Spire GT3 RGB Racer
Discussion
Bought this last weekend and planning to race it in 2018, did the ARDS test and got the National B race licence last month. Have wanted to do some car racing for a while ever since I stopped racing karts , but it's taken some time for it to become financially viable. Currently a list of jobs to do, mostly general maintenance/prep and tailoring it to fit me. Will document the changes/work as I go. Don't have lots of pics, here's one from collection.
Specs are 580KG including driver - luckily it's a light car as I'm not a particularly lightweight boy..! And approx. 170hp at the rear wheels from the GSXR 1000 K8 Motorcycle Engine. The cars produce an inherent amount of downforce but are not allowed to run any wings, or aero add ons & have to run A048 control dry tyres.
First race is in March '18 at Donny but I'm on the fence as to whether to skip a few of the earlier rounds in favour of track days to familiarise with the car. Either that or it's some winter track time and try and do every round. Don't really want to miss Donnington, but have to be realistic. I have owned a bike engine car before but it was fairly different. I'm more concerned about learning the car than the tracks at first.
Also the 750MC have just done a cool little promo vid for the series, see here
http://www.750mc.co.uk/formulae/rgb.htm
Specs are 580KG including driver - luckily it's a light car as I'm not a particularly lightweight boy..! And approx. 170hp at the rear wheels from the GSXR 1000 K8 Motorcycle Engine. The cars produce an inherent amount of downforce but are not allowed to run any wings, or aero add ons & have to run A048 control dry tyres.
First race is in March '18 at Donny but I'm on the fence as to whether to skip a few of the earlier rounds in favour of track days to familiarise with the car. Either that or it's some winter track time and try and do every round. Don't really want to miss Donnington, but have to be realistic. I have owned a bike engine car before but it was fairly different. I'm more concerned about learning the car than the tracks at first.
Also the 750MC have just done a cool little promo vid for the series, see here
http://www.750mc.co.uk/formulae/rgb.htm
foggy said:
Looks good, hope you have fun with it. BECs are great aren’t they, full on intense experience what with the sequential ‘box and engine buzzing away. Cheap as chips too relatively speaking.
I guess it depends what you’re comparing them to, this breed of rear engined RGB cars I wouldn’t call cheap. But road going bike engined kit cars can indeed be had relatively cheaply.These have practically evolved from kit cars now to purpose built and designed sports prototypes. As with any motorsport the cars at the sharp end are valued the highest and you would struggle to pick up a 2017 spec Spire GT3 for less than £25k.
There are some great cars out there for less than half of that though and a few instances over the years have proved that the driver is still the biggest variable in it all. Mine is a 2011 car, brought up to date in around 2015 I believe. The main update or mod available for my car that I’m aware of is a lower drag front clip, but I’m told that would also reduce downforce so I’m just going to try it as it is for now as I suspect I’ll be the biggest limiting factor until I’m fully up to speed with the car.
Edited by Yazza54 on Thursday 14th December 07:28
Have spent a couple of days on it so far, mainly just based on getting the car to fit me.
Had my supervisor in attendance
Moved the pedals as far away as possible, and made new mounts to fit the seat in lower and right back. The previous driver was 5ft5 and I’m 6ft1 so it couldn’t have been any less suited to me! Had to make a new clutch stop too.
Could do with taking a wire brush and some hammerite to some parts of the chassis although it’s generally in good condition.
Shortened the paddles on the gearshift as they were just fouling my knees and I shouldn’t be changing gear with much lock on anyway. I’m also going to fit a flat bottomed steering wheel to gain that last bit of space but it feels fairly comfortable now.
Another thing I’ve done is spent some time trying to get the pedals at the right height. Maybe it was just personal preference but when I got the car the throttle pedal was a good inch higher than the brake pedal and too far away. So when the brake was depressed it was even further away making it impossible to be able to blip the throttle whilst braking and downshifting.
I’ve managed to get them near enough the right height then got the final bit by modifying the throttle pedal, welding a new pedal on which is wider and slightly further back. Now it’s possible just by rolling my foot as it’s at the same height as the brake when depressed and much closer. Clutch is further away but actually well placed so my heel isn’t clashing with the chassis bar along the floor. Just need to try it now, I’m pretty much done with regards to making it fit me unless I find loads more things after a first outing.
Other jobs are a full service, general once over and lube of everything. Maybe paint a few bits of the chassis and tart the front clam up. Car has good wets on it but need to get some A048s on the spare wheels. Then it’s more or less ready to try out.
Had my supervisor in attendance
Moved the pedals as far away as possible, and made new mounts to fit the seat in lower and right back. The previous driver was 5ft5 and I’m 6ft1 so it couldn’t have been any less suited to me! Had to make a new clutch stop too.
Could do with taking a wire brush and some hammerite to some parts of the chassis although it’s generally in good condition.
Shortened the paddles on the gearshift as they were just fouling my knees and I shouldn’t be changing gear with much lock on anyway. I’m also going to fit a flat bottomed steering wheel to gain that last bit of space but it feels fairly comfortable now.
Another thing I’ve done is spent some time trying to get the pedals at the right height. Maybe it was just personal preference but when I got the car the throttle pedal was a good inch higher than the brake pedal and too far away. So when the brake was depressed it was even further away making it impossible to be able to blip the throttle whilst braking and downshifting.
I’ve managed to get them near enough the right height then got the final bit by modifying the throttle pedal, welding a new pedal on which is wider and slightly further back. Now it’s possible just by rolling my foot as it’s at the same height as the brake when depressed and much closer. Clutch is further away but actually well placed so my heel isn’t clashing with the chassis bar along the floor. Just need to try it now, I’m pretty much done with regards to making it fit me unless I find loads more things after a first outing.
Other jobs are a full service, general once over and lube of everything. Maybe paint a few bits of the chassis and tart the front clam up. Car has good wets on it but need to get some A048s on the spare wheels. Then it’s more or less ready to try out.
hesconfucuis said:
Really love these types of threads about cool race cars. Never heard of spire before , watching with interest!
I guess they are more obscure than something like a radical but they have been winning races and championships now for a good few years at different levels. They go well in bike sports/OSS too which is a slicks and wings formula. This was my car before it was converted back to RGB spec. They look awesome in bike sports spec but slicks and wings racing is more expensive in general plus you really need something like a haybusa engine to be competitive.
Looks great, and you'll love RGB - you commented on my Ultima readers car thread - would love to know more about the Ferrari engined Ultima too.
I knew Ollie who used to race in RGB under VR motorsport - If you're on the grid in 2018 come and say hello when Locost are racing the same weekends - I race with SRB racing and like to watch RGB when our calendars overlap, so I'll keep an eye out for you
I knew Ollie who used to race in RGB under VR motorsport - If you're on the grid in 2018 come and say hello when Locost are racing the same weekends - I race with SRB racing and like to watch RGB when our calendars overlap, so I'll keep an eye out for you
ol said:
Looks great, and you'll love RGB - you commented on my Ultima readers car thread - would love to know more about the Ferrari engined Ultima too.
I knew Ollie who used to race in RGB under VR motorsport - If you're on the grid in 2018 come and say hello when Locost are racing the same weekends - I race with SRB racing and like to watch RGB when our calendars overlap, so I'll keep an eye out for you
Cheers, hope so! Unfortunately there’s no build thread as such but I do have a load of pics etc, it’s a lovely thing, no doubt it won’t have the power yours has but different strokes for different folks and all that. Awesome cars.I knew Ollie who used to race in RGB under VR motorsport - If you're on the grid in 2018 come and say hello when Locost are racing the same weekends - I race with SRB racing and like to watch RGB when our calendars overlap, so I'll keep an eye out for you
Mine is Rab Gardiners old car so was once the sister car to Ollys. Looking at the calendar we should be at a few rounds together so I’ll be sure to say hi!
Yazza54 said:
ol said:
Looks great, and you'll love RGB - you commented on my Ultima readers car thread - would love to know more about the Ferrari engined Ultima too.
I knew Ollie who used to race in RGB under VR motorsport - If you're on the grid in 2018 come and say hello when Locost are racing the same weekends - I race with SRB racing and like to watch RGB when our calendars overlap, so I'll keep an eye out for you
Cheers, hope so! Unfortunately there’s no build thread as such but I do have a load of pics etc, it’s a lovely thing, no doubt it won’t have the power yours has but different strokes for different folks and all that. Awesome cars.I knew Ollie who used to race in RGB under VR motorsport - If you're on the grid in 2018 come and say hello when Locost are racing the same weekends - I race with SRB racing and like to watch RGB when our calendars overlap, so I'll keep an eye out for you
Mine is Rab Gardiners old car so was once the sister car to Ollys. Looking at the calendar we should be at a few rounds together so I’ll be sure to say hi!
Nice car Yazza!
A little example here of the capability of the GT3. My friend Tim Gray, multiple Locost, RGB and Bikesports champion scything through the pack at Anglesey.
I have the battle scarred bodywork from one of Tim's championship winning cars on my Phoenix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DNYR0fyAk
A little example here of the capability of the GT3. My friend Tim Gray, multiple Locost, RGB and Bikesports champion scything through the pack at Anglesey.
I have the battle scarred bodywork from one of Tim's championship winning cars on my Phoenix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DNYR0fyAk
spyder dryver said:
Nice car Yazza!
A little example here of the capability of the GT3. My friend Tim Gray, multiple Locost, RGB and Bikesports champion scything through the pack at Anglesey.
I have the battle scarred bodywork from one of Tim's championship winning cars on my Phoenix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DNYR0fyAk
Good video, have been watching a lot of the onboards recently. Things have moved on a bit more since then with mostly rear engined cars out there but I still believe that generation of GT3 is quite capable. The drivers at the sharp end usually seem to be in the later GT3 or the Mittell MC53, but I think it’s still more down to the driver than anything else. I suspect Tim would still be capable of winning in the older GT3, but it’s only natural that everyone wants the latest and greatest kit. A new GT3 would set me back 3x what I’ve paid for mine, so I’m happy for now..!A little example here of the capability of the GT3. My friend Tim Gray, multiple Locost, RGB and Bikesports champion scything through the pack at Anglesey.
I have the battle scarred bodywork from one of Tim's championship winning cars on my Phoenix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DNYR0fyAk
Whether my car is capable of anything better than top 5 I’m not really sure, but regardless I know I’m probably not going to be, at least for a while... hopefully I’ll gel with the car.
Will be interesting to see how many drivers have registered as they have made a few changes to try and entice people back, hopefully some of the guys with front engined cars sat collecting dust might come back out.
Edited by Yazza54 on Thursday 4th January 22:29
Popped up to see the VR racing guys yesterday, there was another load of spares that were found as well as some bigger bits we couldn’t take when we collected the car such as a large quick lift jack, stands, tracking bars and other useful bits, sprockets, cables brake pads, spare drive shaft and joints etc etc. Really useful stuff that they acquired over time, so made up with all that.
Had a good chat with Colin who looks after the car and Vincent who owns the team, both top blokes, down to earth and have been very helpful - bit of a rarity in the motorsport world, well at least from what I remember from my karting days..!
Had a good look around and sit in this beast they are running this year - Praga R1T
Awesome thing, many intricate details to admire looking round it. Sitting in it was how I imagine a fighter jet cockpit to be. Although it actually fit quite well, more comfortable than my spire...! But much harder to get out of
When I got back I had a bit of a play with the car as I’ve not had much chance to work on it over Christmas. Fitted a new flat bottomed steering wheel, it’s reasonably comfortable now and my knees are no longer fouling the wheel and paddles etc.
Something that’s also been bugging me is the feel from the gearchange paddles. When I had my R1 engined fisher fury it was a lot more weighted with more feel. On the spire it was a bit floppy and the paddle came right back to the wheel.
Again no disrespect to the previous owners, no doubt it was their drivers personal preference again, but I don’t like controls to be too light because they can lack feel and feedback so it didn’t feel precise like a motorcycle gearbox should - at least to me.
The gear arm at the engine end was quite long, I drilled another hole in it about 15mm lower down and refitted the gear cable. This made the gearchange a bit more weighted, next I made a little extension arm on the paddle end.
This reduced the travel required to change gear, the two mods together have made a world of difference and it is now how I remember my old Fury being. If i find that it’s too heavy after a full stint driving in anger I may play around with the length at the engine end again but it definitely needed the mod at the paddles.
Also got all the bits to do a full service on it, got a new set of A048s which I dropped off with the wheels to be fitted once the dry wheels are re powder coated. There’s other things not car related that I need to sort too, still not bought all my racewear etc... but getting there slowly.
Had a good chat with Colin who looks after the car and Vincent who owns the team, both top blokes, down to earth and have been very helpful - bit of a rarity in the motorsport world, well at least from what I remember from my karting days..!
Had a good look around and sit in this beast they are running this year - Praga R1T
Awesome thing, many intricate details to admire looking round it. Sitting in it was how I imagine a fighter jet cockpit to be. Although it actually fit quite well, more comfortable than my spire...! But much harder to get out of
When I got back I had a bit of a play with the car as I’ve not had much chance to work on it over Christmas. Fitted a new flat bottomed steering wheel, it’s reasonably comfortable now and my knees are no longer fouling the wheel and paddles etc.
Something that’s also been bugging me is the feel from the gearchange paddles. When I had my R1 engined fisher fury it was a lot more weighted with more feel. On the spire it was a bit floppy and the paddle came right back to the wheel.
Again no disrespect to the previous owners, no doubt it was their drivers personal preference again, but I don’t like controls to be too light because they can lack feel and feedback so it didn’t feel precise like a motorcycle gearbox should - at least to me.
The gear arm at the engine end was quite long, I drilled another hole in it about 15mm lower down and refitted the gear cable. This made the gearchange a bit more weighted, next I made a little extension arm on the paddle end.
This reduced the travel required to change gear, the two mods together have made a world of difference and it is now how I remember my old Fury being. If i find that it’s too heavy after a full stint driving in anger I may play around with the length at the engine end again but it definitely needed the mod at the paddles.
Also got all the bits to do a full service on it, got a new set of A048s which I dropped off with the wheels to be fitted once the dry wheels are re powder coated. There’s other things not car related that I need to sort too, still not bought all my racewear etc... but getting there slowly.
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 7th January 09:07
Edited by Yazza54 on Monday 8th January 08:06
spyder dryver said:
That must be the Praga that Tim drives.
Indeed, Tim and a couple of others. Vincent basically said that he wanted to see how some talented drivers from UK Club racing could fair against semi pro/pro drivers and it turns out, pretty well. Awesome opportunity for someone who otherwise probably would never have the chance in such a money driven sport.
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