Ibiza TDI, Budget track car/daily?
Discussion
Originally put this in general gassing but probably better off in here.
Looking for some input really, from anyone who has run a TDI as a track car or knows somebody who has, I spend a lot of time over the summer at Castle combe as its very local to me, i rarely see people running diesels, more so than a few years back but still very limited compared to the BMW's/MX5's etc.
Basically i picked up a 52 plate Ibiza TDI Sport, the 130BHP PD Engine with the 6 speed box for £600 from a friend, has a few little niggles, not so good bodywork, a front suspension knock, the fuel gauge is temperamental but overall drives well and for that price is a bargain.
Im used to driving 80's cars or big comfy barges, not owned a little hatchback before, find it quite fun currently, feels nippy and fun to throw around.
What im tempted to do is do a few simple bits, seat, some sort of exhaust, possibly a cheap FMIC and a few other little bits and run it a budget track car
Currently it has adjustable suspension, allegedly remapped to around 170BHP (Not so sure i believe this but it does pull well, feels a lot quicker than my old Bora TDI but then again its a smaller car)
From what i can work out so far, Pro's:
-Torquey/Nippy enough as it is, feels fun to drive and chassis feels pretty good.
-Plenty of not too expensive upgrades available, Cupra bits etc and generally a common engine/shares parts with i believe the polo? So replacement bits arent going to cost a lot and they aren't the hardest thing in the world to work on.
-Generally known as a very reliable engine? Heard mixed reviews about the gearboxes/clutch but i dont intend on going anything above 200Bhp as that would negate the point of it being a budget car.
-Daily driving it at the same time will still return really good MPG
Downsides i can currently see:
-Limited to around 200BHP without spending a good amount on the engine from what I've read understand?, i have very limited track experience so this shouldn't matter too much as a learner track car but will i very quickly get bored of it?
-If i go as far as stripping the interior out etc it could be noisy/uncomfortable to use daily, although just for commuting i dont do a great deal of miles so i could probably live with it. And if it becomes a real track toy i can pick up a cheap daily runabout i suppose.
I guess really what im wondering is, it worth my time? I think ill get some enjoyment out of it and will be fun to throw around a track and with the car costing £600 if im careful buying second hand car parts overall the car could end up costing me very little, the only real money i can see myself needing to spend is on a decent set of tyres.
Cheers
Looking for some input really, from anyone who has run a TDI as a track car or knows somebody who has, I spend a lot of time over the summer at Castle combe as its very local to me, i rarely see people running diesels, more so than a few years back but still very limited compared to the BMW's/MX5's etc.
Basically i picked up a 52 plate Ibiza TDI Sport, the 130BHP PD Engine with the 6 speed box for £600 from a friend, has a few little niggles, not so good bodywork, a front suspension knock, the fuel gauge is temperamental but overall drives well and for that price is a bargain.
Im used to driving 80's cars or big comfy barges, not owned a little hatchback before, find it quite fun currently, feels nippy and fun to throw around.
What im tempted to do is do a few simple bits, seat, some sort of exhaust, possibly a cheap FMIC and a few other little bits and run it a budget track car
Currently it has adjustable suspension, allegedly remapped to around 170BHP (Not so sure i believe this but it does pull well, feels a lot quicker than my old Bora TDI but then again its a smaller car)
From what i can work out so far, Pro's:
-Torquey/Nippy enough as it is, feels fun to drive and chassis feels pretty good.
-Plenty of not too expensive upgrades available, Cupra bits etc and generally a common engine/shares parts with i believe the polo? So replacement bits arent going to cost a lot and they aren't the hardest thing in the world to work on.
-Generally known as a very reliable engine? Heard mixed reviews about the gearboxes/clutch but i dont intend on going anything above 200Bhp as that would negate the point of it being a budget car.
-Daily driving it at the same time will still return really good MPG
Downsides i can currently see:
-Limited to around 200BHP without spending a good amount on the engine from what I've read understand?, i have very limited track experience so this shouldn't matter too much as a learner track car but will i very quickly get bored of it?
-If i go as far as stripping the interior out etc it could be noisy/uncomfortable to use daily, although just for commuting i dont do a great deal of miles so i could probably live with it. And if it becomes a real track toy i can pick up a cheap daily runabout i suppose.
I guess really what im wondering is, it worth my time? I think ill get some enjoyment out of it and will be fun to throw around a track and with the car costing £600 if im careful buying second hand car parts overall the car could end up costing me very little, the only real money i can see myself needing to spend is on a decent set of tyres.
Cheers
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