MCS 2-Way and AP Racing Competition Brakes

It's been 7 years now since Bumblestook was retired from true competition trim and being a bit of a do it all car. One thing that always bothered me though was the compromise I made on raw handling performance opting for just a decent suspension setup and blingy brakes.I suppose it was fine when my initial goal was to maybe drive it around a lot more on the street with a few fun events every now and then. However, looking at my actual usage in the past years it was time to take the gloves off and put in something real again.

I worked closely with Brian at Karcepts to spec out a MCS 2-way adjustable damper setup with remote canisters that would optimize track handling while still being manageable on the street. I settled with Hyperco 850 lb/in front and Hyperco 750 lb/in rear 2.25" ID x 7" springs, Karcepts top hats and matching MCS 2-way remote dampers. It was also matched with 0 rate helper springs and Delrin couplers to avoid binding and minimize noise. 

I had SJF do the install since I needed to get holes re-added to the rear of the car to get the canister into the cabin but unlike the car's BSP trim, I wanted this install to be much cleaner. I got some RS Pro canister holders so it could get mounted up on to the rollbar for a clean install with easy adjustment.

Rear canisters mounted cleaning on the rollbar

I had a similar thing done to the front except mounted to a plate so that it could sit in the space behind the bumper and in front the radiator away from the engine heat while still being easily adjustable. The lines going to the passenger side dampers were really at the limit here due the location of the canister. There's just enough slack to make it work but I think if I have these serviced in the future I'm going to get slightly longer hoses made.

Front canisters mounted 

Cooling plate trimmed to allow knob adjustment

Clean install in the front

While we were at it, new tie rods and tie rod boots were all installed since my old ones were starting to show some signs of wear and I wanted everthing as buttoned up as we possibly could.

New tie rods and tie rod boot

Since I was already going down the slipper slope of performance upgrades, I worked with Brad on securing AP Racing Competition brakes with 325mm J-hook rotors from Sakebomb Garage. I decided to continue with using Carbotech XP10 front pads with part number CTFRP3116. This is for the D50 radial depth pads so that they have proper coverage on the 325mm rotors. My carbon brake duct shields needed significant trimming to not interfere with the new rotors. I don't even think they're really that necessary anymore but since they're already on there might as well still have the extra brake cooling.

New AP Racing calipers with Carbotech XP10 pads

Brake duct shield trimmed

Brakes fully installed

A few other things had to be done. A bit of the brake pad needed some sanding down since it was a tad too thick and contacting the rotors without the brakes applied. Also, for winter I run Enkei RPF1 17x8 wheels in the front to clear to the Spoon calipers but even with 5mm spacers they barely clear these calipers so I opted to put on 12mm spacers to get enough clearance. Thanksfully I already run extended studs so the added offset wasn't a problem. New brake lines were also installed and of course the whole thing flushed with Motul RBF600 fluid. Also flushed the clutch fluid and since we're doing fluids, flushed the diff fluid as well.

And of course the ride height was adjusted to what I previously had and a new alignment done.

Fresh alignment settings

Driving the car home, I was absolutely pleased by how the car rode even on its "race" dampers settings. It had a very "Euro" drive dynamic to it, stiff yet comfortable. Cornering felt nice and flat and the brakes felt great too. I can't wait til it warms up and I can really put the car through its paces.

Big thanks to Brian at Karcepts and Brad at S2K Takeover for the part selection and settings guidance and of course SJF Performance for bringing my ideas into reality.

Maintenace Update:

Mileage: 69,631

- 1qt 80W140 Redline diff fluid

- 1L of Motul RBF 600 brake fluid for brakes and clutch

- New front brake hoses

- AP Racing Competition front big brake kit with 325mm J-hook rotors

- Carbotech XP10 CTFRP3116 front pads

- New tie rods and tie rod boots

- MCS 2-Way Remote dampers with 850/750 springs and Karcepts top hats

End of Season Oil Change for Kay

Unfortunately, colder days means we're at the end of the season so time to change out the oil on the Cayman to make sure it doesn't just sit in contaminated old oil all winter. I let the car drain for a whole day so it seems more oil came out of it than usual so it took a full 9 quarts to get it just under full (I've got the FVD motorsports oil pan that adds about 0.7 quarts oil capacity so it's a bit more than stock). 

oil change time

Maintenance Update:

Mileage: 56,021

- 9 quarts Driven DT-40

- NAPA gold filter

End of Season Oil Change for Scarlett

End of season means time to start to clear out old oil and any contaminants before the car sits for long periods.

Oil change time

Maintenance Update:

Mileage: 174,303

- 11.5 quarts Driven GP-1 20W-50
- Mahle OC54 oil filter

Suspension refresh for the 944

I haven't been doing any motorsports events in the 944 because it developed a bit of a clunk when stopping at slow speed and the alignment wasn't what I wanted. I decided to get a fresh set of Konis and I'm glad I did since it turned out the old Koni front inserts started to have play in it. We reused the ground control coilovers that were already there and obviously the Racer's Edge camber plate that was also installed earlier this year. 

New front Konis installed

Rear Konis installed

I was also not happy with the uneven ride height so I had SJF reindex the torsion bars in the rear which unfortunately is easiest to do by dropping the entire rear and also had the front lowered a little bit. 

Reindexing rear torsion bars

The result was much more even ride height

LF - 25 1/2

RF - 25 1/2

LR - 25 5/8

RR - 25 1/2

The alignment was then properly done with the front camber maxed out. The rear is set 1 degree less, 0 toe and dialed in a little toe out in front to get better turn in.

We also noticed an oil leak from the plugs in the valve cover so new seals were installed. We also replaced the completely destroyed exhaust gasket. We then discovered the source of the clunk. The bracket that sits above the exhaust in the transmission tunnel wasn't fully tight. As soon as that was tightened, the clunk disappeared. 

Maintenance Update:

Mileage: 98,728

- New valve cover gasket and plug set

- New exhaust donut

- New Koni yellow all around

- New bolts and hardware for struts

Oil change time for the Jeep

 Just the annual oil change for the Jeep

Oil change

Maintenance Update:

Mileage: 83,314

- New mopar oil filter

- 6qt Castrol Edge 5W-20

Season End Track Day - Watkins Glen - 25th Anniversary Honda S2000

For the final event of the S2K Takeover track season we ended it with a 2 day event at Watkins Glen. 2025 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the S2000 and we had a terrific turnout of 40+ S2000s. We also got blessed with incredible weather, sunny, dry and in the low 80s. Everything you could ask for, we got.

Watkins Glen International - 9-29-2025
Photo by: John Mascarinas

During lunch for the first day, we had had a parade lap so we could capture some epic photos that will be etched in our memories forever.

Watkins Glen International - 9-29-2025
Photo by: John Mascarinas

Watkins Glen International - 9-29-2025
Photo by: John Mascarinas

Watkins Glen International - 9-29-2025
Photo by: John Mascarinas

I set my PB on the first session of day 1 but in my biggest bonehead move of the season, I didn't replace my tires thinking I could get away with a full season of track on a set of RE71RS except I forgot I actually changed out these tires late 2024 so I had more track days than I remembered. The result was a pretty quick drop off in grip after that so I just kept losing more and more time as I had to back off for safety.

Tires completely worn

Overall though it was incredibly fun and I'm glad that's how the season ended and I'm looking forward to some really nice changes next season :D

Oil change for the Mini

Realized that despite running only about 5K miles since the last oil change I realized it's already been almost a year so that had to get done. 

Maintenance Update:

Mileage: 81,627

- 5L Liquimoly 0W-20
- New Mahle oil filter
- New oil drain copper washer
- New rubber oil drain gasket

Little End of Summer Autocross

Well we haven't  had many local NNJR SCCA Autocross events for a few months now since Metlife stadium has been busy getting ready for the FIFA World Cup. We finally got one today for the last one before the summer and our friends go off to Lincoln to duke it out at Nationals. 

NNJR SCCA Autocross - 8-24-2025

Weather really couldn't have been better, pretty much high 70s to low 80s all day with some cloud cover and a decent breeze. Course was fast and fun and the Cayman's feeling nice and spicy and dancing around just the way I like it. It's funny because I drive the S2000 a lot on track of course which is far more scary in terms of kicking out the rear so when the Cayman does it which feels very slow and controlled, I find it super easy to drive through. Kept the tires at 30psi all around hot and that felt pretty good so I think I'll stick with that. 

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NNJR SCCA Autocross - 1st place XSA - 57.692

Suspension maintenance and Alignment

I've been continuing to here some metal tapping/knocking sound from the back of the car when moving around at low speed. I know there aren't any loose bolts back there but wanted to get the shocks out just to make sure everything was ok. Visited SJF to get the car checked out. They were a bit dirty and the top Swift thrust sheets we installed last year had warped which I think contributes to the springs binding a bit so we removed and reassembled. The noise has been reduced but it's still there. I'm going to replace these shocks next year anyway so I'm not too worried. 

Rear shock cleaned and reassembled

We did notice that the threads on the lower shock mount bolt were not looking too healthy. I'm going to order new OEM replacements. 

These threads have seen better days

Finally I wanted to get the car realigned since the front steering wheel had to be turned left to drive straight. Turns out the rear toe slipped a bit so we put that back to what it should be (1/8" total toe in) and it's driving perfect again.

Alignment time

NSX-R Horn Button

I've had a Mugen steering wheel (basically a Momo competition wheel) in Bumblestook for over a decade now mostly because I'm such a Mugen whore going back to my RSX days. However, I've always loved the classy OEM NSX-R horn but have just always hesitated to pull the trigger. They're pretty expensive for what they are but I guess as time passes and in the large scheme of everything I've ever bought for my S2000 for the past 15 years, it's not really that crazy.

OEM NSX-R Horn

Also, as I own more and more older cars it makes me further appreciate the luxury of being able to buy new parts from the factory while you still can. The cars we drive are indeed a dying breed and while this is nothing but a superficial mod, it is a nod to a bygone ere of when Honda was making absolutely timeless classics.

Looks so at home in there

And yes, sadly it seems I have a scratch on my steering wheel but who cares. Driven not hardparked!!!

Post-track Maintenance

Well I finally got the car on the lift to do my usual post track maintenance of changing the oil. It's been a while since I sent a sample out for analysis so I think i'll do that this time. 

Fresh oil

I also replaced the bent endlink from the little sway bar debacle last weekend. Thankfully I always keep a fresh spare set so it was an easy swap. I also double checked the troque on the allen bolt for the sway bar arms to make sure they were at 85 ft/lb. 

Bent endlink bolt

Bags of backup end links

New endlink installed

I also rotated my wheels front to back so they'll be nice and fresh for The Glen next month.

Maintenance Update:

Mileage: 68,844

- 5.5 quarts Amsoil 10W-40 Signature Searies

- New Honda OEM oil filter

- New front passenger side swaybar endlink

- Rotated tires front to back

Open Track Day at NYST

I got the full season membership with S2K Takeover this year which included a private invite only open track day at NYST. It was for 2 days but I could only make the first day and it was still all worth it. It didn't start all rosy though as on my way to the hotel the night before, I felt something metallic drop from the car and drag on the highway. I was able to quickly pull over and realize my sway bar arm had wiggled its way loose from and disconnected. 

Sway bar arm came off

Thankfully I was convoying with Dhariel and he had his jack with him so we were able to quickly get it up off the ground and I was able to quickly detach the endlink from the arm to get it completely off and into the trunk so we could get on our way.

Roadside repairs

The next day I got the car up on jackstands to check underneath. There was thankfully no additional damage and I didn't lose any bolts or nuts so I was able to reattached the bar. The endlink had bent a bit but it was still enough to get it secured and working again.

Time for repairs

Re-attached sway bar arm

With the bar secured again, everything was driving back to normal. Weather was near perfect at high-70s to low-80s the whole day. I got some decent laps in the morning but as the temps started to go up, the tires started to get a bit greasy and the times started to go up so I packed it up a little early to get home at a decent time.

It was a good day

NYST Uptown - 1:40.60

New fuel cap for Bumblestook

For some time now I've been noticing a faint fuel smell coming out of the side of the car once it gets hot. I thought maybe it's just venting some fuel from the pressure but read online that maybe it's my fuel cap starting to fail. I have been noticing that it's not only harder to open my fuel cap but it also seemed like it took lots of turns to lock it. 

New fuel cap

I ordered a new fuel cap, part number 17670-S5A-A32. It looks a bit different from the original one but it did screw on and tighten just fine. I also noticed as I was replacing it that my old cap wasn't on tight. I'm 100% sure I tightened this when I fueled up at NJMP two weeks ago so something is definitely up. Hopefully this resolves my issue. 

Double header at NJMP

Midway through the season and we're back at NJMP with S2K Takeover and EMRA. We did NJMP Lightning on day 1 and NJMP Thunderbolt on day 2. Both days were pretty hot but we got hit with quite a bit of rain on day 1 making it a bit tough to put down any flyers. On top of that I was feeling under the weather with some pretty intense back pain so it was a struggle bus every session out.

NJMP Thunderbolt - 7-20-2025
Photo by: JRose Photography

NJMP Thunderbolt - 7-20-2025
Photo by: JRose Photography

Car felt pretty good out there though and I wasn't getting that weird claustrophobic feeling I was having in the car at NYST. I think I'm getting used to my new helmet and my lighter new HANS device feels like it's not there which is great.

NJMP Lightning - 7-19-2025
Photo by: JRose Photography
Wet track conditions

NJMP Lightning

NJMP Thunderbolt

Disinfecting the AC system in the Mini

Starting a few weeks ago the AC in the Mini started to have a bad wet dog / mildew kind of smell that was making us feel sick. To address this, I got a can of Klima Cleaner Pro, removed the air cabin filters that were still very new in the car then sprayed everything in there to disinfect the system. I let it soak up and drip out of the condensation drain for about 15 minutes, reinstalled the filters, then ran the air on high (no recirc) for 15 minutes to let it go through the system. Pretty simple 30 minute total job. 

It definitely smells better now though I may need to reapply one more time if it's not 100% gone. Seems to be a common BMW/Mini problem maybe in the way the condensation drain is set up. At least I know the drain itself isn't clogged since I saw all the fluid I was spraying in eventually go out the drain and drop onto the ground under the car. 

New Haltech ECU for Bumblestook

A few months ago I noticed that I could no longer connect my old laptop to my Haltech ECU. It wouldn't detect it and later it would actually shut my laptop off if I did. I setup a new laptop to see if the laptop was the issue but it gave a warning that whatever was plugged into the USB port was drawing too much power. I knew at this point the USB port on my Haltech Pro Plug-in must've shorted out since changing the cable didn't fix it either. 

Old ECU left vs New ECU right

I ordered a new Haltech Pro Plugin for the S2000 which looks pretty cool with the new black and yellow color scheme to match the car. The guts and the firmware haven't really changed since years ago so it was as simple was swapping everything over, reloading my tune and configuration and firing the car up. I did recalibrate the TPS voltage which has changed a bit over time just to make sure everything was good and everything ran just fine.

New ECU

New ECU talking to my new laptop just fine