Everyone must own an Alfa

This needs sound, it really really needs sound. About as much as I need to buy an Alfa about now.

Amazing. Pro tip, the engine is the 3.2 V6 that's in the pricey 147 GTA, the pricer and more exclusive 156 GTA and rather handily the much-maligned Alfa GT. Car sales online hunting begins (for a couple of years I might add).

Credit to David Ceroni who may put up a copyright notice, but it'll need to be in English cos I don't know what cease and desist is in Italian (always got a slap first)... 

A must listen

An interview with the legend that is Murry Walker. Commentator and all-round icon of F1 for many years.

I grew up listening to Murry nearly every second Sunday as the race schedule had it. He talked through all the iconic winners in F1's arguably greatest years.

eRacing

Tips from most certainly not the master...

I thought I'd share my early life as a 'sim' racer. I say 'sim' as I race on a PS4 - which puts me in the Luddite category as far as the master race is concerned. That's fine, it's taken about 30seconds to read this far - time for you PC folks to do an upgrade, no need to read on.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my wisdom with a small "w". Some of it may be useful, some of it may be useful if you do the exact opposite...

Assumptions

• You've got a PS4
• You've got a wheel, pedals and a shifter
• You've got a few games, namely:
• Project Cars 2 - Plus the DLC
• Assetto Corsa - Plus the DLC
• Something Rally (WRC7, Dirt Rally, Seb Loeb, they're all dated and good)
• (Shudder) GT Sport
• You've got a ready supply of beer

Hero to Zero

It's highly unlikely you're Sir Stirling Moss - and if you are well you're unlikely to be an expert at sim racing.

You see the challenge is that what you do with the wheel relates to what's going on on the screen - and for some that takes an age to get right. Judging distances on a 2D television can be tricky to start with - and getting braking distances right is even harder.

If you're 'da'man then grab a 935, run it at 100% turbo and try any track with a few corners... go on, report back... 

But seriously, the feeling of speed is as artificial as the game, but it is there. And read on for tips on how to get up and running...

Initial setup

Assuming it's all new you'll have a few new gadgets to get sorted on. As such, when you start racing you'll have to adjust a load of things:

• In-game force feedback settings - default is OK. Games like PCars2 really benefit from some tailoring. Note this is per-game too!
• Potentially pedal/H pattern setup - you might have adjustable pedals. Certainly, all should be set up where you can reach them easily and if you can; at the right pressure.
• Steering wheel - I've found closer than I would normally have in a real car. Arms get tired racing all the time, and a bit more leverage is no bad thing.

Really it's worth putting in the effort. Not everyone likes the same thing. Personally, I like a lighter wheel that's more fidgety so basically like power steering. Others like a heavy wheel, probably reflecting the use of a more stable setup than me.

First drive
Pick a relatively slow car class, but a race car class. Also, pick a track you know that's not too long as a reference track.
The car - having something that handles well without too much power is a good thing, as you'll experience:

• PIO - Pilot Induced Oscillation (it's a thing). Basically, you'll overcorrect like mad at first.
• Outbraking yourself. Getting the corners right is the biggest pain!

My suggestion would be Assetto Corsa, MkII Escorts on Brands Hatch Short. Not only is this a reasonably challenging track for it's four or so corners. Also, the car revs like nothing else and has great traction (whilst being rear wheel drive!). There's a reason club racing is in slower stuff! 

Setup of cars in Assetto is finicky, I'd leave well alone for now.

In both Assetto & PCars2 I'd be setting the difficulty of the AI to low/easy. In PCars2 you can also set the aggressiveness to low too, not a bad idea, but be prepared for them to virtually stop on the corners.

Having a reference track is a good thing - different setups and cars can be tested here and you'll generally know it's the car not the track when testing. Brands is good as it has a longer version of the track for faster cars. And for sure, on a race night when you casually pick a GT3 car, it's for certain that the other racers have tested every car for handling and performance - probably on the track we're about to race... 

Race time

I'd be moving to PCars2 for this in fact. It's a better immersive race game, and a bit easier too (Go back to Assetto in time, the racing at Spa, for example, is amazing).  I'd say anything racing is good in PCars2, just needs practice.

Setup in PCars2 is worth a note, we set radiator openings smaller and generally shrink the brake cooling ducts to try and get some straight line benefit (I race with visual damage only normally). The other option to mess with is engine braking, setting that correctly is a huge benefit in PCars2.

There's also a lot of wheel settings to be had, as well as default button assignments etc. I think I have the right setup (for me!) and am always happy to share.

Be the driver!

I'd recommend using H pattern for all cars that have it, and paddles for sequential and of course paddle cars. Asseto will force that in any case if your H pattern is connected. 

In terms of driving ability, heel & toe is king in both games if you don't want to loop it on every bend. Trail braking is something I'm not good at yet and it probably would help. If you're using paddles then left foot braking will help a great deal into bends.

A mistake I made was always going from accelerator to brake, in fact the engine braking on some of these cars is far better than hatchback outright braking. 

Overall it's true you get out what you put in. If you race with traction & stability control on along with automatic gearbox it'll feel just like a Prius...

Having said this, leave ABS on, with no feedback in the pedal you'll be faster with it on initally. As you get into racing then look to turn off for a better racing experience.

Online

Get a good crew to take you through all of the above. My details are on the blog (PSN: andyc709292) and I'm happy to entertain new drivers to the group for sure. Beyond that, find a mate online who can help with the nuances of sim racing...

Do stay away from public lobbies for now. We tend to avoid, but on race nights of late we've taken to raiding a few rooms, with 3-4 of us in a race we can avoid total carnage. Basically... every lobby online is populated by kids or people acting like kids...

What was my last race?

Worth noting what I raced with a mate in the last race night as it sums up sim racing well.

The first race was 25 minutes of 24Hrs of Daytona. In a GroupC XJR-9. Evan fared better than me. But the whole overnight racing thing was exceptional.

The second race was Formula Ford at Cadwell Park Woodland. A super short race that couldn't have been more different to our previous 'enduro'. 

The last race of the night was the same Formula Fords at Long Beach for 10 laps with a mandatory stop. 

All most excellent races!

Time to enjoy

Short post of words this one, I used up my monthly quota of communication in the last one.
No, this post is because I'm putting some pics up of my car as it's largely done for now. Certainly for a few months at least...

And it's true what a learned friend said when I embarked on MX5 ownership - "It's easy to overdo the car, just get in an enjoy it".

I look at it, and like a plastic surgery addict I'm wondering about lowering it a few centimetres, I'm considering a larger throttle body, and of course some mad brakes and wheels... but really, and I just proved this as I went for a ten minute cruise, this car is good as it is.

It goes and stops well, very well really. Plenty for the tight road restrictions around here. And with the induction noise coupled to a tiny bit more exhaust, it sounds great too. The cabin is fine now too, I've made a few adjustments there, and it's all good.

I'm thinking that to do much more to this car is going to give it focus, and I'm not sure for a car that my eldest likes coming out for a drive in that's a good thing. You see, I decided with this car more than any other that it would be a car to have adventures in, a tool to achieve something as it were. And yet it's close to becoming "the car" and the focus of what we (well, I) do - and I don't want that.

I want it to be something that we're happy to go down a dirt track on (tick! done that) or just put the top up and head home as we're both over the sun (Many ticks!). It needs to be growly for sure, but off throttle not too bad, it has to be able to sit in traffic.

And so, it's there, I think. It certainly is a car I love to look at, is great to drive and one that I'm planning on being part of many adventures to come!

.... just with bigger brakes, throttle body and tyres. And maybe some adjustable coilovers. Imagine the adventures with that lot bolted on!

SimSpec Console Edition

So many articles are out there for folks who have money to burn, a technology deathwish with PCs and enough space to build what can only be described as a racing sex cage. Not so many for gentlefolk who a. have a car to go out in when they want and b. aren't ruled by technology...

And in that land is consoles. Recently a good friend asked me for advice (ha!) so here it is...

I'll start with the easier bits (scroll to the bottom for a shortcut):

Console
Get a PS4 Pro. I like them, they're pretty well priced and some of the racing games really benefit from the beefier processor. Also, can do HDR and 4K TV unlike it's older cousin.

Games
Somewhat personal preference but if you're going to race with "my crew" (of two) then:

• Project Cars 2 - and all the DLC via PSN is easiest. This is our go-to racing game, the one we play most when it comes to competitive racing.
• Assetto Corsa - and all the DLC via PSN. We do play this, and if we have enough mates online (4+) then we'll fire this up as it's actually, in our opinion, the better game. For pure driving experience I think it can't be beaten on the PS4.
• WRC7 - if you're wanting a rally game this is a very accessible start point. Dirt Rally (not Dirt 4) is a Rally Sim, but unless your name starts with Petter, Stig or Sebastian then edge into rallying slowly (or sideways I suppose!).

Steering wheel

We use G29's with a pedal spring upgrade. This is fine but given a little more budget and I'd plump for the T300RS or similar from Thrustmaster.

T300RS

Nicer wheel...

Alcantara Ferrari Wheel (change the badge!)

I'd upgrade the pedals right off too (and keep the spare set)

Fancy Pedals

Must have a gear selector

H Pattern

Whilst your budget is blown out of the water...

Shift lights

Racing Seat

Check JB HiFi and friends, but this isn't a bad price for a folding seat...

Racing seat

TV

Most of us have a TV. I will say that a 4k HDR TV and a decent HDMI cable is a good thing for the PS4 Pro. But you know, anything will do! Bigger is better.

Sound

Surround sound is not a bad call.

If you're using a stereo (no headphones) then you'll need this

Single-ear headset and mic

Single ear and this one as other ones get a sweaty ear. This set is designed for glasses, so there's a gap, lets airflow which is a bonus.

If you've not got surround sound, others use this sort of solution

7.1 Surround headset

Don't underestimate the value of hearing a car's mid-engine growling behind you...

Virtual Reality

For the PS4 there's not much in gaming land at the moment. Get the kit wherever, and the racing games that are available are:

• GT Sport - well executed. Only 1:1 races though. But probably best on the PS4 at the moment. I don't like the game, but that's mostly practice. 
• Dirt Rally - apparently good for VR. Full on experience.
• Driveclub - I like the game, but many complain that this is vomit inducing due to clipping etc on scenery (your brain can't process the mess!) It's an old game now though too.

So lost....

Give https://www.pagnianimports.com.au/ a call and tell them what you want. A premium, but cheaper than a garage full of bits that don't work together!

They do kits too: PS4 Kit This is super simple and probably 90% of the above if not more.

Final word...

My mates and I aren't the fastest out there (well one of us is, dammit) and for someone entering the genre, we'd just pick slower cars. A bit of practice and sim racing is a rewarding sport that can bring much joy, albeit without the burnt oil smell!

But was it worth it?

Hopefully final purchase for a while. Certainly the last one before the Bathurst trip...

And this one? A muffler (Backbox for the Brits out there, and it sounds better anyway) and some gear selector boots'n'stuff.

So the exhaust...

I bought this

PS4 Controller for scale, much bigger tip it seems

Removal of the old one was a ten-minute job once I realised a touch of oil on the rubbers made them slippery. Will save this for spares if there's a problem with the other one.

New one, by comparison, much smaller box playing host to a much larger tip. Vicar...

Fitted. Looks lovely.

So the sound? Well I think I can hear a bit more bass. More throaty at normal speeds. At license testing speeds? Dunno, the mad induction noise is far louder. I think it's all a bit more intense. Certainly giving it beans is great.

Was it worth it?

That's the $500 question. I think probably. It's made the car sound a bit more grown up, and I'm sure as the baffles lose a bit of their brand new magic it'll get a bit more growly. But, if I'd known it would sound as it does alongside the induction kit I think I'd maybe have waited. LOL. No, no I wouldn't, I wanted it so I got it!

And then the radiator

And now with the help of Evan I've fitted the radiator, as well as some fancy retaining clips that add a few spots of red onto the cam cover.

Overall a good look I think:

Tips

• Coolant flush mmkay
• Air-con pipes foul the radiator fan cowling as far as we could tell
• An angle grinder soon sorted the problem
• Bleeding the radiator didn't seem to be an issue some talk about it being a pain, but take your time filling with no bubbles etc - and all seemed OK
• Washer bottle pipe wasn't/isn't the right size, but cable tied OK.

And that should be it... except that I've ordered a gearbox boot rebuild kit and a new exhaust muffler. 

And I can't wait to fit both!

Edit...
And then I thought I'd do a side by side of the engine bay compared to when I bought it. Not standard for sure, and much of it is bling that folks would say is pointless. Except as I've mentioned below, it's stuff I like, and that's the point.
I'll also point out that that the radiator is better cooling, the intake is better breathing, the heat shield is better airflow and the little red bolts on the engine is replacing the clips that were pulled out in a head-off event. The rest is bling though, fair point.
Check the difference, for the price, fair updates I think:

Gas'o'matic

I do like Donut Media. I like their articles and just like the third slice of cheesecake it does get a bit rich. And the "all you need to know about..." series is hard work it's so American. But the content is exceptional.

So to this post. I watch Mighty Car Mods (Aussie car dudes) and it seems whatever you do to your car you have to move it over to E85, but what does it do?

Well Donut is careful to tread down the line of 'might' when describing the damage and performance changes to your car, but it's a good summary nevertheless....

Behold:

End of the beginning

This post is more for me than it is for you.

You see I've got my MX5, and if you didn't know, that little acronym (or whatever it is) appears in many of my conversations these days. If not all of them.
I don't name cars, it's a car, but I certainly have built up quite an attachment to this car - it's been a voyage of upside really, unlike that project beemer that sucked the soul from me...

So this post?
Well, I did this,

Then I did this,

Which is great, and I love the look of the car as a result. A bit of race car and some style. I know it's stylish as it's a style bar. And certainly, it's not any sort of rollover protection. I actually think it might be a paper roll covered in alfoil, but that's OK, it looks ace.

Then yesterday I fixed a few other things on the car, and this got me thinking about all the jobs I've done on the car, so without further fanfare behold the list (mostly in chronological order):

• Swapped indicators for smoked lenses
• Swapped reflectors for clear lenses
• Fitted chromed filler cap
• Fitted clear centre brake light
• Swapped factory stereo for Pioneer with USB. And handy cubby
• Fitted antenna remote switch - down for USB etc.
• Fitted a stupidly expensive radiator cap (never again)
• Fitted stainless radiator airflow plate
• Replaced handbrake lever for steel affair
• Removed sun visors and fitted blanking plates
• Removed the dodgy in-car phone kit (not complete)
• Serviced the car which included rocker cover gasket replacement and brake grinding (one was sticking on)
• Painted the strut brace red
• Fitted fancy oil breather (apparently a bit suspect)
• Swapped the oil filler cap for a nice one
• Coloured the dip stick red - in keeping with highlights
• Replaced the standard induction kit with K&N free breathing kit
• Cleaned the headlights - they're not Euro yellow ones mmmkay
• Replaced the cigarette lighter with a twin USB charging port
• Relocated the front number plate to where it used to be, and should be
• Decent sun strip fitted
• Fitted a fire extinguisher
• Fitted a fake roll hoop, that looks nice
• Replaced the little nylon gear selector doobrie - nice shifting!
• Replaced the nylon window winder guide for the driver's side - nice lifting!

Beyond that, I have a lovely aluminium radiator to fit over the break, and I'm waiting on some bolts to reaffix the various cable retainers - they being pulled out in the service.

When funds allow I'll be putting a sporty exhaust on it. Not because I'm hunting for the elusive 5% gain, but because as you'll see from the list above, I like this car and I like enjoying this car so having sound a little bit more racecar is fine by me!

I'll keep you posted!