[trackday_prep] Roland Garros Hillclimb/trackday Project

[AdamP 0]

My dad's almost finished the wiring now Also the GTi torsion bars have arrived. Still searching for a suitable ARB at the moment, so if anyone has a 306 XSI / GTi or a 106 GTi / Rallye S2 ARB I would very much like to hear from you!

[taylorspug 7]

I like this project, it reminds me of doing similar things to my XS back in the day, happy times. You wont be disappointed with the GTI bars, they transformed mine when i fitted them. Also suprised you are having clearance problems with the rad, im sure mine slipped straight in? This was 5 years ago though so it may have slipped my mind!

 

Good work anyway, il keep reading.

[AdamP 0]

Cheers Hoping to get the bars in before the track day.

 

I'm pretty sure the alternator on the RG isn't the standard peugeot one, will have a look at the one that came off the XS when I get a chance to see if it's any smaller, can also compare to the one on my AX GT.

Edited January 8, 2009 by AdamP

[AdamP 0]

Have sourced a GTi-6 ARB to shorten so i should hopefully have a nice stiff rear end by Oulton

[AdamP 0]

Conditions:

 

 

what I would consider bloody freezing! Weather in which one should not attempt to work on a car.

 

However I did.

 

Firstly I looked at the gear change rods we'd recieved, we now have four of which two a right, two are wrong and one is missing. We're getting there....

 

 

Fitted the quickshift gear lever.... not hugely quick but enough to make a difference.

 

 

Had a look at my dad's wiring work:

 

 

Just needs the wire to the kill switch cutting down and crimping and its done

 

Also recieved a new pull cable for the kill switch as I managed to snap the handle off the old one....

 

 

Connected the heater hoses together so I can fill it with coolant tomorrow:

 

 

GTi torsion bars waiting to go on when I get a chance:

 

 

More tomorrow

[AdamP 0]

Conditions were looking up, no frost or anything, thermometer reading a tropical 5deg C.

 

Got out there and did lots of finishing off. Bolting up odd brackets, reconnecting odd bits of wiring, filling up with coolant etc.

 

Started her up, bit of choke and she started up straight off! A little bit of blue smoke but other than that she purred like a goodun, and I just can't get enough of its exhaust note. Will have to put a video up at some point.

 

I fitted my new headlight to the AX as well as the mountings had snapped on the old one. A pair of winking frenchies:

 

 

Then I decided i'd set about fitting the torsion bars. Expected them to be a right PITA but the one I managed to get done was surprisingly easy! The other side requires the ARB end plates to come off, but I don't have the right thread bolt to press them off so I only did the one side for today.

 

Using my makeshift torsion bar puller:

 

 

I managed to extract the old drivers side 18.5mm one, finding it nicely greased up Someone had already done the hard work! Old next to new... bet you cant tell the difference!

 

 

I then greased up the GTi 19mm one and slid it straight in, pulling it in with the stud on the passenger side.

 

Other side will be done the weekend after next, and hopefully my ARB and end plates will have arrived by then as well

[AdamP 0]

The race is on!

 

No photos as im a pillock and i forgot about taking them until it was dark. Hey ho!

 

I used a Merc wheel bolt (M12x1.5) to remove the rear ARB, then put the end plates back on and measured up to shorten the GTi-6 item (which will be done next week). Having the ARB off also allowed me to change the other torsion bar, which practically fell out!

 

I stuck the steelies with ACB10s on the back then in preparation for the trackday, and re-fitted the drivers seat so I could get it up on ramps, which is where i have left it. I need to check and tighten the gear linkage, which is currently feeling really REALLY nice!

[AdamP 0]

Started today by tightening and locktight-ing the the gear linkage, so it's now all ready to go... can just about make it out in this photo:

 

 

Then she came down off the ramps and I had the front wheels off to have a look at putting the new disc securing bolts in. Unfotunately someone had had to drill the heads off both the bolts on the drivers side, so I decided to crack open the stud extractor kit. Drilled a hole down the middle of one of them and gave it a go with the extractor which promptly snapped in it. Damn. The other one I drilled out with a 4mm bit and broke up with a punch before clearing out with a tap, so at least the disc is held in place with one bolt!

 

 

The other side had already been cleared out so I was able to just bolt it up.

 

Stuck the steels with ACB10s on the front then, dropped it down and took photos. It looks HARD.

 

 

Suspension hadn't settled at all so it looks like it's on stilts...

 

Then I refitted the seats and harnesses.

 

 

And took at for a test drive. One rear wheel was locking prematurely after my dad had had the rear drums off, however a bit of jerking on the handbrake sorted it out. The rear end is pretty damn stiff and it's still as noisy as ever in there

 

 

Then the last job of the day was to fit the fire extinguisher again, as the bit of dash it was attached to has gone. We struggled to find anywhere to mount it, but decided the passenger side floor was as good as any.

 

 

And one more picture:

 

 

Will hopefully have the GTi-6 ARB shortened by next weekend ready to fit and go

[welshpug 1,626]

nice work, one thing to note, I think the extinguisher requires an additional strap around it with a quick release buckle, or at least they do in rally cars

[AdamP 0]

nice work, one thing to note, I think the extinguisher requires an additional strap around it with a quick release buckle, or at least they do in rally cars

 

I don't technically need a fire extinguisher so if they complain i'll take it out

[Henry 1.9GTi 36]

excellent work.

[Jrod 7]

Straps are available from peter llyod, about £4.

[AdamP 0]

Straps are available from peter llyod, about £4.

 

Cheers

[AdamP 0]

Shortened and welded the GTi6 ARB this morning. I managed to cut the wrong (small) end, which meant I had to turn down the end to go inside the end plate, which actually I think made it better as I was able to make it a perfect fit. I turned a well into the ARB to get better penetration, turned the welder right up and it seems to have penetrated beautifully

 

Also made up a bracket for the new kill switch pull cable which should sit it a bit lower in the same position.

 

Will get some pictures this afternoon.

[AdamP 0]

Forgot to say... my dad taxed it today so shes fully road legal (bar the tyres at the moment...).

 

Heres some piccies:

 

Shortened ARB

 

 

Pull cable bracket:

 

[edbar 6]

Looking really good. My local hill climb is shelsley walsh, go every year to spectate only until i have funds to compete. Will look out for you in 09!

[AdamP 0]

Looking really good. My local hill climb is shelsley walsh, go every year to spectate only until i have funds to compete. Will look out for you in 09!

 

We'll be there on the 20th of September

[edbar 6]

O.k well send me a p.m nearer the time and could be anouther pair of hands if you like but will give you support anyway!

[AdamP 0]

This weekend has consisted mostly of just finishing of jobs.

 

Started by fitting the new ARB. Check diameter difference....

 

 

Which now allows the car to do this:

 

 

I can't wait to get three wheeling on the corners

 

Then I stuck the GTi alloys now with Yoko 21Rs on it so that we could take it for a test drive. They fit much better on these wheels than on the KNs, sit nicely in the arches, just requiring a small spacer on the rear.

 

 

Sprayed the pull cable bracket and mounted it up:

 

 

Had to trim the scuttle panel around it:

 

 

And that was the end of saturday.

 

Today I didn't get any photos as we were both flat out. Trimmed and connected up the pull cable, put in the door bars, checked over the wiring, checked all the tyres and pressures, sorted out a box of things to go.

 

Then we took it for a drive to fill up with petrol and try it out. I'm currently uploading a video clip I snapped... the microphone makes us sound like aliens but it gives an idea of the noise!

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9O7P7wRXyDA

[crossie 0]

http://www.gmcmotorsport.co.uk/index.php?m...products_id=194

 

 

Link to a product that might get you a little bit more power.

 

you maybe able to construct something yourself to save spending any money.

 

 

"THIS IS A DIVICE MADE ONLY BY US FOR HARNESING THE ONLY FREE POWER AVAILABLE FROM YOUR ENGINE IT WILL DISCONECT THE CHARGE CIRCUIT OF THE CAR SAFLEY WHEN UNDER ACCELERATION FOR BETWEEN A 4 AND 10 HORSEPOWER INCREASE DEPENDENT ON THE CHARGING STATE OF THE BATTERY AT THE POINT OF ACTUATION IT IS EQIUPPED WITH CHARGE STATE SENSING SO AS NO TO FLATTEN THE BATTERY ALSO A THERMAL OVERLOAD SAFETY CIRCUIT, THE UNIT IS SUPPLIED WITH THE FITTING KIT WHICH ALLOWS FITTING TO ALL VEHICLES VIA TPS,VACUME OR MICRO SWITCH.THIS IS THE ONE OF THE CHEAPEST HORSE POWER INCRESES YOU ARE LIKLEY TO FIND AT LEAST THAT ACCTUALY WORKS."

[welshpug 1,626]

I doubt very much that you would gain anything from that on an 80 bhp 1.4!

 

 

400bhp+ V8 maybe....

 

better off getting some alloy crank and alternator pulleys off Colin Satchell, he makes some that'll fit most TU applications.

 

nice pullcable bracket, what's the other end like? looking for inspiration for my brothers Saxo

[crossie 0]

Only way to find out if he will gain anything is to test it!

My mate in a 2l zetec found that his car could go faster with no alternator belt. - only relised by the fact that it fell off!

Edited February 8, 2009 by crossie

[AdamP 0]

Well the weekend wasn't looking to good on friday. There was so much snow in our area that I had to dig a 200m trench to be able to get the trailer out and the ice was setting all over the driveway.

 

 

However at 7pm on friday night we set off for Oulton Park, with the 205 and half a ton of snow on the trailer. The discovery towed really well, barely felt the fully loaded trailer other than on the odd hill where the cruise control made it kickdown to 2nd! It also worked really well as a van with the seats down and all the tools and kit loaded in the back

 

7:30am on saturday morning we arrived at Oulton after a night in a local travel lodge. It was minus 3degC or so when we started unloading it from the trailer, so the first move was to remove the cold air feed to avoid carb icing. We then scraped and shoveled 6 inches of snow off the windscreen, bonnet and roof before heading off for a bacon roll and coffee.

 

The driver briefing was very good, the organiser made it very clear who he was, why he was there and what he would do with idiots, before handing out novice crosses to those of us who hadn't done a trackday before. I was glad of this, would hopefully mean that the scooby's and evo's would take it easy around me!

 

We then cracked out the 12V heater, defrosted the insides of the windows, adjusted the harnesses and seats and prepared for the sighting laps. These highlighted a couple of issues, the biggest of which was shown to be the lack of sun visors! On certain parts of the track it was so bad I couldn't see where I was going due to the low sun. So after the 3 laps we headed back in and applied some gaffer tape art to the windscreen as well as giving everything a good look over.

 

The announcement came out over the tannoy that the track was open and as soon as the majority of the queue had gone we got out on track, taking it very easy. The track was damp for most of the circuit and I hadn't driven it in anger for a good 5 months so it took a while to build confidence, but the first things I noticed were:

 

• Gear change is absolutely brilliant
  
• The turn in is much improved with the new ARB
  
• The tyres (ACB10s) weren't feeling to great
  
• Oversteer could be induced extremely easily
  
• The brakes weren't overly confidence inspiring
  

 

I assumed that the lack of grip was mostly down to the damp track and cold tyres, and that they would warm up and get some bite, however that didn't happen. I tried pushing the car a bit and all it did was reward me with some very fishtaily moments! Not what I wanted at all. I was beginning to think that i'd made the wrong choice with the 24mm ARB!

 

We came in again after 6 laps because of a red flag (Subarus are invincible you know....) and my dad booked me an instructor. Possibly the best move of the day. He ran through the basics with me, gave me the right gears for each corner and helped me to smooth my driving by making my pedal and steering inputs more progressive. He also commented on the tyres and that they may not be well suited to the car or conditions and weren't heating up, which was something we'd already sort of worked out.

 

So when I came back in again we swapped the tyres over for the A048Rs we'd brought along. I wasn't at all sure what they would be like once warmed up as with hillclimbing I've only ever driven on them pretty cold. So after lunch I headed back out again for what would be the best session of the day. After a lap the tyres had warmed up and the car felt perfect. It felt so well balanced with very little understeer and some nice progressive oversteer if you gave it some into the corners with the inside rear picking up nicely. The track starting to dry out allowed me to really push it into the corners and the tips from the instructor meant I could really cover some ground.

 

Obviously on the straights it was the slowest thing out there, but I was finding I was keeping up with some much quicker machinery. A couple of times I had an M3, scooby or evo right on my tail heading into a complex and coming out of it I indicated in to find they were 5 or 10 car lengths back! There was a megane 225 that sat behind me for a lap because it just couldn't keep up around the corners.

 

We then came back in again due to another red flag and I decided to let my dad have a go. He was having the same issues with smooth driving as I had been having in the morning, however he improved up to the 3rd lap when it lost power, starting coughing back through the carb followed by a 'POP'.

 

Oh dear.

 

A steady trip back into the paddock followed, where we found the engine bay covered in coolant and the water pump bleed screw half hanging out! We gave the engine a good check over and found nothing wrong other than the lack of coolant and a sopping air filter, so I wringed the filter, sprayed the electrics with WD40 and filled it with coolant. Starting it showed it to be running okay but a bit stuttery so we left it idling for a while to get back up to temperature.

 

Last time he gets a drive

 

I then went out for another session. By this time the track temperature was very cold (1deg C!) and the tyres were taking quite a while to warm up so the first to laps I took nice and easy. The car was running nicely and the brake were starting to bite again having warn the discs in a bit so I felt confident to push it in places I hadn't done previously. I managed to pretty much perfect Druids which had been very damp previously in the day but had dried out a bit, as well as the final complex, the line for which i'd struggled with through most of the day. Again I was finding I was leaving larger more powerful cars in the corners but obviously there was no contest on the straights.

 

Overall I enjoyed the day and found it extremely useful in improving my driving as well as finding niggles in the car.

 

Some pictures (Copyright © Focused Events Ltd):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

[AdamP 0]

 

 

 

 

[edbar 6]

Well done adam, looks like you had a great time and getting some good use out of it even in the awful weather! Always frustrating when you make up ground in the bends to lose it all on the straights, had that problem at silverstone GP circuit in my C2 GT.