Cheap track day fun?

[tgm147]

Hi guys.

Been talking with a friend of mine who is also car mad about picking something up cheap to strip and just use for track days. Something like an old manual V6 Omega. They're pretty damn cheap. Strip the interior out and sell on the good bits, give it a good service, fit some decent seats and good tyres then just trailer it places.

Problem is with us both being pretty damn young (I'm 19, friend is 18) are we likely to come across any problems? This is just an idea at the moment, it's not had a great deal of thought.

Cheers.

[Berger]

Do you have a suitable vehicle to tow with and a license to match?

[tgm147]

I drive a 2.2 Vectra diesel which already has a tow bar on it. The licence however I hadn't thought about. I'm guessing there's a limit until you're 21 or something? Off to Google.

EDIT:

What a confusing website direct.gov is! Right I passed in June 2009, on the back of my card in the category list it shows B, B1 and fkp. Fkp I can find nothing on so far but B and B1 I can. B1 is irrelevant because it's talking about quads etc. However there are two B's. Excuse the copy and paste.

B: Motor vehicles with a MAM (max authorised mass) of up to 3,500 kg, no more than eight passenger seats, with or without a trailer - weighing no more than 750 kg

B: As category B but with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg. The total weight of the vehicle and the trailer together can’t weigh more than 3,500 kg.
The weight of the trailer, when fully loaded, can’t weigh more than the unladen weight of the vehicle


For both 17 is the minimum age. So going on this, I CAN tow the car?

Edited by tgm147 on Tuesday 22 February 23:48

[stabbed rat]

From what I understand... Only if the weight of your vectra + trailer + track car all comes in at under 3500kg. I belive they are very strict on this and the police can escort you to the nearest weight bridge and butt fk you if you are over the limit. (it wouldn't take too long for a cop to think an omega + vectra + trailer is probably more than 3500kg)

I also get the impression that your tow car must be heavier than the trailer and track car combined

Someone please correct me if I am spouting crap

[tgm147]

stabbed rat said:

From what I understand... Only if the weight of your vectra + trailer + track car all comes in at under 3500kg. I belive they are very strict on this and the police can escort you to the nearest weight bridge and butt fk you if you are over the limit. (it wouldn't take too long for a cop to think an omega + vectra + trailer is probably more than 3500kg)

I also get the impression that your tow car must be heavier than the trailer and track car combined

Someone please correct me if I am spouting crap

The Vectra dry weighs in at 1498kg. An Omega with everything removed.. Hmm. There is a local weigh bridge about a mile from here, I might pop up and have a word. I'd have to work out the combined weight loss of removing the interior panels, seats, etc. Anything that looks like it can be removed would be pulled out anyway to save weight. I'm sure it's not the lightest of cars.

That was my understanding of it too, it's just not very clear.

Thanks for the help!

Edited again to keep the info accurate.

Edited by tgm147 on Wednesday 23 February 00:42

[stabbed rat]

No worries, I hope I'm right! Lol

Don't forget the weight of the vectra will be wet weight and driver and whatever passengers presumably. And the omega might have fuel etc...

I'm guessing you can do an add on to your licence if you need to?

[tgm147]

You can take another test that puts a B+E on your licence which allows you to tow something heavier. Not cheap though. Oh it's all fun trying to work this out.

[Steve H]

I wouldn't have picked an Omega in the first place tbh. There must be plenty of hot-hatch type kit that would do the job much better for very little money or if you want rwd then consider an E30 beemer. As well as being generally better track cars, they would all be lighter than an Omega I would think which should help on your towing issues.

Also worth remembering that buying the car is not the only cost on trackdays, even if you plan to run on cheap tyres and brakes the cost of one trackday plus fuel will run into at least a couple hundred so a few days out plus occasional mods and repairs will quickly outstrip the cost of the car.

HTH

Steve H

[Dan Friel]

What's the braked towing weight limit of the Vectra? Something like 1500-1600kg? With the weight of the trailer included, this may restrict the type of car that you can tow.. Something to check.

[tgm147]

Dan Friel said:

What's the braked towing weight limit of the Vectra? Something like 1500-1600kg? With the weight of the trailer included, this may restrict the type of car that you can tow.. Something to check.

Right it appears the braked weight limit of the Vectra is 1500kg. Bit of a problem.

Steve H said:

I wouldn't have picked an Omega in the first place tbh. There must be plenty of hot-hatch type kit that would do the job much better for very little money or if you want rwd then consider an E30 beemer. As well as being generally better track cars, they would all be lighter than an Omega I would think which should help on your towing issues.

Also worth remembering that buying the car is not the only cost on trackdays, even if you plan to run on cheap tyres and brakes the cost of one trackday plus fuel will run into at least a couple hundred so a few days out plus occasional mods and repairs will quickly outstrip the cost of the car.

HTH

Steve H

Yeah the Omega is a bit of a barge really. It's just the cost - there's some floating round for £400 or £500. Thought about an older BMW but was thinking reliability might be an issue. Not had a good look into other cars yet but I will do.

Thanks a lot!

[PAULJ5555]

Renault Magane Coupe 1.6 or 2L ???

can be had for £300-500

[silverthorn2151]

Am I alone in being concerned at the number of people thinking about throw away cars for track days is worrying.

I'm not aiming this at the OP in particular, but these are track days, not banger racing or zooming around a wide open space days.

£400 on a bloody great barge that you will be flinging around a circuit sounds to me like a recepie for disaster. It's valueless (in comparison) and I question if the same care would be taken as if you were driving something significantly more valuable to you.

Now as I say, this isn't aimed at you OP it really isn't. I understand where you are coming from in many ways and applaude it. Driving on track is a different experience and the biggest thrill I know of in driving. But look at the reports we get on here about poor driving standards at track days and so on.

However, I quite accept that there are as many prats driving £50k cars at track days as £400 cars so my argument is to some extent self defeating. However, it's a serious business in terms of money and time for us all.

Back to the OP. I support other advice on here that I think you would be better placed spending on something lighter and twiddlier.

[hyperblue]

silverthorn2151 said:

Am I alone in being concerned at the number of people thinking about throw away cars for track days is worrying.

It is a bit concerning, especially considering the other costs involved with track days. This is not directed at the OP, but cheap car, cheap brakes, cheap tyres, what else has been skimped on?

Fair enough not everyone can have an PH-worthy uber track weapon, but buying 'disposable' cars makes it look like binning it is an inevitable part of track days.

I don't understand the mentality of buying a barge like this either. Why not get a cheap hot hatch and do it up?

[silverthorn2151]

hyperblue said:

silverthorn2151 said:

Am I alone in being concerned at the number of people thinking about throw away cars for track days is worrying.

It is a bit concerning, especially considering the other costs involved with track days. This is not directed at the OP, but cheap car, cheap brakes, cheap tyres, what else has been skimped on?

Fair enough not everyone can have an PH-worthy uber track weapon, but buying 'disposable' cars makes it look like binning it is an inevitable part of track days.

I don't understand the mentality of buying a barge like this either. Why not get a cheap hot hatch and do it up?

Yes, that's what I was trying to say.

[Munter]

hyperblue said:

I don't understand the mentality of buying a barge like this either. Why not get a cheap hot hatch and do it up?

Or buy something that's cheap light and already done up:
£750
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2314734.htm

[V8mate]

The Omega will munch brakes, tyres, suspension, fuel etc., like they're going out of fashion.

Get something small and light. And keeping it road legal may help you focus on maintaining it properly too.

[silverthorn2151]

That's a fair point. If you drive something to a circuit, and have to drive it home, I bet you drive it on circuit with a bit more care!

[tgm147]

Thanks for the replies guys. I do see where you are all coming from. The idea with the Omega (or similar) was to strip it of all the decent parts to sell on so as to make as small as possible loss from buying the car in the first place. Falling off the track would not be something I or the other guy would hope to do. I wouldn't want to be hooning around like a moron and smash into another drivers Porsche or something equally of value to them. Crashing it into someone else would make me look like a right prat if it was just because I was being a bit stupid with it.

silverthorn2151 said:

hyperblue said:

silverthorn2151 said:

Am I alone in being concerned at the number of people thinking about throw away cars for track days is worrying.

It is a bit concerning, especially considering the other costs involved with track days. This is not directed at the OP, but cheap car, cheap brakes, cheap tyres, what else has been skimped on?

Fair enough not everyone can have an PH-worthy uber track weapon, but buying 'disposable' cars makes it look like binning it is an inevitable part of track days.

I don't understand the mentality of buying a barge like this either. Why not get a cheap hot hatch and do it up?

Yes, that's what I was trying to say.

The car would be kept going as long as possible, I wouldn't want to have to buy another one because I'd been stupid with it, even though it would be cheap in the first place, it would be valued. Obviously things like brakes, tyres etc wouldn't be skimped on because they're somewhat important! Wouldn't want to be in a crunch just because of cheapo brakes and tyres.

Munter said:

hyperblue said:

I don't understand the mentality of buying a barge like this either. Why not get a cheap hot hatch and do it up?

Or buy something that's cheap light and already done up:
£750
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2314734.htm

I hadn't seen this, not had a great look yet and there does appear to be some bargains out there. Maybe I was a little too focused on one thing? Got to go out but when I'm back later I'll have a look through Ebay, the classifieds on here etc.

Thanks a lot for the help guys. Appreciated.

[V8mate]

This'll be fun.

[silverthorn2151]

V8mate said:

This'll be fun.

as opposed to