Nurburgring prep

S

Sav

Member
Hello,

I have a trip to the ring planned for the 1st May 2014 (not long). Need to get the car prepared for it so will be getting a early service just before I go (first since owning it, more for peace of mind), new wheels and tyres (need to get rid of run flats) + spare steel wheel.

The car itself has 72,000 miles on it now, so I was thinking the bushes are more than likely gone. The car does tramline a lot over uneven road surfaces but I don't know whether this is because of the rft's or the wishbone bushes. May replace them as it looks like a fairly straight forward job, but how much are the powerflex bushes?

Regarding brakes, I find the standard set work well for the road but have read that they can deteriorate with hard use. I have seen people upgrade to 325mm size, but what calipers are used? Does it all bolt straight on?

The car is a E86 3.0si. Any other hints/tips or advice is more than welcome

Thanks in advance.
 
If it's a Si model it will have 325mm brakes anyway...

The tram lining is probably due to the fact it has RFLT,s and unless there is a lot of play in the front wheels the bushes should be fine...other than that the Si is capable enough to a one off track day.. :thumbsup:
 
Public day. Leaving Newcastle on the 1st of May, that weekend will be nearly all public, its going to be busy!
 
In which case, the main bit of prep I would do would be to read my insurance policy and ensure I was covered. It is a public road during TF and third party insurance is mandatory. The number of UK insurers that still provide TF cover is vanishingly small.
 
I would recommend you read the info in this link
http://www.nurburgring.org.uk

And since you are from the UK this link is vital
http://nurburgring.org.uk/insurance.php

I am also going to be at the ring from 1 - 4 of May, so maybe we will run in to each other :-) (well, not literally ;-))
As for things to prep, I would recommend changing all the fluids in the car (if it's been a long time since last time), use/get a helmet and store the nurburgring emergency number on your phone.
 
You won't be insured, by your normal policy. Fact of life I'm afraid.

Your quite right to do a service before you go, but also expect to need some work when you get back. I destroyed a brand new set of pads and the front wishbone bushes when I was out there for a weekend.

Don't forget to get breakdown and recovery insurance.
 
Every year I look, and every year I fail to find an insurer to cover me 3rd party on the 'Ring.

Surely they could look at my 20+ year's of track history and price me up a policy based on my track 'accident' history - i.e. one trip across the grass 20 years ago at Castle Combe (no damage) and one trip into the gravel 10 years ago at Oulton Park (again with no damage).

I've come to accept the fact that I'll be bankrupted if I cause a huge 3rd party claim.

Yes, I could do similar 3rd party damage by driving/crashing down a Kensington residential street, but the insurance companies are happy to cover that risk.

The cost of any recovery, track closure, barrier damage will have to go on a credit card and any damage to my car will also have to be out of my own pocket - but my 100k+ Z4MC is probably only worth a couple of £k :poke:

The 'benefit' of this means I probably drive slower than I would if I knew I was fully insured.
 
Check the FCAB's, put in some good DOT 4 like ATE super blue racing or Castrol Dot 5.1 brake fluid in the car and swap the brake pads for something that won't get cooked within 1 lap. (Hawk DTC60 - HT10, Carbone Lorraine RC5+ - RC6 and PFC 08R - PF-01 compound). And of course, have a blast. The Zed is a great car on the ring. Even when mine was still on stock suspension, it was a hoot. The brakes are the weak point.
 
It's quite simple these days, avoid TF, book a trackday. That or stick your head in the sand and hope it doesn't happen to you.

I've moved from doing substantial TF laps to booking one or two trackdays at the 'Ring each year now. The cost is a little higher, but the quality of the lapping and time on the circuit is improved several times over. There really is no better way to lap the 'Ring. No idiots. No traffic. No 3rd party liability.
 
sixspeed said:
It's quite simple these days, avoid TF, book a trackday. That or stick your head in the sand and hope it doesn't happen to you.

I've moved from doing substantial TF laps to booking one or two trackdays at the 'Ring each year now. The cost is a little higher, but the quality of the lapping and time on the circuit is improved several times over. There really is no better way to lap the 'Ring. No idiots. No traffic. No 3rd party liability.
Click to expand...

And no bikes!
 
sixspeed said:
It's quite simple these days, avoid TF, book a trackday. That or stick your head in the sand and hope it doesn't happen to you.

I've moved from doing substantial TF laps to booking one or two trackdays at the 'Ring each year now. The cost is a little higher, but the quality of the lapping and time on the circuit is improved several times over. There really is no better way to lap the 'Ring. No idiots. No traffic. No 3rd party liability.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: - or go midweek when the TF lappers are far far less, thus reducing the risk.

Late/early season is also worth considering.
 
I had a crash in the ring in 2000 on a bike after being hit by another rider. Luckily my holiday insurance covered all my medical bills, helicopter etc and I was lucky not to be billed the time the track was closed. But had a large bill for a new fence, Armco, and recovery to settle in the end.
There are German company's that will cover you for the ring, and offer quite reasonable prices for a daily rate.
I'll have a dig and see if I can find who I used
 
Nathanhu said:
I had a crash in the ring in 2000 on a bike after being hit by another rider. Luckily my holiday insurance covered all my medical bills, helicopter etc and I was lucky not to be billed the time the track was closed. But had a large bill for a new fence, Armco, and recovery to settle in the end.
There are German company's that will cover you for the ring, and offer quite reasonable prices for a daily rate.
I'll have a dig and see if I can find who I used
Click to expand...

You can get first party cover easily. However, you cannot get third party cover which is where the real risk lies.

The first party risks are more or less completely predictable: you and your car. The third party costs are highly unpredictable and potentially enormous.
 
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