NZRacerX's EK9 - 19/10 Interior Pics Up


Thanks for reply, how many hp?
Different dynos, different numbers. ;) At last check it was around 180hp at the wheels, while the engine was still quite "tight" after the rebuild. It's well run in now, and had a few minor changes since then, so it's probably overdue for a small tune-up. Either way, not huge numbers, but hey - it's only a 1.6.
 
Hey thanks for taking the time to reply. Ye i have ran without ps and on track (nurburgring) i did have more confidence in the tyres during high speed cornering etc. But its hard work on the street etc. Also never had abs as mine is a racebase but i think it especially works well with a factory designed setup like your spoon setup.

Thats the best way to build a car, if your comfortable driving it the benefits of removing more aids are negligible
 
Okay, so this is probably one of the most boring on-track videos, but anyway...

This is Qualifying from a couple of weeks ago. Bit of a failure on the video front, in that I didn't have time to check the GoPro viewpoint prior to recording, and then I forgot to stop it after qualifying, flattening the battery so I missed recording the first race. And this vid is basically me just circulating in free space during qualifying. It's about 2 minutes into the vid before the throttle gets opened up. And embarrassingly highlights how casual I can be with the gear changes and the driving position of my hands when driving in free space, haha. Bit of fun though.

 
Looks very comfortable on track! Sounds wiked too. Do u ever wish u should have left it standard? Or is racing too much fun?
 
Some interior pics...

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Looks very comfortable on track! Sounds wiked too. Do u ever wish u should have left it standard? Or is racing too much fun?
I've had it 10 years now. Racing is fun, but tinkering with it is the real fun these days. I do miss being able to enjoy the occasional "spirited" drive on the road, like I could when it was standard. This is still road legal, but even roads with bendy bits are now so far within the car's capabilities that it's just boring on the road now. But otherwise no, I wouldn't go back. It's been fun going through all the changes with it, and I've met some awesome people and made some great friends along the way. :)
 
Just had a good read through this, loving the car! Reminds me of an old user on here from NZ - like yourself. Think his name was Timmiblc with a crazy zebra pattern on his car, dont suppose you know him?
 
Nice set up with the switches, nice seats too looks great
 
Yeah, never seen any reason to take them out (other than small power gains, but I've never been a huge power-chaser).

A few friends have removed the power steering from their race cars, with mixed feedback, including some then looking to put it back in (typically via an MR2 electric pump when retro-fitting). I think it's pretty well established that the "feel" and feedback through a manual rack is better, but it's a trade-off with effort/comfort. Especially with the car still being street-legal. I've never had any issue with how it's felt (especially compared to the JDM EP3 I had, which I would describe as a bit numb in comparison).

As for the ABS, again, never had any issue with it. I've had my Honda Jazz on the track for fun before, and from that I can understand why people would typically remove their ABS system ,as it just kicks in way too early and way too strongly; you could easily brake better without it. But the EK9 ABS is so well set up for the track (when used in conjunction with well matched pads), that I've never been in a situation where I've been getting out-braked. And given the always-limited budget, it means not having to worry about flat-spotting tyres with lock-ups.

To some extent, I've gone in a different direction to most racers for now. Typically people strip as much weight out, and as many driver-aids out, for the lightest, purest experience possible. My car is still VERY heavy for it's race class, as I've made little effort to remove excess weight; there's still full glass all round, electric windows and factory side-impact reinforcement in the doors, no cutting of excess metal, etc. I've kept power steering, ABS, factory heaters and demisters, got some fun electronics like wireless tyres pressure/temperature readouts and traction control (although I haven't had time to set it up properly yet). The car is fun and comfortable, and if I ever get to stripping weight it shouldn't be too difficult to get a substantial amount out. But I like it how it is, and I have no delusions of grandeur on the track. I'm kinda more interested in just fiddling with the car these days than actually racing.

Will try to get some interior pics in the next couple of days.


Awesome car man. I like your laid back approach to the whole thing. Your post i quoted answered my questions, like why have you left electric windows etc in. Fair play man.

Is that control panel for windows etc from a mini?
 
Just had a good read through this, loving the car! Reminds me of an old user on here from NZ - like yourself. Think his name was Timmiblc with a crazy zebra pattern on his car, dont suppose you know him?
Ha! Very close mate, and as coincidence would have it, at the same time that you would have been typing your message I was on the phone to him. :) Fair to say that he's done a LOT of work on my car over the years too.

He still has his awesome EK9, but it's been parked up quietly in his garage for a while now. He's been super busy with his business, but he has a Focus RS for his daily driving so he still has plenty of fun. Hopefully he'll break out the EK9 again sometime soon.
 
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Is that control panel for windows etc from a mini?
Yeah, well spotted! My dad (electronics guru) helped me get that in, but it did turn out to be much more difficult to use than we thought. I sourced a switch panel from a Cooper S, but the switches themselves turned out to be all electronic, which made it essentially useless for what we wanted. So he stripped all that out, and replaced the switches themselves with traditional mechanical switches to meet our needs. So really it's just the Mini faceplate now, and a bunch of custom switches and electronics in behind for the functions we wanted (electric windows up/down, demister, Accessories & Ignition power, and fuel pump power). Sometimes it's the small customized things on the car that you end up being happiest about.
 
Aye mate that is genius thinking. Looks like it was meant to be. Love the door cards :)
 
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