[BoilerUP]

Despite the V-Series being designed to be competent on circuits and compete with the M series, I don't think too many are actually used for that purpose...like most marquis brand halo cars.

My car will lead no easy life, and I'm gonna have a running thread about where I started to where I'm at. View or not, that's cool, but hopefully a more Google-friendly forum than Facebook groups will be helpful to someone.

Here's how it began: late Feb 2021 I got a 2018 ATS-V with 3600 miles on it from Carmax.

A review of RPO codes and title history was confusing; this car started life as Raven Black and showed it was used as a 'display vehicle'. Some internet sluthing found it was repainted Velocity Red by GM for the 2018 North American International Auto Show and is the only 2018 V Sedan in that color. Note the lack of V badges on the doors:

Always wanted a vanity plate, but wanted to avoid common tropes.

Car was a daily to and from the office, school drop-off line, grocery store, etc...until Oct 2021 when my wife and I went to Bowling Green KY for touring laps at NCM Motorsports Park....and the hook got set.

After doing some research, I decided to do what most car guys do: add power!

Renick catless downpipes
K&N air filters
ZZP fuel cam
ZZP flex fuel kit
AEM wideband
Schmidty flex tune
Delco 41147 plugs gapped .027

JM Performance, a new shop owned by a couple of young guys, did the parts install. After a few street logs, Justin sent me a first revised flex tune and I decided to throw the car on the dyno with snow coming in. Dyno reflects baseline in stock form same shop, same dyno, a couple months earlier.

Satisifed at this point with V3-level power, I started seriously thinking about HPDE. I ordered a set of MRR FS01 wheels from Nick Klotz for 275 front, 295 rear fitment. Unfortunately supply chain issues caused those wheels to take waaaaaaaaaay longer to come in than I was hoping.

First HPDE: March 2022, Binge Track Days @ NCM. 2:40.05

It was cold my first HPDE, had snowed the day before. Novice solo, not knowing what I didn't know, but I didn't ball anything up!

Second HPDE: April 2022, MVP Track Time @ NCM, 2:33.65

Also novice solo for my second day, driving cleaner though I did have partial on-track oversteer spins in T1B & T8 early in the day. This is what 1. lack of camber 2. lack of air pressure 3. not rotating side-to-side and 4. overdriving a PS4S will get you...

But then new track shoes arrived prior to my next track day!

Third HPDE: May 2022, 10/10ths Motorsports @ Putnam Park, 1:25.21

10/10ths required novices to get instruction. He was very helpful on a new track, but I was struggling with trans tune issues and the brand new ECFs that had not been heat cycled yet (though their traction was WAY better than PS4S). Looking at video, I left a looooooooooot of time on the track but it was a fun change of pace from NCM. As you can tell, the PDR didn't capture the start/finish line from the pit lane...

Fourth HPDE: May 2022, 10/10ths Motorsports @ NCM, 2:29.35
10/10ths wanted me instructed again at NCM, and this instructor introduced me to 'power for traction', otherwise known as weight transfer...and a lightbulb went off for sweepers. Got solo'd by lunch. Not many cars there on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, last two sessions had seven and six cars on track so I was able to break loose of Miatas and get some clean air.

I try to run E45-E47 on track, but screwed up the fuel mix and did an entire session at E57. I wouldn't recommend this with just a fuel cam, but VCM Scanner shows fuel pressures looked good.

Fifth HPDE: July 2022, 10/10ths Motorsports at NCM, 2:25:00
Starting to figure things out a bit, but it was toasty! Promoted from Novice Solo to Intermediate at lunch. PDR showed 2:25.00 but Track Addict with XGPS160 and Dragy with Dragy-Lap both showed 2:24.99

 

[tinman]

Great post!

 

[BoilerUP]

Sixth HPDE: August 2022, PCA Chicago at Gingerman, 1:47.1
Uncharacteristically cool & wet for August...low 60s. PCA Chicago folks were great, and Gingerman was fun though I was a cautious on a new & cool track. Lots of time left on track here...

Seventh HPDE: September 2022, Private Track Day at Gingerman, 1:42.98
A college friend living outside Chicago said he was renting Gingerman for an afternoon, would I want to come? Heck yes! Warmer track I was a bit more familar with allowed time to be shaved. Also my first time using G-Loc R12 front and R10 rear, definite increase in stopping ability compared to OE Ferodo HP1000 pads. Yay for brake ducts...

Also, getting a little overconfident this day showed me how NOT to drive a high-performance car on track. I was very lucky, and the car was undamaged. Learning occurred...

Eighth HPDE: November 2022, Binge Track Days at NCM, 2:28.29
Final track day of 2022. After my Gingerman spin I was a bit hesitant to send it the way I did back in July, even with G-Locs...though I was carrying more speed through T1A, T5 & T16 sweepers, and into braking zones. Air temp was cooler, and I'm wondering if the tires were starting to lose a bit of pace.

Also, I bought a Simpson Hybrid S after my off-track excursion at Gingerman at my wife's urging...it honestly wasn't really noticable in the car.

DECEMBER 2022

So the AMEX might have been smoldering a bit after Black Friday sales...but again at the wife's urging I'm gonna be ready to go in 2023.

There were also parts bought for the car which will be installed in the coming weeks for the 2023 season (a future post will cover that), and I'm planning to swap the ECFs out for Toyo RRs. I'm hoping to go to Mid-Ohio, Barber, and perhaps Autobahn in addition to NCM, Putnam and Gingerman.


More to come!

 

[BoilerUP]

Also I neglected to mention...

Before the first HPDE I did a brake fluid flush with SRF and was very happy with it. I need to flush it again prior to my first event this year. Running rubber OE brake lines, haven't felt a 'need' to go to stainless lines yet.

I bled the intercooler before every second track day, never really had many bubbles come out. I bled it with the engine running, and car parked on an incline. Thinking about the Tapout intercooler bleed switch.

Oil was changed every three track days. This winter I'll have the transmission & differential fluid flushed as well.

I was running -2.0 camber front, -1.8 rear...and honestly think I needed more camber up front. Vorshlag plates are ready to go on, along with Renick/Swift springs.

When I swapped to G-Loc R12/R10 for the track, I swapped to GS-1s for the street. The GS-1 dust a LOT less than OE HP1000 pads, and the dust is lighter in color. I think the initial bite of these pads is a touch less than OE HP1000s which isn't surprising, but they stop well on the street. Some people criticize OE HP1000 pads but I think they were fantastic as a dual use pad; I never had any problem getting hauled down from 140 at NCM but I wanted the ability to brake later/harder. They are definitely cooler under braking than the R12s are!

XGPS160 works great with Track Addict, and I have it velcro'd to the rear shelf center speaker. No issues with satellite reception and very secure. This is how I could tell I was faster in turns in Nov than in July.

 

[BKC1]

Nice set of posts. What software do you use with the XGPS160?

Have you considered (or already installed) sway bars and/or the DSC Sport active controller?

 

[BoilerUP]

I use Track Addict with XGPS160 and it works very well, much better than my iPhone 12 internal GPS.

Renick ATS-V swaybars were supposed to be ready in September, then by the end of December, and now they're telling me March 2023....😪

 

[BKC1]

Sucks to hear about the delay on the swaybars. What are you planning on running for end links? I personally run the SPL rear links with aftermarket boots (I don't trust them not to seize without boots) and the BMR front links, which I think are better sealed than the SPL front links.

If you get a chance to run those thermal strips again on the track, it would be interesting to put one set of titanium shims on one side of the car and see what the left-to-right delta T is.

Front Ti Shims Notched (there are plain ones if your pads don't have squealer tabs for less money):

Titanium Brake Heat Shield Set Notched; Cadillac ATS 6 piston 2016 FRONT | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Titanium Brake Heat Shield Set Notched; Cadillac ATS 6 piston 2016 FRONT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Rear Ti Shims Notched:

Titanium Brake Heat Shield Set Notched for Cadillac ATS & CTS Brembo 2016- Rear | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Titanium Brake Heat Shield Set Notched for Cadillac ATS & CTS Brembo 2016- Rear at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Finally, if you want to ditch the front plate, you can buy that black plastic fascia piece separately (I think it's about $150) so that the drill holes don't show. Dunno how Indiana is about that.

 

[BoilerUP]

Renick/Swift springs, Vorshlag camber plates, and all this are set to be installed in the coming weeks. Was hoping to do RP sways at the same time but alas....I could pick up ZZP sways but I'm not sure how much benefit I'll get from them relative to stock.

Indiana doesn't require a front plate, but the car had been registered in Maine. I figure at some point I'll 'fix' that, but until then, I'll run stuff that entertains me...

(now to decide if I wanna go full send and get APR splitter & wing with their 15% off & free shipping holiday promotion)

 

[BKC1]

Why not get the Weapon-X splitter and spoiler? The spoiler isn't just the OEM spoiler--it has a taller profile than OEM. Then later on, if you get the APR splitter, you'll be able to get the carbon package version.

 

[jguerdat]

Not a track junkie here (I autocross) but a couple of thoughts for down the road:

1) You mentioned camber may need to be changed. I run -2.4 front with pretty even treadwear for autocross and street. You stated -1.8 for the rear which may be something of an issue that caused your lawn mowing. I wonder if a flatter tread would help with minimal impact on cornering. I think mine is set at -1.5 based on a suggestion to run -1.3 to -1.5 to help straight line traction.

2) I see you're running with PTM set on Race. After several years of autocrossing the V I still occasionally will use PTM but that's when the course is wet and/or cold and usually for only first runs. Otherwise, I simply turn everything off (hold the TC button for several seconds) since even Race mode can cause a delay in throttle (I got yelled at when I posted a video of one of my runs and was complaining about coming out of a tight 180 with less acceleration than I thought was asked for - and PTM/Race was shown). I understand using it getting used to the car and/or track but ultimately Race can hold you back.

 

[BoilerUP]

Starting to settle on an ambitious 2023 schedule...need to get suspension parts installed & winter maintenance performed

 

[BoilerUP]

Black Friday impulse buy...

Taken to the best suspension shop in Louisville for install along with Swift/RP springs and Vorshlag camber plates.

Alignment specs based upon the car being a 'semi-daily'

Based on before & after measurements, the Swift springs lowered each corner 15-20mm.

The shop told me they set the plates to max negative camber and the arms to max positive camber, in order to maximize tire clearance on the spring/strut, then set everything for -3.0. If I ever decide I want more front camber, we'll get it from the arms.

Rear arm & end link install was straightforward, but they did say getting the OE rear knuckle bushings out were a major PITA, one I paid for in extra labor hours. They noted the fit of a couple OE bushings were close to 'loose', while others overly tight requiring persuasion of the non-press variety. I didn't "need" to do the knuckle bushings, but figured do it all now while the rear was apart.

Driving the car home in Touring mode, the ride felt a little 'bouncier' than previous but not as harsh as I thought it might be. Car seemed more taught and composed when taking a stoplight left at speed (not that it ever felt uncomposed), but I'll have to drive more to evaluate.

 

[tinman]

Might take a little to get it to settle in, but that will be fun times.

 

[BKC1]

How's the NVH? A little bounciness is expected... the Swift springs aren't linear, despite their claims to the contrary.

 

[BoilerUP]

How's the NVH?

Heard a few unfamiliar, irregular, minor rattles (for lack of a better description) on the drive home that seemed to diminish in frequency and loudness the further I drove home, most noticable when going over irregular roads, potholes, etc. None were particularly bad, but I was listening for anything out of the ordinary. I'm hoping once everything settles a bit it'll dissipate. Normal highway cruising at 70mph was fine.

The ride wasn't quite as good as it was stock, but still pretty darn good. Then again, I grew up in squarebody Chevy trucks so I grade ride on a curve.

 

[BoilerUP]

Had transmission & differential fluid flushed at a local Cadillac dealer...then did oil change and intercooler bleed at home. Sent an oil sample off to Blackstone; car/engine had 15,880mi on it while the Mobil1 5w30 had 3593mi and three HPDE days on it. Report came back looking good and will provide me a good baseline going forward.

After all that, time for a proper shakedown of the springs/camber plates with my track setup...

MRR FS01
18x9.5 ET24 front, 18x10.5 ET45 rear
Continental Extreme Contact Force
275/35R18 front, 295/30R18 rear

The Conti ECFs are chonky, but -3.0 front camber tucks quite nicely. No strut rub, a little rear liner rub at about 2/3 lock that I attribute to the over-spec width and don't really notice at anything faster than parking lot speeds. Interestingly, liner rub increases with 3mm and 5mm spacers.

After driving to and from work a number of times on I-65 through downtown Louisville (which has some pretty rough pavement transitions), the ride with Swift springs is definitely a bit harsher than stock, but not remotely what I'd call 'bad'.

Also, new track shoes have arrived...275/35R18 and 295/30R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE71RS.

 

[bleu18v]

Great stuff! Glad you and the V are OK after using her to cut grass! The CF splitter helps with that!
As far as the # of V's vs M's being used on the track, I wonder what production #'s for The M's are @?
You're getting great track time, more than anyone else I've noticed on the forums and FB.
I loved driving the M6 at Spring Mountain, but I can see the auto makes it a bit less of worrying about shifts and keeping your hands on the wheel. If and when I go back there, I'll definitely check out the Auto CT-4's and 5's there.
Keep it up and increase the line of credit on your AMEX!

 

[BoilerUP]

Season opener in the books...

It was cool (44F) and overcast, with the track wet for the morning sessions making for some good car control practice. Afternoon saw a dry track and in the fourth session I was able to put together eight consecutive laps 2:30 or lower, with the last of those eight laps a 2:26.26, despite not really pushing into sweepers or T8-10/T13-15 straightaways due to traction concerns. This was 1.26sec slower than my track PB, but 2 sec faster than I ran in November, running Continental Extreme Contact Force endurance 200s on their 7th track day with 30+ heat cycles/sessions on them.

The car felt extremely composed after having camber plates, springs, and rear arms installed.

Next up: MVP Track Time @ NCM on 1 April

 

[billymild]

Have you done HPDE's in the past? If so, what car are you coming from?

 

[BoilerUP]

No, 2022 was my first season of HPDE.