Road Legal Clubsport?
Discussion
Hi all,
First time posting on here...I've been a fan of the Radical cars for some time and with the pending sale of my current track weapon I should be in a position to get myself a Clubsport soon.
I have 3 questions if I may?
What is the wheel fitment on the Clubsport, PCD etc.
Can you purchase double seats rather than the single? not for straight away but it would be fun to scare the wife.
And more interestingly, has anyone converted one of these for the road? that's what I'd plan to do so I can drive it to and from track days. I'm not interested in entering any competetive race events which I know is the main point of these cars. I plan to make sure any road conversion work is reversable. I'm no stranger to modifying and am looking forward to getting stuck in.
First time posting on here...I've been a fan of the Radical cars for some time and with the pending sale of my current track weapon I should be in a position to get myself a Clubsport soon.
I have 3 questions if I may?
What is the wheel fitment on the Clubsport, PCD etc.
Can you purchase double seats rather than the single? not for straight away but it would be fun to scare the wife.
And more interestingly, has anyone converted one of these for the road? that's what I'd plan to do so I can drive it to and from track days. I'm not interested in entering any competetive race events which I know is the main point of these cars. I plan to make sure any road conversion work is reversable. I'm no stranger to modifying and am looking forward to getting stuck in.
Hi Mark
First off, a big welcome.
For what you want to do with it (and good on you), if budget allows, as much as I love the Clubbie, I'd go straight for an SR4 rather than trying to two seat a car that was designed for one; inherently safer IMHO. Although a bit tight on the passenger front, to my mind, the SR4 inherently makes a much better, certainly more flexible trackday car than a Clubbie especially if you want to scare (let's make it thrill) friends and family.
The SR4 is inherently a faster car in equal hands than the Clubbie; more power (either a 1200 Kwacker or even better a 1300 Hayabusa) and way more aero, particularly the high downforce versions which will have a flat front splitter that stays attached to the chassis when you remove the front and a biplane rear wing.
As a trackday car, you could go on to develop something pretty hyper with an SR4 - there are several around sporting 1500 strokers and they fly. But don't lose sight of the fact that even a basic 1200 non high downforce SR4 is capable of seeing off a current BTCC Car.
I would buy a cheap trailer and start off trackdaying and see how you feel about going on the roads with it; a Radical is a pretty intense driving experience on track and although some have and enjoy, it's a bit of a handful on the road; pretty unyielding might be a good description. You might be surprised how soft and relaxing even the most hard riding road car feels after piloting a Rad round all day on a trackday. If you're serious about taking it on the road, you'll probably be better looking for one that has been / already is road registered; adding stuff like handbrake, road legal light and parking brake calipers etc costs a lot of folding as secondhand they are as rare as hen's teeth.
You should of course join ROC and meet up with some of us blokes at a trackday asap; will be delighted to see you and show you what's what.
PS The PCDs are as per Fords - without checking, can't recollect (108 or is it 103) .......... that is unless it's got centrelocks
First off, a big welcome.
For what you want to do with it (and good on you), if budget allows, as much as I love the Clubbie, I'd go straight for an SR4 rather than trying to two seat a car that was designed for one; inherently safer IMHO. Although a bit tight on the passenger front, to my mind, the SR4 inherently makes a much better, certainly more flexible trackday car than a Clubbie especially if you want to scare (let's make it thrill) friends and family.
The SR4 is inherently a faster car in equal hands than the Clubbie; more power (either a 1200 Kwacker or even better a 1300 Hayabusa) and way more aero, particularly the high downforce versions which will have a flat front splitter that stays attached to the chassis when you remove the front and a biplane rear wing.
As a trackday car, you could go on to develop something pretty hyper with an SR4 - there are several around sporting 1500 strokers and they fly. But don't lose sight of the fact that even a basic 1200 non high downforce SR4 is capable of seeing off a current BTCC Car.
I would buy a cheap trailer and start off trackdaying and see how you feel about going on the roads with it; a Radical is a pretty intense driving experience on track and although some have and enjoy, it's a bit of a handful on the road; pretty unyielding might be a good description. You might be surprised how soft and relaxing even the most hard riding road car feels after piloting a Rad round all day on a trackday. If you're serious about taking it on the road, you'll probably be better looking for one that has been / already is road registered; adding stuff like handbrake, road legal light and parking brake calipers etc costs a lot of folding as secondhand they are as rare as hen's teeth.
You should of course join ROC and meet up with some of us blokes at a trackday asap; will be delighted to see you and show you what's what.
PS The PCDs are as per Fords - without checking, can't recollect (108 or is it 103) .......... that is unless it's got centrelocks
Just to be sure, note I said SR4
Whilst they are really back in demand as far as Eastern Europe etc is concerned, they are certainly not the weapon of choice (that doesn't change the fact that they make a fantastic Trackday Car) for such as the Club Cup as the Kwacker ones will almost certainly be on half points all season long in the fast disappearing Clubsport Class and the Hayabusa ones are up against the Devil's Child, the appreciably lighter 1300 & 1340 single seater PR6. So relatively plenty around and not a huge demand usually means a decent price and as good a time as any to track (sorry!) one down.
Whilst they are really back in demand as far as Eastern Europe etc is concerned, they are certainly not the weapon of choice (that doesn't change the fact that they make a fantastic Trackday Car) for such as the Club Cup as the Kwacker ones will almost certainly be on half points all season long in the fast disappearing Clubsport Class and the Hayabusa ones are up against the Devil's Child, the appreciably lighter 1300 & 1340 single seater PR6. So relatively plenty around and not a huge demand usually means a decent price and as good a time as any to track (sorry!) one down.
Just to be clear, there is absolutely no way anyone could make a Clubsport road legal.
The modifications required are far too extensive and it would need to go through the new IVA, one look at the rules should be enough to make you forget about it.
The best Idea is as has been said to buy a road going SR4, these were build by Radical with track day road use in mind. The Clubsport was built exclusively for one make racing.
The modifications required are far too extensive and it would need to go through the new IVA, one look at the rules should be enough to make you forget about it.
The best Idea is as has been said to buy a road going SR4, these were build by Radical with track day road use in mind. The Clubsport was built exclusively for one make racing.
Agree on the clubbie not getting road legal. There are a couple of clubsports converted to 2 seats (wiht the SR4 seat unit). I have one. We have had the debate about SR4 v the converted clubbie on here before. I think the 2-seater conversion works very well against the SR4.
I also think that there is very little point in a radical on the road. It's too compromised and not really going to be fun!
If you want to have a look at a 2 seater clubbie, I can point you to some pics of mine.
Bert
I also think that there is very little point in a radical on the road. It's too compromised and not really going to be fun!
If you want to have a look at a 2 seater clubbie, I can point you to some pics of mine.
Bert
It's great to see enthusiasm, and indeed anything is feasible, but it's more a question of what you end up with vs your expectations and the costs involved.
A little Clubbie on the road would be horrible (both handling and driveability) and sorting it to be manageable wouldn't allow you to tap it's track potential - that's even before the hassle of making it legal.
Given your comments I'd think a nicely sorted road/track car (Seven, Elise etc) is the best option or a little trailer and enjoy A Clubbie on track.
Cheers, Mark.
A little Clubbie on the road would be horrible (both handling and driveability) and sorting it to be manageable wouldn't allow you to tap it's track potential - that's even before the hassle of making it legal.
Given your comments I'd think a nicely sorted road/track car (Seven, Elise etc) is the best option or a little trailer and enjoy A Clubbie on track.
Cheers, Mark.
As pointed out above, take a good long look at the IVA requirements to obtain road legal status, then go & buy something Radical SR3/SR4 or otherwise (a bike engined Caterham would be a much better bet for road use) that already has a registration & save yourself the massive expense, not to mention month's & month's of hassle!
- cough*
Yup the IVA doc looks like it'd compromise the CS too much to make it road legal. So the SR4 may be the only option (does anyone know of one for sale?). My main concern from your feedback is that the CS would be s
te on the road and compromised on the track.Problem is I don't like the XTR2 (or any Westy) they just look too homebrew (apologies to any Westy owner, it's just my opinion). I love how 'together' the Radical looks.
More research is needed then, I'm not a Lotus fan either, unless it's wearing an Exige or Carlton badge. sigh.
I may be parting with my 2004 SR4 (1500 c.c.)at the end of this season. It's a trackday/hillclimb/sprint machine. It fulfills all those roles admirably. How it would be on the road I don't know but my guess is that you might find it a trifle violent. If you like you can join me for a track day later in the year and then you can assess your project a little better.
nightSpirit said:
Splitpin...do I detect undertones of sarcasm in your replies? 
Moi? No, I meant it: Guy really did/does enjoy driving it on the road. Good for him. I always imagine a fictional line of three cars driving by headed up by something an F430, tailed by a GT3RS, with an SR4 in the middle ....... with everyone gawping at the little SR4 and completely blanking the other two as they are just another Ferrari and just another Porker .......... much to the chagrin of their owners with their designer shades.
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