MK2 Golf GTI Trackcar project
Discussion
Well after a few years of ring trips etc with expensive cars its now time to have fun with a much cheaper alternative as I dont want to risk my new Exige on track. Recently bought a MK2 Golf GTI that had been turned into a trackday car. Although the previous owner thought the car was complete really it was only 3/4 of the way there so me and my dad who's an ex mechanic are finishing the car off ready for some trackdays and potential racing in the Golf GTI series.
Picture below just after picking the car up.
First Job was to remove the old stickers and generally give the car a good once over. It had no MOT when we bought it but had been tested just over a year ago. The previous owner had the car completely stripped with the following added:
Full Cage
Coilovers all round
Toyo T1R's
2 Bucket seats
Harnesses
Full stainless steel exhaust system manifold to backbox.
New discs and pads
Goodridge braided hoses
A number of issues came about when giving the car a once over, it was obvious from the expansion tank that it had been boiled at some point and they had tried many ways to stop it happening fitting new radiators etc when in fact all it turned out to be was a leaking expansion tank cap for £1.98 so very happy about that!! Other issues were a completely shot front engine mount, a snapped temperature switch on the engine, selector rods worn, spray for wipers not working, no reversing lights and persistent stalling and running far too rich, front strut not fitted correctly
and a very loose rear wheel bearing oh and not forgetting the stop for clutch pedal was missing allowing the pedal to rise too much and giving the impression the clutch was shot!
2 Weeks ago it sailed through its MOT after sorting all the issues and i have to say I was amazed getting the car up on a ramp at the condition of the body and chassis, there is no rust at all underneath apart from the odd bit of surface rust, amazing for a car of this age..Struts are absolutely rust free!
I was given some BBS wheels with the car that didnt look like they've seen a sponge in years so decided to clean them up, primer them and spray black with some new centre caps now ready for some new R888's and straight onto the car!!
New steering wheel fitted:
View from the drivers side:
Drivers seat:
View from passenger side:
Cage from rear:
We are now moving on to the cosmetic side of things and deciding to either vinyl it up again like below or have it painted white then add vinyl stickers etc. Will try and get some better pictures when I get a chance and when any new jobs are done!
Picture below just after picking the car up.
First Job was to remove the old stickers and generally give the car a good once over. It had no MOT when we bought it but had been tested just over a year ago. The previous owner had the car completely stripped with the following added:
Full Cage
Coilovers all round
Toyo T1R's
2 Bucket seats
Harnesses
Full stainless steel exhaust system manifold to backbox.
New discs and pads
Goodridge braided hoses
A number of issues came about when giving the car a once over, it was obvious from the expansion tank that it had been boiled at some point and they had tried many ways to stop it happening fitting new radiators etc when in fact all it turned out to be was a leaking expansion tank cap for £1.98 so very happy about that!! Other issues were a completely shot front engine mount, a snapped temperature switch on the engine, selector rods worn, spray for wipers not working, no reversing lights and persistent stalling and running far too rich, front strut not fitted correctly
and a very loose rear wheel bearing oh and not forgetting the stop for clutch pedal was missing allowing the pedal to rise too much and giving the impression the clutch was shot!2 Weeks ago it sailed through its MOT after sorting all the issues and i have to say I was amazed getting the car up on a ramp at the condition of the body and chassis, there is no rust at all underneath apart from the odd bit of surface rust, amazing for a car of this age..Struts are absolutely rust free!
I was given some BBS wheels with the car that didnt look like they've seen a sponge in years so decided to clean them up, primer them and spray black with some new centre caps now ready for some new R888's and straight onto the car!!
New steering wheel fitted:
View from the drivers side:
Drivers seat:
View from passenger side:
Cage from rear:
We are now moving on to the cosmetic side of things and deciding to either vinyl it up again like below or have it painted white then add vinyl stickers etc. Will try and get some better pictures when I get a chance and when any new jobs are done!
Edited by TOENHEEL on Thursday 10th February 13:17
The quality is really good and basically looks and feels the same as an OMP wheel for a fraction of the price. Remember you need the Boss as well standard fitment like OMP. The Boss on his site below is for citroen,Peugeot so source that yourself 
http://www.manicmotors.co.uk/product.asp?strParent...
http://www.manicmotors.co.uk/product.asp?strParent...
TOENHEEL said:
The quality is really good and basically looks and feels the same as an OMP wheel for a fraction of the price. Remember you need the Boss as well standard fitment like OMP. The Boss on his site below is for citroen,Peugeot so source that yourself
http://www.manicmotors.co.uk/product.asp?strParent...
Cheers!http://www.manicmotors.co.uk/product.asp?strParent...
Cool project.
Just to let you know that if it has a 4-1 or 4-2-1 stainless manifold as your description hints at, you'll have to change it for a standard one in order to race in the Golf GTI series.
Have you seen the series website?
http://golfgti-racing.co.uk/phpBB3/
Just to let you know that if it has a 4-1 or 4-2-1 stainless manifold as your description hints at, you'll have to change it for a standard one in order to race in the Golf GTI series.
Have you seen the series website?
http://golfgti-racing.co.uk/phpBB3/
Matt_N said:
Cool project.
Just to let you know that if it has a 4-1 or 4-2-1 stainless manifold as your description hints at, you'll have to change it for a standard one in order to race in the Golf GTI series.
Have you seen the series website?
http://golfgti-racing.co.uk/phpBB3/
Yeah looked at it a few weeks ago, there's a couple of things that will need putting back to standard, plan is to get a few trackdays out of the way with it and see how it copes etc then get my race licence done Just to let you know that if it has a 4-1 or 4-2-1 stainless manifold as your description hints at, you'll have to change it for a standard one in order to race in the Golf GTI series.
Have you seen the series website?
http://golfgti-racing.co.uk/phpBB3/
. TOENHEEL said:
Yeah looked at it a few weeks ago, there's a couple of things that will need putting back to standard, plan is to get a few trackdays out of the way with it and see how it copes etc then get my race licence done .
. 
One of my mates still races in it, but at one point 3 of them did (2x 16v, 1x 8v).
TOENHEEL said:
Brilliant, how did they find it? driving standards pretty good? Seem a friendly bunch!
It has at times got pretty heated, but then I guess most race series have.In the first two years of the series I went to most meetings and everyone is indeed friendly and helpful.
Don't believe the 'cheap form of motorsport' hype though, no such thing exists and if you want to be near the front you're going to need to pay for it.
As you would expect in single make series people are pushing the limits of the rules ,which costs money. Custom dampers, custom exhausts (upto £1000 for a downpipe and rear section) and rolling road time to get the most from the control cam and engine are the main thing people seem to be spending money on in order to be at the front.
A lot of the guys racing in it have been in it from the start so have developed their cars accordingly, but it still looks like fun lower down the order.
Well quick update ordering some Federal RSR tyres after hearing good things about them and the fact they are a lot cheaper than R888's now. Have a guy coming to look at the car on monday to get it all stickered up. Anyone with any good ideas for how it should look stickered up please post up
On wednesday I managed to take the Golf down to Teeside Autodrome to give it a first run out on a test day. Sun was out all day and red hot, perfect day for hooning round the track. First impressions are very good managed 57 second laps consistently along with Craig on here (the BMW E36 trackcar build craig). Federal RSR tyres were great all day very similar to R888's, Managed to hit around 103mph down the short straight which was quite suprising so a bit nippier than I first thought. Really looking forward to getting some track days booked and enjoying the summer with it.
Some pics below of today hope you like them
Some pics below of today hope you like them
have you thought about the routing of the straps for the harnesses? I always thought it was not recommended to have them coming down at such a sharp angle from the back of the seat/your shoulders.. they should run a bit more horizontally. I may be talking nonsense... can anyone confirm this?
Dangerous2 said:
have you thought about the routing of the straps for the harnesses? I always thought it was not recommended to have them coming down at such a sharp angle from the back of the seat/your shoulders.. they should run a bit more horizontally. I may be talking nonsense... can anyone confirm this?
Angle looks ok, I'd probably un-cross them though.
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