Please tell me you got Ruby (haha that never gets old) and Paul involved in modifying this car.

Looks great.

 

John,
The ride is looking mighty fine. Great work!

 

LOL, I wish, we are not all as wealthy as Beaner

It will have a V8 in it one day, but as I said, right now in the autoX stuff I am doing, it is more car than I can handle so no need for massive horsepower and weight gain. I am trying to get more tire on her and loose as much weight as I can. This stuff is addicting.

 

Looks fantastic John! Love the very stealthy look it has.

I do have a question as to why you went with a 18/20 stagger? Was it merely for aesthetics? I can't imagine that 20" wheels are the lightest things, and you mentioned auto-crossing the car.

Love the choice on wheels tho -- a timeless, clean look.

 

looks great,,,not that much weight gain,, did you get gray window tint to cover the side lights ,,or all the outside lights ? they look darker but if you use the gray tint ,it will like thik they aren't there ,,until u turn them on o fcourse. jim

 

Found your thread!!

First question is... what grille is that on this baby ^^

Second question... was it hard to/expensive to install the SLK 32 AMG brakes?

Thanks,
Eric Henderson

 

It was for aesthetics, mostly, but also due to the fact that it was very difficult for me to find anyone willing to 'split' a set of wheels, and the people who were willing to do it offered no warranty. After 6 months, I found the wheels I wanted, a 2 year warranty (structure and finish), and he was willing to break up 2 sets for me, but all it was available in was 18/20. I also wanted to do something a little differently as most go with a 18/19 or 19/20, you know me, always have to be different .

I did not get a chance to weigh them, but they are lighter than the OEM wheels + tires by several pounds, even the 20s. I will weigh them at some point, but wanted them ON the car LOL.

Thanks Jim. I took out every lense in my car and wet sanded 5-7 times and sprayed on something like 7 coats of lightly tinted clear until I got the desired shade. I also did a flat black strip around the top of the tails to set them off. They not only look nice, but the finish is so amazing - smooth as glass and just as reflective as the cars freshly polished paint....




Grille is an original one off from a friend If he wants to make another one, I will let him chime in.

The SLK32 brakes were a DIRECT swap, literally everything swapped right over the factory hardware with the exception of the rear bolts being too short and having to slightly bend the dust shield. Search on brake upgrades and you will find a recent thread where Dave and I go over everything in depth. Expensive? It is a relative term, but I only have AMG brakes because I autoX and got a smokin deal on them....

 

I understand all too well about the refusal to break up sets... I'd be curious to see the weights of the rears. I ended up losing 5 pounds per corner on fron, and six pounds each on rear.


Steve can verify this, but I'm almost certain the SRT-6 brakes and SLK32 brakes are identical... 330mm hats with two-piece calipers. Not too bad on cost. The $$$ is in C32 aluminum calipers, and the optional two-piece rotors from Racing-Brake

 

They are identicle to the SRT package, and IMHO the C32 on a limited is overkill - on an SRT makes sense with the extra weight (especially the roadster). A nicely upgraded brake setup like I had on my black coupe is great, OEM size D/S rotors, T/K pads, Dot5 and SS lines. That would take some abuse, now the SLK32 setup is insane on a car barely tipping 3K. A guy who autoXs with us in a M Coupe (highly modified) said my car stops quite a bit better than his (3600lbs) that brought a smile to my face

John have you done anything with the brakes yet?

I am trying (desperately) to get on your level with the suspension (pun intended )

 

All I've done on brakes so far is in the sig... Akebono pads and the ATE super-blue fluid... DOT5 is a bit iffy in some applications... DOT4 should be all you need. FWIW, the only cars that we fill with DOT5 at Nissan Motorsports are the full-blown track queens... If you cook DOT4 in a street car, you're relying on the middle pedal too much.

As for the suspension, the cut AMG springs will bring a smile to your face. I still wake up at night sometimes wondering what life would be like with Vogtland springs, but then I am quickly reminded that the SRT/AMG springs are indeed competent.

I will be going with the C32 setup eventually, simply for weight savings and aesthetics. If it stops too suddenly, I won't press as hard next time.

The racing-brake rotors (340mm only) are 17 pounds... the 330mm rotors are 26 pounds each (300mm rotors are 25#). Couple that with my new wheels and that's a 13 pound savings per corner in rotational mass on the front end. The aluminum C32 calipers are ~30% lighter than comparable steel two-piece ones... a nice drop in unsprung weight. Hello curves

 

LOL...same here, Ive been driving around for over a week with tape over the holes in the doors and the handles primed and ready to paint in the trunk. Your car looks slick BTW

 

I would love to get some more info on the DOT5 being iffy? Every single track car I have ever been around has had DOT5, the only issues I am aware of is that you must COMPLETELY flush the 3 or 4 before doing 5, they DO NOT mix, other than that, I am unaware of any issues.

Do you intend on doing any proper track racing or just Dragon type stuff? If you say cooking DOT4 is relying on the middle pedal too much, you have never been on a tight autoX course (we had an M coupe cook his brakes last weekend with factory DOT4). I have really pushed it at the Dragon and on a track, it is night and day difference (at least our courses are)

C32 calipers, light weight wheels, modified suspension... and all season tires, am I missing something here?

 

It is regarding the fluid mixing. If you feel comfortable running DOT5 in a street car and have gone through the proper flushing, go for it.

I've definitely autocrossed before, just not in the Crossie. So I know the brake demand is higher... I simply don't enjoy the style of driving as much as a dedicated road course, where the speeds are higher and the turns have more banking. 0-60-0 parking lot cone-racing is hell on the car and I won't do it to my daily. A weekend toy? Sure. But not my daily that I buff with a diaper.

As for tracking my car, I don't plan on it.

Here's my pitch on track cars vs street cars... Everything that makes you comfy on the street, slows you down on the track. Everything that makes you faster on the track, makes your street car a bit more "unlivable" on the street. Each tenth of a second you gain on the course equals a new creak, rattle, groan, or bone-jarring impact. It's kinda like a phone can have a good camera, and a camera can make a phone-call.... but the iPhone will never replace a Nikon and vice-versa. Pick your path, and go steadfast. But you can't straddle the fence.

The Crossfire, while a nimble vehicle, is much more purpose-built to be a grand-tourer than a track ready sports car. I believe in amplifying the performance as much as possible, while still maintaining two things: my sanity, and practicality. Hence my justification for lighter components that perform daily tasks with more ease, all while utilizing all-season tires that won't be chewed up like the soft summer tires on my 60-mile round trip daily commute. And, until you've ridden on the DWS, don't knock 'em... they're not your mom's all-season tires.

FWIW, these were the tires I used on the Dragon, and they stuck like glue. And you know I'm not a timid driver. So my goal with this vehicle is not to be an M-killer on a tight, technical cone course. Instead, I want to simply enhance the permagrin factor for me, and the rubber-neck factor for the onlookers.

 

I can understand your desire, but I want it all LOL. Will I have to give up some 'practicality'? Sure, but its a sports car that I would like to get all I can out of. I am not trying to be an ***, but someone with all seasons saying you can't straddle the fence LOL you have one foot on each side (and for the record, my mom has Pilot Sports on her crossie) I am sure the all season tires are great, but as with your reference about cameras and phones, they don't do anything amazingly well. They are not performance tires nor are they snow tires - personally I would rather have both, so I do. To each their own.

Is there anywhere around you that offers a proper road course that you get on regularly? We do not have anything like this in Indy, but we are not 'parking lot racers' either. Obviously, if Brock Yates One Lap of America used our regular facilities with 800+ hp vipers and GTRs, it can not be too bad, but still no road course. I would prefer this as well, but with higher speeds come more chance for a catastrophic failure or something worse.

Mine will not be a daily very much longer, the more and more one off parts I get on her. She is never going to be an interior stripped race car, because I care about aesthetics too much, but when I am complete (probably never) she will be able to win a show, drive across the country in style and relative comfort, and tear up a race track on the same week. We'll see if I ever get there LOL

And I like your comment about an M killer, apparently the M coupe came with progessive rate springs was originally terrible as an autoX car, but after a $6,000 ground control complete adjustable setup, it behaves a little better on the track. We also have a wide body miata that finished 2 seconds faster than any of the one lap guys on the same course, destroying vette's, S2000s, M3s, SCed Jags, etc.

Fun stuff, I love the discussion

 

John, Did you also sand and spray your headlights? Can you tell me what product you used to respray your headlights? Is is available in other colors and clear? Thanks, James

 

James, I took them to the body shop my friend runs and we wet sanded them 5-7 times and ended up spraying layers of lightly tinted clear coat on them until we got the desired hue, I think it was 7 coats. I am not sure if you could do the same and tint it with a color, but blaze might look pretty decent

The look is second to none, a mirror finish with higher reflectivity than the cars paint....

 

Again, I beg to differ that the Crossie is a true sports car… grand-touring coupe is where it has its niche in the auto world… I’d rather work with the car’s attributes than against it. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to enhance certain areas (braking, handling, acceleration) but it does mean I’m not going to go nuts about it. As you pointed out, a Miata can do the same for MUCH less $$$ and effort.

And I see you’re still picking on my tires, LOL…As I said earlier, different goals altogether. I previously had Michelin PS2 tires on my car and while the grip was rewarding, the life was horrible. And let’s face it – the amount of time I spend in traffic and on the highway (in – wait for it – ALL seasons ), versus the amount of time I spend on the track -- is staggering. So, while you may think I’m “on the fence” by running a lowered suspension, lighter wheels, and eventually lighter brakes on all-season tires, keep in mind that by doing so, my daily drive is rewarding at all times... not just if I’m trying to keep up with the cone-dodging Bimmers on Saturday.

And while I applaud the concept of rotating between OEM wheels/boring rubber and lightweight wheels/grippy tires, it’s not at all practical for me for a host of reasons. First, I don’t have a garage. Second, I don’t have the inclement weather for the same duration that you do… we don’t have months of snow, we have days of it. I simply don’t have the time OR interest to constantly be rotating between summer/snow tires every time the weather gets moody down here. Therefore, the mileage and practicality of all season tires means that they get a permanent place on my car. The lighter wheels and better-performing suspension components guarantee that the “boring” tires can perform at their top potential. I never have a dull drive to work. I simply can’t justify the cost of being equipped with two sets to drive 15% faster 1% of the time. I also don’t have to wrestle with multiple sets of tires all the time. Win-win.

As for road-courses, within a short drive we have TGPR, VIR, Road Atlanta, to name a few. And Indy is a great city for racing, not sure why you took offense. The Brickyard has a wonderful road course. The SCCA lot-racing has never been my cup of tea, but that’s simply my personal choice. Many folks eat it up with a spoon. And you don’t have to be going super fast to have a catastrophic failure… I won’t state the obvious so as not to step on any toes.

In the end, it appears our goals are much more similar than you’d expect, only we use a different way of describing the goal. I plan to make the car accelerate faster, stop harder, look better, and last longer than your average Crossfire. If it sees track time, it’s a cherry on top, but not the whole cake. The cake for me is driving a vehicle every day that turns heads and earns respect, all while keeping me comfy with as few rattles and squeaks as possible.

I love the direction you’ve taken yours, and I’m excited to watch it further develop.

 

I did not take offense to the Indy comment, and we do have wonderful racing here, but that is why I specifically asked if you had a track you can get out on regularly. There are quite a few high profile nice tracks around, but unless you have $30K to rent them for the day, you are SOL. I have never been on any of the high end Indy tracks, but at the end of our season, we get to use the old F1 course at Indy for an event, I am looking very forward to that.

I think the main difference between our diractions is I am trying to make mine a track car that I can also show and drive on a regular basis, but not my daily driver. Money on tires, changing wheels, increased maintenance schedule, etc is alright with me, as long as I keep this grin on my face. If I can not make the daily driver truck purchase within the next few months, I may drive her one more winter, but trying to avoid it.

That miata I was talking about has more in it than both our cars put together and its over 10 years old. I know you think little parking lot racers must be dodgy, inexpensive, and light but I see more race engineering and high end parts out there than at many events I have attended. Not to mention there is a GTR, CTS-V, Vette, Viper, etc all in our regular local group, lots of fun, even the ride alongs.

The more I modify the car, the more I enjoy it, and lets not lie, it will have a V8 in the next few years and I am trying to keep the miles off her. I bought it with the full intention of driving it just like I did the last one - all the time and not worrying too terribly much about 1HP here or there, but the way this one is turning out, I am going to try and take her out of full time service.

I always have and will enjoy your style and what you do with your car, no doubt. I am not sure, but I think you may change somewhat when you get your garage. I bought my house and as soon as the ground thawed, I went from a measly one car with a **** gravel driveway to a 2.5 car with a nice poured concrete driveway and my priorities have shifted now that there is plenty of room to properly keep her safe....

 

You hit the nail on the head here. We both have extremely high standards for the things we put on our vehicles, but we both only have two out of three things in common as far as the ultimate "goal" is concerned. Rules of my neighborhood dicatate that I only have "two" cars per household, and unless Kim walks to work, the Crossfire is my daily. Therefore, I can justify the occasional mod, but to go *****-to-the-wall on a vehicle that racks up a minimum of 75 miles a day, is simply not fiscally smart in my book. If my circumstances were different, the focus of my car would be as well.

Back to tech talk, I really would like to see the weights of the rears, with tires. Also, a 275/35/20 is a bit taller than the OEM, right? From a fit perspective, I hope you don't run into issues during articulation because mine rub occasionally, and my tires are marginally shorter than the OEM (only by .2" overall, but still...). I know you said you intend to drop it... which is definitely recommended from an aesthetic standpoint as well as a cornering standpoint. It's the best single mod I ever did to the car...

 

I agree with you 100%, our situations are different, but passions very much the same . I also very much enjoy the fact, that as civilized adults, we can have a discussion and give each other a little crap here and there, but know that at the end, we are friends with mutual respect.

On my car, I went with a 275/30/20 so I am only a .5 inches taller or a 2% speedo change, so I hope I dont have issues. I am not going to hammer down the rear because it already looks pretty good with that wheel perfectly filling the wheel well, probably just half a coil to set her down nice. In the front is where she really needs help, somehow she has dot5 pads on the front and with the AMG springs, it looks like a lifted pickup LOL (ok maybe not that bad, but it seems like it, to me). I think I am going to go with a full coil removed and do dot2 or dot3 pads to balance it out, what do you think?

You went full coil all around on yours correct?