VR resolutions are improving rapidly leaving the narrow FOV (Field of View) the biggest drawback in sim racing. Most mainstream headsets are in the 100 to 120 degree range limiting peripheral vision dramatically. This is fine in a lot of VR games but in sim racing, peripheral vision is a huge component to immersion. Something serious sim racers traditionally remedy with a 3 screen build. Enter...
I’m not sure I actually enjoy sim racing yet. I’ve used sims such as iRacing to learn a new track in the past but never jumped in the competitive ‘deep end’ of the sim so to speak. I’ve always been more drawn to the fps and arcade style genres. Games where you function at 100 percent intensity. Perhaps that is where a distinction could be drawn as iRacing isn’t...
Racecars undergo a lot more stress than your daily driver. Bolts wiggle loose, leaks develop, lines rub, components wear at a much greater rate etc… That is why at the beginning of every season, a full nut and bolt check is crucial to a successful campaign.
I have a long history with rotary powered cars. Namely, of not owning one. Over the past 15 years I’ve always danced around the idea. The last time I was close to purchasing one I opted for a MR2 Spyder instead. I found a deal on the lightweight, mid engine roadster that I couldn’t pass on. The RX8, was relatively new at the time and commanding new car prices. But I still...
As I said in the reintroduction, I let my once pristine Lotus Elise sit in disrepair for 4+ years with a suspected head gasket failure. Now a simple repair has become much more involved. My intent here is to offer a summary of the repair and service steps I’ve completed thus far to catch things up. Maybe diving a little deeper with supporting posts in the future. Diagnosing the Failure 4...
I could write a book on the absurd amount of procrastination that went into letting my 06 Lotus Elise sit in disrepair for 4 years. It would be too kind to say I was busy when in reality, fixing a non racecar just hasn’t been a big priority. But as the years roll by, it’s started to become almost a point of embarrassment and a running joke amongst friends.
It’s been a while since I’ve been on a good rant. Lately I keep stumbling across news that the manual transmission is dying in the States. This has been an issue for a long, long time across many makes and models. And it has finally made it’s way to the last holdout in the full-size truck segment, the RAM 2500.
Background This last year I spent countless track days pushing project Lotus Elise as much as possible; and as much as the Lotus shines on the track I have yearned for something more raw, more simplistic and as anyone with a Lotus knows, easier to work on and more importantly, less fragile. At first I thought of building another dedicated track car in the same manner as project 240sx but as I...
The Obituary of Project 240sx was supposed to be the last iteration of Project 240sx on the site but I came up with a little something extra. What we have here is a basic teardown of the bare ca18det that was found in Project 240sx in a quick photo journal style. You can read the comment below each picture to get an idea of what you are looking at. This may give those that follow a little insight...
The Larini decat and club sport exhaust serves two purposes on project Lotus Elise. For starters, this combo along with the rear panel delete can easily yield weight reduction values approaching 25 lbs. The other purpose is to wake up the exhaust on the Elise because frankly, a car like this needs to be heard. Now what you won’t hear me talking about is power gains because the Lotus...
This guide is a prerequisite for many of the Lotus tutorials on this site. Placing the Lotus Elise on jack stands is a little trickier than most production cars. Due to the Elise’s design and flat underbody there are really only 8 designated “safe” lift points. Also, since the Elise has an extremely stiff chassis, I have found that a “stepping” method is the safest procedure to place the...
Changing the oil in the Lotus Elise is a relatively simple proceedure but first you will have to remove the rear undertray. Also, you can skip to the bottom for my recommendations on oil type and change intervals. Tools and Supplies 4 quarts oil (I use Mobil 1 15w-50) Oil filter (K&N HP1003 or HP2009) Filter wrench or 25mm socket for K&N 12mm wrench Oil drain pan Funnel Rags for cleanup...