Any suitable classic for trackdays?

[e46m3c]

As per a few threads of mine recently considering a new toy for trackdays.

The classic scene appeals. Anyone run a classic on trackdays?

Was following a tiger lister sunbeam at Silverstone and it looked like great fun. 10k ish.

[shalmaneser]

How old is classic?

205 GTI's are excellent trackday cars.

[courty]

the problem with classics on general track days is that many in regular track cars will not expect or have sympathy with the extra braking times needed.

I have a 105 series Spider but only take it on either the Classic Alfa or the Lancia Motor Club track days at Goodwood.
Regular track days with either swarms of trashed 2l Clios/Type Rs spinning into the armco or very powerful M5s etc going at warp speed up to the last brake board don't really mix with classics very well...but maybe I'm just sensitive!

[Drew106]

I use a modified 1990 Eunos Roadster on track.

If that's sufficiently classic.

[Xcore]

I’d suggest something like a dolomite or mgb which would be quite robust on track.

V8 sd1 would be awesome or a p6 3500

Edited by Xcore on Tuesday 12th March 17:27

[80quattro]

I use a 1991 BMW 325i touring as a track car. Its fully road legal (look it to Le Mans classic last year), but has an LSD and around 200 bhp for extra fun. Depends if you view an E30 as too 'new' !

[HustleRussell]

My Dad and I raced an S2 Lotus Elan in 2016 and I'll be doing it again this year.

One of those, suitably prepared, isn't a mobile chicane.

Previous one produced ~175bhp from 1,600cc at 8,750rpm and weighed about 630kg. It was somewhat hobbled by rock hard historic control tyres but went around Snett 300 in 2:15 nonetheless.

[egor110]

What about a hilllman imp or mini cooper ?

[v8bloke]

This is my 1969 classic, somewhat modified.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeO4a2WMJ6U
Suprisingly very capable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnDjFI_m5i8&t=...

Food for thought.

[Elderly]

courty said:

the problem with classics on general track days is that many in regular track cars will not expect or have sympathy with the extra braking times needed.

I have a 105 series Spider but only take it on either the Classic Alfa or the Lancia Motor Club track days at Goodwood.
Regular track days with either swarms of trashed 2l Clios/Type Rs spinning into the armco or very powerful M5s etc going at warp speed up to the last brake board don't really mix with classics very well...but maybe I'm just sensitive!

I was at a track day at the end of last year at Donington and a well prepped, well driven Lotus Cortina on historic tyres was quicker around the lap than the majority of modern machinery.

I don't understand your point about extra braking times; do you mean yours?
If your Alfa's brakes (with decent pads and fluid) are working well and bearing in mind your relatively slower straight line speed than the 'warp speed' cars as you approach a corner, the time actually spent on your brakes should be relatively short .

And as you will be in a classic you will stand out from all the fast anonymous stuff, and they should easily single you out and have 'sympathy'.

And no - if you were sensitive, I'm not sure that Goodwood is the circuit for you, it can bite like no other .

[CedricN]

I use a 1980 924 turbo and its great in many ways, with suspension and tyres it keeps up very well. With the porsche club i use to drive in the fastest group. Otherwise its easy to get stuck behind others in the corners and then struggle on the straights when they don't let you by. It's nice having a good starting point of a car because stuff just works even on track, no oil starvation, lose rear axles etc

[courty]

Elderly said:

I was at a track day at the end of last year at Donington and a well prepped, well driven Lotus Cortina on historic tyres was quicker around the lap than the majority of modern machinery.

I don't understand your point about extra braking times; do you mean yours?
If your Alfa's brakes (with decent pads and fluid) are working well and bearing in mind your relatively slower straight line speed than the 'warp speed' cars as you approach a corner, the time actually spent on your brakes should be relatively short .

And as you will be in a classic you will stand out from all the fast anonymous stuff, and they should easily single you out and have 'sympathy'.

And no - if you were sensitive, I'm not sure that Goodwood is the circuit for you, it can bite like no other .

My car is all original road standard, and I'm not the fastest in any machine. I do Goodwood because there are no very heavy braking zones, compared to say, Bedford, and also only 8-10 cars on the track at a time.

I have seen Mk1 Escorts track prepared make mincemeat of much more modern cars at Lydden Circuit, so I do agree, a well prepared classic car can be very fast on track with the right kind of driver. I was answering with a potential pitfall to consider from the point of view of somebody starting out on track day driving with a standard form classic car on standard open pitlane trackdays.

[CrutyRammers]

I've been on days with MGBs, midgets, and even once, some of the 2CV endurance guys. Speeds were obviously very different but it didn't seem to cause a problem to anyone.

[Munter]

£10k classic, for the track sir?

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/100910/m...

I have no idea if that's a good price for an MGB racer. It still has it's reg plate on the front so I assume could be road registered...

[motorhole]

Another E30 tracker here. Mine has an M52 engine stroked to 3 litres and makes 260 bhp. Plenty bhp/tonne to have fun with.

In terms of pace, it does alright. I think 2:05 at Oulton is quite respectable for a car that rocks up, laps all day on the same tyres it drove to the track on without changing anything but tyre pressures and then rolls on home.

Potentially a flat 2 minute in it with better tyres than R1Rs and a better driver than I

[Elderly]

courty said:

My car is all original road standard, ………. I do Goodwood because there are no very heavy braking zones, compared to say, Bedford ………...

I was answering with a potential pitfall to consider from the point of view of somebody starting out on track day driving with a standard form classic car on standard open pitlane trackdays.

Fair enough regarding tracking a standard classic, but you should be needing to brake heavily at the end of the Lavant straight.

[88racing]

Porsche 924 - 40 years old - is that old enough to qualify?

[Steve H]

88racing said:

Porsche 924 - 40 years old - is that old enough to qualify?

Probably older than the Eunos, E30 and 205 that have been mentioned........


OP, classics generally last about five laps on trackdays before either breaking down or being scared off by speed differentials

[braddo]

Steve H said:

OP, classics generally last about five laps on trackdays before either breaking down or being scared off by speed differentials

The Guilia Alfas are a solid exception to that rule.

To the OP, they are my recommendation for a classic car that needs minimal mods to be fun on track all day. Unfortunately they're not cheap anymore. If you look at a GTV 2000 like I had (see profile pic) you get as standard:

- an engine that is easy to upgrade reliably, already with twin carbs, a deep baffled sump and a good cooling system;
- fade-free 4 wheel discs (uprated fluid but even on standard pads in my experience)
- strong 5 speed 'box
- LSD
- properly located rear axle

Basically, you just throw on a suspension kit (springs/dampers/ARB) and you can have fun all day. Had I kept mine longer I would have tried some modified suspension arms to give more front camber. And some more power would have been nice. A standard 2L car is around 130hp/ton so old MX5 pace.

Check out Alfaholics to see how far you can take these cars (for a price! £££££)

[Jamescrs]

A couple of Citroen 2CV's on the last day I did at Cadwell, they looked like maybe endruo racers? Anyway they were probably about the slowest cars on the track but that didn't bother anyone as far as I'm aware. I think as long as everyone on the track shows a bit of respect for others any car can be used.

I do know not all track day drivers are like that though