New in-car video

This last Monday I participated in the Tracquest event at Willow Springs. Todd Serota does a great job of putting these events together, and it included a lot of track time and featured some cool cars and great instructors. It was also my first chance to test out the new 3.6 liter engine, as well as the stiffer torsion bars, sway bars, wheels, etc. that had been added to my 73 911.

It was also my first chance to see how my Carrera-fronts/M-caliper-rears would hold up with only a ducting kit to keep the fronts cool, and how the 3.6 -- which lacks an internal oil cooler -- would run with only a Carrera cooler and a hastily-fabricated aluminum air scoop to keep it cooled.

Everything worked great.

I wasn't really concentrating on doing my best driving (and my 1:45-1:55 lap times bear this out), but the car handles nice and neutrally, plants itself well, brakes consistently, comes alive when you hit the gas, and stayed under 235 degrees all day.

This new engine has got so much torque, I was able to focus exclusively on the suspension set-up while taking entire laps without a single gear change. What's more, one of these all-4th-gear laps was only 2 seconds off my best time of the day. Go figure.

A technical glitch did prevent me from doing my last two sessions, but it was only a failed brake light switch. Already fixed.

I've posted three video clips at:

http://members.rennlist.com/jackolsen/Racing.html

The new engine has a deeper, less cammy sound than the old one (and I admit, I kind of miss that classic Porsche roar), but these videos were shot before the addition of my new sport muffler set-up. It will be interesting to hear how that sounds, a week from tomorrow, when I've got another day booked at the Streets of Willow.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

I will keep watching, but so far,

BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL JACK

Awesome videos, I'm kinda wondering how the new exaust will sound too, please keep posting the videos, this is great.

On a side question:

Is it possible to mount the camera a little further back, so you (well, so I) can see out to the sides of the car a little bit? Meaning just enough to see where the car's going, specially when you oversteer a bit? (a tad through to the back of the a pillars)?

Still nice though, and I'll have to say once more, nice car! (steering wheel fits the interior very nicely!!!).
Ahmet

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It's all the driver...

Jack:

Great video! I like the way that 'modern' 911 let's you pass towards the end of the lap in the first clip.

Looks like the car got a bit sideways and oversteered at the very end of that first clip - then the video ended?

Maybe it was just the camera perspective.

Best Regards,

Kurt http://www.911restorations.com

Jack:

Great video! I like the way that 'modern' 911 let's you pass towards the end of the lap in the first clip.

Looks like the car got a bit sideways and oversteered at the very end of that first clip - then the video ended?

Maybe it was just the camera perspective.

Best Regards,

Kurt http://www.911restorations.com

Turn 9 at Willow Springs comes at the end of a long sweeping curve (turn 8) -- that you go into at close to 120 mph. It's a decreasing radius turn, so it's especially dangerous for an early 911. My rear end never broke loose, but you're in a four wheel drift -- steering with the throttle -- for most of that part of the track.

Exaggerating the effect is that I put the camera forward a little, so that it could be lower, without the rear view mirror right in the center of the frame. It's also not pointed exactly straight ahead, which was accidental. The unintended effect from the camera moving forward is a narrower frame of vision -- so when the rear end is sliding, you suddenly aren't seeing the track in front of you through the camera.

But it's a turn that (with my limited experience) I think you want to slide your tail a little for -- you snap around so you're ready to punch it for the big straight.