Sunday, September 22, 2019

[Focus] Track photos, ordering supplies, pondering wheels

[note: this post, like an air-cooled 911, is back-dated to when these events occurred]

[also note: I have condensed multiple forum posts into this entry, please forgive awkward transitions]

I ordered a spare interior trim piece and removed some material to allow it to install with the Schroth lead in place. The correct part number is G1EZ5431057AA for the driver's side.



Mountune (USA) was offering 20% off for labor day, so I purchased their track brake pads, braided lines, and lowering springs. I have no idea if I actually want to lower the car but the savings were good enough that I went for it anyway. Unfortunately Mountune USA has bamboozled me again, as soon as I ordered I received an email informing me that the brake pads and lines, listed "in stock," are not in stock. No ETA was provided in the email and my two emails asking for more information have not been answered. Fool me once, fool me twice... never again with these guys.


I received the springs in the mail, and then I received a small box with the rear pads. Okay... Popped over to Mountune UK to find that the braided lines are much cheaper so I just ordered them from there. Unfortunately I suspect that the track pads are a different product, so I didn't order those. The next track day is a month away so I really need Mountune to get their stuff together or I'm going to have to go with a different option.



CaliPhotography.com was at the track taking photos, I purchased some snaps from them.



On the approach toward Turn 6



You're not a real car person until you have a shot coming down the Corkscrew...



Side-on at the bottom of the Corkscrew. Look at the load on that front tire! That's at 45psi hot...


Ended up ordering everything from Mountune UK: track pads, braided lines (half the price in the UK for some reason), and threw in an air filter while I was at it. Stuck the air filter in today. Result: more induction turbo spooling noise. Cool.




I'm never ordering from Mountune USA again. I have no idea how long they can run their business like that.


In other news, I'm looking at wheel options since my Super Sports are probably going to be toast after the next track day. I was looking for a do-it-all wheel/tire combo initially - light forged 18" wheels with streetable track tires or trackable street tires. Then I decided, if I'm going to keep going to the track, I should probably just purchase two different sets. It opens up more options for a better-aesthetic-but-maybe-heavier wheel option for the street and then having track wheels and tires that are more aggressive and better suited for that task.


RIght now I have my eye on the Fifteen52 Podiums for the street, but I am holding off ordering because they keep teasing a flow-formed option called the Holeshot RSR. It will launch in a 19x9 et45 size, which is confusing because it's 0.5" wider than all their other RS-specific fitments, but with the same offset. I don't want to have to lower the car and dial in camber to get these looking good so we'll see how it pans out. The Podiums are cast and slightly heavier (still lighter than the stock wheels I have now), but as I said if they're a street wheel I don't mind so much. I like the faux-centerlock style and interchangeable cap pieces.