New owner... needs new tyres / pressures

[jimmyslr]

I joined the club this weekend, picking up my shiny yellow rs from GT Classics on Saturday. The car is wearing S02s currently and I feel sure I will need to change these pre my first track day outing in the new toy. A couple of basic questions:

- does 36psi f/r for road and 32 f/r (when hot) for track sound ok?
- what rubber do people recommend for the track and from where (ie who's doing a good price)? Options seem to be the Michelin Cups, P Zero Corsa or some talk of better value Dunlops?

The car is wearing the standard rs mags.

Thanks.

 

[pressing]

Would that be the Motec + 1 964rs?

If so the previous owner who is a mate of mine has a set of replica cups and P zero corsas that he used to run on the car. I'm sure they would be available at a sensible price. Also it would keep the recently refurbed Mags safe and sound.

 

[oldtimer]

as pressing says , its a good idea to run 2 sets of wheels , not for 'preserving the mags' but to give a wet/winter option as well as a dry/sticky option on tyres.
Personally I'd run mags all the time as that's what the car was meant for , but as they are v expensive 'new' , the practical solution is to use normal alloys. Jasmine have a good stock and good prices for barely used 17 inch genuine Porsche alloys although Cup1 and Cup2 patterns are getting rare these days.

Getting back to your question on tyre pressures , for road tyres on the track I'd stick with 36 hot all round . If you are using slicks or semi slicks these normally have stiffer sidewalls/shoulders than road tyres and can run lower pressure eg 32/34. Use chalk and check roll over .

If you are new to driving RS's fast then you might be better off staying with the road tyres (S02s) on the first outing or two as they give more indication of when you are near the limit......[]

 

[PhilRS]

Well, and the magnesium wheels develop stress cracks when used intensively... With the current market believing that the 964RS is a modern classic, replacement wheels cost a significant proportion of the car... (ask chfs911 on this forum)

With this in mind, I would happily use 18 inch wheels for track-days (and car setup) and keep 17 inch magnesium as the Garage Queen's underwear.

 

[chfs911]

Agreed, from experience at Spa the 18s and slicks are the way to go. But for driving there the MPCs are good compromise. They don't last and cost 1K though. Just back from Spa and the fronts are half worn after 4 days. Rears were removed before I drove home. Dunlops are less than half that but I have not tried them.

The Mags are worth too much to track. I was going to fit my new set with Cups at Spa. PhilRS talked me into this garage queen thing he is keen on and I left the alloy cup 1s on. Just as well. I got smacked by a Caterham mid corner and would have been really pissed if he had scraped my new expensive Mags. Old ones were both cracked after regular track use by PhilRS. I bought his old car!!!!

Second set with track tyres are the best bet! As long as they have correct offset 17 or 18s will do.

Charles

 

[PhilRS]

And to keep the discussion lively, jimmyslr, fit slicks to your 18 inch rim track wheels and your car will go like hell. Seriously, if you can, you must try...

 

[jimmyslr]

Chaps, thanks for the responses; been away couple of days but now back. Yes, the car is the yellow motec+1 ex of Russel. We spoke this morning and I will be taking the spare wheels - my Caterham experience tells me 2 sets is definitely the way to go.

Probably sound advice re mags on track, but will likely try both initially to see if that extra weight saving "transforms" the handling and is worth the risk or whether I am too much of a luddite driver to tell the difference and hence something other than the mags will be fine.

My Porsche track driving is limited to brief stints in others' cars and hence not at maximum attack. Need a bit of gentle driving to get the hang of this engine in the back business. My other car (haven't sold it - wife not happy) is a Caterham Superlight R which has lots of track miles under its belt but behaves a bit differently!

 

[pressing]

Jimmy, enjoy the RS it's one of if not the fastest 964 rs's out there and has had heaps of money and care lavished upon it.

 

[chfs911]

I have a few ideas about what do with your Caterham.[] If fact I have a few ideas what could be done with all Caterhams![]

Have managed to polish out the scores left at Spa.

 

[tim court]

ORIGINAL: jimmyslr

My Porsche track driving is limited to brief stints in others' cars and hence not at maximum attack. Need a bit of gentle driving to get the hang of this engine in the back business.

Try and link up with Russell at a track day. He will I am sure be only too pleased to give you a gentle drive to show how his honey of a car performs..... don't forget some pampers.....

 

[jimmyslr]

Be nice to Caterhams chaps, they are fast[] and imagine what a reputation Porsche drivers have amongst Caterham owners[]. Will have to get used to not being fastest car on track as I learn the RS ropes... that being said, Caterham still in garage and will be the car of choice for the warm Summer track days within a sensible distance of home. Cannot imagine driving to 'Ring and back again in the Caterham now though, RS wins everytime there.