Thoughts on a Retro trackday car.

Probably not. But we are talking about family here. Nothing is ever easy or a good idea.

I still fancy a 2l Ka as per Dan's suggestion :D.

At least I know they stand up to crashing well.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:00:33 +0100, Elder grumbled:

THat's easy enough to sort out with a new wheel. On the MK1, the standard wheel is quite large. I found it much roomier with a smaller steering wheel. THe steering's quite quick as well so you don't have to turn it that much..

MIke P

IIRC you're thinking Mk2s, not Mk1s. With a Mk2 you probably want a late model one on account of the improved suspension geometry.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:10:35 +0100, Carl Gibbs grumbled:

I'd add a Punma 1.7 to that list of FWD things. I've driven all of them apart from a Xsara VTS, and the Puma handles as well as any of them.

126BHP when new too, it won't be more than 12 years old. It's effectively a Ka/Fiesta MK4 with a slightly longer wheelbase and more power. Brilliant. I wasn't convinced at all about Pumas before the missus got one. Pity mine's got a bent MOT..

Maybe the 325i, 200SX or MX5 but a 3.0 Carlton as a track car? I used to drive a Senator 3.0 sometimes years ago, it was "ok" but it was a big heavy old tub

Mike P

There is no VW diesel engined car that is affordable that would be worth tracking. Even the 90 horse MK3 Golfs are worth a grand. As you don't plan to do any engine work (wisely, if you're on a budget), get something with as powerful an engine as possible.

A bit of ebay looking suggests that ropey 172s are now well under £2k, and some go as low as £1500. A MK2 Golf / 205 GTI / MR2 in half decent order is getting on for £1000. One option for a really cheap car with a big engine for it's size would be an old Ibiza Cupra with the 2L ABF - 150 brake in a car around a tonne. OTOH the 205 has about a 150kilo advantage on anything else around.

I wouldn't bother with the 325i or 200SX. A 24v Carlton might be ok, but it's not ideal.

What you need is to find a couple of grand and exchange it for my Mk1 GTi.

It'd be funny though. Start off with a tatty 24v, strip it out totally to get the weight down, stiffen it up a bit and I bet it could show a few things a clean pair of heals.

Another old barge with plenty of go - 850 T5, they don't handle too bad considering they're FWD, but they've got plenty of tyre smoking, grin inducing power

Don't forget the white metal propshaft splines. When I was working in a scrappy, we sold dozens of Volvo 3 series propshafts as the splines were always failing.

I'd try "heels" :).

I've seen several being used as drift sheds and they seem to be quite good at that.

Someone occasionally turns up in one at Lydden and slow it isn't.

Autotrader reviewed them a few years ago as a fun trackday car - said they were well up there. I was even planning to use the beaten up 3.0 12v Carlton I had at the same time as my daily driver 24v to do a few 'tarmac rally' style events like the CSMA run at Barton Stacey.

The main issue was the sheer size of the thing - I couldn't beg/boroow/ steal anything big enough to tow a trailer with one on. I ended up towing an Alfa 75 2.0 Twin Spark to it with the 24v Carlton. Excellent tow car.

But I'd love to throw a Carlton round a track. It shifted, and (surprisingly) it handled pretty well on the limits too.

The E36 328i would be a cracking trackday car. £400 gets you the 325 inlet manifold, a big bore throttle body and a remap to knock it up from

195 to 240bhp. RWD as well...

No, I'm thinking Mk1 MX5s. ;-)

What about a Mk2 MR2?

?

You really need a turbo to thoroughly enjoy a mk2. However, while it would be a little long term, I wonder how well a Camry V6 would go in. Hmm, wonder who would have thought of mid mounting a camry V6

It's been done. Believe it goes ok in a Mk1 MR2.

I suspect the words 'Evora' and 'New' and 'Lotus' were more in his mind...

Yeah, but you can fit owt in if you have an angle grinder.

I know about it is that a bloke who's fitted an Audi V8 in an Esprit is helping out with the conversion, looks like fun.

They weren't in mine. People have been shoving Camry V6 lumps in MR2s for about 15 years.