TRACK TROPHY 381 – PROGRESS TO DATE

[Mash.]

I'll let myself out, that was the best i got...

 

[CallyTeee]

You up at the hill tomorrow???

 

[Rubicon_]

Nice work Craig. I might pop up one day to have a gander.

 

[NorthloopCup]

it sounds like a monster mate..... I need to see this in the flesh :smile:

It certainly sounds 'different' mate!

 

[cpaterson76]

Nice work Craig. I might pop up one day to have a gander.

Any time mate, text first as its ether at mine or my dads depending on what's getting done to it.....

You up at the hill tomorrow???

Un decided Cally, weathers meant to be great so possibly in the drive working on the car....

 

[cpaterson76]

Well another sunny day, so another few items scored off the list!! by the looks of j

• Remove air-con rad and blower motor from below scuttle (was meant to do this ages ago, but it just seemed a pain) - DONE
• rub down front calipers and paint with high temp silver paint this time - DONE
• new door cards to be installed to replace my hand made efforts thinking about relocating my mirror switch as i find the electric mirrros helpful for loading / unloading etc
• Fit foot plates (have had these for a year or so now and have never been quite sure about them.... (alloy with holes in them, look pretty but cant see the point, so may have to review this. One of the other cars at Knockhill has them and do look good installed)
• Fit Polycarb windows (front only) as i'm still unsure about these, so opted for easy swap over at this time! obviously remove associated runners & motors for weight etc.
• cut bumper brackets off and modify front wheel wells to stop rubbing - DONE
• fit aero catches to front bumper to stop the passengers side unclipping every outing
• check engine bay bolts including ITB & a full check over underneath - DONE
• lubricate throttle cable, electric cut off & fire extinguisher pull cables - DONE
• remove battery & refurb battery tray. i have a light weight battery, but i've chosen to leave it under the bonnet as it weights 0.8kg, so the cables and wiring to relocate it inside would weigh more than the battery, hence the refurb of the battery tray (has to look pretty of course!!) - battery out, template taken and alloy bracket sized and getting fabricated
• Oil & filter change (i change it every 3 to 4 outings, seems a little daft changing oil that still looks new but new mind)
• change gear box oil. (not quite as bad with this it gets changed start of every year)
• lubricate all suspension adjusters - DONE
• change spark plugs - DONE
• fit safety devices cage insulation
• Think about spraying the inside, this was meant to be a winter project but as the weather was so damp & wet i could never get around to it despite having all the materials !!) - THOUGHT ABOUT IT & NO, IN NEED TO DRIVE IT IT ANGER! plus that needs to be a winter job :blush:

So other than the window change over & the Aero catches the other jobs are 20 minutes each so should be ready for track soon! :smile::smile::smile:

didn't realise the silver wheels & the R888's were getting so low, so shoved the Anthracite wheels on with the some A048's, i''l get some other 888's on the silver ones through the week.


I know Renault put anthracite Turini's on the Trophy, but i much prefer how the car looks on silver to the the dark grey

more to follow............

 

[Ph1 Tom]

Ditch the heavy battery and ECU mount. Save 10kg easily

 

[cpaterson76]

Ditch the heavy battery and ECU mount. Save 10kg easily

I have a battery that weights 0.8 kg Tom, I'm getting an alloy cradle manufactured for it just now mate

 

[CallyTeee]

Need pic of this super weight saving battery :laughing:

 

[cpaterson76]

Need pic of this super weight saving battery :laughing:

I'll get you one when its all mounted up mate. the Subaru guys on track are using them and they are heavily modified so if it starts and runs one of them I'm hoping it will run my little bucket 🙈

quick snap below to show you the comparison to a full size one just now:

my only thought just now is wiring in a jump point so for cold start I can just shove the booster pack on and start, but as I say the 500 - 800bhp Subaru's are running them and they seem to work............ will let you know how I get on with it!

 

[tomislav živković]

......last email for now

The winter break is a terrible thing and boredom generally means sitting on Cliosport, looking for advice and things that can be done to improve, modify or generally make your toy a little different from others………….. and so development goes on!
I know it’s just a track car, but I do like things to look right, so the car went to the body shop to get the rear quarter repair improved upon.
View attachment 123099
One other thing I noticed was that the Trophy has had the roof done too, no damage to the roof in the accident, as you can see the inside now the interior has been removed. As the quote was a little expensive for the roof repaint, noting it was a track car, I opted to add a few stickers to take your eye away for it. This shall generate mixed opinions, but I like it and when you’re not on a step ladder taking pictures in the grey dark with the flash making them glow, they don’t stand out that much…..
View attachment 123100
So other than the body work and roof sticker kit the Trophy has been treated to a complete Powerflex Black series upgrade, all wishbone, front ARB, inner & outer (@MarcR thanks for size clarification) and rear beam bushes have been changed, as well as the dog bone mounts and steering rack bushes. Vibrotechnics upper and lower engine mounts and since the sub-frame was dropped, the sump gasket was also changed just to ensure no more leak issues.
View attachment 123101View attachment 123102View attachment 123103
View attachment 123104View attachment 123105
I’m hoping that these changes shall make a huge difference next year, these coupled with the new PMS shifter Kit that I toyed with for ages, but finally purchased last month. I haven’t used the car on track yet but can’t wait, as a quick test drive around the block shows it’s transformed. It felt great before, but it feels like a different car now.
View attachment 123106
hoping this will make for a great 2015 season and having purchased a trailer it will let me push it a little harder this year and also let me take it to a few outings down south and possibly further.
I think the coming year will bring possibly a Polycarbonate window kit, which would mean a new door card kit and possibly the interior paint, but I really want to have another year of enjoying it before I do anything else to it. I do have a cup alternator and bracket set up to allow me to remove the air-con etc. and shed a little more weight from it, but work is pretty busy just now so I think that shall be later in the season or through the winter.
If all goes well this year, I think the engine will be the next ugrade, funds dependent! I really struggled this winter in passing on the cams, Jenvey’s and ECU that @Fraser.J. had for sale, spent a good few nights negotiating with him! So I was really relieved when @-Danman-bought the lot, as knowing everything was lying in a box with my name on it was torture!
I hope I haven’t bored you guys too much with the ongoing project and I hope to catch up with a lot of you at Knockhill and any other circuit I make it to this year.
I’ll update as things change.

cheers - Craig

Nice read mate i enyojed it and also gòod looking car as well

 

[alistairolsen]

loving your new small battery which it probably Lithium Ion, next to the old one which said Lion and isnt
What brand of battery are you using?

 

[cpaterson76]

And just to keep @Mash. happy, a little more lubricating tonight............ 😂 engine & gear box oils changed :up::smile:

another 2 items off the list !

One strange thing that I noticed tonight, before changing any fluids, was that the little green gear stick / shift light (bottom right of the speedo cluster) was on??? I have never noticed it before, seemingly a little flash to tell you to change gear, Christ if you have to rely on that you shouldn't be driving!! anyone any ideas on why it would be on during idle?
more to follow..........

 

[SharkyUK]

Looking good mate

As for the green shift light... it was permanently on on both of my ITB builds. I just ignored it

 

[cpaterson76]

Looking good mate

As for the green shift light... it was permanently on on both of my ITB builds. I just ignored it

Your most possibly right Andy. I sit that low in it usually when on track, I have never noticed it... Usually look for red or amber lights not green ones. I only noticed tonight as it was dark and I was propped up putting it onto the ramps..... I won't lose too much sleep over it

 

[cpaterson76]

New battery trial fitted and working perfectly....... starts the car from cold perfectly and as its full track i'm hoping i wont have too many issues with aux items draining it, wont be leaving the lights on though!! must get a cover for the live connector, just to keep scrutineers happy :blush:

Time to remove it and give everything a good clean up now, re paint the black on the mount etc...:smile:

 

[cpaterson76]

loving your new small battery which it probably Lithium Ion, next to the old one which said Lion and isnt :tongueout:
What brand of battery are you using?

Hi mate, sorry i missed this..... Yes its a JMT Lithium Ion battery.......... £59.95 delivered so if it doesn't do as required here then no major issue, as i can use it on the Fireblade:up:

Made me laugh when i saw it as well..........:smiley:

 

[dablk]

I think I once had a mobile phone with a battery bigger than that

 

[cpaterson76]

I think I once had a mobile phone with a battery bigger than that

Yeah, probably heavier too! Its wierd when you pick it up, you know have it in your hand but it just doesn't compute !

 

[cs_dave]

I like that battery! Is it a bike one then?

 

[cs_dave]

Oh the gearchange light can mean low gearbox oil

 

[cpaterson76]

I like that battery! Is it a bike one then?

Yeah its for a bike, but seems to have start amperage..... I had spoken to a company that makes race car batteries, spec they gave me was very similar to this, but theirs was £290 plus delivery, so I'll see how this one holds up

 

[cpaterson76]

Oh the gearchange light can mean low gearbox oil

Had thought that, but checked levels and all seems fine, with no leaks showing.... I'll keep an eye on it though.

Cheers

 

[cpaterson76]

Well another sunny / wet / sunny / wet day, so another few items scored off the list!! - polycarb windows (front), pop outs and new door cards and handle spacers all fitted.............

• Remove air-con rad and blower motor from below scuttle (was meant to do this ages ago, but it just seemed a pain) - DONE
• rub down front calipers and paint with high temp silver paint this time - DONE
• new door cards to be installed to replace my hand made efforts thinking about relocating my mirror switch as i find the electric mirrros helpful for loading / unloading etc - DONE
• Fit foot plates (have had these for a year or so now and have never been quite sure about them.... (alloy with holes in them, look pretty but cant see the point, so may have to review this. One of the other cars at Knockhill has them and do look good installed)
• Fit Polycarb windows (front only) as i'm still unsure about these, so opted for easy swap over at this time! obviously remove associated runners & motors for weight etc. - DONE (not sure it was worth the effor though!)
• cut bumper brackets off and modify front wheel wells to stop rubbing - DONE
• fit aero catches to front bumper to stop the passengers side unclipping every outing
• check engine bay bolts including ITB & a full check over underneath - DONE
• lubricate throttle cable, electric cut off & fire extinguisher pull cables - DONE
• remove battery & refurb battery tray. i have a light weight battery, but i've chosen to leave it under the bonnet as it weights 0.8kg, so the cables and wiring to relocate it inside would weigh more than the battery, hence the refurb of the battery tray (has to look pretty of course!!) - battery out, template taken and alloy bracket sized and getting fabricated - DONE
• Oil & filter change (i change it every 3 to 4 outings, seems a little daft changing oil that still looks new but new mind) - DONE
• change gear box oil. (not quite as bad with this it gets changed start of every year) - DONE
• lubricate all suspension adjusters - DONE
• change spark plugs - DONE
• fit safety devices cage insulation

So just the Aero catches to the front bumper & the cage insulation to fit now so mid April for track is looking possible :smile::smile::smile: (still undecided re the foot plates!!)

 

[Chambers_RS]

Cracking through your to do list nicely mucka.

Mines getting longer and going backwards completely. Waiting for parts is the worse thing in the world.

 

[cpaterson76]

Cracking through your to do list nicely mucka.

Mines getting longer and going backwards completely. Waiting for parts is the worse thing in the world.

I know the feeling mate..... Injector or coil pack is away.... Changed the plugs and it seemed to work, but fired it up yesterday and running like a bag of bolts....

Its intermittent and as I want reliability, injectors shall be ordered and a new coil pack, cant be bothered with the hassle of turning up at the first track day and it playing up after 5 minutes! First year lead melted an hour in, second year clutch went 3 laps in and looks like this year I'll be misfiring driving it off the trailer....

So feeling your pain with to do list, mine is getting longer again.

Trying to work out if I should upgrade the injectors, pico or the like, or just replace with cheap and cheerful standards, any comments on this from anyone?

 

[NorthloopCup]

I know the feeling mate..... Injector or coil pack is away.... Changed the plugs and it seemed to work, but fired it up yesterday and running like a bag of bolts....

Its intermittent and as I want reliability, injectors shall be ordered and a new coil pack, cant be bothered with the hassle of turning up at the first track day and it playing up after 5 minutes! First year lead melted an hour in, second year clutch went 3 laps in and looks like this year I'll be misfiring driving it off the trailer....

So feeling your pain with to do list, mine is getting longer again.

Trying to work out if I should upgrade the injectors, pico or the like, or just replace with cheap and cheerful standards, any comments on this from anyone?

Old injectors doing more work = failure. I'd just replace them with like for like personally.

 

[cpaterson76]

Old injectors doing more work = failure. I'd just replace them with like for like personally.

Your most possibly right mate, its seems to run perfectly. Any comments on what make? I see the genuine Renault ones going for £25 each just now or aftermarket for £12...

 

[NorthloopCup]

Your most possibly right mate, its seems to run perfectly. Any comments on what make? I see the genuine Renault ones going for £25 each just now or aftermarket for £12...

Personally I'd get the genuine ones mate. Big advocate of buy cheap, buy twice!

 

[cpaterson76]

Personally I'd get the genuine ones mate. Big advocate of buy cheap, buy twice!

Cant say I disagree mate. I wasn't sure if the genuine & the cheaper ones might have have been one in the same thing.... Made at the same place and put into different boxes!

Take it the same goes for coil packs?

 

[NorthloopCup]

Cant say I disagree mate. I wasn't sure if the genuine & the cheaper ones might have have been one in the same thing.... Made at the same place and put into different boxes!

Take it the same goes for coil packs?

They could well be tbh mate. Original injectors are magnetti marrelli I think, but can't be certain.
ECP usually sell the oem stuff as well as the cheaper alternatives mate.

Coil pack from Renault will be ££ for definite.

 

[The Beardo]

Just read through all of this and I'm very impressed. Do you have A link to where you got the battery from or the specs?

 

[cpaterson76]

Just read through all of this and I'm very impressed. Do you have A link to where you got the battery from or the specs?

The listing has disappeared from ebay mate. but it was from bikeaholicscouk. I cant access the spec from work, but it was the same as the Racing Batteries RBF400 but the start up current was 240A vs their 250A......

the spec for eth RBF400 was:

RBF400 Specifications
Voltage: 12V Nominal Systems
Peak Current: 400 Amps
Cranking Current : 250 Amps
Capacity: 4.6Ah
Terminal Size: M6 Bolt
Dimensions: (mm) 118L x 63W x 100H
Weight: 1.05kg
Charge Regime;
Altenator (On Vehicle In Use)
Optimate Lithium (On Vehicle Trickle)

RBF400 Application Guide
Motorcycles Single Cylinder Up To 500CC
Motorcycles Twin Cylinder Up To 1300CC
Hill Climb Cars
Competition Karts
Outboard Motors Up To 100HP
Paramotors

RBF400 Benefits
Extreme High Starting Performance
Ultra Light Weight - Save up to 75% weight agaist traditional batteries
Compact for easy installation
Mount In Any Orientation
Strong resistance to shock and vibration
Fast Recharge on and off vehicle
Dry Construction no loose electrolyte
hope this helps...... they do recommend ensuring that the battery is not left with the engine switched off and current being drawn from the battery, once the alternator is running the battery will be kept fully charged and will be the same as any other battery. In storage the battery should be disconnected or fully isolated from the vehicle to avoid even minimal current drain such as ignition , alarm, immobiliser etc. Or you can simply plug the battery in to an appropriate charger to keep the battery fully charged and your car electronics supported.

hope this helps

 

[Jekyll]

I f*cking love this car!

As I said before, I love what you have done/are doing and love your OCD. Even little things like removing and painting the gearbox mount bracket as its now seen with the new battery - which is mental to believe it is one considering the size/weight!

Have you had a look at the pitking quick releases for the bumper? They look very subtle.

 

[Jekyll]

http://www.jjcraceandrally.com/auto...itking-products-quick-release-push-clip-latch

 

[cpaterson76]

http://www.jjcraceandrally.com/auto...itking-products-quick-release-push-clip-latch

I actually hadn't, but it certainly does look a lot neater than shoving a set of aero catches in there... I think I may have to investigate this further Mark.

cheers and your comments greatly appreciated as usual mate:up:

 

[Jekyll]

@-D4N- Had some on he's old ph2 172 track car and they loved really good, although I think he got he's from America. The ones in the link are pretty similar tbh.

 

[cpaterson76]

@-D4N- Had some on he's old ph2 172 track car and they loved really good, although I think he got he's from America. The ones in the link are pretty similar tbh.

Yeah I like them mate, very neat, the aero catches suit the bonnet, but every time I see a set in the bumper I think they look clumsy, its why I've held off so long in fitting them, I have them for a year now!! 🙈

 

[Jekyll]

I know exactly what you mean. They look too big and they don't suit the bumpers, like the do on the bonnet.

It's @Barron car in the bud, so he might be able to shed some light on the pitkings too.

 

[cpaterson76]

I know exactly what you mean. They look too big and they don't suit the bumpers, like the do on the bonnet.

It's @Barron car in the bud, so he might be able to shed some light on the pitkings too.

That would be good if he comments.

I'm curious to see if he cut back the plastic lip at the top of the pumper so it didn't clip into the wing any more and just left a small ledge to locate it??