Back in Winning Blue. Our 'new' Project Blue!

[91 IMPULSE RS]

What bars are you currently using, I have the Racing Beat on mine now and am installing my Ohlins this weekend, just wondering whether the larger rear bar would make the car oversteer to much, at least it would according to Shaik's calculator?

[almazing]

How is the brake bias affected by installing the Wilwood BBK? I imagine it would be so much more front biased, but does that affect the balance in a negative way?

Also, if safety wiring the hub to the rotors a necessity? And do the calipers come with a 'Speedbleeder' type bleeders?

[Brian]

Standard bleeders.

On that safety wire, certainly there are modern hat to rotor connection setups that don't use safety wire (our NA/NB kits) and it has not been an issue. Not sure why Wilwood went back to a safety wire setup here, but since they designed this particular setup for safety wire, you do need to use it.

I have under 100 miles so far, but no issues on bias noticed so far. I will add that the OWNER of Wilwood Engineering happens to own an NC ...and has daily driven a prototype version of these brakes for many months.

[almazing]

Standard bleeders.

On that safety wire, certainly there are modern hat to rotor connection setups that don't use safety wire (our NA/NB kits) and it has not been an issue. Not sure why Wilwood went back to a safety wire setup here, but since they designed this particular setup for safety wire, you do need to use it.

I have under 100 miles so far, but no issues on bias noticed so far.

Thank you Brian. I am considering ordering a set of the slotted only 12.8 inch Wilwood BBK. I assume that I have to purchase the safety wire separately? Also, you wouldn't happen to know if you have any of thse BBKs in stock would you? I'd much rather swing by the shop to pick them up rather than pay for the shipping costs.

[Brian]

Standard bleeders.

On that safety wire, certainly there are modern hat to rotor connection setups that don't use safety wire (our NA/NB kits) and it has not been an issue. Not sure why Wilwood went back to a safety wire setup here, but since they designed this particular setup for safety wire, you do need to use it.

I have under 100 miles so far, but no issues on bias noticed so far.

Thank you Brian. I am considering ordering a set of the slotted only 12.8 inch Wilwood BBK. I assume that I have to purchase the safety wire separately? Also, you wouldn't happen to know if you have any of thse BBKs in stock would you? I'd much rather swing by the shop to pick them up rather than pay for the shipping costs.

Yes, currently we have several of the kits on shelf.

Yes, you would need to separately source the safety wire and safety wire pliers (Napa has both).

[colt45]

C30 or C38 ? Please do the NC community a big favor and make room for the C38.

I went through the compressor maps and if I'm reading them correctly, the C38 is the more efficient, less compression heat choice at lower boost pressures. I didn't look at high pressure. So, I would like that option as well.

[brandontrek]

Brian,
Now that you have the Wilwoods on, how would you compare them to the Racing Brake Kit. Seem to be the same price, how do they stack up in weight?

[Brian]

I think the Wilwood kit wins a faceoff between the two, about the same weight but certainly a step up in caliper tech, 6 piston forged narrow on the Wilwood kit with larger leading edge pistons, vs more simple large four piston on the Racing Brake kit. The six piston caliper is quite compact, more wheels will fit the Wilwood kit.

[Brian]

TODAY, LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY.....TESTED!

For a car that we just finished this week I am so proud of the performance today of this project!!! The car was a blast to chuck through the turns. The Ohlins let me run over the rumble strips with abandon and cut the corners without upsetting the chassis, driving most of the track in fourth gear....and the brakes let me push deeper into brake zones than most any other car here. The TOYO R1R 'street' tires are not as firm and crisp on turn-in as a race tire, but ultimate grip was good, and though for max performance we would spread them onto a 9 inch wide rim, the results of 235/40/17 on 'just' 8 inches was still quite good.

This was the FIRST track test for the new Wilwood brakes ....and they are AMAZING. I out braked most every car here. My super fast track buddies were hitting the brakes in their dedicated race cars at second to last brake marker at turn 2.....and I was full speed in fifth gear and pushing just a bit deeper and I still able to finish a neat double apex on Turn 2. The brakes are so good, they proved better today than the even bigger 13+ inch RX8 Big brakes in my NCLIGHT race car. The big brake kit on NCLIGHT uses a four piston Racing Brake caliper, and I think the credit for the superior Wilwood performance on smaller 12.88 rotors goes to the more sophisticated 6 piston Wilwood caliper. Feel and modulation were miles better than stock and better than the 4 piston Racing Brake kit. When we get home I will change our NCLIGHT track car to these new Wilwood brakes. I did nothing to the rear brakes! In the rear this car has stock pads on stock rotors. The car had no issues with bias control. This car was actually more fun than our NCLIGHT today, everything worked so well. Several customers on rides told me they KNEW WE WOULD NOT MAKE TURN TWO....and were shocked we did without drama. The speed of the car had one rider asking "Turbo?" and he was shocked when I said "stock motor, stock intake, with our bolt on RoadsterSport Max Power Header, RoadsterSport Midpipe, RoadsterSport Q Exhaust... and finished with our Ecutek Reflash."

BTW, you can see our front splitter that I added to the Project Blue the hour before we hit the road for Laguna. I shot it with some Plastidip spary paint in the hope that the slightly rubber texture of the coating would mean that rocks would bounce off on track days and not nick it. End of the first day it looks great so far, will keep an eye on it in the days to come. I put it on because otherwise the NC1 nose generates some scary lift over turn 1 at Laguna once over about 100mph.

[Brian]

WOW, what an amazing weekend!

Big thanks to all. Rick and Keith did an amazing job!

There are so many things that make THIS LAGUNA weekend so special. We see many customers at this event that we only see at this event. And only at this event do we see so many of our fellow vendors all working their magic on the Miata at the same time. To look across the garage and see our friends from Flyin Miata, 949Racing, Moss, Blackbird Fabworxs, and more all turning wrenches on Miatas at the same time is an amazing sight. And we are all borrowing tools from each other, I needed to borrow a jumper and the CatFish guys needed a multimeter and somebody else needed some of our zip ties and around and around the sharing of tools and ideas and camaraderie goes. Special thanks to Emilio and the rest of the 949Racing group for their friendship on and off the track for so many years, always a great time to meet up with them on the track and off for fun and good times.