Track day virgin
Discussion
After a frankly shoite couple of years thanks to recession/redundancy I have finally had a change of fortune and got a job.
I now intend to make the most of life after a miserable time and have started a fund to buy my first track day car, hopefully by april or so next year.
So what do I need to consider and think about?
A car for a grand or so but whats good for a potential rolling obstacle like meself?
Training? - I was thinking maybe of doing one of the experience days at a track first but the cost of that would cover a helmet or bits for the car.
Can you really just show up with a car having never been on a track before?
Sorry if some of the above seems stoopid to the more experienced pilots but you have to start somewhere.
Any and all advice appreciated!
I now intend to make the most of life after a miserable time and have started a fund to buy my first track day car, hopefully by april or so next year.
So what do I need to consider and think about?
A car for a grand or so but whats good for a potential rolling obstacle like meself?
Training? - I was thinking maybe of doing one of the experience days at a track first but the cost of that would cover a helmet or bits for the car.
Can you really just show up with a car having never been on a track before?
Sorry if some of the above seems stoopid to the more experienced pilots but you have to start somewhere.
Any and all advice appreciated!
£1k is at the low end for budget on a trackday car but there are still some very workable options. A 106 GTi or Saxo VTS, E30 or maybe even E36 beemer or the obligatory MX5 option are all doable for about a grand, I'm sure other suggestions will be given as well.
Don't forget though that a £1k car will rarely be in the kind of condition that you would want to take on track so even getting it back up to a good road/basic track standard may involve a bit of attention to brakes, tyres, suspension etc. I don't mean race prep here, just make sure that everything will stand a good workout and survive a day on track without letting you down.
I wouldn't bother with the experience days as a route to learning, you'd be much better off getting a couple of instruction sessions on your first day so you are learning in your car and the tuition would be much more tailored towards what you are looking for.
Yes, first time novices are welcome at trackdays. The old hands all had a first day out, just listen well to the briefing, get instruction and don't try to be the fastest guy there!
HTH
Steve H
Don't forget though that a £1k car will rarely be in the kind of condition that you would want to take on track so even getting it back up to a good road/basic track standard may involve a bit of attention to brakes, tyres, suspension etc. I don't mean race prep here, just make sure that everything will stand a good workout and survive a day on track without letting you down.
I wouldn't bother with the experience days as a route to learning, you'd be much better off getting a couple of instruction sessions on your first day so you are learning in your car and the tuition would be much more tailored towards what you are looking for.
Yes, first time novices are welcome at trackdays. The old hands all had a first day out, just listen well to the briefing, get instruction and don't try to be the fastest guy there!
HTH
Steve H
SkintEastwood said:
I now intend to make the most of life after a miserable time...
Good on you - my philosophy exactly!SkintEastwood said:
So what do I need to consider and think about?
I guess one consideration is whether you want the car to be road-legal or not. If you have the room and the funds for a trailer, going that route means you need worry less about insurance, MoT, etc and that you can use more track-oriented tyres.Most if not all trackday companies offer training sessions on the day. Usually 20-30 minute sessions in your own car with an instructor. Usually cost £25-40 and well worth it.
I make my son have a lesson EVERY track day, just to make sure that his track driving skills are developing properly and he is not slipping into bad habits.
I make my son have a lesson EVERY track day, just to make sure that his track driving skills are developing properly and he is not slipping into bad habits.
Firstly, good on you for getting back on your feet and looking into trackdays.
Others have mentioned the normal track cars, may be worth considering a Clio. Good road car, cheap etc.
Would look to get what ever car you choose to a good condition mechanically before modding for track use- use this money for driver training.
Training is the first thing I did before taking the 34 on track and was worth every penny, I used CATD and can honestly say my driving has imProved as a result.
Others have mentioned the normal track cars, may be worth considering a Clio. Good road car, cheap etc.
Would look to get what ever car you choose to a good condition mechanically before modding for track use- use this money for driver training.
Training is the first thing I did before taking the 34 on track and was worth every penny, I used CATD and can honestly say my driving has imProved as a result.
Thanks all for the replies.
The budget according to my manfully elaborate spreadsheet would be 1 - 1.2K with 5-700 to spend on mechanical stuff, brakes etc to get it to a good basic trackable condition (as if I knew about such things lol).
Then maintanence, upgrades etc can be handled on a month to month basis.
It would probably need to be road legal to start with, dont want to spend money on a trailer etc.
But then having thought and typed that maybe that cost would be offset by not paying the normal costs of putting a car on the road?
I'm in two minds as to whether to get a car already prepped as a track car with cage, seats, harnesses etc or start with a "blank canvas".
The idea of doing the training on the day as a fist trip round the track sounds like a good option.
The budget according to my manfully elaborate spreadsheet would be 1 - 1.2K with 5-700 to spend on mechanical stuff, brakes etc to get it to a good basic trackable condition (as if I knew about such things lol).
Then maintanence, upgrades etc can be handled on a month to month basis.
It would probably need to be road legal to start with, dont want to spend money on a trailer etc.
But then having thought and typed that maybe that cost would be offset by not paying the normal costs of putting a car on the road?
I'm in two minds as to whether to get a car already prepped as a track car with cage, seats, harnesses etc or start with a "blank canvas".
The idea of doing the training on the day as a fist trip round the track sounds like a good option.
My advice would be to get the best prepared car for your budget and not the most powerful car that would fit. A friend of mine started with a similar budget. I spotted a couple of nicely prepared MX5s for him but he bought a tatty ebay BMW325 with no such work. On the first track day it broke down in the first session which meant the rest of his £200 track day fee went down the drain.
SkintEastwood said:
Thanks all for the replies.
The budget according to my manfully elaborate spreadsheet would be 1 - 1.2K with 5-700 to spend on mechanical stuff, brakes etc to get it to a good basic trackable condition (as if I knew about such things lol).
Then maintanence, upgrades etc can be handled on a month to month basis.
It would probably need to be road legal to start with, dont want to spend money on a trailer etc.
But then having thought and typed that maybe that cost would be offset by not paying the normal costs of putting a car on the road?
I'm in two minds as to whether to get a car already prepped as a track car with cage, seats, harnesses etc or start with a "blank canvas".
The idea of doing the training on the day as a fist trip round the track sounds like a good option.
I would say you need the best base possible. Be it already prepped or a solid sound base car to play with. Forget any engine mods, carrying speed through corners is the name of the game to start with. Concentrate on handling and braking mods to start, with reliabilty chucked in aswell.The budget according to my manfully elaborate spreadsheet would be 1 - 1.2K with 5-700 to spend on mechanical stuff, brakes etc to get it to a good basic trackable condition (as if I knew about such things lol).
Then maintanence, upgrades etc can be handled on a month to month basis.
It would probably need to be road legal to start with, dont want to spend money on a trailer etc.
But then having thought and typed that maybe that cost would be offset by not paying the normal costs of putting a car on the road?
I'm in two minds as to whether to get a car already prepped as a track car with cage, seats, harnesses etc or start with a "blank canvas".
The idea of doing the training on the day as a fist trip round the track sounds like a good option.
For your budget i would keep it road legal unless you have access to a tow vehicle.
It maybe worth setting out a plan, so for the first year you start with a lightly fettled road car and if the bug bites look for a more focussed car that has had the work already done. Upgrading cars can get expensive if you take the wrong route.
Also if the car will be road legal i wouldn't suggest having a cage as this will be more dangerous on the road, just something to think about on the side.
Oh right.....I knew that really.....Ted. 
Been browsing Saxo's and I'm quite surprised how cheap they seem to be.
A VTR like the one below might be a good start. It wouldnt set me pants on fire with its monstrous performance but as said above it might be a good intro to the basics of track driving prehaps.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3090850.htm
Been browsing Saxo's and I'm quite surprised how cheap they seem to be.
A VTR like the one below might be a good start. It wouldnt set me pants on fire with its monstrous performance but as said above it might be a good intro to the basics of track driving prehaps.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3090850.htm
At the risk of being shot down, an MX5 is a good idea. They really do live up to the good handling hype and are great fun on a track. Cheap to buy and maintin and need little to get track ready if the power is standard. A MK2 1.8 with torsen lsd would be my choice but any bar the most asthmatic UK spec 1.6's would be fine. You really do want rwd for the best fun, good as some fwd cars are.
SkintEastwood said:
My only worry with an MX5 is safety in a roll (dont wish to be pessimistic but you have to consider these things)
Can you fit a rollcage and still get the roof over it? I ask because any I've seen dont appear to allow room for it.
Yes can make a full cage fit, but only good if you are a short ar$e, for a rear roll bar you can be a fair bit taller, how good they are in a real roll I dunno, ive seen full caged Mx5s roll & its wasnt pretty to think what would have happened sans cage. Can you fit a rollcage and still get the roof over it? I ask because any I've seen dont appear to allow room for it.
I've got about as tall a roll bar as I could get (harddog) in my supercharged mx5 but as fun as they are on track, it doesnt see much track action, as I prefer a full cage above me & have other track toys that provide just that.
Mx5 is a cracking track toy tho, an n/a one will take so much much abuse its daft & so wil an f/i if done properly & not that pricey either can get a sorted track ready example for sub 3k, I've had 3 f/i little beauties, tracked 2 of them & they are ace.
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