getting ready for the track [long]

[Tessie McMillan]

Hey all!

I've been off the list for a while; I got dropped somehow a few months
ago and just signed back on. Anyway, I'm building a track car (non-Audi)
that looks like it won't be finished before track season this year, so
I'll be tracking my sluggy &:-) '88 80 Q this year instead. My Quattro is
a daily driver, and I have a laundry list of issues I'm wondering if you
can help me with so I can be ready when Spring hits.

	1. What would a good (CHEAP) set of track wheels be for this car?
I have BBS-Moda 15" on there now with Bridgestone RE71s, but these wheels
bend like crazy on the street and I don't want to track them. Is Borbet a
reasonable wheel? Should I go with 15" since that is my daily drive?

	2. What rubber would you put on? an AVS Intermediate - high
performance street tire, or a ZR tire like a Comp T/A or A008? I wasn't
sure whether I need the extra adhesion with the Quattro, but that's what
I'm used to driving with a RWD setup (again, non-Audi). I do have
slotted/drilled rotors, hot brake fluid, and cool pads, so I can take the
extra grip if need be.

	3. Is there something I can do with the fluid in the transmission
that will make it more amenable to high temperature? I drove my Q, when
it was stock, at the track once several years ago and it became very
grouchy and hard to shift by the end of the day.

	4. I'm using a 20w-50 Castrol in the engine now. (My mechanic put
in Havoline but I could swear it made the engine tappier so I drained it
out and replaced it.) Do you like the Castrol 20w-50 for high-temp
lubrication? Is there another weight/brand you prefer? Or does anyone use
a synthetic?

	5. Would it be reasonable to unbolt the back seat and remove it
from the car to get rid of weight, or would this negatively affect weight
distribution? Any other weight ideas aside from the obvious spare tire,
etc.? I don't want to strip the car because I use it to haul my dogs and
equipment around for agility practice on the weekends.

	6. I have an annoying problem I need to fix first: after driving
at consistent high speed on the highway, the brake pedal becomes stiff and
I find it beginning to descend to the floor (braking the car). My
mechanic wonders if this is a fault of the ABS. Is there anything I can
do to diagnose and fix this problem myself? It is not a stuck caliper ...
nothing related to the brakes themselves.

	7. I cannot for the life of me heel and toe in this car the way
the pedals are set up. Have any of you adjusted the pedals successfully,
or is there a kit for this car? The accelerator is -- for my foot --
pretty darn far away from the brake.

	8. Just out of curiosity: does anyone know how much the front
seats weigh in an '88 80Q?

Thanks for any and all help!

Tess
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.