ForeverCar’s ITS Journal

[ForeverCar]

@optronix and @StingertimeNC I have watched and enjoy many of @Zygrene videos as well. I imagine I would enjoy meeting Zygrene one of these days and I appreciate the videos he produces.

I am interested in an Ohlins setup as well. My ideal would be keeping stock ride height and stock spring rates. However, I am not sure if the Ohlins has the same potential damper stroke as stock or they are meant for lowered ride heights and reduced stroke.

It looks like the ITS race car is sold out. When a new local track is builts (it has a membership setup like some other facilities), I would love to have an ITS race car for dedicated track duties!

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[Integra23]

20s might not look too good if diameter is kept stock. Look at the FK8 CTR, the sidewall gets so think it looks kinda wrong IMO.

I'd go 285/30/20 a little taller

 

[ForeverCar]

I'd go 285/30/20 a little taller

285/30/20 is a 5.8% taller tire compared to stock. Higher center of gravity, taller overall gearing, and likely higher rotational inertia could be considered downsides.

 

[StingertimeNC]

Car looks great, @StingertimeNC! Which 200 TW tires are you considering? The RE-71RS are pretty awesome too (I had these on a different car). The A052 is kinda the standard. The new Potenza Race looks interesting too (lighter than RE-71RS according to TireRack specs).

Looks wise, I agree that +15mm front and +20mm rear track width per side looks the best. I am still considering +45mm front wheels and +40mm rear wheels. However, that would prevent tire rotation. But no spacers and perfect look though.

Wheels get expensive quick for sure.

I was thinking Khumo V730 or the Hankook RS4. Both recommended by Zygrene. Would prefer something less than $300 per tire.

 

[ForeverCar]

I was thinking Khumo V730 or the Hankook RS4. Both recommended by Zygrene. Would prefer something less than $300 per tire.

Those are great choices too and likely more consistent throughout the sessions. Outright pace early on might not be as quick as the A052 and RE-71RS that are likely more optimized for time attacks.

 

[Integra23]

285/30/20 is a 5.8% taller tire compared to stock. Higher center of gravity, taller overall gearing, and likely higher rotational inertia could be considered downsides.

5% isn't much. Being forged wheels weight probably is close to the same. Small 1/2" drop corrects this offset.

 

[ForeverCar]

On one of my other cars, I thought it was rod knock. While the bearing was wiped, the noise was more likely from the broken rocker arm. I am happy that crankshaft and rods being reusable.

This engine made about 2.5x the power of a stock K20C8. Not messing with it too much so it will go back together making around the same power. To be fair, it also has 2.5x the number of cylinders and 4.4x the displacement. Naturally aspirated though.

 

[ForeverCar]

I miss driving the ITS so took it out for a fun drive. It was raining and in the 40s. With the DWS 06+, the ITS is very capable and lots of fun even in the somewhat cold and wet!

 

[ForeverCar]

More semi-random DE5 ITS musings here. When I had the FK8 CTR, I remember the fuel pump being the limitation for 7800+ maximum rpm. Since the pump is mechanical driven by the camshaft, I believe it was “piston float” if I remember correctly vs a flow limitation.

I like the idea of a 8000+ rpm K20C8 as I feel it would add to the heritage and character of the car. Of course, it’s not necessary for making power but my objective is not power oriented. Also, it is not a capital efficient way to “go fast”. It is more a passion project that is not rational.

Cylinder head porting, lighter valvetrain, camshafts for higher rpm optimization, possibly rods and pistons, turbocharger, intercooler, and intake & exhaust flow improvement as needed based on measurements would make for an awesome package in my mind. 7800 rpm is plenty but I would love to see if I can push it to 8000 rpm.

 

[ForeverCar]

Just had an oil change at slightly under 1500 miles. Obviously, the oil and filter are more than fine for more miles. My philosophy of early and frequent oil changes is more to get good mechanic’s eyes on the car frequently. Not that I expect anything to go wrong. However, catching things early is usually way better than discovering latter damages. Weirdly, one of my DWS 06+ had a pretty big cut in the tread. Luckily, it is only about 50% of the tread depth. As long as it doesn’t chunk, all should be fine.

 

[optronix]

More semi-random DE5 ITS musings here. When I had the FK8 CTR, I remember the fuel pump being the limitation for 7800+ maximum rpm. Since the pump is mechanical driven by the camshaft, I believe it was “piston float” if I remember correctly vs a flow limitation.

I like the idea of a 8000+ rpm K20C8 as I feel it would add to the heritage and character of the car. Of course, it’s not necessary for making power but my objective is not power oriented. Also, it is not a capital efficient way to “go fast”. It is more a passion project that is not rational.

Cylinder head porting, lighter valvetrain, camshafts for higher rpm optimization, possibly rods and pistons, turbocharger, intercooler, and intake & exhaust flow improvement as needed based on measurements would make for an awesome package in my mind. 7800 rpm is plenty but I would love to see if I can push it to 8000 rpm.

Yeah definitely something that qualifies as being rooted in the "passion project" category- which is fine with me as long as I'm not footing the bill! I enjoy living vicariously through people doing interesting or even silly things with their cars. Like putting an LSx in a 993, or a 4 rotor in a C8.

7800+ rpm would be fantastic, but I feel like the amount of cost and engineering involved wouldn't quite justify the means. Plus- it's still turbocharged. I've always felt that turbo engines have a distinct character that doesn't offer the same "reward" of chasing the redline that NA cars do. I'd probably rather just build a K20A with ITBs as a project and drop it in something. A K20A Elise would be pretty amazing. I still have yet to watch the last few episodes of Super Street garage where they dedicated another episode to building one out...

But I'd still be super interested and I imagine it would garner quite a few views on YouTube if it was documented.

 

[evanescent03]

Yeah definitely something that qualifies as being rooted in the "passion project" category- which is fine with me as long as I'm not footing the bill! I enjoy living vicariously through people doing interesting or even silly things with their cars. Like putting an LSx in a 993, or a 4 rotor in a C8.

7800+ rpm would be fantastic, but I feel like the amount of cost and engineering involved wouldn't quite justify the means. .....

this reminds me of the 718 GT4 folks swapping for a shorter ratio gearbox. i had a GT4 for a while and yeah .. the gears are long ... but i also don't have a fitbit counting how many shifts I make and encouraging me to "increase your activity" .. lol .. would the shorter ratio box be apprecaited? sure? but at the cost? definitely not to me. raising revs by a few percent, adding a few HP/TQ may be noticeable but proably wouldn't change my whole experience (especially because i don't usually keep cars more than a year or so ... )

i can certainly see why some folks would embark on such journeys .. passion (very specific passion), boredom, engineering interest. doesn't seem practical to me. for me, even doing a simple tune isn't worth the effort and annoyances to me so i'm very much on the other side of the spectrum.

at the end of the day though - it's great that there are so many different ways to enjoy cars and even if something isn't my style (slammed cars on airbags, 20" wheels with no sidewall and insane camber [-15*? lol]) ... i have no issues with it whatsoever!

one thing i'm interested in doing is putting CTR seats in my ITS. Then putting seat covers on them (kidding, maybe). Most people would probably think it's dumb.

 

[optronix]

this reminds me of the 718 GT4 folks swapping for a shorter ratio gearbox. i had a GT4 for a while and yeah .. the gears are long ... but i also don't have a fitbit counting how many shifts I make and encouraging me to "increase your activity" .. lol .. would the shorter ratio box be apprecaited? sure? but at the cost? definitely not to me. raising revs by a few percent, adding a few HP/TQ may be noticeable but proably wouldn't change my whole experience (especially because i don't usually keep cars more than a year or so ... )

i can certainly see why some folks would embark on such journeys .. passion (very specific passion), boredom, engineering interest. doesn't seem practical to me. for me, even doing a simple tune isn't worth the effort and annoyances to me so i'm very much on the other side of the spectrum.

at the end of the day though - it's great that there are so many different ways to enjoy cars and even if something isn't my style (slammed cars on airbags, 20" wheels with no sidewall and insane camber [-15*? lol]) ... i have no issues with it whatsoever!

one thing i'm interested in doing is putting CTR seats in my ITS. Then putting seat covers on them (kidding, maybe). Most people would probably think it's dumb.

Totally, good reference with the GT4 gearing. It's fine. Could it be better, sure- but it's fine lol.

I guess if you've got eff you money and doing the DeMan 4.5L anyway I guess why not do the gears too, right? But then you're up in GT4RS territory with overall spend. I guess it still makes sense because it's a manual but that is a LOT of scratch. Matt Farah seems happy with his Spyder and I enjoy watching his videos on it but we're not all Matt Farah.

As for the seats, I have admittedly begun looking at seat options. I don't mind the OEM seats, but that's a good example of something that could be better and isn't ultra cost- or effort-prohibitive to replace. I'm considering aftermarket though, I just can't get with the red in the CTR and not a fan of putting covers over them either. These Bride options have caught my interest as a sort of OEM+ (they even have optional built-in heating elements), but other than finding them on a website I've done no further research. Way down on the list of priorities at the moment but I have given them a thought:

https://www.evasivemotorsports.com/store/product/bride-euroster-ii-gradation/

 

[ForeverCar]

Yeah definitely something that qualifies as being rooted in the "passion project" category- which is fine with me as long as I'm not footing the bill! I enjoy living vicariously through people doing interesting or even silly things with their cars. Like putting an LSx in a 993, or a 4 rotor in a C8.

7800+ rpm would be fantastic, but I feel like the amount of cost and engineering involved wouldn't quite justify the means. Plus- it's still turbocharged. I've always felt that turbo engines have a distinct character that doesn't offer the same "reward" of chasing the redline that NA cars do. I'd probably rather just build a K20A with ITBs as a project and drop it in something. A K20A Elise would be pretty amazing. I still have yet to watch the last few episodes of Super Street garage where they dedicated another episode to building one out...

But I'd still be super interested and I imagine it would garner quite a few views on YouTube if it was documented.

The wise path is definitely leaving the ITS alone! Every time, I tell myself that maybe I have learned enough to not screw it up this time and I inevitably screw it up again.

Compared to the S2000 parts these days, building a K20C8 is a total bargain and that is how I am rationalizing it to myself.

Totally agree that a turbocharged engine is always going to have a different character. The 720S revs pretty high but it does not deliver the same sensation as the naturally aspirated Ferrari V8 in the 458 or the V12s in the F12 & 812. Modern McLarens, in particular, have really strong top end though. For example, the 720S pulls surprisingly hard in 4th gear.

A built K24 in another car is something that I am very interested in building. My current top choice might be to buy a new BRZ or GR86, strip the new stuff that I will not need and sell them to help reduce the cost. A K24 with 10,000 rpm redline in a sorted GR86 chassis weighing 2500 lbs with all fluids including a full 20 gallon tank would be amazing.

@optronix If you haven’t seen this MotoIQ video, it’s worth a watch.

 

[RamVA]

this reminds me of the 718 GT4 folks swapping for a shorter ratio gearbox. i had a GT4 for a while and yeah .. the gears are long ... but i also don't have a fitbit counting how many shifts I make and encouraging me to "increase your activity" .. lol .. would the shorter ratio box be apprecaited? sure? but at the cost? definitely not to me. raising revs by a few percent, adding a few HP/TQ may be noticeable but proably wouldn't change my whole experience (especially because i don't usually keep cars more than a year or so ... )

The gearing on the 981 is maddening. It is number one on my very short list of complaints about the car. The car is amazing running to redline, but once you've run it out in second you're going mid-80s mph, you just can't use that on the street. I'll never change it, but I wish it were different.

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