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What cheap (very) track car

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Old 05 February 2003, 10:08 PM
  #1  
lardypants
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mate ya cant beat astra gte's, we race 8 and 16v, koni adj is a must have and a few other secret suspension mods we race at castle coombe and i can honestly say on the corners we are a1, straights are ok but obviously not big league, but watch in june for our new grey H reg 16v, watch this space is all i can say

total outlay

car :£100
konis : 140 sec hand
cage £80 sec hand
bit welding ( suspension mod) £30
ecu and filter zorst, fuel mod already had

pump tyres right up, octane booster, keep a load fuel in the van ( 2 gallons max in car) and drive like we do,you'l do well.

Did anyone see our last years car? H reg red gte? nice alloys etc mint car


[Edited by lardypants - 5/2/2003 10:10:09 PM]
Old 01 May 2003, 05:14 PM
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Langy
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Here's a question for you all, looking for a car that i can use to do various tasks

1) Make a reasonably good track car
2) Be cheap and reliable (if such a combination is possible )
3) Must be road legal

Plan is to have a car i can drive to, track it, and hopefully be able to return home and a car i can take and leave places i wouldn't take the scoob

Sounds like a plan, no more parking dings, scratches, etc for the scoob and lets face it, if this car gets scratched, who cares

We'll say the price will be about £500, willing to pay more but not too much, and certainly willing to pay less

I know this isn't a lot but paying a lot would defeat the purpose

Ideas please
Old 01 May 2003, 05:20 PM
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MarkCSC
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XR3i
Cheap as chips and with a few mods would make an ok track car.
Saw one at Snetterton once and it seemed to go really well.
Also loads of tuning parts.

Mark
Old 01 May 2003, 05:21 PM
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foz01
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205 gti or a nova/corsa with a big engine
Old 01 May 2003, 05:25 PM
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Langy
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Wow, quick reply's, cheers guys, keep 'em coming

205 is sounding promising, would you expect to get something half decent for around that price?
Old 01 May 2003, 05:32 PM
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mike_s14
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or a nissan 200 s13 nice 1.8 turbo easy to upgrate and fun when the tail is out
Old 01 May 2003, 05:36 PM
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foz01
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can get a fairly decent 205 for 500 quid, if you know anyone who has had one in the past take them along, the usual stuff to expect from a high milage car.

I am doing a 205 track car at the mo it will cost me circa £500 but its the car i owned for 2 years and sold to a mate and am now buying it back!

to make it into a serious track car though we will be spending upwards of 3k on it!

Cage
4 pots
Mi16
Suspension
Diff
etc
etc
etc

the skys the limit but i am sure you will find something fun for the money but just remeber it is an ol car and it will be driven harder on track than it ever will have beed before!
Old 01 May 2003, 05:46 PM
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Langy
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205 still in lead at the moment although 200sx would be nice, too dear though.

Foz, don't happen to know anyone selling such a car would you?

Where would be the best place to look for one?
Old 01 May 2003, 05:51 PM
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foz01
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local free ads papers. autotrader, auctions etc the usual places just go in with your eyes open and what does 500 quid get you these days....
Old 01 May 2003, 05:59 PM
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Langy
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a couple of months depreciation on the scooby
Old 01 May 2003, 06:44 PM
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JayPSC
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Renault 21 turbo, probably the fastest car you can buy for that sort of money.
Old 01 May 2003, 07:14 PM
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NotoriousREV
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I'm considering Opel Manta's, cheap as chips, entertaining handling, totally Old Skool mechanicals.
Old 01 May 2003, 07:44 PM
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CC
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been round anglesey race circuit at the same time as a tatty nova with a 1.8 cavalier sri engine in it (130bhp), looked like aftermarket suspension and it kept with most things...
Old 01 May 2003, 08:31 PM
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C. Jay. k.
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You could have my 416 gti Rover(honda T/C) j reg, for around £500.
Old 01 May 2003, 09:28 PM
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Andy W
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citroen ZX volcane or an old 323 or 325 beamer? I have thought about these myself before (after browse though the auto trader) as a hack/track car myself but not so sure on the reliability or running costs.
Old 01 May 2003, 09:32 PM
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Andy W
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At a recent trackday at kirkistown there were a couple of chaps in a GSI carlton, granted it was trailered there 'cause its a bit of a knacker but it only cost them about 100quid from a scrappers.

Sideways city in that thing!

Andy
Old 01 May 2003, 09:34 PM
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Huey220
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How about a 309 GTi - rare but you can get some cheapies - or a 216 GTi with the Twin Cam Honda lump - easily thrashable.
Old 01 May 2003, 09:53 PM
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Langy
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Any views on the rover anyone? Not one i thought of but does it have potential?
Old 02 May 2003, 11:46 AM
  #19  
Franx
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Old Toyota Supras are pretty cheap. Could probably pick one up for a few hundred. There's a thing in 'Evo' about track cars just now - one guy uses a Carlton saloon 2.5. Bloody cheap etc, and wouldn't care if you crashed. Have a look through Auto trader bargain section, and find something interesting.
Old 02 May 2003, 12:06 PM
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zoog
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Lancia Y10 turbo.

Dirt sheap
very tuneable
very light - even more so when stripped
put a cage in and a single bucket

seen one crush integrale evos at Goodwood circuit.

and above all, it's Italian!
Old 02 May 2003, 12:27 PM
  #21  
ianc
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Citroen Zx volcane, 1.9i (old xu series 205 gti lump)

Plenty of tuning bits out there, easy to do engine \ gearbox swaps etc for mi16 lumps or 2.0 16v lump if you want. All 306 suspension bits, just cheaper to buy in the first place!

IC
Old 02 May 2003, 12:30 PM
  #22  
Olly
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Two-eight Capri.

Proper sounding, and rear wheel drive.
Old 02 May 2003, 12:39 PM
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KungFuMonkey
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If you can stretch to circa 1.2K i'll sell you my talbot sunbeam track car .

Full cage, bucket seats, harnesses. RWD, loads of fun

Jono
Old 02 May 2003, 01:16 PM
  #24  
AlmeraTastic
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Have to agree on the Citroen ZX Volcane. I had a 2.0 8v M reg and sold it 2 years ago for £1400 so would have thought it'd be worth well south of a grand now. Citroen partnered with Peugeout and it shares many parts with the 306XSi but for a fraction of the cost.

I actually wish I'd kept mine now cos it was really clean and would have been the perfect arrive and drive motor.
Old 02 May 2003, 01:17 PM
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DavidBrown
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Yep, Capri 2.8i Special (with an LSD).

Bought mine for £500
Old 02 May 2003, 01:46 PM
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Langy
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Some interesting choices, still making a shortlist at the moment and it's growing instead of getting smaller , the capri may be a bit overkill on actual running costs but i will accept critisism on that comment if you can give me some pros/cons

ps 205 1.9 gti in the lead at the moment (subjust to change )

Kungfumonkey, more info on your sunbeam please
Old 02 May 2003, 02:25 PM
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Olly
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Own both 205 1.9 and Capri 2.8i.

Capri should be as cheap as anything you could think of. Plenty of healthy, but rotten 2.8's lying around at Capri breakers ready for pillaging. New mechanical parts cheap and available. Easy to work on. Tune up parts everywhere (Princess 4 pots, A frames, poly bush kits), just buy Motoring News.

Ditto 1.9 really as above. In honesty a healthy 205 would probably eat a healthy 2.8 on track. But think of all that sideways fun and V6 howl you are missing out on. Would rather hit a barrier in a Capri as well.
Old 02 May 2003, 02:42 PM
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chrispy200+
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the 216 gti rover with the twin cam lump in it would make for a good track day car, that lump makes about 130bhp, easily tweakable to about 140ish bhp or 150. If you get the 3dr one then that would be a good bet. they used to race the 3dr 216's
Old 02 May 2003, 02:46 PM
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dome
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My mates got a 216GTi just now and he's looking for suspension/performance bits. Any ideas on where to get them(other than motobuild...)?

For £500 I'd look for a 205 1.9. 1st mod would be a 1.6 box for acceleration.

Manta are ace but try getting a non rusty one...
Old 02 May 2003, 03:25 PM
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ScoobyJawa
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Olly - theres no probs getting a 205 sideways mate - we both know that


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