309 gti track car

[donny1]

Hi everyone,

After doing quite a few track days last year with friends i thought it was time to get my own track day car late last year. Was looking for something fast, fun, cheap but also a bit rare/special.

So after having a 205 gti previously i naturally thought small and french was the way to go.

To save money i was looking for someone to have already done most of the work (cage, seats, engine mods, track tyres etc)

As much as i wanted another 205 gti they were ruled straight out as anything clean enough with a good spec was far too dear. Didnt fancy a clio so had settled on a blue 106 rallye after lusting after a thread on here for years.

Nothing seemed to be coming up in the desired spec until late last year i spotted this on ebay.

[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/uuEKQ67X[/url]

Ugly as it was it had the right spec and had undergone a full restoration in 2009 it just needed a few cosmetic things.

Interior was 3/4 stripped with 14 point cage but was a bit tatty looking.

Seats were original tilting ones and weren't very secure.

Previous owner had removed sunroof and plated it in with the side of a caravan....

It had been outside under a car cover so the paint had rubbed through on a couple of edges.

The previous owner did right with the mechanics though and the spec is as follows:

It has a 2.0 engine out of a Xsara VTS (167bhp)
5 speed Xsara VTS gearbox
DTA S40 ECU
Larger injectors
Magnecor custom ignition leads
Machined throttle body
Smoother + port matched inlet manifold with PTFE gasket
Lightened flywheel
Helix paddle clutch
Bilstein Group A rear dampers, Group N fronts. Lowering springs approx 30mm. Forest spec rear torsion bars (larger than standard).
Xsara VTS steering rack (2.6 turns)
Peugeot sport front lower arms
AB motorsport uprated driveshafts
Solid rear axle (rear) mounts
307 HDi front brakes.

So a deal was done and 500 mile round trip later it was on the drive

Over the last couple of months ive fitted new seats, harnesses and steering wheel plus painted the interior.






I've refurbished a set of wheels in the same colour as goodwood ones (plus another set with track tyres in black) and gave it a polish.







I dont have any pictures of it but the sunroof plate has been really annoying me and i was trying to figure out what to do with it until a carbon roof skin came up far too cheap to say no on facebook last week. Another 600 odd mile drive but needs must.





So future plans are fit the roof, some door cards and enjoy it over the summer.

Maybe a respray in the winter, a limited slip diff and some throttle bodies.

Thanks

[MrMoonyMan]

Excellent! Bet that's an enormous amount of fun.

[Rsdop]

Very nice, always liked the 309 since a mate had a black GTI years ago. I think these were meant to handle better than the 205 so reckon it should be good on the track!

[PaulGT3]

I wanted one of these and had to settle with a 205 with the same engine with instead!

Looks great!

[civicduty]

I know I am the first to mention it but probably won't be the last, but I think you need an harness bar. Don't think it is very good practice to have the harnesses attached at that angle.

I may be wrong but I am sure I have read that before.

[Caddyshack]

civicduty said:

I know I am the first to mention it but probably won't be the last, but I think you need an harness bar. Don't think it is very good practice to have the harnesses attached at that angle.

I may be wrong but I am sure I have read that before.

I think you might be right

[DanielSan]

That looks a huge amount of fun. I bet it goes like fk!!

[jord294]

Good friend of mine built that car and it still looks well.

If it's purely a track car, I have uprated rear bars available here for the rear axle

[donny1]

civicduty said:

I know I am the first to mention it but probably won't be the last, but I think you need an harness bar. Don't think it is very good practice to have the harnesses attached at that angle.

I may be wrong but I am sure I have read that before.

The mounting points fall just within sabelts recommended fitting angles. ! agree a harness bar would be better and will probably get round to it.

thanks

[donny1]

jord294 said:

Good friend of mine built that car and it still looks well.

If it's purely a track car, I have uprated rear bars available here for the rear axle

It seems to have had quite a few enthusiastic previous owners who have looked after it well. It gets used the odd blast at weekends and i have to drive it 100 miles to track. Handles well apart from being extremely tail happy in the wet.

[Coskev]

donny1 said:

It seems to have had quite a few enthusiastic previous owners who have looked after it well. It gets used the odd blast at weekends and i have to drive it 100 miles to track. Handles well apart from being extremely tail happy in the wet.

Good to see my old car getting some love again!

Looks good inside now

PS,no I didn't plate the sunroof!Sunroof was still fitted when I sold it

[donny1]

Coskev said:

Good to see my old car getting some love again!

Looks good inside now

PS,no I didn't plate the sunroof!Sunroof was still fitted when I sold it

Shes been round the block a few times ha did you restore it?

roofs looking better





Just need a windsreen now as it was chipped and cracked it taking it out.

[donny1]

Also got a few pictures from knockhill a couple of weeks ago.

[cat with a hat]

donny1 said:

Also got a few pictures from knockhill a couple of weeks ago.

This pic could have been 15 years old and I wouldn't be any the wiser

[donny1]

cat with a hat said:

This pic could have been 15 years old and I wouldn't be any the wiser

Yeah, pity it wasnt an XR2 then it could have been 25 years ago.

[Pieman68]

Excellent work. Used to navigate one of these - we had the Mi16 engine dropped into it with a Quaife slippy diff

Later on we had a 205 GTI 1.6 with a stage 3 head running twin 45s

Both cornered like they were on rails, although to be fair we did widen the stance on the 205 to help it

[TheRocket]

Great to see a 309 GTI build, I raced one back in late 90's in the Blue Coral/Rain X road saloon championship. Chassis were better than 205 imo and it handled beautifully but even spending loads we couldn't get the power from the 1.9 engine to keep up with the very light and quite powerful mk.1 Golf Gti's..

Watching this with interest and with rose tinted specs on, good luck !

[Simes205]

Looks great.
Go on get throttle bodies!

[tonyb1968]

TheRocket said:

Great to see a 309 GTI build, I raced one back in late 90's in the Blue Coral/Rain X road saloon championship. Chassis were better than 205 imo and it handled beautifully but even spending loads we couldn't get the power from the 1.9 engine to keep up with the very light and quite powerful mk.1 Golf Gti's..

Watching this with interest and with rose tinted specs on, good luck !

Its amazing how many people think the 205 was the better handling car but totally agree with you about the 309, it was a better chassis and far more balanced handling with fantastic steering feel, I miss the one I had (F reg phase 1), it was far from perfect but I also had a 306 GTI-6 at the same time and it was always a struggle to which key I should take as both were fantastic cars.

Would love one of the rare 1.9 16v cars but we never got them here in the UK, 160bhp would be serious fun but I believe they pull very good money in Europe if you can find one

[ahghafoor]

Had one in 2001 bought for 990 quid one owner etc. It was brilliant raw and always put a smile on me face. Pity 6 months later coming back from Manchester airport from holiday the journey back the tailgate wouldn't open the electric windows developed a mind of there own the wheel rrefused to come of the front spring snapped. Got it home 500 bill to fix sold it for 200 quid. Still miss that car.