Alfetta footage from Sandown

[Mat Francis]

after endless problems with various cameras and getting the sound to work, i think it's close enough. i think this was my second timed run. any advice/criticism or general abuse will be gratefully accepted in good humour 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBX6mRLx9Kg

[Evan Bottcher]

Brilliant footage!  I particularly like from about 5m20secs when a grey 90 and red Alfasud come through - never seen my car from outside like that before (not when I'm driving anyway).  I'll upload the matching video from my perspective when I get a chance tonight.

Really nice driving for a novice (watch out everybody) - much quicker than I was on my first few trips around.  Well done.  I'm still looking forward to seeing the final times for the day.

[Mat Francis]

Thanks Evan, i thoroughly enjoyed myself. looking forward to next time, i'll be disappointed if i don't make up some more time at the bottom of the back straight there. Look forward to seeing you footage 

[Evan Bottcher]

I was playing around with TrackVision getting my data overlaid onto the video, but I'm still having trouble outputting it in a good format, so here's the unadorned video of run 2 for amusement.

Matt - if you fast forward to 7min55secs that's the matching bit of footage from my perspective.

[Mat Francis]

Great stuff  Half way through filling out my Phillip Island entry as i post this.

[Mat Francis]

Oh and just out of curiosity, does anybody driving a 116 series car (4 cylinder) use second gear at all at Sandown? i think i was about 50% of the time out of Dandenong Road, and although the car felt like it was pulling harder obviously, i have a feeling it would of been slower. Any thoughts?

[jimnielsen]

I used 2nd on EVERY corner at Sandown in my 116 Giulietta except turn 1 and the curve over the Dandenong Rd hill!

[Mat Francis]

was that when the car was stock as such jim, or after the extensive modifications? all the running gear in my car is out of a 1.8 Alfetta, and i have a feeling the gear ratio's are slightly different? i found that by the time i was just off the ripple strip on dandenong road i had run up about 5000, and i'm changing at about 5500 to try and preserve a somewhat elderly engine. hence my use of third gear. am i doing something wrong here? 

[vin sharp]

Jim switches the engine OFF if it gets as low as 5500rpm!
"Below 5000rpm is for parking" he says, as another pinion shaft tries to escape to freedom through the side of the diff casing........

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Does your car have an LSD?  This could make a big difference to which gear is most effective.

[jimnielsen]

yep, my car was 'very' modified - but some of the corners at sandown are going to be 65kp/h at the slowest, so maybe 2nd gear could be used for slowest ones.

jim.

[Mat Francis]

Sheldon, the car has an open diff and is likely to stay that way for quite some time.
I'll correct myself, the 1.8 gearbox has exactly the same ratios as the 2L ones, according to the workshop manuals. Another thing to consider here is the tyres. The manual states that 2nd gear is good to 74km/h, which i presume is running the standard tyres, as the car came off the factory floor. which were 185/70/14's, again says the manual. For track days i am running a set of 195/60/14's, which to my understanding would reduce the top speed available to me in each gear. So i might (?) of just answered my own question there, in that third gear is probably the way to go if i try and stick to Jim's guide of 65k+ for the corners?

[Justin Jacobs]

My father and i run an Alfetta GT 1.8[ NOW WITH STANDARD 2L] AND WE NEVER GET BELOW THIRD AT SANDOWN UNLESS SLOWED DOWN BY OTHER TRACK USER . LESS GEAR CHANGES THE BETTER ,KEEPING THE MOMENTUM UP IS A GOOD DICIPLINE AS FORCES YOU TO BE SMOOTH AND KEEP THE GAS ON .SMALLER TYRES HELP WITH GEAR BOX RATIOS OUT OF CORNEAS BUT LIMIT TOP SPEED . JJ .

[Fast Eddie]

Justin, who are you suggesting is the slower traffic, huh? 

Your words should be listened to as you did win the competition trophy in 06/07 in your first full year.

[Mat Francis]

Thanks Justin, that sounds pretty good to me, il give it a try next time