It has never seen rain and has never been washed since new. I usually go over it every week to week and a half with Quick Detailer to get all the dust off. I have put a few things on the car.I has a dual exhaust which required cutting the rear bumper cover with. The exhaust is all stainless steel with a polished muffler and polished 3.5" tips. It looks very nice from the rear. It has resonated tips, so they look aggressive; but not too big to be obnoxius. The sound is great. A low rumble down low and smooth medium pitch up high. I put a 4-point roll bar in(no diagonals). Since I got it for autocrossing, I can not put the turbo in. But it has the other legal mods: K&N filter, extended reach plugs and Magnacor wires. I have done a few styling things: aluminum front grill, chrome door handles, chrome gauge rings, a leather shift boot, a leather parking brake boot and a Nardi shift **** that perfect matches the factory Nardi steering wheel. Today, I am drilling through the floor to do the last mount for my 4-point harness.
It definitely does accelerate like a VQ, but the handling is incredible. I got mine with the optional sport suspension that has bilstein shocks, siffer springs, a bigger rear sway bar and a front shock tower brace. I already upgraded teh brakes with Axxis Deluxe pads front and rear(yes, the same pads as on the Max). The brakes work extremely well with a hard pedal, great feel and modulation. Oversteer is easy. Turn-in is incredible(I scared the sh*t out of Wic and Mitch at Courtesy taking the U-turns on Central at 35 mph). I come out of turns with my foot on the floor and the car does whatever I steer it to do. It has the best ride/handling balance of any car I have ever driven. If it had about a 100 more hp, it would be perfect.
As far as the turbo goes, I have been actually looking into it. I likt the FMII setup with the small ball bearing turbo. With a mid-pipe and exhaust, it starts building boost at 1500 rpms. It flattens the torque from 3500-6500 rpms. It does 245-250 hp at the wheels with a stock motor. Keep in mind that is in a 2300-2350 lb car. It would be a lot of fun, but then I can't autocross in stock class. I am not saying it won't happen, it just won't happen for at least a year.
I haven't changed anything on the Max for a while. It is still at 284 hp @ 6350 and 262 lb-ft @ 5100. The good news is that Vinny at Courtesy is negotiating a VLSD tranny for me. In addition, now Courtesy is an ACT dealer. I can now get a good deal on the clutch and flywheel at the same time. I wonder what a difference the lightweight flywheel makes on wheel HP?...
The early 300ZX brakes are 11.0x0.8" vented discs with 4-piston aluminum calipers. The later 300ZX brakes are 11.0x1.1" vented discs with 4-piston iron calipers. Skylines are 11.7x1.3" directionally vented and cross-drilled discs with larger 4-piston aluminum calipers. Z calipers came in either black with silver "NISSAN" script or unpainted with "NISSAN" script. Skyline calipers are gray powder coat with silver "NISSAN" script. Skyline calipers are so much larger than Z calipers that the won't fit inside the stock wheels on a 300ZX-TT without shaving the lettering off.
[Edited by Loren00Miata on 02-03-2001 at 07:00 PM]
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post