Trackday: What car......

i think to start with i wouold start out with an XR2i, strip it out, rollcage it etc. Cheap car, lots in the scrapyards for parts.

It wont be the best or the quickest, but it should be cheap and fun. easy for you to learn the ropes on as well.
 
Dangerous Dave said:
One of the quickest track cars I have ever seen lap at Knockhill is a Citreon AX with a tuned VTS engine init. Its stripped to the max, roll cage and slammed with 4 pot brakes. I recon it must weigh 500kg tops so with 150bhp out of the engine a nice 300bhp to the ton. Evos/M3s/supercharged R32 couldn't keep up or even catch it, knockhill has a twisty bit which runs in its favour but even on the straight it can keep in front however the quicker cars can close the gap but it practically doesn't have to slow down for the corners so the gap is then regained and extended. Wouldn't want to stack it mind you however next year I'm considering picking up a battered VTS Saxo/106 GTI as a track car will probaly trailer it there though so it will be stripped to the utter max.
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AX's are very very light. The VTS lump is 1.6 16v right? That must be a tight squeeze. :)
 
Personally I'd be looking at a CRX or Civic VTI/VTEC of some description.

I'm slowly falling in love with my revvy little Civic and I reckon it would be a blast on the track if it handled. Solution? Get a Honda that handles :D

If you want RWD then I'd lean towards a 325i (E30) or maybe a Nissan 200SX.
 
TripleT said:
Have we seen your new Westfield yet? Or have I missed it.
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you missed it. :p

thread about 2 months ago.


and a citroen AX weighing 500kgs - no chance! with fluids in the westfiled weighs in at 520kgs. :)
 
TomO said:
and a citroen AX weighing 500kgs - no chance! with fluids in the westfiled weighs in at 520kgs. :)
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I'd take a wild guess at 700kg or so, if the 1.4 lump is in there. :)

I guess a lotus elise might be worth considering if you've got the wonga. :)
 
Dangerous Dave said:
One of the quickest track cars I have ever seen lap at Knockhill is a Citreon AX with a tuned VTS engine init. Its stripped to the max, roll cage and slammed with 4 pot brakes. I recon it must weigh 500kg tops so with 150bhp out of the engine a nice 300bhp to the ton. Evos/M3s/supercharged R32 couldn't keep up or even catch it, knockhill has a twisty bit which runs in its favour but even on the straight it can keep in front however the quicker cars can close the gap but it practically doesn't have to slow down for the corners so the gap is then regained and extended. Wouldn't want to stack it mind you however next year I'm considering picking up a battered VTS Saxo/106 GTI as a track car will probaly trailer it there though so it will be stripped to the utter max.
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Was it a green one?
 
Dangerous Dave said:
One of the quickest track cars I have ever seen lap at Knockhill is a Citreon AX with a tuned VTS engine init. Its stripped to the max, roll cage and slammed with 4 pot brakes. I recon it must weigh 500kg tops so with 150bhp out of the engine a nice 300bhp to the ton.
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This one? Owned by a crazy scotsman and went on a trackday I went on.

KamesSSC450-vi.jpg


The car was pretty mental with 150bhp like you say, he now has it supercharged running nearly double that power :eek:

you can see the intercooler in this pic:

dsc0110gu4.jpg


It weighs just less than 600kg.
 
TomO said:
you missed it. :p

thread about 2 months ago.


and a citroen AX weighing 500kgs - no chance! with fluids in the westfiled weighs in at 520kgs. :)
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I was basing it on the AX GT weighing 722kg in factory spec, this car was stripped to the max , plastic windows, zero interior bar one seat. I would assume the VTS engine is likely no heavier than the 1.4 carb engine. Maybe a bit of a low guess at 500kg but I recon it would be in 500s it was seriously quick !

edit was typing this when the above was posted thats the one I didn't realise it was now supercharged !!
 
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Aye the Ax is a brilliant track day car, especially if you are planning to do it cheaply! I know someone who has one that is space-framed and is currently putting a cosworth in :eek:
 
silane said:
Aye the Ax is a brilliant track day car, especially if you are planning to do it cheaply! I know someone who has one that is space-framed and is currently putting a cosworth in :eek:
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Blimey! How will he fit that in there! How do AX's handle? Do they have the funky torsion bar a-la pug 205?
 
silane said:
Aye the Ax is a brilliant track day car, especially if you are planning to do it cheaply! I know someone who has one that is space-framed and is currently putting a cosworth in :eek:
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Lol Taz (cosworth one) and Tam (green one) are both nutters!

100_0321.jpg


DSC_0099.jpg


RWD, Spaceframed, YB powered AX :eek:

MikeHunt79 said:
Blimey! How will he fit that in there! How do AX's handle? Do they have the funky torsion bar a-la pug 205?
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Handle pretty good with a few choice mods. Same suspension setup as mk1 106 xsi! So very similar to 106 gti / saxo vts. (torsion bars, yes.)
 
GT3 said:
RWD, Spaceframed, YB powered AX :eek:
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RWD as well? That's awesome... a proper wolf in sheep's clothing. :) Surely there will be next to no weight over the rear wheels which will make for some "interesting" handling. Maybe have the battery and a few bricks in the back along with wider wheels to cope with the power. :D
GT3 said:
Handle pretty good with a few choice mods. Same suspension setup as mk1 106 xsi! So very similar to 106 gti / saxo vts. (torsion bars, yes.)
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The suspension sounds good... With the 205gti's, people often steal wishbones and things from it's bigger brother (the 309 and sometimes the 306) to get wider track/better brakes/etc. I'm sure you could pinch a few choice bits from the saxo/106 for the AX, as it's always nice getting upgrades from the scrapper. :)

I'm really tempted to get an AX now... All I really knew about them until now was that the AX GT uses the same 1.4 lump as the 205xs, but it's quite a bit faster than the 205 as it's so damn light. :) It definitely gives the larger engined 205gti's a run for their money.

Ideal cheap track car for me would be (prices are crazy guesses):
Old non-rusty AX - £500
saxo vts/106gti donor engine - £250
turbo conversion for ~ 160bhp - £300
then a bit extra for a cage, harnesses and seats. This could probably be done for less than 2 grand if you did a bit of DIY. 250hp per ton maybe?

RWD would be nice, but there doesn't seem to be that many cheap and light things out there, apart from an mr2 or a 200sx.
 
Seat beaded, Burberry trimmed mk1 Golf with either a turbo'd mk2 16v GTI lump or if you could do it (?) the new 20v turbo lump from the mk5's.

YUmmmm :D
 
There was a Mk1 GTi going road the last time I was up at Knockhill that also was very quick, it was running a 1.8 8v engine lightly tuned however power to weight must have been close to 200bhp to the ton. Again due to lack of weight the speed through the corners was noticably faster than the more modern cars actaully went past a EVO coming out a corner as it had so much more speed through them. The EVO however then went past on the straight.

I thought about a mk1 Golf as a track car however due to there age its very hard to pick up a solid one with no rust, my friend is in the process of rebuild one for track use basically a bare metal restore. Should weight 500-600kg and is hoping for 200bhp out of a twin webered 1.8 engine.

Some photos here if anyone would like a look..

http://www.8ballracing.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=723&st=15

I still recon a stripped and caged VTS/106 GTI is still the way to go for cheapness to track performace ratio.

The current Mk5 Gti has a 2L 16v turbo'd engine, the mk4 had the 1.8T 20v turbo. The 1.8T can be put in the mk1 its not too hard the wiring the hardest thing.
 
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