--Project Thunderpants-- SGP Type R

[sobabe]

The trackday at The Ridge didn't go as planned lol.

It started off fine, sun came out slowly and it got warmer as the day progressed. Got some solid runs in but didn't time anything bc I knew this was mostly a practice day to test the car, so I didn't want to get ahead of myself and risk it for the biscuit just yet. Also planned to get some footage during my last session, but the fun ended before that unfortunately.

In the second to last session, the brakes suddenly lost their bite at the last corner of the track, so I immediately pitted to check it out. Rolling in neutral presented horrible screeching and grinding sounds... not something any of us want to hear.

Turns out I went right through the stock pads and the screeching sounds were the pad backing plates grinding on the rotors on the rears. fml.

Check your pads after every session kids, and always bring extra pads. I now have to pay the price of inattention and ignorance ?‍

Had it towed all the way back down to Portland, no way in hell it would make it that far without some catastrophic failure. But on the bright side, its time for some upgrades ?

Anyone have any suggestions on tough pads and rotors for track use?

 

[sobabe]

Well, did some stuff.

Replaced the brakes with GLOC R10 pads up front, GS-1 pads in the rear and replaced the rotors all round with OEMs. Was looking for blanks but couldn't find any cheaper than the OEM drilled rotors smh. Also upgraded brake fluid to ATE Type 200.

Another thing I installed is the Hardrace front lower camber adjusters. I was sick of understeer and so now I was able to dial in -3.4º camber each up front and -0.1 total toe out in the back to hopefully induce more grip up front and more rotation in the back, respectively.

Also check out this sick genuine ITR k20 turbo build that was in the shop with my civic. Owner also owns a built NSX, an FK8 and an S2000. The stuff dreams are made of.

During the long wait for parts, I went racing in other cars lol. I'm an addict ?

Took it to Pacific raceways a few days ago and oh boy, what a difference! I was able to brake harder and more consistently, as well as rotate the car around the corner rather than drag it through understeer. Glad I didn't have to resort to a rear sway bar to fix this issue!

 

[ApexEight]

Nice work. How was the ball joint install? Seems like a tight space.

 

[sobabe]

Nice work. How was the ball joint install? Seems like a tight space.

Good question! Small clarification, they're camber adjusters. The ball joint holds the lower control arm to the "outer" knuckle, while the camber adjusters sit between the "outer" and "inner" knuckle (not super sure what the correct names for em are).

Here's a pic of the difference between the two: The ball joint is what connects the lower two pieces, and the camber adjuster connects the inner two (the bolt head for it is facing down).

My installer mentioned it seemed less straightforward than installing tophats with camber adjustment because of the compact dual axis strut design, but after reading the instructions that came with the camber adjusters, it was pretty straightforward.

 

[sobabe]

I had hoped this day would never come; I sold the civic. It was the fastest car I’ve owned till now, a hoot to drive, and its polarizing looks never ceased to amuse me. I’m genuinely blown away with how much the civic has evolved since the last one I’ve owned, a 2004 Si hatch. If you had told me even as recently as 5 years ago that I could hit 165mph in a stockish civic, I would have laughed at you. Now that I’ve done it myself though, I really believe this is going to become a collectors car in the near future, as it's not far off from the performance of supercars from less than a decade ago + the new Type R probably coming out as a hybrid.

Unfortunately though, there were a couple reasons why it was better for me to let it go than to hang on to it. When I initially purchased it, I thought it would be a good balance between utility and sport for me; a four door hatchback has plenty of room for people and stuff, but enough grunt to haul @$$ around a track. What I eventually came to realize was that I pretty much don’t need any utility from my personal car (I don’t have my own family nor many friends who need rides lol) and that I could afford to have much more performance and less utility. I’m pretty happy with that tbh, I’m just a speed demon above all else.

So while the Civic was great while it lasted, it’s time to move on to something faster for cheaper, since I can. A part of me feels bit flippant to dismiss the Type R so quickly, but cars to me are just tools to use, not something to be sentimental over.

Of course, I might be back in 10 years when I actually do need a mix between performance and utility. And if that happens, feel free to call me a hypocrite ?

Until then, enjoy these pics from my most recent trackday at The Ridge, which are watermarked bc I spent all my money on entry fees ?