24 days until the AO Nurburgring 2006

[mattireland]

ok the excitment is now building.........

but what else is there to do??

1. keep practicing day and night on GT4, at some point i hope to actually keep the car on the track otherwise the outlook is bleak!!

2. car is off for a health check on the 27th april

3. purchase some german beer to allow my body to aclimatise to the 15% alcohol level

4. purchase european breakdown cover

what else am i forgetting?

[sandys]

Other things to do

Clear the video camera and learn how to convert it to digital format for sharing on the web

Invest in some camera mounts, perhaps a bullet cam or a wide angle lens.

For me a tyre rotation will be needed and some suspension adjustment if I can be arsed/

Need to check insurance covers me abroad too.

Find soemthing to fix the headlights for driving on the wrong side.

[Trailbraker]

Originally Posted by sandys

Find something to fix the headlights for driving on the wrong side.

Good point, if anybody has any info on this that would be great

[sandys]

I posted a thread on it in GT GTA section, PRs response was fairly useful

[mattireland]

im going to get some in halfords when in the uk, do you want me to pick you up some?

[sandys]

Oooh I could hook up my datalogger to the car for a good video overlay :idea:

[mattireland]

Originally Posted by sandys

Oooh I could hook up my datalogger to the car for a good video overlay :idea:

a what?

[sandys]

Its a little box of tricks that gives me the car data, revs, temps, speed and a load of other stuff, used it along with a laptop on my GTA will give you cornering G and map out the track etc.

[mattireland]

Originally Posted by sandys

Its a little box of tricks that gives me the car data, revs, temps, speed and a load of other stuff, used it along with a laptop on my GTA will give you cornering G and map out the track etc.

very, very

i read on ben loverings site that video and photography is no banned (as of 2004), is that purely for spectators or drivers (well passengers) aswell?

[sandys]

Bugger I had seen a lot if the Ring vids I assumed you could use your camera

[Trailbraker]

Learning the most important bend names would be an excellent idea, otherwise our bragging in the pub afterwards won't make much sense to anybody
Not to mention understanding any advice we may receive from knowledgable folk like Jochen.


BTW I really recommend buying the "Circuit Guides" Nordschlieffe as a single - they have just done a new version.
I have the old version which was contained in their Euo Guide collection and it was excellent, but they have added helicopter shots and more info now apparently.

£17.95

http://www.circuitguides.com/product_listing.php
(Or for 40 quid buy their european circuit guide collection, 16 circuits, including Mondello Park international circuit too Matt
Don't know if this has everything their new standalone Nordschleife guide info has though, still has 80 pages of info on the Ring which should be enough! Divided cleverly into overview and detail sections so isn't too overwhelming )

The chap who wrote it held a Ring lap record for a while so I reckon he should know what he is talking about.

Cheers,
TB

[mattireland]

Originally Posted by sandys

Bugger I had seen a lot if the Ring vids I assumed you could use your camera

same here, even got a new digital camera for the occassion.

here's th link anyway, perhaps TB can advise further? can't see how they can enforse it?

http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/ringrules.html

section 5, point 4 (ben's further comment)

[Trailbraker]

I think you aren't strictly allowed to have cameras, and they will stop camera mounts or cameras if they see them.
Mind you, I know lots of people who just have their passenger hide the hand-held camera until after passing the barrier..

I have a datalogger too (AX-22), I'm going to test its performance when it is stuck in the boot out of sight if I can find somewhere to stick it too.
I'm not sure are they allowed either but the small flat matchstick box sized GPS antenae stuck to the boot should be fairly discrete.
Failing that I will hide the antennae in the car itself somewhere, I won't care about the loss of accuracy too much.
I probably won't even look at the data until I'm on my way home.
I don't want to be tempted to push before I know the track better and defintely will be playing it safe this time.

Cheers,
TB

Originally Posted by sandys

Bugger I had seen a lot if the Ring vids I assumed you could use your camera

[Trailbraker]

Yes please (if you were talking to me )

Thanks!
TB

Originally Posted by mattireland

im going to get some in halfords when in the uk, do you want me to pick you up some?

[vamos]

Well I have done a car check. Here is my checklist if anyone is interested:

1) brake pad and disc check
2) battery check
3) brake fluid check
4) oil and filter replacement
5) shocks check
6) front and rear supension component check (visual)
7) new thermostat
8) AC removal
9) tyre check (tread visual, pressure with calibrated gauge)
10) coolant replaced
11) CV joint check (visual)

Hope that covers most things

@ TB

Something like "there I was keeping it flat through the Laudakink and then doing a biggish dab for Bergwerk, when this Beemer who clearly thought he was already powering up the Kesselchen comes screaming past me, then realising hes not where he thought..."

BTW are any knowledgeable folk like Jochen coming?

[Trailbraker]

My info is that Jochen will be there

He had warned me that he wouldn't be on-line that much right now.
I would expect him to raise his head over the parapet again shortly especially since he was going to offer to provide a photo service for those of us who wished to avail of it.

Cheers,
TB

[Cuore_Sportivo_155]

It's nice to see that y'all moved the trip up 4 months. Makes it easier for me to come also... I'll book my vacation saturday...

Cuore_sportivo

[Trailbraker]

Yeeey
I knew you would come, is the car feeling frisky now?
I know you were applying some affection to it recently!

TB

[guezen]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it also.

Today I received my 8 lap pass. It's getting close!!!

[sandys]

Do you have to buy it now, I assumed you bought it on the day?

[guezen]

Originally Posted by sandys

Do you have to buy it now, I assumed you bought it on the day?

You can also buy them there. No problem.

If it's busy, I avoid the cue and can get straight into the action.
And the risk of not finishing 8 laps in 2006 (2 certain visits) is slim.

Now I''m off to the PS2 !!! Practice.....

P.s. This is a link to a PDF-document (in german) about the do's and don'ts on the Ring. Also corners, gears, breakingpoints etc.

http://www.brabovent.nl/bmwm_ring.pdf

Hope this helps.

Grtz,
Robert

[vamos]

Originally Posted by guezen

You can also buy them there. No problem.

If it's busy, I avoid the cue and can get straight into the action.
And the risk of not finishing 8 laps in 2006 (2 certain visits) is slim.

Thats a great idea. Where did you order your ticket from? How long did the delivery take?

[Veloc_Gee]

Trailbraker et al

1st, apologies for the silence - combination of work (end of year baselines) & personal commitments, home computer not allowing forum access for some reason (sorry TB - I didn't see your PMs until last week), & waiting on mates to give me a decision. Yes, couple of my mates had dropped-out (Cooper S now a 3week old Boxster; pug Gti sold & other Boxster, undecided), but one gave a defo commitment. I was ready to touch-base with you guys & confirm travel details & accomodation, etc. I was good-to-go.....

I took my car to a small independent in NW london to replace the undertray (it was making a hell of a racket) & I thought I'd also do a pre-ring health check. This was last Friday.


That Friday afternoon I got a call from this garage to say that he had taken the car out on a test drive, left it outside a bank & returned to see it smashed-up! On hearing this I just told him I'd call him back - I was in shock (just got the car out of the bodyshop not 2 weeks ago).

I went to see it Friday: smashed NSF wing, smashed bumper & headlights, dented OSF wing & punctured NSR tyre(??!)! It's a mess. No witnesses, nothing - apparently.

Now he said he'll sort it - sending it to a bodyshop he knows & I assume he'll do the mechanicals. So he comes-out quids in. He wouldn't even entertain the idea of my sending it somewhere else, even though he admitted that his insurance will not dictate where the car goes... Those I have spoken to, don't like the sound of this.......

I am both very upset & very angry. I am without transport for the easter weekend & (more important), I can't do the 'ring : mad:

I know I haven't been party to the chat on the ring trip,(plus I can't access the website from home for some But I was always intending to go.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON with this car!!!

[guezen]

Originally Posted by vamos

Thats a great idea. Where did you order your ticket from? How long did the delivery take?

I ordered them on:

http://www.nts-gmbh.net/

I received an invoice by "snail"-mail, payed by bank (internet) and received the tickets again by "snail"-mail. In all about 2 weeks between first order and receiving the ticket.

Works great.

Next time a year ticket??

Grtz,
Robert

[Trailbraker]

Hi again VG,

expressed my sympathies on your other thread

If I was you I would insist that you get the car evaluated independently even if you let the guy fix it himself.
Who knows what actually happened and what other hidden damage could have accrued?

Unless of course he agrees to buy it off you..
You may gain some leverage room by finding out the facts on your official entitlements - there is a conflict of interest here!

Cheers,
TB