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Getting bored of the ph1 'track' car already......

I think your only problem here is that you haven't tracked it, you've made a car that is utter crap from day to day on the road, in order to make it great on the track, but you only drive it on the road?

The bold bits, are your problem.
 
Do a Renault Sport track day. You will have more enjoyment i imagine driving with other Clios and similiar powered cars compared to just some random track day.
 
Do a track day, man up, or go out at 3am and enjoy the car properly.

Llandow do full days for about £80 at least once a month.

Its a trek from yours, but make a weekend of it & go up the black mountains, evo triangle, etc as well.
 
As other have said, there's no point having a track car and not tracking it - I highly recommend Bedford!

More generally, I don't understand this obsession on CS with having a 'track prepped' car. It's completely unnecessary, a 1*2 is very decent on track in completely standard form and it always strikes me as being completely bonkers to 'track prep' (i.e. make the thing unliveable day to day) the car before you've at least done a few trackdays with it! You won't know how much fun it is compared to having a standard one, and you'll have spent a lot of money on parts when you don't know what performance edge they're giving you, if any. Buy 182, uprate brakes, take it to track day, done.
 
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What you getting to replace the 182? A 200 I hope ;)

I dont use my day to day so the semi track prepness is fine imo.
 
Greeny 172 said:
What you getting to replace the 182? A 200 I hope ;)

I dont use my day to day so the semi track prepness is fine imo.
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Tried a 200, loved it, couldn't justify 17/18k on a clio (couldn't live with the uber boggo 200 cup, wanted a 200 with all the toys, cup pack etc). Will definitely be looking at one second hand in a couple of years time.

Mrs has started talking about kids, decided I needed a bigger car, so the replacement is a megane 250 cup. Currently due for delivery in mid/late September, I need to then put 600 miles on it in a month so I can take it to Bedford on 30 October...
 
Tbh, I think you went wrong with wanting to build a car in the first place, You dont need a track car with stiff suspension and sticky tyres to enjoy a track day... But I can see the apeal of building a car and I think alot of people get more satisfaction from doing so.

put up or shut up ;)
 
gashead1105 said:
Tried a 200, loved it, couldn't justify 17/18k on a clio (couldn't live with the uber boggo 200 cup, wanted a 200 with all the toys, cup pack etc). Will definitely be looking at one second hand in a couple of years time.

Mrs has started talking about kids, decided I needed a bigger car, so the replacement is a megane 250 cup. Currently due for delivery in mid/late September, I need to then put 600 miles on it in a month so I can take it to Bedford on 30 October...
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I'm sure the guy that ragged the f**k out of it coming off the boat etc wasn't worried about 600miles.
 
gashead1105 said:
I've seen you post this elsewhere... You're probably right that this happens, but I'm going to go by the book anyway.
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Modern engines don't need running in, I'm not sure why they even recommend it! Someone I know picked up a new 430 couple of year ago. Was told running it was essential due to it being a new engine, and under no circumstance should a new Ferrari engine be taken over a certain level etc.
That's despite every new Ferrari being taken out and driven hard (very hard lol) from the factory! (iirc they all arrive with 40ish miles on the clock)
 
If you decide you want it back to standard, then I'd be interested in swapping interiors.......
 
Agree with most in here, I couldn't live with mine day-to-day...the bare metal interior, lack of power steering and harnesses make it a once-a-week-only commuting car, and that's mainly just to keep the discs clear of rust.

Apart from that it gets a good run out each weekend and the odd trackday. Love it.

I'm surprised you turned it into a track-car and struggle with £200 for a trackday though...that's pretty much the going rate for an OPL day isn't it?
 
Brown Bear said:
Someone I know picked up a new 430 couple of year ago. Was told running it was essential due to it being a new engine, and under no circumstance should a new Ferrari engine be taken over a certain level etc.
That's despite every new Ferrari being taken out and driven hard (very hard lol) from the factory! (iirc they all arrive with 40ish miles on the clock)
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With all due respect, I think I'd take their advice as it's probably there for a reason!
 
Tom@JMS said:
With all due respect, I think I'd take their advice as it's probably there for a reason!
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100% unnecessary. With modern ecu's, if it were essential for component longevity (given that any failures would likely be paid for by the manufacturer via warranty), they'd simply have a lower rev limit for the running in period.
I've not run in a single car I've owned from new, none have had a single issue. Wait till the oils warm, done.
 
Brown Bear said:
100% unnecessary. With modern ecu's, if it were essential for component longevity (given that any failures would likely be paid for by the manufacturer via warranty), they'd simply have a lower rev limit for the running in period.
I've not run in a single car I've owned from new, none have had a single issue. Wait till the oils warm, done.
Click to expand...

I thought all modern engines were run in at the factory on the bench.

The only bits you do need to run in being friction surfaces like brakes and clutches.

I have no evidence for this though, so I stand to be corrected.
 
Tom@JMS said:
With all due respect, I think I'd take their advice as it's probably there for a reason!
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I'm with you on this one Tom, I'd never thrash an engine that hadn't been run in, ever.

Hence why I let everyone overtake on the Guildford - Brighton run, honest! ;)
 
alant1000 said:
I'm with you on this one Tom, I'd never thrash an engine that hadn't been run in, ever.

Hence why I let everyone overtake on the Guildford - Brighton run, honest! ;)
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Each to their own. As far as I'm concerned, Ferrari wouldn't spank every single car they produce from zero miles.
 
Faster cars are the ones that have been abused from day one.

Ever driven an ex Hire car?? El rapido! lol.
 
Daniel said:
Faster cars are the ones that have been abused from day one.

Ever driven an ex Hire car?? El rapido! lol.
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This. Older methods of casting/manufacturing parts meant that the parts were physically worn in (ie the rough edges removed) during use. Hence the early oil change which used to be required. Modern methods mean this is obselete.

Ask the lad that had my 1st 172, in his words it was the quickest he ever came across!
 
Brown Bear said:
Each to their own. As far as I'm concerned, Ferrari wouldn't spank every single car they produce from zero miles.
Click to expand...

You know this for a fact 100%?

The way I see it is simple:

Ferrari design the engines.
Ferrari advise a run in period.

The run in period of an engine covers a vast array of topics beyond the physical, your talking thermal expansion/contraction etc.
 
I'll stick my oar in and say I would and have run an engine in properly but only so they cant use it against me when i need to make warranty claims.
 
Going back to the very original OP, I'd say sell up and get a 182 with the toys again. There is nothing wrong with getting bored, you had your project and did it, a track day might bring you a few hours lulz but essentially it sounds like you've had enough of it.

Everyone gets bored of their cars, and for me at least when that happens i know its time to change.
 
Use this as a learning experience!

My polo was stripped and had buckets. Loved it for a while. Then it started getting tiresome and I wanted fun but with some refinement. Hence the Clio! No need to strip it. They're great fun with all the interior in!

You can still track a car with interior!

Sell the ph1 and buy a std ph1 if you prefer them to the ph2's.
 
alant1000 said:
Going back to the very original OP, I'd say sell up and get a 182 with the toys again. There is nothing wrong with getting bored, you had your project and did it, a track day might bring you a few hours lulz but essentially it sounds like you've had enough of it.

Everyone gets bored of their cars, and for me at least when that happens i know its time to change.
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How does he know he's bored of it if he hasn't tracked it?? Its a track car, remember?
 
I don't know why people go so far? My 172 was useable everyday, but great on track! Suspension, brakes, exhaust, seats. Removed the rear seats for track days/tip runs, perfect. Why go so far that the cars only useful in one situation??
All you acheive is a car that's 10% better for 5% of the time!
 
Daniel said:
How does he know he's bored of it if he hasn't tracked it?? Its a track car, remember?
Click to expand...

Well because he doesnt like revving the nuts off cars, and likes creature comforts, I'd therefore suggest he might not like a track day very much!!!
 
How can you be bored of a track car that's only driven on the road?

That's like being bored of a your own private aircraft that you just taxi up and down a runway.

Absolute MADNESS!!
 
I reckon personally he wanted a project more than a track car, finished the project and is bored. If you were the sort of person that hates reving cars hard (like me), a track day is not going to float your boat.

Maybe the OP felt like taking on a new project, realised track daying isnt for him and driving about with a stripped out interior or whatever isnt his kettle of fish, and then realised he made a mistake.

I totally see where everyone is coming from when they say it needs to be tracked, but maybe he has decided its not a hobby he wants to pursue.
 
alant1000 said:
I reckon personally he wanted a project more than a track car, finished the project and is bored. If you were the sort of person that hates reving cars hard (like me), a track day is not going to float your boat.

Maybe the OP felt like taking on a new project, realised track daying isnt for him and driving about with a stripped out interior or whatever isnt his kettle of fish, and then realised he made a mistake.

I totally see where everyone is coming from when they say it needs to be tracked, but maybe he has decided its not a hobby he wants to pursue.
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Oh ffs man, how can he have finished a track car project, without being on track?? Christ on a bike, you have to rev a car hard on track, you don't knock it into D and waft through Druids trying not to spill your Latte!!
 
Brown Bear said:
Oh ffs man, how can he have finished a track car project, without being on track?? Christ on a bike, you have to rev a car hard on track, you don't knock it into D and waft through Druids trying not to spill your Latte!!
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yeah i know i agree, but if you read post #1, the OP says he hates having to rev the nuts off a car to get anything out of it.

Why would someone who hates reving cars want to track day it (or even build a track day car IMO), i'm just going by how i read into his original post.

Its the same as when you see all these cars on ebay etc, half built projects or whatever, you might wonder why they'd sell a car half finished, its just a fact peoples desires change as time passes, it was probably a passing phase that made him want to build a track car.
 
alant1000 said:
yeah i know i agree, but if you read post #1, the OP says he hates having to rev the nuts off a car to get anything out of it.

Why would someone who hates reving cars want to track day it (or even build a track day car IMO), i'm just going by how i read into his original post.

Its the same as when you see all these cars on ebay etc, half built projects or whatever, you might wonder why they'd sell a car half finished, its just a fact peoples desires change as time passes, it was probably a passing phase that made him want to build a track car.
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True. I think the biggest mistake the OP has made is trying to run it as a road car.
 
I personally think he's built his "track car" on the cheap and hasn't thought of the cost of actually tracking his everyday car.

Tyres, brakes, bushes, oil, petrol, fees... Track days aren't cheap!!!!
 
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