Track days on an extremely low budget.
Discussion
I do mine so frequently as it is quite cheap, and you never know it may well help the longevity of the engine, and that is a bargain for me.
I do around 4k/year, around half of which is on track.
£58 for a drum of 25-litres of good quality semi synth.
£24 for 4 MANN filters.
4 oil services done.
Doesn't cost a lot really & MUST be worth it.
A few hours every few months having a good look/feel/pry etc round everything underneath, a no brainer for me.
I do around 4k/year, around half of which is on track.
£58 for a drum of 25-litres of good quality semi synth.
£24 for 4 MANN filters.
4 oil services done.
Doesn't cost a lot really & MUST be worth it.
A few hours every few months having a good look/feel/pry etc round everything underneath, a no brainer for me.
mattdaniels said:
But presumably he drives it on track too, so you get to visit twice as many days but do half the driving whilst you're there? So the net result is you're actually worse off because you're still getting the same net track time as you would if you funded it all yourself, but you've incurred twice as much travelling and subsistence costs.
What am I missing?
Assuming the car can handle the work Id imagine a shared car would get 1.5-2x the use of most cars taken by one person so you are getting more than half a normal days driving What am I missing?
Heres my take on it..
Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
daniel-5zjw7 said:
Heres my take on it..
Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
I can attest to this little car.Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
I know its driver
Met Daniel at Woodbridge a couple of months back.
Brilliant driver and that car flew, complete surprise!
PS I'm the guy with the MR2 (stinky brakes boy) with that one blue panel.
daniel-5zjw7 said:
Heres my take on it..
Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
This lad's doing it right! Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
SloppyClock said:
daniel-5zjw7 said:
Heres my take on it..
Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
I can attest to this little car.Mk4 Fiesta Zetec 1.4 90hp (same model that ran alongside the the touring cars as a support race in the late 90's)
Doubles as my daily as well as track days
Basic little car, no electric windows/mirrors/aircon, no ABS etc, and pre-dates crappy cable gearshifts and silly light steering so it actually feels good to drive.
Built mostly on ebay bargains and picking up second hand bits from breaking track cars, totally stock engine/box and exterior, Bilstein/Eibach suspension, all bushes either Powerflex or Ford Racing Puma, OMP wishbone brace, Vibratechnics torque link, new calipers with grooved discs/Ferodo pads/HEL lines, poly exhaust mounts, widened track on both axles, Recaro RST drivers seat and MOMO wheel, some minor weight reduction but still full interior, Kuhmo road tyres to keep it fun and adjustable.
Very cheap on fuel, both getting to an event and on track.. £30 of Shells finest will normally last all day, also cheap on consumables and parts are plentiful and cheap as are upgrades given so many fiesta's have been and still are raced/tracked.
More fun than you'd think on the road and on track :-)
I know its driver
Met Daniel at Woodbridge a couple of months back.
Brilliant driver and that car flew, complete surprise!
PS I'm the guy with the MR2 (stinky brakes boy) with that one blue panel.
Pretty sure pumas are either 1.4s or 1.7s, the Fiesta mk5 Zetec S used a 1.6 sigma but don't believe this was ever available in the Puma.
A Puma is definitely a good shout, but for me personally I like the surprise element of the fiesta, plus from being raced back in the super touring days and remembering it from the very first TOCA game on the PS1, I found it quite easy to be inspired by it, I just can't get inspired by a Puma! (though a FRP gets close..)
Anyway I guess the actual car is largely irrelevant for the question behind this thread, whether its a polo, fiesta or anything else, if your willing to get stuck in yourself and are sensible with type of car you choose, it is possible to do trackdays on a reasonably low budget, whilst having just as much fun as anyone else out there :-)
A Puma is definitely a good shout, but for me personally I like the surprise element of the fiesta, plus from being raced back in the super touring days and remembering it from the very first TOCA game on the PS1, I found it quite easy to be inspired by it, I just can't get inspired by a Puma! (though a FRP gets close..)
Anyway I guess the actual car is largely irrelevant for the question behind this thread, whether its a polo, fiesta or anything else, if your willing to get stuck in yourself and are sensible with type of car you choose, it is possible to do trackdays on a reasonably low budget, whilst having just as much fun as anyone else out there :-)
daniel-5zjw7 said:
Pretty sure pumas are either 1.4s or 1.7s, the Fiesta mk5 Zetec S used a 1.6 sigma but don't believe this was ever available in the Puma.
A Puma is definitely a good shout, but for me personally I like the surprise element of the fiesta, plus from being raced back in the super touring days and remembering it from the very first TOCA game on the PS1, I found it quite easy to be inspired by it, I just can't get inspired by a Puma! (though a FRP gets close..)
Anyway I guess the actual car is largely irrelevant for the question behind this thread, whether its a polo, fiesta or anything else, if your willing to get stuck in yourself and are sensible with type of car you choose, it is possible to do trackdays on a reasonably low budget, whilst having just as much fun as anyone else out there :-)
Later in the Pumas life they replaced the 1.4 in the range with the 1.6. Mostly 1.7s come up for sale and they have the most power out of the box but the 1.6 has a little more potential of you spend a bit. Parts are similar to the Fiesta but some 1.7 specific items are a bit more expensive. I bought two MOT failures for £270 and you have to be able to weld with them.A Puma is definitely a good shout, but for me personally I like the surprise element of the fiesta, plus from being raced back in the super touring days and remembering it from the very first TOCA game on the PS1, I found it quite easy to be inspired by it, I just can't get inspired by a Puma! (though a FRP gets close..)
Anyway I guess the actual car is largely irrelevant for the question behind this thread, whether its a polo, fiesta or anything else, if your willing to get stuck in yourself and are sensible with type of car you choose, it is possible to do trackdays on a reasonably low budget, whilst having just as much fun as anyone else out there :-)
I used to play Rally Championship on my PC so have a thing for Pumas and Ibiza GTIs on rally wheels
Cheap way to get started.I bought a Clion 172 ( full fat ) for just £200 with a dent in the drivers door. £90 on eBay and a new door and mirror on the car, it needed a cam belt and dephaser .... So it really ended up a £1k car. If you are taking a Clio near a track make sure the cam belt has been done unless you can afford to just throw it away as the do break.
But my preference would ALWAYS be for a RWD car for a track car if possible, I do find FWD a tad boring unless the car is a serious one. So much more fun RWD on the limit
But my preference would ALWAYS be for a RWD car for a track car if possible, I do find FWD a tad boring unless the car is a serious one. So much more fun RWD on the limit
^^^ to finish the Clio question, the Cup cars have stiffer suspension, lighter wheels, and a more basic trim / interior instead of the Alcantara seats. All Clios or the 172 / 182 variety will be good, but obviously the cup a little better straight out of the box.
Second also the Saxo VTS option, there is a few of those the sprint / hillclimb with us and in the stock 1600cc class thy are pretty much as fast as anything else. Plentiful and cheap, although quite a bit slower than a Rensultsport Clio.
Second also the Saxo VTS option, there is a few of those the sprint / hillclimb with us and in the stock 1600cc class thy are pretty much as fast as anything else. Plentiful and cheap, although quite a bit slower than a Rensultsport Clio.
Ten years ago I was doing track days using my daily driver. I had no budget at all, only did perhaps three days per year, and tried to fit in one trip to the Ring each year as well.
I usually managed to drive home again afterwards, but not always - and on those occasions it was always mechanical failure.
I was usually one of the slowest cars on track, but often having the most fun.
I kept costs down by using s/h tyres, doing all prep myself, going with friends who could help me out when things went wrong, and by being cautious and sensible.
One of my most budget conscious decisions didn't go exactly according to plan, when I was at Snetterton having fitted a pair of £10 front brake pads off the Bay. They seemed to work fine, nice bite, no fade, but I was black flagged by marshalls who ran towards the car with fire extinguishers shouting that my brakes were on fire.
According to my mates it was like I had fireworks coming from my front wheels, as the pads were full of metal and causing quite a display.
Sounds like you are going to be a lot more professional than me, but I assure you that having no budget doesn't stop you having fun, it simply reduces the frequency of the events you can attend.
Pics from ten years ago
I usually managed to drive home again afterwards, but not always - and on those occasions it was always mechanical failure.
I was usually one of the slowest cars on track, but often having the most fun.
I kept costs down by using s/h tyres, doing all prep myself, going with friends who could help me out when things went wrong, and by being cautious and sensible.
One of my most budget conscious decisions didn't go exactly according to plan, when I was at Snetterton having fitted a pair of £10 front brake pads off the Bay. They seemed to work fine, nice bite, no fade, but I was black flagged by marshalls who ran towards the car with fire extinguishers shouting that my brakes were on fire.
According to my mates it was like I had fireworks coming from my front wheels, as the pads were full of metal and causing quite a display.
Sounds like you are going to be a lot more professional than me, but I assure you that having no budget doesn't stop you having fun, it simply reduces the frequency of the events you can attend.
Pics from ten years ago
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