Paul Mason

If anyone else is dim like me......and viewing on a mobile device.....you need to click on "desktop site" to get the download options

Thanks Dave I'll try that now

Thanks for putting these up Dave. Stupid question now as I've not used flicker before, I've tried downloading and I can only download a link, do I have to have an account to download specific pictures?

Spotted that....I think it looked quite cool and racy!

Massive thanks and huge well done to James and all the support team and instructors etc. for a thoroughly brilliant day at Rockingham today. Brilliant format, excellent instruction, loads of time on track. Massively exceeded my expectations and a truly memorable day. The time, planning, prep and effort it must take to pull that off must be immense. You have put on a brilliantly excellent day. My wholehearted thanks and appreciation to everyone who made that possible. I genuinely couldn't have wished for a better day (with the exception of a 200 mile slog up the A1 and it raining some of the way....but as good as you guys are, I don't think you could have changed that!)

Can't offer a comparison to others vs. V70's (which my car came on, 175's and 235's, K60 which I believe is medium compound), however intially really not a fan of V70's as I found the car really skittish and could spin the wheels aplomb not seemingly trying (and yes I admit, I have driven in the cold/damp/wet so my own fault). However, my opinion has now changed dramatically after a dry day out and up & over the Hartside Pass (you southern boys are so unlucky where you live) a week or so ago. I have clearly never got them anywhere near hot enough before and as I went up the pass (with its many little squirts and hairpin bends and a knowledgeable lead car to follow and help me understand what a decent speed for the road was) the car came alive! By the time I reached the top I felt like a hero (I suspect my pace was fairly limited in reality) but the car felt unbelievable, so planted, so much grip, so much confidence inspired. My initial reservations were a product of my driving in the damp and not actually understanding how to switch them on. Now I would recommend and I will probabky be buying again rather than changing to something else in case they aren't as good. Good lesson learned by me as part of my ongoing seveducation

I've used autoglym super resin on my unlaquered wings and lacquered dash (both carbon), paintwork, powder coating, vinyl, leatherette tillet seat insert things and even tyres (though bizarrely, best results for me on tyres is autoglym metal polish which I discovered accidently). Gets a thumbs up from me as a jolly decent job of everything. That, or I'm just too tight to buy anything else!

Err..... briefings.... theories.......I just thought we rocked up and spanked our cars until we couldn't smile any wider and then went home when we ran out of go juice and tyres? I might have to bring a ringer with me to stand in and blag me through the theory test bit.....that sounds way too mentally tortuous for me

To make it easier to spot me James, I'll be the one in the red car, facing the wrong way, looking slightly perplexed

I advise everyone to book, if for no other reason than to see me make a complete t!t of myself on my first track day! But I don't mind one jot about my own inadequacy, because it's going to be awesome fun doing so!

Thanks for the steer on the "cluck". Something to listen out for. Oddly enough, when I first got my car I was convinced that it had something wrong with it on account of the "clucking" noise which I mistook for a rattly top end!

Thanks SM25T & GJT

Did consider a cable tie, but then bottled it as never drilled carbon and can't afford to mess it up and replace......

Thanks Jonathan! Am now absolutely kicking myself as my SWMBO was in Bromyard Monday & yesterday which is about 3 miles from Holden and I didn't think about them!! Now she's travelled the 250 miles home, I've missed that opportunity! Come to think of it, the old fashioned picking up the phone to describe what I'm after to a human being is probably way smarter than hours of web searching!

I've been looking for a couple of fairly insignificant bits for my car and can't seem to find the right ones......I'm either dim or doing my googling incorrectly (for the sake of my pride, assume it's the latter). I need a couple of the grooved little grommets that sit on the upright bars on the top of the grille that locate and hold the grill into the nose cone (I returned from a drive on Sunday with the grill flopped back against the rad). Struggling to find any....plenty of grommets but not sure I've found the right ones? Also, one of the dzuz fasteners under the front of the nosecone has dropped out (surround and location female still there so I just want to get a fastener to save drilling and re-pop riveting a whole new unit as not keen on drilling carbon and don't have a pop rivet gun). Any suggestions where I can find the abovementioned

Was out in the 7 today (did the long way to work and back) and the road back (coming across from Croft way towards Yarm), which is a lovely road, was a mess. Dirty, mega bumpy and full of holes. Never noticed it so bad, but actually wasn't a pleasant experience today as so bad. Car was bucking about everywhere

Happy days, I'll do the easier option and use the Yokohama's as they're on and worry about things like that when I've got a few under my belt. Ta's muchly

James, for the track day I'll got myself a cheap set of wheels with some 185 Yoko AO32's on. I've also got some CR 500's (tyres no rims) which are 185 front and 205 rear. Both sets of tyres are worn and age unknown but both would be very legal in terms of tread depth. Any recommendations on which would be better for a first track day (and maybe wet given the British weather). My car has Khumo V70a's on (175 and 235) but want to protect those tyres and rims. Appreciate its a bit of a daft question as I'll be far more ability constrained than tyres, but want to prepare as best I can?

Hi Nick, interested. What chest size, I am 42 on a good day, 44 on a "accepting reality" day? Can't quite see in the pic, but does it have any upper pockets (I can never get into the pockets on the waist with my harness on?

Thanks all, by the sounds of things, nothing out of the ordinary and just another one of the 7's curiosities I need to get used to! Stu, to your point earlier front camber at 1 and 3/4 negative, castor 3 and 1/2 degree, 1 mm toe out. Rear is 2 and 1/4 negative camber, 2mm toe in. Ride height 5 and 51/2 inches front and rear. I must confess to not knowing really what that means! Not sure when it was done either, so the Great British roads may well have changed those settings too!

Great blog Phil, thanks for sharing. Great pics too. Hoping for a fine spell if weather so you get chance to enjoy!!

Hi Phil, hope you're well, there are much much more knowledgeable than me on here so bear that in mind, but my understanding is the most likely cause of glazing would be constant and prolonged engine speeds (motorway driving and such like) and geussing that's not what you've been doing?

Great, thanks James

Just had a thought, I understand that there are instructors who will ride along with participants...do I need to have earpieces and mic in my helmet as I don't have anything like this?

Aha, that may well be a very good point Stu, the car does have a quite a lot of camber and toe out I think (my memory of the suspension set up sheet/details that came with the car is a bit fuzzy so I can check tonight). It has been set to be more track orientated prior to my ownership. Thank you muchly