New TD car ideas?
Discussion
I hope it provides the fun you're after. 
I wonder if it will get a bit boring after a few track days though.
Pretty sure a standard Mk3 MX5 with just a bucket seat and some grippy tyres would be more fun, more reliable and more cost effective (running costs and minimising upgrades and mods), but good luck either way.
I wonder if it will get a bit boring after a few track days though.Pretty sure a standard Mk3 MX5 with just a bucket seat and some grippy tyres would be more fun, more reliable and more cost effective (running costs and minimising upgrades and mods), but good luck either way.
I hope so. I know what you mean about the MX5 but I dislike the look of them no matter how good they are.
As I said before, the vRS in my opinion has charisma in spades. I love it’s looks and when I park it up I’ll have a little look over my shoulder and smile.
I did a wet, sleaty December TD years ago at Combe in my first vRS. I left the TVR in the garage because the weather was absolutely awful. That TD ranked as one of my favourites. Cars were falling off the track everywhere but the vRS was caned safety around the track. Obviously fwd, a bit of abs and traction played there part and it was fun!
The other TD I did with my third vRS in the dry was also great fun, completely different to all the other TD’s I have done in my TVRs.
OK, I may get bored with it but as I said it’s not about being fastest is just having fun and this is something different from the very many TD’s I’ve done in rwd TVRs.
We shall see.
As I said before, the vRS in my opinion has charisma in spades. I love it’s looks and when I park it up I’ll have a little look over my shoulder and smile.
I did a wet, sleaty December TD years ago at Combe in my first vRS. I left the TVR in the garage because the weather was absolutely awful. That TD ranked as one of my favourites. Cars were falling off the track everywhere but the vRS was caned safety around the track. Obviously fwd, a bit of abs and traction played there part and it was fun!
The other TD I did with my third vRS in the dry was also great fun, completely different to all the other TD’s I have done in my TVRs.
OK, I may get bored with it but as I said it’s not about being fastest is just having fun and this is something different from the very many TD’s I’ve done in rwd TVRs.
We shall see.
Trackdayer said:
Or if you're going FWD then Renault is the best handling, or a Honda EP3/FN2 Type-R isn't far behind, but with better engines.
When you say with better engines you mean less powerful, less torquey and slower? Not my idea of better personally unless forced induction is added.Elatino1 said:
When you say with better engines you mean less powerful, less torquey and slower? Not my idea of better personally unless forced induction is added.
The Honda K20 is universally regarded to be a masterpiece of engineering. The Renault engine range is not. The very design of their dephaser pulley should tell you that alone. So I mean better engineered, more reliable, better sounding and compared to the Renault equivalent engine (F4R), more powerful.I'll give Renault their dues though, their steering is generally far superior to modern Honda systems.
Lots of work done so far on the vRS.
Pressure washed the underside in preparation.
New wheel bearings all round. New rear hubs, Mintex discs and track pads. New flexi brake lines and HT brake fluid. New back plates all round.
Just about to remove front subframe and swap for Seat Cupra R subframe with quick rack, alloy lower suspension arms, thicker ARB and Cupra R hubs, (quicker turn in).
Lots of other stuff to do..............quite enjoying it!
Roll on spring!
Pressure washed the underside in preparation.
New wheel bearings all round. New rear hubs, Mintex discs and track pads. New flexi brake lines and HT brake fluid. New back plates all round.
Just about to remove front subframe and swap for Seat Cupra R subframe with quick rack, alloy lower suspension arms, thicker ARB and Cupra R hubs, (quicker turn in).
Lots of other stuff to do..............quite enjoying it!
Roll on spring!
Trackdayer said:
Elatino1 said:
When you say with better engines you mean less powerful, less torquey and slower? Not my idea of better personally unless forced induction is added.
The Honda K20 is universally regarded to be a masterpiece of engineering. The Renault engine range is not. The very design of their dephaser pulley should tell you that alone. So I mean better engineered, more reliable, better sounding and compared to the Renault equivalent engine (F4R), more powerful.I'll give Renault their dues though, their steering is generally far superior to modern Honda systems.
As an N/A engine yes, very hard to beat but as standard they are a pretty weedy engine imo compared to what other manufacturers were offering. The K20A engine came in cars rivalling the Megane R26, Focus ST, Golf R32/GTI, Astra VXR etc and not the Clio which is a smaller and lighter car in a different segment.
braddo said:
Pretty sure a standard Mk3 MX5 with just a bucket seat and some grippy tyres would be more fun, more reliable and more cost effective (running costs and minimising upgrades and mods), but good luck either way.
Everyone talks about this tyres/that tyres, but In my experience the most FUN was had when I first got my TD car when it was running on Chinese ditchfinders wearing 20+ yr old chassis and suspension bushings. The car was constantly sideways, couldn't put the power down and was slow as hell, but boy did it make you work to put a clean lap together and the rest of the time was just pure giggles.Five yrs on and well over 6K of development costs it's a much sharper but more predictable and arguably more boring on track unless pushing close to 10/10ths.
For the OP if your priority is FUN, use low grip tyres. If serious corner speed/lap time then go for sticky tyres. Just bear in mind the more.grip the more stress on the rest of the car and components which will wear faster and break more.
Lastly, your budget is low for a TD tool. It's not a cheap hobby. If I was doing this again from the start, the only place I would look is an already prepped used TD car. Won't get as much value anywhere else, even if it does need some work/reinvestment.
Hum
Hol said:
Someone has just asked me how much I would sell my track car for.
I added up the current second hand value of all the separate parts and its upwards of £12K, for something I paid £2000 for in 2010.
Its funny how you loose track of costs.
I wouldn't say it's funny, more like scary!I added up the current second hand value of all the separate parts and its upwards of £12K, for something I paid £2000 for in 2010.
Its funny how you loose track of costs.
I'm firmly in the ostrich head in the sand category. When the Mrs. asks on occasion "how much money have you thrown away at the boat anchor on the driveway"....I wince a bit, then half the number I think I've spent and then divide it by two before I give my answer!
Most ppl don't realise that dedicated TD cars are in better shape than the majority of road cars, even if some do look tatty. Most ppl also think that because TD, it's a risky buy and probably on its last legs, which is most likely to be the case with a road car. Then some think that dropping 6 large (half of your build cost for example) for a car that's worth 2K on the used car market is overpaying. It's only 5-10yrs down the line when they have done it the hard way does the penny sink (I'm in the hard way category too lol but I know better now).
Hum
Edited by Humour on Saturday 27th February 22:52
Humour said:
Hol said:
Someone has just asked me how much I would sell my track car for.
I added up the current second hand value of all the separate parts and its upwards of £12K, for something I paid £2000 for in 2010.
Its funny how you loose track of costs.
I wouldn't say it's funny, more like scary!I added up the current second hand value of all the separate parts and its upwards of £12K, for something I paid £2000 for in 2010.
Its funny how you loose track of costs.
I'm firmly in the ostrich head in the sand category. When the Mrs. asks on occasion "how much money have you thrown away at the boat anchor on the driveway"....I wince a bit, then half the number I think I've spent and then divide it by two before I give my answer!
Most ppl don't realise that dedicated TD cars are in better shape than the majority of road cars, even if some do look tatty. Most ppl also think that because TD, it's a risky but and probably on its last legs, which is most likely to be the case with a road car. Then some think that dropping 6 large (half of your build cost for example) for a car that's worth 2K on the used car market is overpaying. It's only 5-10yrs down the line when they have done it the hard way does the penny sink (I'm in the hard way category too lol but I know better now).
Hum
Edited by Humour on Saturday 27th February 22:51
so true.
it's a great journey though and no standard car feels as good. feeling each the difference of each mod. priceless.
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