Does anyone here sprint/hillclimb an Elise?
Discussion
Hi there, this is my first post.. I have been sprinting/hillclimbing last year with with a modified renault 5 (see my profile) but due to the modifications it puts me into the oddball (sportslibre) class. So... I decided to go for an Elise and compete in the standard production class or elise/exidge/vx220 class if enough cars.
My question is which model do I buy.. My budget is between £7,500 to £13,000? I think I'm leaning toward the S1 111s due to it seeming to be the most bhp/£. Any advice welcome as I'm a complete freshman with the exception of an elise back box on my car
The other question was competition insurance, obviously spending this much I would need to insure it on events has anyone had any experience with this.. I seem to think it is 1% of the value per event...
Any help appreciated
Andrew.
My question is which model do I buy.. My budget is between £7,500 to £13,000? I think I'm leaning toward the S1 111s due to it seeming to be the most bhp/£. Any advice welcome as I'm a complete freshman with the exception of an elise back box on my car
The other question was competition insurance, obviously spending this much I would need to insure it on events has anyone had any experience with this.. I seem to think it is 1% of the value per event...
Any help appreciated
Andrew.
To be honest, if you're sprinting or hillclimbing you're best to start out with an early S1 as they're the lightest (MMC brakes, alloy uprights etc).
It's pretty cheap/easy to up the power of the standard unit to around 140bhp and have more power than the 111S for about 50kg less weight. The 111S gearbox is better for sprinting though as it's closer ratio.
It's pretty cheap/easy to up the power of the standard unit to around 140bhp and have more power than the 111S for about 50kg less weight. The 111S gearbox is better for sprinting though as it's closer ratio.
have a look on SELOC, there's a guy on there called Steve Butts (SteveB) who has probably one of the ultimate hillclimbing Elises around. Very stripped back (not much over 600kg) with a monster 250bhp K series in it. He's now building a twincharged 1.4L K series as well which will be in excess of 300bhp... he knows his stuff.
VX220 as per your original list are worth a look, you get a bit more for your £. I liked mine so much after buying as a fun runabout 2yrs ago that I kept it and at end of last year supercharged it.
I hillclimb/sprint a TVR, but on a summer 'fun run' last year the VX NA was surprisingly competitive up my local hill (Loton - 65 secs) as standard on old road tyres.
I hillclimb/sprint a TVR, but on a summer 'fun run' last year the VX NA was surprisingly competitive up my local hill (Loton - 65 secs) as standard on old road tyres.
My car started as a standard S1 and has gradually been worked towards a tracks/Sprint/Hillclimb car.
You need to improve the brakes (EBC discs will do with PGID rS42 or Carbon Lorraine pads) and fit braided lines. Then fit some decent dampers from the likes of Nitron - well worth replacing all the bushes, balljoints and fit uprated toe links too. Standard seats will do with some harnesses but if you plan on driving and distance in the car then it might be worth fitting something from Tillet or Mog. I fitted 111S seats which are great on the road and OK on track but I could do with more grip around the hips to be honest. Finally I went to Toyo 888 tyres (OK In roadgoing for my events in 2010). I also had a C/R box fitted along the way and it made a huge difference to the way the power is delivered.
I now need an uprated anti-roll bar and only then will I be looking for more power.
The standard engine can be easily brought up to about 140ish bhp with cams and a decent 4-2-1 but a better alternative might be to have the head worked on (Rog at Sabreheads) as you'll get a usefull increase in torque as well as an improved top end. The only downside to lifting the head is that it might open a can of worms with regards liner heights - if it ain't broke don't fix it!
Budget £2k to improve the suspension and if you do the same for the engine then you'll get cams and headwork which should give you towards a torquey 160bhp. Budget £350ish for the gearbox (plus fitting).
I'd definately sort the suspension and brakes and gearbox before touching the engine as these changes alone will make a big difference to times.
You need to improve the brakes (EBC discs will do with PGID rS42 or Carbon Lorraine pads) and fit braided lines. Then fit some decent dampers from the likes of Nitron - well worth replacing all the bushes, balljoints and fit uprated toe links too. Standard seats will do with some harnesses but if you plan on driving and distance in the car then it might be worth fitting something from Tillet or Mog. I fitted 111S seats which are great on the road and OK on track but I could do with more grip around the hips to be honest. Finally I went to Toyo 888 tyres (OK In roadgoing for my events in 2010). I also had a C/R box fitted along the way and it made a huge difference to the way the power is delivered.
I now need an uprated anti-roll bar and only then will I be looking for more power.
The standard engine can be easily brought up to about 140ish bhp with cams and a decent 4-2-1 but a better alternative might be to have the head worked on (Rog at Sabreheads) as you'll get a usefull increase in torque as well as an improved top end. The only downside to lifting the head is that it might open a can of worms with regards liner heights - if it ain't broke don't fix it!
Budget £2k to improve the suspension and if you do the same for the engine then you'll get cams and headwork which should give you towards a torquey 160bhp. Budget £350ish for the gearbox (plus fitting).
I'd definately sort the suspension and brakes and gearbox before touching the engine as these changes alone will make a big difference to times.
Esprit said:
For hillclimbing, I'd stick with the MMC brakes. These are the lightest, and in a sprint situation where you're seldom driving hard for more than a minute or so, they should be more than up to the task... it's only where they have repeated abuse on the track that they fail.
What about in the wet???? Also something like a decent disc and rs42/carbon lorraine set-up should perform better = later braking = faster times.Yeah, you'd want to clear your brakes of water first or get some heat into them.
And I've NEVER found the MMCs lacking ever. Only time they become questionable is on sticky tires when pushing really hard for sustained periods on track where they can melt.
That's only my experience though. You're certainly right about the RS14/Carbon Lorraines being good too, I just like the MMCs because of their weight benefits
And I've NEVER found the MMCs lacking ever. Only time they become questionable is on sticky tires when pushing really hard for sustained periods on track where they can melt.
That's only my experience though. You're certainly right about the RS14/Carbon Lorraines being good too, I just like the MMCs because of their weight benefits
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