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Thanks Ray, that's very useful, although I still think the site should try to be more like other forums (Pistonheads, Locostbuilders etc) in its operation.

On all other forums I look at, clicking a link opens it in a new tab. Blatchat plows its own furrow and opens it on the same page. I appreciate I can right click, open in new tab etc. but it's all a bit puzzling. Any chance we can do the sensible thing and get it to behave like most would expect? Ta'.

Smiffy, at last years Brands Indy evening, they'd set out cones showing the turn in points and apexes. I paid (£20 iirc) for a few laps tuition which, while useful, wasn't essential.

True, Ray, but I like my little 919 (like Saladin's scimitar as opposed to Richards 'Hayabusa'), and don't want to change JW's car too much. However, the meddling amateur is strong in me at the moment; I'm just curious to see if I could get a bit more (reliable) 'oomph' out of mine. I'll chat to Holeshot next week and see what they say, but I'm wondering if it's a road to constant rebuilds and fettling and never quite getting it sorted... Talking to Andy Bates it was suggested that I could ditch the dry sump as it wasn't necessary on my current setup, saving a few kg's, which is always welcome (404kgs with 10 litres of fuel at the mo'), although that was before I alighted on the idea of turbocharging...

Yikes! I was hoping for "sure, you can have 200bhp for two or three grand with these guys..." :-)

In LF this month, there's a nice article about Ferrino's R1 (now Ivaans). Great car. At the end there was a comment about the potential of turbo-charging and I'm just wondering if anyone's done it and would care to comment on the pro's and con's, likely costs etc. If you've started looking Ivaan, I'd be interested to know more. Just dreaming really, but it may be something I'd like to do to my JW Fireblade. Thanks.

Whatever tyres you go for, a word of caution about BMTR. Read them the riot act about treating your wheels well. Infront of me they used their feet to kick / push my brand new wheels across the concrete floor as they separated fronts from rears, and looking at the scratched / chipped anodising around the centre hole of three of the four wheels they treat putting them on the balancing machine as a game of hoopla. I won't use them again.

Booked and paid. Thanks Andy.

Thursday 18th June evenng session for me please.

Cadwell for me please. Will look out for the next LF.

https://www.facebook.com/ForceRacingWheels might give you some inspiration.

thanks for your post revilla. I tried to be 'scientific', but more than that it just 'looks wrong' with such an amount of unused nut thread (6 or 7) and the stud hiding all the way in there... I'll leave them as they are and maybe mention it to PGM when I get the new suspension fitted next month. Can't see myself using it much in the meantime anyway.

Hi Jonathan. If you look at my listed figures... 14.25mm minus 10.7mm = 3.55mm. At 24 threads per inch that's about 3.5 turns. The thread diameter I've also listed as 3/8th (9.5mm). The safety factor I've also listed as 1.5 x diameter (taken from the net). It may not be the way you'd look at it (I've just done a house rebuild and have learned that with three tradesmen all working the same thing out, the route to the same answer is invariably different) but I was hoping someone would either disagree or agree with my answer, and also with my assumption that 1.5 x thread diameter is sensible. It looks like new studs will be required, so thanks for suggesting I search for "short studs". That and a google suggests it's not that hard with judicious use of a hammer.

Fitted the new open nuts on my new wheels today and was surprised how much thread on the nut is visible - the end of the stud is buried a long way inside the nut. - old KN Minator wheels, old closed / domed nuts = 12 - 12.5 turns to lock - old wheels, new open nuts = 11 turns to lock. - new wheels, old nuts = 10.5 turns. - new wheels, new nuts = 9.5 - 10 turns. So with my arts background, non engineering head on, I googled for info and discovered that 1.5 x the thread diameter is considered a safe amount of thread to be covered by the nut. If so, my calculations are as follows... 3/8 UNF (9.5mm) diameter studs. Therefore I need 14/25th / .56 inch (14.25mm) of stud thread covered by the nut. With 24 threads per inch, if I'm only turning the nut (new nuts, new wheels) 10 times, that's approx .42 inch (10.7mm), i.e. short by about 3.5 turns! Question is, are my assumptions correct? Is my maths correct? Do I need new studs? And is it an easy / cheap job? :-)

Thanks Geoff - that's a kind offer but I have open ended, chromed, "bulged" nuts on their way from Speed Shack. Not ideal (I didn't want chrome) but as the ebay seller didn't reply to my email, I don't know if the zinc plated FF nuts would have been okay, although both taper and thread were correct. My concern was to do with the length of the taper. If the nut was not bulged, and the taper on the nut too short, then I wondered if the hexagonal nut would cut into the alloy. Essentially I was asking if the length of a nuts taper is 'industry standard'. Or maybe I think about these things too much... ECR - no, I'm not sure I understand either :-). The current tatty ones do...

Thanks, I spoke to the Speed Shack and found there's very little choice - chromed, either closed or open. The zinc plate FF ones on eBay apparently wouldn't work as I need a bulged shoulder behind the taper.

Morning all. I'm looking to replace my rusty chrome nuts and before I push the button wanted to ask if there are any gotcha's or words of wisdom anyone has? Apart from the thread size (3/8 UNF) and the seat angle (60 degrees) is there anything else to consider? Can I go 'open' (I don't like the amount the domed nuts stick out), Also, will all nuts have the same length of taper (I'm thinking if it's too short then they won't tighten enough. These are the ones I'm thinking of.. Thanks all. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-Of-4-Wheel-Nuts-For-Formula-Ford-3-8-UNF-x-11-16-Socket-/151493056985?pt=UK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Wheels_tyres_Trim_Nuts_ET&hash=item2345b099d9

ZZR 215/55/13 = 9.35kg ZZR 185/55/13 = 7.65kg Brand new, medium compound. Bit heavier than I hoped and markedly different to an earlier post (8.3 & 7kg).

Thinking of fitting lowered headlamp brackets to my narrow track car but, having seen a couple of cars with them fitted, they seem so close to the upper wishbone I'm wondering if they actually make contact? Anyone fitted them and have any experience or recommendations? Thanks.

Six months on, how are you getting on with them Ivaan?

I can add a snippet having just spoken to Avon re. E-marking. Apparently they're being tested in Italy this week, and all being well, should be available 4-6 weeks after that, so circa early / mid November. hth...

I looked for my ITAL'd bec. James Whiting told me he couldn't get them.

Thanks moca2cv. It's not a 'problem' that's recently occurred - it's always been like that, meatier than I would have thought, although I wouldn't be surprised if anyone would drive it and say "nope, that's normal!". It's just that as I'm striving for a 'dainty' drive, would like to change to a suede wheel anyway, I just wondered about choosing a bigger wheel, but only if it would make a difference I could genuinely feel. I'm afraid I haven't a clue what my camber, caster, toe-in settings are - the front tyres all seem unifomly worn, and my eyeball can't detect any 'severe' settings. The car's in for its MOT next week at JW's so I can ask him to have a look at those settings. Bit disappointing you say you can't feel the difference dropping 30mm, except at low speed.

Thanks chaps. JK - No thigh issues, I'm not sure what rack I have (it's a JW fireblade and the invoice says STD FB with a part number 'ST46'). My driving is spirited, steering is heavier than I'd like all the time, tyres are 185/60 13 A048's (about to be replaced with ZZR's). I'd just like it 'daintier'. Do you think 3.7% can be felt 'in the real world'? GJT - thanks. Okay, so 10mm does make a difference in feel, albeit in a 21. The principle should carry across to the 7, I assume?

I'd like to replace my 270mm Alpha leather steering wheel with a suede one, and was wondering whether a 10mm diameter increase would appreciably lighten my steering (something I'd like). I know in principle it will, but if anyone has done this and can comment on whether it can be felt, it would be appreciated. Or do I have to go bigger still to get a lighter feel? Thanks.