My Atom 4 Journey
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 7:59 pm
Several people have asked me to document my Atom 4 journey here on the Forum, mainly because it can then provide a lasting record that is much more easily referred back to than if I’d posted the same info via the recently formed and very popular WhatsApp group which I also full support.
First, a bit about me … one way and another I’ve been involved with motorsport most of my life, from karting to racing and then on to rallying. But latterly I’ve turned more towards non-competitive ‘just for fun’ trackday activities and in particular have had a Radical SR3 for the past 7 years.
My Atom 4 journey started on the 14th June 2021 after a 36 month wait… we all know what that’s like. From the factory the car then went to Paul at Definitive Detail in Chelmsford for the full PPF treatment - not the cheapest, but great quality and lovely people to work with.
500 miles running in. Boring and largely uneventful.
From the very start I loved the sequential box, and boy is it quick, but I was struggling with the brakes as I’ve got large feet and found it too easy to accidentally press the accelerator pedal when braking, plus the brakes felt very dull.
So I cut the accelerator pedal in half, pressure bled the brakes and changed all the pads to Pagid RS14s … a noticeable improvement.
My first trackday was on 24 August 2021 at my local circuit Cadwell Park - on AO52s and factory geo, damper and tyre pressure settings.
Boy is this car quick, but at the same time quite a handful. I ran the car in map 2. But I remember it feeling very loose, especially at the rear, although I think a lot of that was because I’d become used to the Radical on slicks and with aero. But wow, what a car! But I’m definitely not happy with the amount of brake pedal travel, although the car pulled up ok. And even after just one track outing my offside engine mount started deteriorating, although I didn’t realise until later.
Cadwell 28 September 2021 - same setup.
Enter Marc Kemp, ARDS Grade A race car instructor and also a brilliant car development driver, together with his friend/associate Phil White who’s loves messing about with car performance data and video stuff, having previously got to know Marc from his very early days competing in the Time Attack in which Phil was also the owner (but not driver) of a 3 time Championship winning 700bhp Mitsubishi Evo. Little did I know what I was letting myself into.....
Marc jumps in the car and immediately says “the brakes need bleeding”. And that was before going anywhere near the track! I said they’d only just been bled, so he goes out on track and reports back that actually they pull the car up ok. And straight out of the box Marc was a lot quicker than me!!
Notwithstanding the long brake pedal, Marc said he loved the sequential gearbox, but also said he’d like to try out some different geo settings as he thought it would improve both high speed stability and turn in. Both of us also noticed something a bit odd coming from the rear of the car which turned out to be failing engine mounts – after fewer than 1000miles in total and just two track outings!
At the time Marc and Phil were both working with Ben at Corten-Miller on their Cupra TCR project and recommended that I let Ben have a look over my car. It turned out that Ben had previously worked on Atom 2 and 3s, but this would be his first Atom 4. Yet again, little did I know what I was letting myself in for!
Ben’s initial comments about the car.
He loved the quality of build of the 4.
He changed all the fluids, bled the brakes, changed the engine mounts, but along the way found a number of bolts holding the mounting brackets to the engine were loose! He also wire locked the gearbox drain plug, and a couple of others, and paint marked all bolts for easy reference trackside. The current geo settings were also checked and noted, and then altered as per Marc’s recommendations. He also commented that there was flex under heavy braking coming from the way the pedalbox was mounted and asked me if I’d like him to fabricate a support brace – yes please. He also changed the sizing of the brake master cylinders with the aim of reducing brake pedal travel. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2ZDCG0C3j4k
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YWkqzpMEhiE
Over the winter I had a seat insert made by Indi Seats and it’s one of the best improvements I’ve made, as you can relax and concentrate on driving rather than needing to brace yourself against sliding around in the seat. I also installed a pair of Schroth endurance harnesses which just makes life easier…
The next instalment will recount details of a further series of trackdays in the first half of 2022 with lots more discoveries about the car and me and my driving.
First, a bit about me … one way and another I’ve been involved with motorsport most of my life, from karting to racing and then on to rallying. But latterly I’ve turned more towards non-competitive ‘just for fun’ trackday activities and in particular have had a Radical SR3 for the past 7 years.
My Atom 4 journey started on the 14th June 2021 after a 36 month wait… we all know what that’s like. From the factory the car then went to Paul at Definitive Detail in Chelmsford for the full PPF treatment - not the cheapest, but great quality and lovely people to work with.
500 miles running in. Boring and largely uneventful.
From the very start I loved the sequential box, and boy is it quick, but I was struggling with the brakes as I’ve got large feet and found it too easy to accidentally press the accelerator pedal when braking, plus the brakes felt very dull.
So I cut the accelerator pedal in half, pressure bled the brakes and changed all the pads to Pagid RS14s … a noticeable improvement.
My first trackday was on 24 August 2021 at my local circuit Cadwell Park - on AO52s and factory geo, damper and tyre pressure settings.
Boy is this car quick, but at the same time quite a handful. I ran the car in map 2. But I remember it feeling very loose, especially at the rear, although I think a lot of that was because I’d become used to the Radical on slicks and with aero. But wow, what a car! But I’m definitely not happy with the amount of brake pedal travel, although the car pulled up ok. And even after just one track outing my offside engine mount started deteriorating, although I didn’t realise until later.
Cadwell 28 September 2021 - same setup.
Enter Marc Kemp, ARDS Grade A race car instructor and also a brilliant car development driver, together with his friend/associate Phil White who’s loves messing about with car performance data and video stuff, having previously got to know Marc from his very early days competing in the Time Attack in which Phil was also the owner (but not driver) of a 3 time Championship winning 700bhp Mitsubishi Evo. Little did I know what I was letting myself into.....
Marc jumps in the car and immediately says “the brakes need bleeding”. And that was before going anywhere near the track! I said they’d only just been bled, so he goes out on track and reports back that actually they pull the car up ok. And straight out of the box Marc was a lot quicker than me!!
Notwithstanding the long brake pedal, Marc said he loved the sequential gearbox, but also said he’d like to try out some different geo settings as he thought it would improve both high speed stability and turn in. Both of us also noticed something a bit odd coming from the rear of the car which turned out to be failing engine mounts – after fewer than 1000miles in total and just two track outings!
At the time Marc and Phil were both working with Ben at Corten-Miller on their Cupra TCR project and recommended that I let Ben have a look over my car. It turned out that Ben had previously worked on Atom 2 and 3s, but this would be his first Atom 4. Yet again, little did I know what I was letting myself in for!
Ben’s initial comments about the car.
He loved the quality of build of the 4.
He changed all the fluids, bled the brakes, changed the engine mounts, but along the way found a number of bolts holding the mounting brackets to the engine were loose! He also wire locked the gearbox drain plug, and a couple of others, and paint marked all bolts for easy reference trackside. The current geo settings were also checked and noted, and then altered as per Marc’s recommendations. He also commented that there was flex under heavy braking coming from the way the pedalbox was mounted and asked me if I’d like him to fabricate a support brace – yes please. He also changed the sizing of the brake master cylinders with the aim of reducing brake pedal travel. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2ZDCG0C3j4k
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YWkqzpMEhiE
Over the winter I had a seat insert made by Indi Seats and it’s one of the best improvements I’ve made, as you can relax and concentrate on driving rather than needing to brace yourself against sliding around in the seat. I also installed a pair of Schroth endurance harnesses which just makes life easier…
The next instalment will recount details of a further series of trackdays in the first half of 2022 with lots more discoveries about the car and me and my driving.