Boxer wsheels at Last

Well Boxer fans finally got tires mounted up to my new boxer wheels. Got the wheels from an f-chat member who had them on his boxer many years ago. Wheels were made by boyd and look to be milled from billet. Wheels are 16 in, rears are 10.5 in and fronts 9.5 in wide.

Took a while to find some decent 255/50/16 rears, went for 245/50/16 fronts.
The steering is easier than before, the ride is much smoother with many previously painful roads comfortably drivable.

Took it to the FCA event at lime rock to feel it out. Grip is superb with the car cornering far flatter. In tight bends I pushed the car all the way, over and understear could be played with at will. Throttle induced overstear moved the rear end out about a 1/8 th of the way and feathering the throttle brought it neatly back in. I would say the car has more grip than suspension and could now use a little stiffer springs and shocks, no big deal as ride is so improved.

On track car was faster and could be pushed harder than a 348. Followed a 360 for a few laps, before passing it, low speed accelaeration out of the left hander and through no name straight was superior in the boxer. 360 would slowly pull away down the main straight untill about 120 mph when boxer felt about even. The biggest limitation were the brakes which were strong for three laps and then needed babying for a lap or so to cool down. The killer for the brakes was rapidly slowing from 130-140 to a sane conering speed for big bend. Braking at the same point as most of the other cars, ie a little earlier solved the probelm.

On the strong advice of Bill Pollard no downshift engine braking was used, so it was matching revs and double decluching at the end of the straight.

The car thrived on the use and got stronger and stronger. As a reward the AC even worked great for the ride home. This normaly takes 50-55min but due to light traffic on backroads and a oneness with the car came to only 35 min.

Conclusion is that the missing link on a boxer is tires, easily fixable. What would have produced an oh sh**t moment before or a spin is now 6/10ths pace.

I guess next will come brakes and adjustable shocks, any suggestions? and then maybee a bit better flowing exhaust. Given the speeds attainable on the street I cannot imagine needing a faster car, for the track a Lotus elise seems to beckon.

 

Tires are BFG g force ta Sport's 255/50/16 rears and 245 fronts. The Other two options in a 255 rear were dunlo sp 800 and khumo. The dunlops had some variable reviews and a reputation for great grip and then just letting go, not a good thing in a boxer. Khumos just did not appeal. The BFG tires had the most benign breakawak y transition, also there were a number of reviws from c4 corvette ownexers who used these tires and found them leauguesd ahead of thie gatorbacks.

The limits are way beyond what you can use on the road. On the track the limits could be more easily explored and I had no problem staying with a 360 on the tighter bends. The car was stable and easily controllable when stepping over the limit. There was also a BMW z3 coupe there with khumo tires and I could flat outcorner and outaccelerate him evrywhere.

My drive home was full of oneness with the car. Taking the backroads usualy is a 50-55min ride, my post track trip home took 35min, there was no traffic and the car was driven as enzo intended. I could not imagine any corner on the street where the limits could be reached before the driving would be condiddered suicidal. On a few decreasing radius bends taken hot more steering could be dialed in at will, and there was no fear of the rear end letting go.

The exhaust is currently the stock factory system, real quiet for stealth speed. Its good in that there is no need to announce ones arrival or upset locals on country roads. However when I got the car it had short headers into cats with no crossover or mufflers. Set up this way the motor was weak below 4000 but above that power built exponentialy with revs so rapidly that care had to be taken in lower gears not to hit the limiter. With the stock exhaust it pulls well from low revs, is very torqueyand strong from 4000 to about 6700 but then the game is effectively over. The motor also feels more lazy. Mixture is also crucial with co above 2.4 killing power.

So I was thinking of a quiet exaust with good flow, maybee something like an orgional ansa system, hopefully it would be a good all around compromise. Tubis are just too loud.

Will take picture when I am back at the car this weekend.