Jonathan Kay

General stuff Learn the flags in advance. Learn the track in advance. (Apparently there are computer games...) Take your time. A day's a long time and getting tired is a very bad idea. Drive a few laps and then have break and a think. But of course this depends a bit on the format of the day. It often gets a lot less busy during the afternoon... ​Drink enough fluid. Talk to other people and beg some passenger laps. I find it hard to see why everyone else is neater and faster while I'm driving.I take out insurance with a very big excess on a policy distinct from that for road use. Opinions differ on this. You can find recent quotes with and without road use here. Have fun. Jonathan

Some trackdays are used for fettling racing cars. Beware: these can be much less fun. They need garages/ rebuilds etc.Racing overalls Not needed. Think what you'll wear if it's cold, hot or wet. Garage Most manage fine without. Comms Most manage with talking and hand signals. Some will put a hand on the wheel... Noise Any chance of getting a static test done before the day? Roll bar Yes, clearance is a known problem. Tools and wheels The car and components are much more highly stressed than on the road, at least when I'm driving. Things may come loose and fall off. I take a jack and a footwell full of tools. And top-up liquids. But there'll be a lot of people who are likely to be very helpful. I have a spare wheel and would be stuck if that went as well. (A bit like John Arlott and corkscrews.) Spectators and visitors Free everywhere that I've been. Have fun. Jonathan

Great piece of work. Hope you're going to work with Shaun on getting the local versions updated as well... Happy New Year Jonathan

Is the distributor cap clean inside ? it could be that the current is finding a less restricted way to earth. Definitely worth checking. if its the dizzie then why has it swapped from no1 to 2. If it's tracking in the distributor that could wander a bit, or it could be that + marginal spark + my idea. Jonathan

Withdrawing plug lead completely means shes running on 3. Its when the plug lead is just off the plug top that she runs sweet ie . Not sure what you mean: Rough when "fully fitted"? Smooth when slightly lifted? Typically lumpy when fully removed? Sounds the same as 1?That implies bad contact from lead to plug. if that's the cause it might have swapped as you played with both 1 and 2 and the contact varied. Jonathan PS: Experts please: can you ever improve spark on other plugs by having a small gap on one contact? As with a trembler coil?

The problem can be overcome by lifting the plug lead off the plug slightly and she then runs sweet. Is that so far that you're sure it's disconnected or might you be lifting it into better contact? What happens if you withdraw that lead completely from the plug? Jonathan

And some seasonal toxicology from The Guardian: "New Year's Eve partygoers told to beware of fake booze". Jonathan

Could you explain how (that is, which bit of) the EG molecule fits the ADH active site? And would it be the same for PG? And what about ethanol, for which, I believe, ADH has a much higher affinity? Sorry, a man's got to know his limitations. The Wikipedia article on alcohol dehydrogenase(s) looks good, and there's probably a graphic somewhere.... Only one general thought to add: the difference between ethylene glycol and propylene glycol doesn't produce very different chemical properties, but enzymes are designed to be sensitive to shape and size. There are a couple of fascinating clinical examples: Pseudocholinesterase deficiency, which probably affects at least one Member although he probably doesn't know. This can produce what's supposed to be one of the most terrifying experiences: consciousness with muscle blockade. And it's familial, so great for thrillers. Medium-chain acyl dehydrogenase deficiency. Probably the only population screening programme for a condition which most doctors have never heard of, let alone seen. But there'll be more along soon... Jonathan

Are you looking for a more comfortable garage for you, or to protect the 7 in some way? I was surprised to discover (from BC) that dehumidifiers actually work. Jonathan PS: Usual safety reminder about combustion heaters: think about carbon monoxide as well as fire.

"MOT manuals and special notices" Jonathan

BAE's preferred fix was to introduce a new earth strap going from the battery earth to the starter motor. Glad it's sorted. But I don't understand why this helped or was necessary. Nearly all 7s don't have this problem at nearly all times. It seems to imply there was still a bad wire or bad connection in the circuit that this has bypassed. Jonathan

Wouldn't be hard to wire but of course it would take up space. How would that compare with one of those amazing small light jump starter packs for your needs? One advantage would be that it wouldn't require any clipping on or removing the bonnet... Jonathan

Where did you fit your clutch pedal? :-) Happy New Year Jonathan

Or take the carbon-based failure-prone component out of the critical loop and go autonomous: kill the ignition? Jonathan

Thanks. The Odyssey PC680 is an AGM type, not a gel type. Jonathan

What sort of battery? Thanks Jonathan

Are you sure you want a new one rather than seeing if it can be repaired? Jonathan

Some starting suggestions, some sorting strategies. Jonathan

And two more needed, 1 to 7y. (No 7 angle.) Jonathan

I love the smell of data in the morning... Jonathan

... the fan belt warning system from an air cooled 911... http://type911shop.co.uk/WebRoot/Store15/Shops/de867ca1-377e-432e-84fd-bdccf2206766/5435/1D4A/DF1E/9378/09D9/0A48/3539/8AFC/R99310603500_m.jpg Porsche Parts Shop Well done Jonathan

What did you fit, and how long is it left between runs, please? (I assume the common problem of flat batteries in 7s has at least three causes: long periods without the alternator turning, small batteries and residual electrical loads when the ignition is off.) Jonathan

1. Does anyone have access to a how to guide/thread or shopping list for best method of doing this? 2. In terms of wiring, I'm guessing I can fit a microswitch on the pump belt wired in parallel with the low pressure switch and utilise the same warning light for both warning systems? 3. Will the red light that comes with the Longacre kit be bright enough on sunny days, or can anyone recommend a brighter alternative? Haven't seen one of those belt warning systems: are they used in racing? Aircraft? Industry? I can imagine either having the actuator for the switch acting directly on the belt with a low friction thing or having an idler wheel on the belt and the actuator on the spring-loaded support arm. (Or an optical solution... ) What are you going to do with the existing warning light? Tht Longacre kit has a 194 lamp socket, which should give you a big choice of incandescent and LED lamps. Jonathan

Where are they splitting? (I don't think I've heard of this before.) At 18 months I'd ask for replacement by the vendor. But they can probably be repaired. Jonathan

PVR25 from Rally Design. I have a Powervamp PVR 25 but I don't think you can get them anymore: Rally Design current catalogue. That's what led me to the failed Bulk Buy for Powervamp Clubsports, and asking Powervamp what they recommend: see post #2. And still leaves unresolved the question of how Odyssey models differ from Powervamp models... Jonathan