Formula Ford 1600 startup

Formula Ford 1600 startup

Author
Discussion

MrCippo

Original Poster:

589 posts

194 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
quotequote all
Great advice that on researching the cars history and contacting the named guys, looking into it already.

refoman2

266 posts

190 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
if i was you stick to karting as unless you have a big budget in any form of car racing your not going to win anything!
sad but a fact of life im afraid!

Carnage

886 posts

231 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
refoman2 said:
if i was you stick to karting as unless you have a big budget in any form of car racing your not going to win anything!
sad but a fact of life im afraid!
True! I remember standing on the podium at Snetterton (2nd!) and the winner, who'd just won for the first time, said "65 grand that's cost me..." I nearly fell off.

marshal_alan

432 posts

177 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
speak to Graham Brunton at knockhill, he has been prepping the championship winning cars for years. knows hsi stuff and can sort out a good motor. The tool of choice in srmc has been the trusty van diemen but there is a gew ray GSR 08's appearing, look great and in the right hands are jolly fast

Patsy

152 posts

239 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
I race in the NW FF1600 championship (although a house extension has rather curtailed things this year...).

The advice that you've been given from the other contributors to this thread is all good in terms of people to contact for further info. I've got experience of running a car myself plus also using a team.

I'd definitely recommend NW FF. the participants are all very friendly and the racing is very competitive and closely fought no matter where you are in the field. It's all rather addictive though...

Feel free to PM me for more info/chat.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 2nd October 2012
quotequote all
your best bet is to go to oulton park or knockhil land actually talk to the drivers and mechanics, teams etc, they will be happy to discuss it all with you. pesonally i would buy a car that you have seen running at a track, you'll pay more but you know its sorted.

check the regs, some championships allow zetec cars fitted with kent engines like wide track van diemens, other championships only allow pre 98 cars etc etc. a championship winning engine is going to cost you at least £5k on top of talent and time in the car. dont think that becuase the cars are old and its a local clubbie series the racing is not hugely competitive.

loads of info here: http://www.thekentlives.com/index.php/tech/engine/...

MrCippo

Original Poster:

589 posts

194 months

Tuesday 2nd October 2012
quotequote all
good advice pablo. unfortunately i wont make it to the last race of the season at knockhill but i've been in touch with some of the drivers ( long live facebook ) so thats all good. i'll try to see some more cars before buy. until than, i have my b licence test end of the month.

matlockscot

99 posts

166 months

Tuesday 2nd October 2012
quotequote all
If you can make the trip, I would recommend showing up at the Walter Hayes Trophy meeting at Silverstone on the 3/4 November. There'll be a wealth of knowledge at hand and no doubt more than a few good cars for sale (and you can see them running!)

goughy46

7 posts

154 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
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I have driven a vast number of FF1600 since 2002-Swift SC93, Swift SC95, Van Diemen RF04, Van Diemen RF92 and our own Ray GRS07.

All are capable of running at the front (except the SC93), what is key is to get one that has proven recent success-that should be a good pointer that the car is well sorted. The big advantage with a newer car is that, well its new! Racing cars have a hard life, so you have to assume the newer the car, the less thrashing it has had over many years!

Our Ray is for sale and open to sensible offers.

http://www.racecarsdirect.com/listing/44795/2007_r...


MrCippo

Original Poster:

589 posts

194 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
wish I could afford that Stu! Next time round for sure but for starters i'll stick to a 4 figure budget. Good insight info tho.

e21jason

717 posts

218 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
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As before the best thing is go to Knockhill and talk to the drivers/teams.

I was genuinely shocked at how much it cost to run a midfield car it made the 8k a year you can pay to minimax to support a mini seem a bargain, there is a lot of money to be spent to be at the front and even more for tracks down south as you need alternate gear ratios etc. One guy reckoned he was spending 60k a year for his son to race Knockhill and do the FF festival and a European festival. Also Knockhill has a load of drives who only drive knockhill so it is going to be hard to competitive

MrCippo

Original Poster:

589 posts

194 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
I.ll be driving only KH for a start and dont have the finances to spend even close to 8k py, that must be an exageration I hope. I refuse to think in the formula fords they spend that kind of dosh. And thats from speaking to some of the drivers. One example is tires, regulations say 3 sets can be used but by mutual conscent they all used 2 sets to save cash. I sincerly doubt it will be that expensive. I will need to include costs of travel, hotel for Sat and possib.y renting a trailer. So getting minimal sponsorship will be a must.

Count Johnny

715 posts

196 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
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MrCippo said:
...I refuse to think in the formula fords they spend that kind of dosh...
Believe.

Carnage

886 posts

231 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
2 sets of tyres - £1K
Engine refresh - £1-2K
Gearbox refresh - £250
2 sets of pads - £150
1 set of discs - £100
Wheel bearings all round - £100
Entry fees for 6 rounds - £2K
Fuel for races - £200
Oil change £50 x 6 - £300
Testing x 2 - £600 inc fuel
Trailer hire x 6 - £450/buying a trailer £1000
Getting to circuit x 6 - £...
Hotel x 6 - £...

Then, one off costs: buy a car (£5-10K), pass your ARDS (£400 by the time you buy the pack and have a medical), buy a transponder (£300), buy a helmet (£400), boots (£100), overalls (£300), gloves (£50), underwear (£80, some basic tools like a quick lift jack, corner weight gauge, chassis stands, camber gauge, maybe a lap timer, ratios for Knockhill (£500 - £1.5K)

So, assuming you have no tuition, no breakdowns, no bodywork damage, and nothing other than consumables is replaced, you'll spend £6K before you get to and stay at the circuit. If you are looking to win the series, you can probably double the engine figures. That's without any team support, running everything yourself, not buzzing an engine, not breaking a dog in the box, not knocking a corner off the car...

Re sponsorship - its out there, but its hard to get. I'd be suprised if more than 10% of club racers have any genuine sponsorsip.

Racing is awesome. I'm not a rich bloke, but I manage to compete. I'm not trying to put you off, but as Count Johnny says above - £8K is easily spent.

MrCippo

Original Poster:

589 posts

194 months

Tuesday 9th October 2012
quotequote all
Carnage, a very good break down, apreciate this! As i already have some of the equipment / ppe & stuff , I think i will manage to get a full season.

Say an early 90s VD or Swift, narrowed it down a little, what else should i look for in particular when buying?

I will spectate to the WHT on Sunday so a good oportunity to see some cars.

marshal_alan

432 posts

177 months

Thursday 11th October 2012
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would add to that list a few sets of wishbones as any contact and they are bent useless, ditto steeering arms

for dossing you have 2 options, spend a fair bit on hotels or the doss on site, either camp in a tent (under £100 for full kit I.E tent, airbed, sleeping bag and brewkit) or a transit van you can doss in, a tranny will also tow the trailer, cheapo tranny from the auctions, sofabed from freecycle, brewkit and a porta potti/bucket with lid and you are sorted. you can stay in the paddock and there is loos and braw hot showers there plus with a tranny you have a bothy for between races etc when it is wet, put a tarp on the side and you have cover for working. I have also seen folk get a f-ford inside a lwb tranny using narrow wheels made from wood (dont laugh)

marshall100

1,124 posts

200 months

Monday 15th October 2012
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Carnage said:
£££££££££'s
I love to think that I'll be able to give up quad bike racing and go racing a car of any description. Everytime I look into it, the amount of coin being passed about means that it's never going to happen.

I'll stick to days in the dirt I think.

BertBert

18,955 posts

210 months

Monday 15th October 2012
quotequote all
here's a thought about spares...be very careful if you buy spares with a car that they are actually useful spares and not a load of broken tat that has been replaced. IME most spares packages are the latter.
Bert

MrCippo

Original Poster:

589 posts

194 months

Thursday 18th October 2012
quotequote all
Anybody close enough to go look at the car below and give an impartient view :

http://www.racecarwarehouse.co.uk/car_details.php?...

Looks like its been through the wars and not been raced much at all in the last 10 years, very amibous history. But i think it would make an good project if itwas to go low enough.

Race Car Warehouse

Bolney Grange Business Park
Hickstead
West Sussex
RH17

marshal_alan

432 posts

177 months

Thursday 18th October 2012
quotequote all
so looking at a set of ratios for the box as snett is way different to the hill, discs, pads and tyres all round, fire bottle service, possibly belts plus a engine full service. if you can get it for 6 grand it will be alright, dont forget spares, as any contact at the hill will bend wishbones and steering rods, better budget for some spare tyres as there is a set of wheels. know with road car/trailer tyres i scrap at 6 years no matter the tread

looks clean enough assuming she is straight