Clubsport 1100 - pondering/dreaming at the moment
Discussion
Please can somebody point me in the direction of some info on these? I quite like the idea of a track car (with possible future racing) and from what I've read, these go for around £8k+.
It seems like a good price to me and budgetting upto £1.5k for a trailer equals a pretty good package.
So, would I be in cloud cuckoo land in thinking that I could run one as a track day car? Would I be even allowed on a trackday with one of these? Will I just have normal cars getting in the way all the time?
Thanks. I'm only pondering at the moment, it might not happen. One likes to keep the options open! I should never have searched Youtube for them!
It seems like a good price to me and budgetting upto £1.5k for a trailer equals a pretty good package.
So, would I be in cloud cuckoo land in thinking that I could run one as a track day car? Would I be even allowed on a trackday with one of these? Will I just have normal cars getting in the way all the time?
Thanks. I'm only pondering at the moment, it might not happen. One likes to keep the options open! I should never have searched Youtube for them!
No, you would not be in Cloud Cuckoo Land in thinking you could run a Clubbie as a trackday car; several do.
Yes, you would be allowed to run it by the majority of TDOs. Make sure you repay your supplier with polite behaviour towards other cars, even if they are thinking 'all that money I've laid out and that cheap funny little plastic car has just run rings round me!'
No, you won't have cars in your way all the time providing you pick the right track AND/OR the right TDO; places like Silverstone GP have plenty of space and therefore opportunities and the likes of Goldtrack and Bookatrack spring to mind; then even better (because solely Radicals and like-minded stuff and pilots like Junos, Jades, ADRs etc only) there's ROC Trackdays. Avoid 'sell it cheap/pack 'em ridiculous tight' TDOs.
Make It Happen - the water's just fine - jump right in, you'll love it - awesome 911 embarassing performance for £10K, what gets better than that! - then you go racing perhaps
Yes, you would be allowed to run it by the majority of TDOs. Make sure you repay your supplier with polite behaviour towards other cars, even if they are thinking 'all that money I've laid out and that cheap funny little plastic car has just run rings round me!'
No, you won't have cars in your way all the time providing you pick the right track AND/OR the right TDO; places like Silverstone GP have plenty of space and therefore opportunities and the likes of Goldtrack and Bookatrack spring to mind; then even better (because solely Radicals and like-minded stuff and pilots like Junos, Jades, ADRs etc only) there's ROC Trackdays. Avoid 'sell it cheap/pack 'em ridiculous tight' TDOs.
Make It Happen - the water's just fine - jump right in, you'll love it - awesome 911 embarassing performance for £10K, what gets better than that! - then you go racing perhaps
Like most things in life, the more the better! I should say £10K, time you've bought a decent car and a decent trailer (it'll be an open one with that budget, but that's OK as long as you tow it pointing backwards or tape up the airbox hole if pointing forwards), plus a most thorough 'fettle', such as checking out the oily bit of course, possibly stuff like rebuilding shocks and especially big diligence on the brakes; can't stress the importance of that 'fettling' enough; a sorted Radical is fantastic, one that's been neglected well let's just say, less so. It's worth getting it right because it's a real tough little car that will repay TLC manyfold and let's not forget, it may only be a little 1100 and lacking the grunt and downforce of current cars, but it is still tremendously quick round a track compared to virtually everything else you'll come across most days.
On resources, I'll have a ponder; decent chance your post might bear fruit in the form of posts or PMs.
On resources, I'll have a ponder; decent chance your post might bear fruit in the form of posts or PMs.
Altho mine has a busa 1300 engine. MagicalTrevor said:
Please can somebody point me in the direction of some info on these? I quite like the idea of a track car (with possible future racing) and from what I've read, these go for around £8k+.
It seems like a good price to me and budgetting upto £1.5k for a trailer equals a pretty good package.
So, would I be in cloud cuckoo land in thinking that I could run one as a track day car? Would I be even allowed on a trackday with one of these? Will I just have normal cars getting in the way all the time?
Thanks. I'm only pondering at the moment, it might not happen. One likes to keep the options open! I should never have searched Youtube for them!
JFDI!It seems like a good price to me and budgetting upto £1.5k for a trailer equals a pretty good package.
So, would I be in cloud cuckoo land in thinking that I could run one as a track day car? Would I be even allowed on a trackday with one of these? Will I just have normal cars getting in the way all the time?
Thanks. I'm only pondering at the moment, it might not happen. One likes to keep the options open! I should never have searched Youtube for them!
If you find your way to Combe on a race day pop by the paddock for a chat, a cuppa and a piece of Mrs T's finest cake
S
I think many of us have been there! Overall a pretty good idea in my view. But they are getting on a bit now.
There are a few things to look out for. Firstly the engine. It's hard to know how much work the engine has done unless the seller has some pretty compelling records. The hours mount up and many sellers will say "not much since the last refresh". You need to be sure that's the case or have a budget for a refresh. I've damaged (hehe) two radical engines (one kwaka, one busa) through just running them not knowing the hours when they were well past their sell-by dates. You also have the chain and sprockets, not quite the expense of the engines and they do wear too. A chain and should be just changed, but if the sprockets are worn they need to be changed. Beware any used parts - they might be as knackered. I fact I have seen loads of spare that are complete tat - beware!
Secondly the suspension components are "lifed" and in a well used clubbie not only might they have done many hours, they may have had a few knocks. Definitely inspect the suspension well and look for cracks or knocks in the uprights and wishbones. When they fail on track it can be interesting. If you end up having to buy new uprights they are not the cheapest.
And finally the bodywork - esp the front. When the fronts have been around a while and fixed a few times they get weaker. This is especially noticeable on the standard downforce setup where the splitter is attached to the front and needs a strong "return" to attach to. The very common thing that happens is that the splitter pushes down under load and wears it's "return" away and then destroys itself. If you do end up needing spare bodywork it can get expensive if you can't get some used (assuming Radical can still make it).
Most of the other stuff on the clubbie is pretty simple and not expensive to replace and it's all simple to work on.
So the summary is as everyone has said they are great track-day cars, some restrictions on where you can go, but not that many restrictions (airfields come to mind). They are a bit fiddly to run (like swapping from wets to slicks and back on a showery day) and you need to buy a goodun.
And they are brilliant to drive!
Bert
There are a few things to look out for. Firstly the engine. It's hard to know how much work the engine has done unless the seller has some pretty compelling records. The hours mount up and many sellers will say "not much since the last refresh". You need to be sure that's the case or have a budget for a refresh. I've damaged (hehe) two radical engines (one kwaka, one busa) through just running them not knowing the hours when they were well past their sell-by dates. You also have the chain and sprockets, not quite the expense of the engines and they do wear too. A chain and should be just changed, but if the sprockets are worn they need to be changed. Beware any used parts - they might be as knackered. I fact I have seen loads of spare that are complete tat - beware!
Secondly the suspension components are "lifed" and in a well used clubbie not only might they have done many hours, they may have had a few knocks. Definitely inspect the suspension well and look for cracks or knocks in the uprights and wishbones. When they fail on track it can be interesting. If you end up having to buy new uprights they are not the cheapest.
And finally the bodywork - esp the front. When the fronts have been around a while and fixed a few times they get weaker. This is especially noticeable on the standard downforce setup where the splitter is attached to the front and needs a strong "return" to attach to. The very common thing that happens is that the splitter pushes down under load and wears it's "return" away and then destroys itself. If you do end up needing spare bodywork it can get expensive if you can't get some used (assuming Radical can still make it).
Most of the other stuff on the clubbie is pretty simple and not expensive to replace and it's all simple to work on.
So the summary is as everyone has said they are great track-day cars, some restrictions on where you can go, but not that many restrictions (airfields come to mind). They are a bit fiddly to run (like swapping from wets to slicks and back on a showery day) and you need to buy a goodun.
And they are brilliant to drive!
Bert
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