05/12/02 Got some new information on tuning the ECU from the official Lotus newsgroup in England. Apparently the instructions that came with the upgrade kit were incorrect, calling for 2kg/hr idle airflow when it should have been 8. No wonder I couldn't get it down to 'spec'. Also learning from the Westfield experience today, I figured out that my idle surge problem had been due to not enough slack in the throttle cable. When the cable heats up, the outer sleeve expands stretching the cable - and if there's no slack it will crack the throttle open a bit... So hopefully the mystery is now solved. Made all the tuning changes, took it out for a run (and all the other toys as well). Very nice day indeed :)

5/24/02 A Lotus club day. These are the best run events at PIR. Lots of track time, not very crowded, and the most interesting cars show up. It's also a rare opprotunity to share the track with some neat race cars, from historic to current:

I had spent the night before changing the suspension bushings (till 1 AM). Only got the rears done, but the results are pleasing if not dramatic. I was able to up the corner speed to 70 mph from 60-65 earlier, so that is good. Unfortunately I wasn't able to time my best laps as I ran out of tape. The first three sessions I ran the Westfield (in only the second session ever in that car I equaled my best-ever Elise time of 1:30). Then went home and got the 'Lis. I think I may have done a couple 1:30-ish laps in the Lotus, but it is hard to be certain. It is extremely weird switching between the two cars. They are complete opposites, and the Elise feels like a luxury vehicle after the Westfield.... Overall ended up running seven 20-minute sessions. Whew. Awesome day.

6/22/02 Finally got around to installing the front bushings on the Elise. The rears had taken about 8 hours for the whole set. The fronts turned out to be a much more involved job due to the amount of disassembly required. A few panels had to come out to gain access. Overall fairly straightforward.

I also upgraded to stainless steel brake lines at all four corners. Bleeding the brakes is proving quite time consuming, and I still have air in there somewhere after a couple of hours of trying. Overall, the front bushings and all the brake lines took two days, at 8 hours per side.

Went for a quick test drive, and the difference is quite notiecable. The car really should have come this way from the factory! The steering response is much more precise and immediate. Some of the clunking noises are gone from the suspension, and overall the ride seems smoother and more controlled. Definitely worth the effort.

Now I need to find the time to install the new ultra-close ratio gearbox, upgraded clutch and throttle cable. I thought that building the Westfield would satisfy my tinkering urge and let me leave the Elise alone. The result has been quite the opposite - I'm now more comfortable with making modifications, and the feel of the Westie showed me what's possible, so the Elise now felt slow and heavy in comparison and had to be upgraded. Sigh...

7/6/02-7/9/02 A long trip to a two-day TracQuest event at Thunderhill, in northern California. Since the event is 500 miles from Portland I had decided to trailer the Elise. The problem was that I had neither a trailer nor a vehicle to pull it with. After much unsuccessful searching for anything to rent or buy, with only a week to go I found a company that could build a custom open trailer by the 5th (I had to leave on the 6th in the morning). A friend offered the use of his Jeep as a tow vehicle and decided to come along in his supercharged Miata and drive in the event, as well as be there should anything happen with the Jeep. So everything was set... or so I thought.

On the 3rd I confirmed that the trailer would be ready on time, and picked up the paperwork so I could register it on the 5th in the morning (the 4th being a holiday). The Jeep still needed a hitch attached, and the installation is going very slowly due to rusted out bolts. The forecast for California is 99F(37C) on Sunday and 101F(38C) on Monday. The Jeep does not have air conditioning. Hmmm...

Friday I obtain registration for the trailer and confirm the appointment to pick it up at 3 pm. At 2 pm the hitch is still not on the Jeep but is really close. There is no wiring for the trailer and left turn signal doesn't work. My friend's Miata needs much work which wasn't getting done because of the Jeep, and its air conditioning is not working either. I call another friend with an SUV to help me pick up the trailer. He's gracious enough to come out on a moment's notice, and the trailer is transported to my driveway without incident. Looks cool.

The SUV, a Ford Explorer, is fully wired for the trailer, with a nifty electric brake controller and AC that works (somewhat). I really wish that I could borrow the Ford instead... And after relaying my predicament I am indeed offered the use of the car. I don't hesitate long :) I offer the use of my M Coupe while I have the SUV, and my friend doesn't hesitate much either. Cool, it works for everyone then. The downside is that since the Jeep is not going and the Miata is without AC, my would-be travel companion opts out and I'm left to face the long drive alone. I had even bought two-way radios... Oh well.

Saturday morning I pack everything up, load the Elise on the trailer, sit down for a minute to make sure I got everything, and head out.

About 50 miles into the journey I realize that I forgot the bag containing the video camera. Not a big deal. The miles and the hours roll on, and after about 5 hours I get a nagging feeling that I left the power switch on in the Lotus. That could completely drain the battery - so I pull over and go to check it... only to realize that the key to the car was in the camera bag, which was now 300 miles to the north! It is a sick feeling. After calling a couple people to vent (and get sympathy) I decide to continue on and figure something out when I get there. Another 4 hours through some spectacular mountains in southern Oregon and northern California and I finally arrive at the hotel. Upon checking in, I open the tool bag trying to figure out what I can use to get into the Elise... and at the bottom of it find another key! Whew... Good to bring a spare, even if you don't know it.

Sunday morning I drive over to the track and unload the car. The Elise is the most exotic thing there (although there are both faster and more expensive cars, primarily Porsches of every flavor). A former fellow M Coupe owner from the bay area is there as an instructor (I had previously met him at Sears Point last year). He offers the use of his video camera and lap timer. Cool. Things are definitely looking better.

Although I had run on the track before almost exactly a year ago (see M Coupe entry for 7/10/01, about middle of page 1) I started out conservatively, with lap times in the 2:25 range or about equal to the fastest I've gone there in the BMW. As the day progressed I picked up speed, getting into the 2:15 range by the final session. I only videotaped a couple of sessions, and between runs downloaded video of a 2:17 lap (17M) into my laptop that I brought along. Compare it with the one for the BMW (18M) and you can see that in the Lotus I'm moving a bit faster :) Granted I had driven the Coupe to the track but trailered the Elise.... After a full day at the track and a much needed shower, a banquet hosted by the event organizer. The feast is included in the price of the track day and the food (and wine) are very good. As are the catered lunches at the track for both days, for that matter.

Monday I focus on going a little faster. The first session ends with some excitement, as just as I exit the final turn onto the straight and the checkered flag comes out, the throttle jams wide open! I guess the car wanted to keep going... I was able to shut it down without incident and got towed back to the pits. About 40 minutes of tinkering and the Lotus is back in operation. At the end of the third session the borrowed lap timer shows a best of 2:13. I do most of the passing in the fast group. Only two people pass me. The car definitely has more to give and I am certain can run 2:08-2:09 pace. I know exactly where I'm giving up seconds and what's needed to extract them. However I don't want to push it that hard, as I'm just here to have fun and learn a bit more about the car, myself and driving in general. That being accomplished, I spend the final half-hour session giving rides to some people curious about the Elise, pack it up around 3 pm and go back to the hotel. A steady breeze makes the heat bearable, and I drink a LOT of bottled water.

Tuesday is a 500 mile haul back to Portland. I was looking forward to a nice boring drive, and for a while that is exactly what I got. Except for the air conditioning not working in the 100F weather... which seemed like just an annoyance at first but proved to be a bit more. About half-way home, heading up a long hill, the interior of the Explorer suddenly filled with steam and stench of antifreeze. Having seen this before (blown heater core), I pulled over right away and shut it down. A quick look under the hood revealed the serpentine belt that drives everything on the engine sitting next to the pulleys in a state of discontinuity. Ugh... A check of the AC compressor pulley confirms the likely culprit - a seized compressor that in turn sheared off the pulley bolts which then tore the belt which stopped the waterpump which overheated the engine which blew the heater core... So now the Ford was free of either heating or cooling - just take the weather that's given to you. Worse, to proceed it needed a new belt. A call to AAA resulted in a tow truck 1.5 hours later, to tow me and the trailer (the latter at $65 cost) 25 miles BACK to a service station which performed the repair in a commendable 1.5 hours (bypassing the AC compressor by using a smaller belt). While waiting for the tow truck I performed some roadside surgery on hoses and bypassed the heater core. Certainly wasn't going to miss it in THIS weather. So about 4 hours later and a couple hundred dollars poorer I was once again driving the same 25 miles uphill - without incident this time. And onward with a nice boring (and warm) drive all the way back to Portland. Just like I wanted :)

Definitely a neat trip overall, but I think I'll stick with events a bit closer to home for a while....