1st time track day build - target £1000.

[docklander]

I am currently in the process of building a car that I can start to train my two teenage sons with.

My wish list was:

auto - older of two son's only drives auto
RWD
Safe
cheap

The hit list included Merc, BM, Lexus, etc. Then, I stumbled across the beauty below on eBay.


It had been sold and both times the muppets messed the seller around. Their loss will, hopefully, be my gain.

The good news is that it was cheap as the cat had been stolen. The seller had it for 16 years, 73000 miles and mot for 11 months. How much did I get it for? Lets just say that a decent set of tyres would cost more...

I got it recovered to my regular garage in Enfield with a view to get a cheap cat fitted and it looked over. 3 delivered cats later and we still couldn't get one to fit. It seems that when they nicked the cat, they didn't carefully unbolt it (I know right?!) and hacked away other bits of the exhaust. But how desperate are some people? A new cat is around £150. Why risk being banged up for that? Anyway...

Plan b was to take to my exhaust dude in Essex. I figure without the cat it will make more power but didn't want to faff about with a remap. Even paying it for now to be moved to Essex from Enfield and having the remap was only slightly more then getting the cat replaced. I should have taken it straight to the exhaust dude and for once being sensible actually cost a little more money!


remap - may be essential if misfires due to cat removal
lowering springs - most likely cheap eBay jobbies
pads and discs - subject to their current condition
weight reduction - focusing on keeping it useable, so probably remove sound deadening and air con (not sure how the belts work on these or if they did a C200 without a/c?)

I am keen to see how well I can get her to handle. I have been racing for around 10 years now, so hopefully can use that experience to get the old girl handling well enough.

[anonymous-user]

I wouldn’t bother with lowering springs with standard shocks, they will ruin the handling and with such a heavy car you’ll probably be on the bump stops on a track.

[docklander]

So, she is back with me now and works have progressed.

I have semi stripped the interior.

Someone with more skill than me has fitted a cheap set of eBay coilovers. No verdict yet as I drove the grand sum of around 1 mile but it was not the crashy and hard ride I was expecting. I fitted a set of coilovers to a Mk2 MX5 about 4 years ago and they ruined the car.

I have removed the front bumper and bought a new, slightly larger intercooler. This will be welded to the bottom of the front crash bar.

I have been playing about with induction and removed the bypass valve and air filter. I will be rerouting the intake to the front somehow and fitting an oil catch can.

I bought two bucket seats and will be attempting to fit them to the OE seat runners using bolts, steel and weld.

Removed the old steering wheel and fitted a new boss and new steering wheel.

I think it will be tough to keep to a budget of £1k but it will be super close and I will detail every £ spent at the end of the build.

Updates and video links to follow

[handbraketurn]

docklander said:

So, she is back with me now and works have progressed.

I have semi stripped the interior.

Someone with more skill than me has fitted a cheap set of eBay coilovers. No verdict yet as I drove the grand sum of around 1 mile but it was not the crashy and hard ride I was expecting. I fitted a set of coilovers to a Mk2 MX5 about 4 years ago and they ruined the car.

I have removed the front bumper and bought a new, slightly larger intercooler. This will be welded to the bottom of the front crash bar.

I have been playing about with induction and removed the bypass valve and air filter. I will be rerouting the intake to the front somehow and fitting an oil catch can.

I bought two bucket seats and will be attempting to fit them to the OE seat runners using bolts, steel and weld.

Removed the old steering wheel and fitted a new boss and new steering wheel.

I think it will be tough to keep to a budget of £1k but it will be super close and I will detail every £ spent at the end of the build.

Updates and video links to follow

Getting the geometry done by someone with a proper Lazer set up will make a big difference to the handling, coilovers out of the box will be better, but getting the toe/camber right will make a big difference.

[docklander]

So true! Someone suggested on another forum getting bolts that allow for caster and camber adjustment. I think we will run her as is for now, albeit with a proper geo set up done.

[handbraketurn]

Yes, eibach do camber bolts and shims, but have no idea if for your car, but find a good motorsport tuning shop and they'll be able to tell you the options.

[docklander]

Part one of my track day build is up!

Enjoying this little project with middle-son.

https://youtu.be/YbRTEeqyRcI

[docklander]

Wow, judgey much?

What an inane comment. Is there a nice view from your ivory tower?

tw@

[nickfrog]

docklander said:

Wow, judgey much?

What an inane comment. Is there a nice view from your ivory tower?

tw@

I think it was a little harsh but it may just (and perhaps in your case unfairly) reflect a reality.

I don't think you can have a very cheap and remotely enjoyable track car but I am hoping you'll prove me wrong.

[Cambs_Stuart]

nickfrog said:

I think it was a little harsh but it may just (and perhaps in your case unfairly) reflect a reality.

I don't think you can have a very cheap and remotely enjoyable track car but I am hoping you'll prove me wrong.

I love to see people enjoying themselves in unusual cars at track days.
Last year at bedford there was a group with a couple of micras. They were slower than everyone else, but they were a freindly bunch and having a great time, which is what it's all about.

[Paul_M3]

That's pretty judgemental and unfair. He's not some 18 year old chav who's bought an MOT failure to thrash around a track without any consideration for others.

He has a race licence (and has obviously raced a few things), and clearly spends a lot of time at circuits with motorsport teams.

I highly doubt he's intending to be a danger to anybody or would want to take a car out that was so poorly prepared it would cause a lot of red flags.

Edited by topsey.mod on Tuesday 20th April 08:39

[docklander]

nickfrog said:

I think it was a little harsh but it may just (and perhaps in your case unfairly) reflect a reality.

I don't think you can have a very cheap and remotely enjoyable track car but I am hoping you'll prove me wrong.

The thing is, I have been racing for nearly two decades and have driven at around 30 or 40 track days. I have been in everything from Ka's to Caterham's to supercars.

So what gives this cretin the right to say I am the reason people dread going to trackdays?

[Jon_Bmw]

Cheap track day cars always bring out a few interesting comments from people. Where is the cut off, is a £5K mx5 ok? Is a £35k Yaris ok? Is a £90k GT3 ok?

I use an old 205 GTI with the usual modifications (different engine, ITBs, Manifold, Cage etc etc). As it is a genuine low mileage 1.9 GTI shell some lunatics probably value it at anywhere between £6-10k. So I am not in the sub £1000 must be a liability category, phew.

I am mid thirties and I use the car with my brother and dad (mid sixties), so probably 10 years or so older than the OP. As we are using a classic (of course a 205 gti is!) does that mean that our driving standards are deemed to be A+? My opinion is that the car value has precisely zero to do with the driving standards, your attitude and ability is what influences that. You get wallys in all values of cars, and normally they are easily spotted, in fact I've found they do their best to show everyone else pretty quickly. Simply avoid them on track, or get past them quick so they are just a spec in the mirror after half a lap.

Here is the funny bit, we bought the car around 12 years ago for £850 relatively unmodified. So at the time we instantly fitted into the "they must be a liability" category. The three of us had a great time modifying it, not always knowing the best way to do things, making mistakes, having successes. I drove it relatively hard back then, but I drive it harder now as you tend to when you know the car and you gain in experience. In 12 years, no black flags for any of us, no complaints and 1 on track breakdown (bonnet flipped up, see previous comment about making mistakes- bonnet not fully closed). I have never impeded anyones progress on track for more than 2 or 3 corners. The old adage of if something appears in your mirror that wasn't there before, its quicker has served me well.

Its an attitude thing, not a financial thing.

Good luck OP. Not a car choice I would have done, but I can guarantee you will have a great time with your sons.

[Jon_Bmw]

Btw I have just seen the auto being a requirement because of one of your lads, in that case for a sub £1000 it limits you significantly and now makes more sense!

[egor110]

nickfrog said:

docklander said:

Wow, judgey much?

What an inane comment. Is there a nice view from your ivory tower?

tw@

I think it was a little harsh but it may just (and perhaps in your case unfairly) reflect a reality.

I don't think you can have a very cheap and remotely enjoyable track car but I am hoping you'll prove me wrong.

You could pick up a puma for under a grand and it'll be a wicked little track car .

[mat205125]

Forget the lure of bigger rwd German cars. Floating around scrubbing the writing off the tyre sidewall whilst overheating everything into an early death isn't as fun as it sounds

Unless its medical related, get a manual 1.6 civic in the best condition you can to learn and develop together

[docklander]

egor110 said:

You could pick up a puma for under a grand and it'll be a wicked little track car .

Yes, I remember the FRP I had for a few years very fondly. Even the 1.4's and 1.7s are great fun with a nice balance and great gear change feel. Only thing is, I needed something auto

[docklander]

Jon_Bmw said:

Btw I have just seen the auto being a requirement because of one of your lads, in that case for a sub £1000 it limits you significantly and now makes more sense!

Could not have said it better; attitude is everything. I had more fun in the lighter and cheaper stuff almost every time.

[Hol]

egor110 said:

nickfrog said:

docklander said:

Wow, judgey much?

What an inane comment. Is there a nice view from your ivory tower?

tw@

I think it was a little harsh but it may just (and perhaps in your case unfairly) reflect a reality.

I don't think you can have a very cheap and remotely enjoyable track car but I am hoping you'll prove me wrong.

You could pick up a puma for under a grand and it'll be a wicked little track car .

You can indeed, And a good driver can drive it quickly without impeding anyone else on the track.

However, some people are just critical in a vain attempt to look important to the rest of us.

[egor110]

Hol said:

egor110 said:

nickfrog said:

docklander said:

Wow, judgey much?

What an inane comment. Is there a nice view from your ivory tower?

tw@

I think it was a little harsh but it may just (and perhaps in your case unfairly) reflect a reality.

I don't think you can have a very cheap and remotely enjoyable track car but I am hoping you'll prove me wrong.

You could pick up a puma for under a grand and it'll be a wicked little track car .

You can indeed, And a good driver can drive it quickly without impeding anyone else on the track.

However, some people are just critical in a vain attempt to look important to the rest of us.

Exactly.

Just watch how many people balls up corners then rely on big horsepower to shoot them down the straight where the balls up the next corner .

Compare that to a well driven lower horsepower car where they barely brake just keep carrying as much speed as possible around corners.