Will a Car Limits day wreck my paintwork??

[assadahmed]

I booked a Car Limits day with Andrew Walsh a while back when I still had my ex academy Caterham. By chance a really nice Caterham came up for sale and it will be with me before the course day.

A few folks have commented that the course can be quite hard on the car. Now tyre wear I don't mind but will the bodywork suffer in terms of stone chips? I wouldn't really the car to suffer in this way and am likely to get some paint protection film but on before hand.

Just wondered if anyone out there has done one of this courses and what their experience was in relation to stone chips?

[rubystone]

Yes I have and yes it does. But it is great fun. So you pays yer money and you takes your choice....

Btw what 7 have you upgraded to?

[SidewaysSi]

I did one a couple of years back and didn't like it one bit. North Weald is a bit of a car wrecker IMO. Crap surface (plenty of loose gravel which you are expected to go through at full pelt) . The car does get a hard time I'm afraid.

What Caterham did you go for?

[Ponk]

I expect your paintwork will be ok (although I suppose the rear wings are quite exposed on a Caterham) but there's a good chance you will wreck a tyre. I ripped one open on an exposed drain cover and another chap got a screw through his.

Your not playing on an airfield in the true sense, you're playing on an old airfield that's used for the local market.

[rubystone]

Andy has several courses set up. One is the WECC sprint course..v challenging...and another at the end of that course. These are generally gravel free. The worst element for gravel is the wet/dry bend section.

[assadahmed]

Thanks for the input.

I have upgraded to the purple Superlight R300 for sale at Caterham South!

I'm in two minds now whether or not to go to do this course. As stated in the OP, tyre wear I can live with, but I don't think messing up the paintwork is something I could tolerate. I may get the car wrapped in some 3M before going or might just cancel and take the loss of the course fee on the chin.

[SidewaysSi]

Good choice...R300 BAD? Seems like a good spec. Did you part ex your old car in the end?

[rubystone]

assadahmed said:

Thanks for the input.

I have upgraded to the purple Superlight R300 for sale at Caterham South!

I'm in two minds now whether or not to go to do this course. As stated in the OP, tyre wear I can live with, but I don't think messing up the paintwork is something I could tolerate. I may get the car wrapped in some 3M before going or might just cancel and take the loss of the course fee on the chin.

You don't have to take part in everything. Personally, the part that caused the most damage was the autotest affair at the end. Go along, assess the state of the track and decide what you'd like to do. It is a lot of fun!

[assadahmed]

rubystone said:

You don't have to take part in everything. Personally, the part that caused the most damage was the autotest affair at the end. Go along, assess the state of the track and decide what you'd like to do. It is a lot of fun!

Thats a good shout. I think I will go along and see what its like.

Sold my old car via the classifieds. Was sold within a day of it being advertised.

[texr2000]

As i live close to north weald airfield done a few events there. i wont do anymore as rear arches got quite bad from it and partly down to me would eat a set of rear tyres. i rather pay a tad more and go Brands for the day and works out the same cost as north weald airfield plus a set of rear tyres is more than a whole day at brands.

Also i just found i would be quite hard on the car there compared to a track day. A friend took his E46 M3 and regrets its as has quite alot of stone chips now

[SidewaysSi]

Just watching the others cars flicking up all the gravel at full pelt ruined the day for me I'm afraid.a

[7ss]

Paint should be considered a consumable on a 7 if you're using it properly As are windscreens if you bother with such luxury and nosecones if you park them anywhere near regular cars.

[daemonoid]

SidewaysSi said:

Just watching the others cars flicking up all the gravel at full pelt ruined the day for me I'm afraid.a

You bought a track focussed car and called yourself "sideways si" but you're afraid of chipping the paint?

[SidewaysSi]

daemonoid said:

SidewaysSi said:

Just watching the others cars flicking up all the gravel at full pelt ruined the day for me I'm afraid.a

You bought a track focussed car and called yourself "sideways si" but you're afraid of chipping the paint?

Damn bloody right. I love and thoroughly enjoy my cars but they are not in any way abused. And they go sideways a lot. Just not on gravel thanks very much.