[Closed] Track Car Project

Always interested, will you race or just use for track days?

Always interested in track cars! Apart from the fact its French it sounds exciting (Sweedspeed - Volvo for life!)

Keep toying with turning my daily driver in to a track car...

Always interested, will you race or just use for track days?

Initial intention is to just use it for track days, but I have already had a look at what it could be eligible for, so you never know. 😉

Racing is now so expensive, with all the new regulations and equipment rules, i would have to spend a fortune on the car just to get on the grid, so we'll see.

Apart from the fact its French it sounds exciting

The build quality is awful, I have to admit. And I wouldn't want one for a road car unless brand new, but it's quick, light, easy to maintain, powerful enough and there are always bits availabe so it's a good base.

Looks good. So what's the plan? Strip it out? Upgrades?

Have the belts been done or do you know the history? Cam belt history is crucial (you probably know this already)

Apart from that, have fun! I love my 182!

My brother and I often natter about potential track cars and buying one between us we can never decide what to go for. I favour light and simple he wants 4WD and turbos!.

Be interested to see how you transform the Clio

Looks good. So what's the plan? Strip it out? Upgrades?

Car is in for MOT today, so will get a good idea of what it needs.
Firstly, I'll do the cam belt, aux belt, and dephaser pulley.
Full service including gearbox oil.
Probably a new clutch while I'm at it.
Strip the interior completely (it's dirty and tired anway)
Decent race seat, belts, steering wheel and add a weld in cage eventually.
Change suspension, just having the coilover vs normal uprated shocks and springs debate.
Rebush the suspensiion all round with powerflex bushes, new top mounts.
Fit rear anti roll bar
Rub wheels down and spray black.
Fit Toyo Proxies R888's.

That should make it quite a bit of fun, for a relatively small outlay. 🙂

Have the belts been done or do you know the history? Cam belt history is crucial (you probably know this already)

Apart from that, have fun! I love my 182!

Belts were done a few years back, but it it due them again, so that's the first thing I'll do. Dephaser pulley is rattly as hell, it sounds like a diesel at idle when it's warm. So this will be changed too.

Are you doing the belts yourself? Worth getting the proper tooling for these engines as it's very easy to mess the timing up. It seems like 50% of the folk that use the cliosport forum have timing issues due to not using a garage not using them

How much did you pay for it if you don't mind me asking?

Has the cambelt been done?

Are you doing the belts yourself? Worth getting the proper tooling for these engines as it's very easy to mess the timing up. It seems like 50% of the folk that use the cliosport forum have timing issues due to not using a garage not using them

Yes, the right tooling is a must for the job. The belts is the one thing I won't do myself. My father in law has a car business and has an ex Renault Technician on the payroll, so seems daft not to get him to do it.

Dammit, if you had the tools you'd find an extra car in the driveway when mine next need done 😉

How much did you pay for it if you don't mind me asking?

Has the cambelt been done?

Just over £1000 and it's done 74k. The belts are due, and it's due a service, but it's got most of it's history, newish brakes, stainless exhaust, and a lot of the regular known faults have been rectified, so I'm happy enough with what I paid.

When you're buying a 10 year old car for £1k you can't be too fussy I decided, and you need to expect to spend a little to sort it. I probably would have done the belts anyway, even if they weren't due. If they're gonna break it will happen on track.

Dammit, if you had the tools you'd find an extra car in the driveway when mine next need done

LOL.

There's a place I saw in the NE that does them for £350 all in?? Depends where you are.

Just over £1000 and it's done 74k

Wow there was one in shed of the week on Pistonheads a few months back and that looked worn/tired etc. 1k for one that just needs a service is bloody good.

Wow there was one in shed of the week on Pistonheads a few months back and that looked worn/tired etc. 1k for one that just needs a service is bloody good.

It needs a service + Belts and pulley, MOT & Tax, so reckon £1000 was right. With all of that done, you'd probably need to pay £1500-2000 I suppose, depending on condition.

The interior is awfully ratty. The chap I bought it from is a fellow mountain biker and carted his bikes around in it, so it's muddy and damp and a bit torn, something i overlooked as it's getting chucked anyway.

The above picture is after a serious clean and polish too, it didn't look half that nice when I picked it up.

Keep us updated. 😉 I have a Puma as a track day toy, [url=

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Dagnamit I've gone away and started looking at tuning my ovlov again after seeing this.

The finger has been hanging over the buy button on an FMIC, 3" DP, SS Sports Exhaust and intake! Its threads like this that hurt my credit card!

The interior is awfully ratty.

That's just part of the 'raw' 1*2 driving experience 🙂

£1k with the work needing down sounds like an alright deal. Only very rarely do they go for less than £1k or more than around £1.5k

Another niggle to check is the rear exhaust mount. OEM and cheapo aftermarket ones are naff and last 5mins. There are many good ways of bodging them though, or Prima racing do a good replacement.

Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I had a dabble at some club racing, and spent a few years racing Alfa Romeos. I had reasonable results, but was always hampererd by my budget, or lack of. I gave it up when a mortgage and 'real life' stuff became more of a priority, and funds wouldn't allow both.

Any more info/pics on the Alfas?

Very nearly bought a cheap 172 cup as a run around but currently getting drawn to something a bit more sensible… tempting as it is!

Bargain price for some thing as capable as that. However, personally I would have still gone for a rear wheel drive over front.

Fit Toyo Proxies R888's.

See I'm the opposite I'd go for skinnier less grippy tyres, make it a bit more fun!

Any more info/pics on the Alfas?

I'll dig out some pics. I raced an Alfasud for a couple of years and switched to a 33 after that. Nothing exotic, just cheap 80's and 90's tin tops. The Alfasud was a peach, and I regret racing it really, as it did end up getting damaged and eventually scrapped. It was very competitive racing and damage was pretty much inevitable every race!!

Here is the only pic I have (on the PC) of the Alfasud:

[img] [/img]

Here is the 33:

[img] [/img]

Bargain price for some thing as capable as that. However, personally I would have still gone for a rear wheel drive over front.

Yes, I did toy with the idea of an MX5 or similar, but I know where I am with FWD. I know how to drive them quickly, and know how to set them up to go well. The 33 in the above pic was all about turning in on the brakes and letting the car drift contolling the oversteer with the throttle. Great fun. The clio will be the same.

See I'm the opposite I'd go for skinnier less grippy tyres, make it a bit more fun!

You just won't generate the corner speed on crap tyres, and will constantly be losing momentum. Maintaining momentum is what it's all about. 🙂

Another niggle to check is the rear exhaust mount. OEM and cheapo aftermarket ones are naff and last 5mins. There are many good ways of bodging them though, or Prima racing do a good replacement.

I think it's a KT Racing stealth stainless syste, but it's not marked up. Seems to be well fitted and solid. 🙂

Clios seem to be one of the default trackcars to go for. Handling is great, light and pretty robust (mechanically).

I'd consider getting a set of track dedicated wheels after getting the service done. Nearly wore out the passenger side tyres on the new tarmac at Oulton earlier this year. Not good when you've a trip back to London after the day.

Did Cadwell Park last Tuesday. Brilliant circuit, tight but brilliant. Got to decide where to go in May. I'm thinking Castle Coombe, Brands Hatch or Snetterton.

Rude not to post a piccie:
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Combe is great fun, but Snetterton 300 is superb. All the best bits of the old circuit, with the nice new infield section. Flat out through the bombhole is superb fun.

Brands Indy is short, but you can get a great rythym going. Paddock Hill is a measure of the man in you.

If you like Cadwell, go to Donnington, bigger wider and a bit faster, but kind of similar undualting circuit. Craner Curves tighten the butt cheeks if you're pushing on. 🙂

Milkie, enjoyed your Puma run round 'Combe. Is that a 1.7 Zetec, and what's happened to your door trim?
I was watching the open-top go off, I've seen many, many people do that at Quarry, guaranteed to bite you in the ass if you're not careful... 😆

Those Clio's are brilliant little track cars 8) A mate of mine has got a turbocharged 172 with around 300 bhp 😯

I've seen many, many people do that at Quarry, guaranteed to bite you in the ass if you're not careful...

I've nearly done it myself a few times 😳

This was my biggest brown trouser moment in a sprint a few years back, carried a bit too much speed into Quarry which needed full opposite lock to catch it, then snapped back the other way on the way out but managed to get away with just putting one wheel on the grass!

[url] http://sbkmotorsport.com/p1027878793/h368656af#h368656af [/url]

[url] http://sbkmotorsport.com/p1027878793/h368656af#h3bb4d457 [/url]

[url] http://sbkmotorsport.com/p1027878793/h368656af#h38fb6655 [/url]

a few of my mates have clios now this is one of them

[img] [/img]

this one is a turbo'd 172

and if were doing track car pictures 😳 😳

this is my old astra, had it for 10 years but got rid of it 3 years ago when I did not have time for it anymore, still have days when I regret breaking it

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video of mine from combe, had problems that day so it overheated on the second lap out 🙁 but the outlap was a 1.21 followed by a 1.20.8.

this track days thing then.. hows it work whats it cost..? used to rally a lot back in the day... MN series and euro stuff. cant possibly afford to rally again but i ve always room for a toy..

you buy a car, and take it on track paying 60-300 pound for the day depending where it is (what track etc)

the only ''limits'' are normally noise ones where you need to be under a certain DB, if the car looks blatantly dangerous then you ''might'' not be allowed to run but there is no scrutinering, you could take pretty much anything out.

its good fun but can also be adicctive and before you know it your 1500 pound clio cup that was a bargin has 2ks worth of coilovers a couple of grands worth of throttle bodies bla bla .... LOL

Nice vid sbd.
Wanna do another track day now. Just got to save for the replacement tyres and brakes.

wow...that Astra. A Labour of love.

Sbd16v, that's chips car isn't it? That's who's car I was talking about in my earlier post, small world 😆

Pretty sure I met you once too years ago, your astra was still naturally aspirated at the time.

Nice vid sbd.

wow...that Astra. A Labour of love.

yeh you cold say that a lot of time and effort went into it, im glad it went as I really needed to move on, it controlled my life a lot, but sometimes I wish it was still in the garage lol

Looks just like my old one (funnily enough) - it's not WN52 is it?

Sbd16v, that's chips car isn't it? That's who's car I was talking about in my earlier post, small world

Pretty sure I met you once too years ago, your astra was still naturally aspirated at the time.

hi mark

yes mate that is chips car.

I read your post just after I posted mine and remembered a mark iirc you worked for goodridge ? you had a black pulsar and im sure you were having problems killing gearboxes.

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that's how it would have been when you see it

it went though a few different engine configurations

sorry cbmotorsport for the hijack 😳

Awesome fun

Though I'd be more likely to have a track bike than a track car - money, performance and space

I'd like something RWD. I had an early E36 325i coupe with LSD, would've been a good track car

Please keep us updated, I'm looking at buying a Clio 172 as a track car 🙂

Looks just like my old one (funnily enough) - it's not WN52 is it?

If you mean the clio, no it's a 53 plate. 🙂

Though I'd be more likely to have a track bike than a track car - money, performance and space

I've already got one of those! 🙂
[img] [/img]

I had an early E36 325i coupe with LSD, would've been a good track car

That's what I went to the Nurburgring in, albeit a 328i. Great car for the job, superb fun.
[img] [/img]

Looks like fun!

My Ibiza Cupra is due for an upgrade soon. I'm in two minds whether to sell it, or take it for a few track days and thrash it within an inch of its life.

Rammed at work at the moment but I need to book another trackday in May. I'll have a look at dates over the weekend. Probably a weekday around the middle of the month.

Can't leave it too late as I've got a Euro Tour at the begining of June.

[img] [/img]

My little pocket rocket.

200bhp mountune spec engine, exhaust bits n bob, coilovers and lighter alloys. Not much done inside, just taken trim out to reduce weight.

Nothing to extreme just something to have fun in!

Milkie, enjoyed your Puma run round 'Combe. Is that a 1.7 Zetec, and what's happened to your door trim?
I was watching the open-top go off, I've seen many, many people do that at Quarry, guaranteed to bite you in the ass if you're not careful...

open top lost its wheel Saw it being brought back to the pits, I couldn't believe that it didn't do any bodywork damage, the guy was lucky.
Yea the Puma is 1.7, totally standard on that video except for the FRP airbox mod and being completely stripped bar the dash. We had brake fade in the afternoon and now have ST150 brakes to go on as well as 4-2-1 manifold, sports cat, exhaust, inlet manifold and FRP cams. Also put a race battery behind passenger seat. The only thing that lets it down at Combe is the power.

If anyone is doing a track day at Combe, let me know and I'll see if I can make it. 😉

The guy driving that Astra... Bonkers! 😉

SBD build a great engine! I've seen a lot in single seaters and GT's at Combe, lovely sounding!!

The Clio will be a great little car, no plans to uprate the brakes? Or just planning on some higher performance pads?

While we are posting Castle Combe Quarry pictures 🙂
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Me in the #3, it's bumpy on the right! Best tip is not to try and get it left while on the brakes at the left apex which is also a rise, always spits you off left. Just aim for the right hander and pitch it right 🙂

The Clio will be a great little car, no plans to uprate the brakes? Or just planning on some higher performance pads?

We used to run Ferrodo DS3000's in the Alfas, they were a great pad, so it'll be racing fluid and new pads all round. Should be good enough.

Me in the #3, it's bumpy on the right! Best tip is not to try and get it left while on the brakes at the left apex which is also a rise, always spits you off left. Just aim for the right hander and pitch it right

We used to brake a little just before the left kink, and then nail the throttle over he rise to pull the car through and then brake again into the right hander 🙂 Easy corner to get wrong, often with disatrous consequences, and loads of witnesses on the bank to see it all!

That's the line line I take CBMotorsport, not that I am an experienced racer whatsoever! I can see why people crash as it is tempting to not brake until after the left Apex, but then we all know what happens to those cars! 😯

Yeah that'll do it, especially with all the weight you're getting out of it.

The Single seater is a fair bit lighter I guess so you can get away with coming off the power a little as you turn left back on it 100% once it's on the apex then nailing the brakes and sorting it out down 2 gears while trying to maintain the momentum into it.

Quarry is a nice corner to stamp on the power as soon as you're on the apex though, no feeding in the power business, plenty of tarmac to use and kerb on the exit. Not sure how that would go down with the new rules though...

I once spun my car into the corn field in the middle of the circuit at Combe. I completely disappeared got it going again, found reverse, reversed out and carried on. Must of been hilarious as a spectator.

Small update:

Clio failed then passed it's MOT today. I have a very sympathetic MOT tester, he passed it with some official advisories, and then gave me a list of unnoficial advisories. But the good news is, it's solid and safe.

Failed on:

Headlight Beam
No side light
Number plate light
Faulty hazard switch

Needs: new lambda sensor ideally (emmissions were a bit high), rear discs and pads, corroded and binding slightly. All on order and to be fitted as aprt of a big service when I get the car back from having it's belts done.

High emissions... Are you not going to de-cat for the track?

Are you waiting for another car cbmotorsport? 😕

I was too but ended up cancelling!!

If we are going to do Coombe pictures, this is me circa 98 [img] [/img]

Ah the joys of track days. Did a few in my old mk2 golf.

[IMG] [/IMG]

If memory serves me right this was 2003 when it was running around 300bhp from an audi TT engine with quaife 6speed box and ATB diff to get the power down.

Only thing I miss is the running costs.

I stuffed my old honda s2000 into the barriers at Quarry, dented every panel on the drivers side.

We used to brake a little just before the left kink, and then nail the throttle over he rise to pull the car through and then brake again into the right hander Easy corner to get wrong, often with disatrous consequences, and loads of witnesses on the bank to see it all!

I might have a very cheap lambda sensor for you in the next week or so if you're interested? Pretty sure that a 182 one will do a 172

CountZero, we have a lot of bits to be fitted, FRP cams, 4-2-1 manifold & exhaust, custom inlet manifold, FRP ECU map (remove torque limiter, raise rev limiter and slightly better grunt) & ST150 brakes, AP coilovers. Still have more stuff to remove, seats, parts of the dash, brackets, etc.

The problem at the moment is we don't have time, I'm helping strip and rebuild a couple of pinto engines, one will be a turbo'd pinto, the other on twin 45's, big head/cam'ed and my mate is currently half way through rebuilding his V8 for his Capri. So we probably won't get to fit all the bits until near the end of summer. Hopefully the cars will be running for RS Combe (5th July), just maybe not finished.

I have been tempted to buy an FRP Puma, quite a nice looking car and they will go up in value as there was only 500'ish made, but it gets very expensive with the Yamaha engine to get any extra BHP out of them.

Are you waiting for another car cbmotorsport?

I was too but ended up cancelling!!

I don't understand? Sorry if I'm being dim..!

I might have a very cheap lambda sensor for you in the next week or so if you're interested? Pretty sure that a 182 one will do a 172

Legend - that would be great. Is it a new one or used?

Cheers

High emissions... Are you not going to de-cat for the track?

Maybe at some point. I'll concentrate on the stopping and handling aspects for now. I'll keep everything mechanical standard for now, although the car does have a stainless exhaust (cat back)

Not a particularly good pic, but this started as a very original GTi, turned track day car, turned full on mod-prod hill climb and sprint missile… 20 or so years ago now. My, how time flies. It was great fun but a total money pit! 8)

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200bhp mountune spec engine, exhaust bits n bob, coilovers and lighter alloys. Not much done inside, just taken trim out to reduce weight.

satchm00 - what coilovers do you run on that Ford?

Thanks, thanks very much. Thanks to this thread and rekindling my dreams of taking the ovlov to the track one day I'm now significantly poorer than I was a few days ago. FMIC, 3"DP, SS Exhaust, Intake piping and panel filter, ecu spacer, Inlet plenum and tune ordered.
+90bhp -lotsofmoney...

Track day to go with the track bike... nice! Looks like an RR4-7 generation fireblade

Surprising number of people with lots of man toys, as well as mountain bikes

good thread

Well, this thread has and is going to cost me a lot of money. Just purchased a focus st 170 as a base car for my project.....

I might have a very cheap lambda sensor for you in the next week or so if you're interested? Pretty sure that a 182 one will do a 172
Legend - that would be great. Is it a new one or used?
Cheers

It's used and coming with a CAT. I need the cat but not the sensor, so I'll let you know how things go. Will be very cheap anyway

[b]And so it begins!![/b]

Had a little delivery today, new rear discs and pads, oil filter and spark plugs, a new powerflex gear box mount, and a towing eye.

[img] [/img]

Car has had new cambelt, aux belt, water pump, dephaser pulley, tensioners etc and the small oil leak on the selector shaft of the gearbox has been sorted.

This weekend, I'll give it a full service, sort the knackered gearbox mount and then the real fun starts!

I don't understand? Sorry if I'm being dim..!

Not you posting on Briskoda then?

I see your brakes and raise you:

[img] [/img]

I wish I could entirely blame this thread but the Volvo tuning bug had me long ago 😛 😛 😛

cbmotorsport - Member
I once spun my car into the corn field in the middle of the circuit at Combe. I completely disappeared got it going again, found reverse, reversed out and carried on. Must of been hilarious as a spectator.

Brilliant! The beginning, let the build begin! 🙂

Nice floaters! O-h-h

Not you posting on Briskoda then?

lol. yes thats me. sorry. didn't put 2 and 2 together. about to cancel. 🙁

how come you cancelled?

see your brakes and raise you:

you need these for the extra weight!!