Just thought I would share what I've been up too for the last few weeks with you guys.

It started off with going from 15" wheels down to 13s
This saved me 13.8kgs



After doing this I decided the front arches looked a little odd (and tatty)
So ordered some carbon csr style ones from kitcardirect (arrived broken and so thin you could see daylight through 80% of them!)
They were sent back and I ordered some from Carbon NV (a milion times better!!! full carbon with no grp, very rigid and amazing quality!)

The brackets are getting picked up from powder coating today, but I weighed the wings to compare with the old grp ones.
Old ones were 2.19kg
New ones 1.17kg

Hopefully I'll get them fitted later!

Next up, I snapped up a set of AB performance paddle shifters from off here a few weeks ago and set about fitting them.
I have never been impressed with the sierra steering column so decided to get rid of it and make a new one.

I fabricated a mount to sit just behind the dash with a spherical bearing mounted in it, and another in a flange that bolts to the bulkhead above my pedals. Then a length of 3/4 steel tube runs through them with a BG Racing quick release boss at the top and a triangular section on the bottom that clamps into the sierra lower section of column.
The paddles also bolt solid to the upper bearing mount.

This has improved the gear change feel SO much! the old paddles were a DIY jobby and were very 'sloppy', the new kit is so crisp and precise!

I also got a momo team 280mm from my wife for christmas, so that has replaced the 300mm rmd one.

More savings were had here too!

Old column, supports, paddles, stalks, wheel, boss came to a total of 5.32kg

New gear to replace all of the above comes to 4.14kg

1.18kg saved, and looks a million times better, as well as working better!

Here are the old paddles/column:


New ones fitted, just a few little tidy up jobs to do to finish it off:







So far I've saved, 16kg
Nothing drastic, but every little helps I guess!

But... I also bought some side impact bars to get fitted, so this will take off some of those savings, but hopefully add extra stiffness to the chassis as well as safety!

Looking great, who's seats are you using?

Looking good Matt

I'd be interested to see some side on pictures of the new arches fitted, as I'm looking to get some and have 13" wheels as well.

Are those Yoko AO32s on your new wheels? .. they must be getting on a bit, not been made in 13" for quite a few years now afaik?

Looks a great job.

I ordered some carbon NV arches a few weeks ago(yet to hear anything from him since the order though) so hearing they a great quality pleases me

I am also tempted to drop to 13's too. Did you have many issues with clearance on the rear brakes? Is it a pig to sort?

Thanks guys,

I was out in the garage last night fitting the arches so I'll get pics later!

Yer they're getting on a bit! I got given them just to get the wheels fitted and to sit on over winter, the rubber is absolutely rock solid on them!

Adamirish, give Mark an email and ask for an update, he was very helpful with me and responds quickly. No issues as such with the rear brakes, just need a little tweeking to the handbrake spring and lever arm, I managed to reshape my springs to take a coil off using a vice and a few different tools to hold and bend bits around a socket. Be careful though as they can snap quite easily!
Someone on here has some shortened ones for sale, cant remember the name though.

I'd be interested to get some more details of your steering column as well Matt. Guage of the 3/4 tube for instance(was it 3/4 or a metric size too?), and where you got the spherical bearings from.

I'm junking my sierra boss/wheel, and have a lifeline quick release to weld on. I was going to mod a sierra column, but getting rid altogether would produce a neater result I think

I used 3/4 tube with 2mm side wall, solid bar would probably have been a better choice though.

The spherical bearings and housings were from mcgill motorsport
I mounted one in a flange type arrangement that bolts where the lower bush sits.
Then the other one is mounted to a flange on legs (1! box section legs) and mounts to the steering column mount and comes out to just behind the dash.

I cut a section of triangular bit off the sierra column and machined a few inches of it so it slid inside the 3/4 tube, then drilled a few holes to weld it in place and also welded around the end.
The boss splined section was machined to have a few mm slide into the tube too, this was welded around and also had a sleeve welded over it just to make sure!


As promised, here are the front wings.
They could be mounted slightly lower, but I also want to get 15" wheels in if needed.
Ive used some stainless 6mm countersunk bolts with black anodised countersunk alloy washers, which finish them off nicely I think!

Thanks Matt, that's all really helpful. I still think you made the right choice with the tube against bar though, original column is a tube after all. and tube is pretty strong. I'm going the same way with mine.

Car looks great with the new wings too, I'm going to order some on Monday

Done!
We're back on the road!!

Just needs to suspension setting up and I'll be getting some track days booked







[Edited on 28/3/17 by Matt21]

On a slightly on/offtopic post how do you find working on the car in a single garage?

Is there enough room or is it a hassle everytime?

Looking at getting a kit soon and your garage looks a similar size.

Lovely car btw!!

Brilliant winter improvements! Have you thought about using some 'jack the gripper' tyre additive on the 32s to soften them up a bit? Maybe a good cheap way to make them more usable until you get the others on.

I have neglected my Indy over winter and now rushing to get it ready for Spring eek!

Hope to see you at a track day soon.

Nathsx - I find it ok, I prefer it out on the drive obviously, but it is quite sloped so not ideal. If it's wet then I managed ok in the garage. I park it right over to one side and have enough room down the otherside to get in and do what I need. Only time I struggle is when i need all four wheels or a wheel from each side off, but it's still doable.

WillisRR - I've not tried the additive, I'll be ordering new tyres for when I get home in a couple of weeks though, thanks for the suggestion though!

Just looking at trackdays now but cant decide what to book...
I was thinking of blyton for the first one of the year just to get things dialled in and running right as I know the track. They all seem to be the outer circuit on the days I'm home, I prefer the eastern
I'd also like to get to cadwell... but maybe later after I know the cars running well.

Might book blyton for 17th April or 28th May. April one only gives me 2 days to get my suspension set up beforehand though!