Trackcar - Ã‚Â£500 to spend - your choice??

Bjorn · Post by **Bjorn** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 1:04 pm

Okay this is a scenario that will apply to me soon, you have a Â£500 limit, what car would you buy to use predominantly as a track car - it will also need to be road legal too, to be used as a run-around.

Doesnt necessarily have to be a Rover either.

Some of my temptations are:
Celica GT 16V, Astra GTE, 216 16v(DOHC) or Peugeot 309 GTi

listie · Post by **listie** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 1:23 pm

It would have to be a 205 1.9, full magnex manifold system, and relocate the washer bottle to fit a pipercross filter behind the passenger headlight. Full set of powerflex bushes and if money allowed dropped 30mm on the front, 25mm i click on the torsion bar at the rear. Stripped out. All this would = a v quick track day / road car.

The other option is a Metro GTI 16V CCC picked this as a top track car

Si

GeraintUK · Post by **GeraintUK** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 1:40 pm

metro Gti....fast as f*ck with weight ratio and cheap as chips to pick up and get hold of parts for.

cheers
g

Rich A · Post by **Rich A** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 1:47 pm

Go for a Honda CRX 16v, vastly underratted car, and you can pick them up for under Â£500 too. Shares the same engine as the Twin cam 216 GTI etc. And there are many options out there for 'improvement' :wink:

.

IMHO Handles better than a metro gti and a pug, you get no torque steer, and you can (just) fit people in the back....

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 2:00 pm

Not that ive ever been on the track, or in a pug 309 / ashtray gte, or a metro, the 216gti really is soooo nice to drive, i can imagin youd get some fun out of it on the track. If its also as a run around, a 5 door gti is available, saves cramming yourself into a metro..

before i wanted the 216gti however i was looking at some uno turbo's, but decided they were far too stereotypical for my liking... Dunno what they are like in terms of performance, but i should imagin on par with a r5 gtt, plenty of aftermarket products aswell, truoble is finding a goodun, i should imagin theyve all been owned by yobs!

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 5:17 pm

See if you can find a cheap Golf Gti

Grant620 · Post by **Grant620** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 5:34 pm

309Gti any day of the week - handle better than a 205, and go well.
Also,, easier to get the Mi16 block in the 309!

2nd choice would be the Celica Gti.
I have to admit, I might buy one as a runaround until the 621R is on the road.
Wanna buy it off me when I have finished with it??

Neill · Post by **Neill** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 6:48 pm

I love the 216 Twin cams but i reckon your best bet will be the metro Gti. When the suspension is sorted properly, hydragas individualised, lowered slightly, uprated front shocks and some bushes, they handle like a go cart.

Not been in a car that really handles so well and changes direction so easily. When Hugh had his 1.8 metro it would be as fast as alot of cars on the straights but round the twistys they would always loose. Great fun. :twisted:

Neill

1796cc GTi Se · Post by **1796cc GTi Se** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 6:55 pm

Metro GTi, but then i am a bit biased

Ti-Andy · Post by **Ti-Andy** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 8:42 pm

Having had one ...the Metro Gti

It's a go cart in standard form let alone stripped out and tweaked with

I'd have another one

Ti Rich · Post by **Ti Rich** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:47 pm

Yes, Metro GTi MPi

I used to love giving the wifes a blast (the car that is.....)

ADSVVCCOUPE · Post by **ADSVVCCOUPE** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:51 pm

what about a mk1 golf gti?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:59 pm

I agree with Rich - 16v CRX - get an E reg if possible - as these are lighter and have a very good power to weight ratio. Also - because of the CRX Cup there are a lot of track parts available for the car

Rear seats (just) tunable - but very capable out of the box!

My CRX vtec handles better than my old coupe on Konis

- go figure

Mark

Post by **Stu** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:59 pm

Has Mark still got his mad Nova.

Don't know if he would part with it for that money, but a very quick car by all accounts ready to go.

listie · Post by **listie** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:03 pm

Grant620 wrote:309Gti any day of the week - handle better than a 205, and go well.
Also,, easier to get the Mi16 block in the 309!

2nd choice would be the Celica Gti.
I have to admit, I might buy one as a runaround until the 621R is on the road.
Wanna buy it off me when I have finished with it??

If you can find a 309 16S, v v quick car, used to have one as well as many other Pugs. A 405 T16 is the dogs dangles but a bit over the Â£500 limit

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 1:57 pm

Yeah -

my garage got a 2l 8v Nova conversion for Â£50 - cos some punk had got bored with it (!).........

Â£450 on sorting the suspension to accomodate engine weight.......

fun.

Hugh Phillips · Post by **Hugh Phillips** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 12:49 pm

I would have to say Metro GTi

For the money you can't really buy much better. People might slate them, standard form they do 60 in under 9 seconds and you can get this to the 8 second mark from a couple of mods.

I am currently just finishing my Metro GTi, and next year be doing a few track sessions etc, so you can get an idea of how they perform.

But seriously i have never driven a car with so much point and squirt as my 1.8 metro. You can be following a car at 50 nail it in 3rd and before you know it you've gone though 3rd and well past the car doing near on a ton. The next nearest thing i have experienced is a Motor bike.

AIMHO

Metros are cool becuase they shouldn't be that fast!

hehehe

216si · Post by **216si** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 2:04 pm

i would get a scrap mini and do it up with a 1600 race engine they can be got for about Â£200 and they already handle like stink and with the engine they go like it too.
alternitavly a metro gti or a pug gti.

Studio Kid · Post by **Studio Kid** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 1:42 am

metro Gti.
a mate had one. he was a s#@%e driver. kills cars for lack of driving knowledge. had a metro gti. absolutly kained it for 13 weeks. not one problem. only came to its end when the t#@t drove it onto a wooden stump and the engine fell out the bottom.
can take a pounding

Post by **SubCat001** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 2:12 pm

Just been thinking about this. A Metro GTi 16v, preferably a SPI, rip out the injection system and replace it with twin 40's and a set of cams.

Kelvyn · Post by **Kelvyn** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 12:54 pm

Nissan Silvia ZX turbo.

1.8 Turbo, RWD. And lots available for under Â£500.

Main problem - no LSD.

CVPiper · Post by **CVPiper** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:10 pm

the celica or a 200sx would be my options

mabz · Post by **mabz** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:32 pm

u guys forgot the little pocket rocket!!!!!

SUZUKI SWIFT GTI 1.3 :twisted:

Dont under estimate these, cos they keep up the arse of a Rover turbo. Or atleast mine did :wink:

http://members.rogers.com/developars/SS ... accord.WMV
http://members.rogers.com/developars/SS ... cord_2.WMV
http://www.strictlyswifts.com/intake2.AVI

M@Bz

C2K · Post by **C2K** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 9:54 pm

Daihatsu Charade 1.3ti? (Rare..) CRX would be my next choice.

Out of your choices, mine would definately be the 309.

Post by **MarkCoupe** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 10:12 pm

First of all got to strip em out, very cheap performance mod.
Got to be a stripped out 88-91Civic/Crx, i have seen 3/4 vtecs for under 1600 (but too pricey for the 500 budget) so get the d-series dohc.

OR a MK2 Astra, gorgeous to drive will tripe n onions on a vvc,all the way to 140+mph in std 150bhp form(most record over 150 (even at 100,000 +miles).

Also i agree with M@bster, I have been in a std Swift GTi and it wasnt particularly rapid but im sure stripped out with an extra 30horses it wud be.

But whenever ive been to a trackday crx's have always caught my eye.

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 9:22 pm

480 turbo volvo -don't laugh. :shock:

They do 8sec 0-60mph on just 4psi boost std
Lower it and up it to 10psi and it will be a match for a tomcat up to 120mph and they handle and brake better than std tomcat!

Scott

Post by **MarkCoupe** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 9:29 pm

Dont take this wrong but, how come you didnt get one? :?:

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:18 pm

Marko,Tomcat wrote:Dont take this wrong but, how come you didnt get one?

It was my old car! :shock:

Scott

Post by **MarkCoupe** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:38 pm

Really?

I so nearly got a red 440T before my 216 but they jsut fealt really old and ruff round the edges but hat doesnt matter with a track car, horendous gearbox to though.

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 11:16 pm

Marko,Tomcat wrote:Really? I so nearly got a red 440T before my 216 but they jsut fealt really old and ruff round the edges but hat doesnt matter with a track car, horendous gearbox to though.

gearbox was ok, sometimes was a swine to get in reverse and occasionally bulked to 2nd.
Run 14.5sec 1/4 in it about 8-9 years ago!
power was all low down though.
Had dodgy trip comp and was a swine to work on though!
ok for a track car though..
One of the big circuits used to use one for track demonstrator car.

cheers
Scott

Post by **SubCat001** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 6:52 pm

tomcat wrote:480 turbo volvo -don't laugh.
They do 8sec 0-60mph on just 4psi boost std
Lower it and up it to 10psi and it will be a match for a tomcat up to 120mph and they handle and brake better than std tomcat!

Scott

There pretty underated cars. I know there Low pressure but I thought they ran more than 4psi??? Under the impression they had a BMV to maximise the torque

Post by **MarkCoupe** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 6:55 pm

I just realised something scott, Andy R's Coupe has the fastest fwd coop in uk title, but wasnt that 13.5, but yours is 13.49???

Si · Post by Si » Sat Dec 20, 2003 7:04 pm

Marko,Tomcat wrote:I just realised something scott, Andy R's Coupe has the fastest fwd coop in uk title, but wasnt that 13.5, but yours is 13.49???

Andys is 13.4

Post by **MarkCoupe** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 8:16 pm

Ok Thankin you,Is it 13.4 flat?

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 2:07 pm

Marko,Tomcat wrote:Ok Thankin you,Is it 13.4 flat?

He hasn't done it at santapod though think his best was 13.7sec?

cheers
Scott

Rovertech 2.0

Trackcar - Ã‚Â£500 to spend - your choice??

Trackcar - Â£500 to spend - your choice??

cheap runner/track day