RB 182 Cup Track Project

[Brando]

After five MX5s and a financially crippling house build, it was time for a new project. £1500 of Gumtree's finest, questionable service history, possibly 107k, dodgy clutch, patchy exhaust, and just about passed a ramp test. Let the garlic-fueled fun and games commence. Who can resist French Racing Blue (a.k.a / formerly known as J45 and some other name but FRB is way better!)

First thoughts, it's fun! More fun than I thought it would be :smiley:. Almost a shame to ruin it for road use. Feels very 'tight' for a 10 year old French car with 107k on the clock. Compared to the other examples we drove it was worth blowing the £1000 budget.

Our first mission, cheap airfield experiment to draw up a proper to-do list. The basic plan is to cage, bucket, and harness. Then track the hell out of it. We'll try to do everything at MSA standards, or higher, and our main aim is to get as much track time as possible. Preparing it for as many 'Ring trips as possible, starting in 2018.

The outing highlighted the need to upgrade the brake pads & discs, and to get started as it's a lot of fun in the making. We also dragged the RK Engineering drift slag along for the ride. A bi-turbo'd v6 A6 Avant Manuel, with welded rear diff and no front drive shafts. It held up well, apart from a minor incident where I got a bit too close to a stack of tyres... More practice required.

 

[K_McDermott]

Looks smart and plans sound [emoji108]

That Audi is cool as f**k [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brushwood69]

Another cool car coming out of Cornwall (or 3!)

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Brando]

Heh, that Audi needs 0 encouragement. Since that day it's been chopped and now has 350bhp. Just driving it down the road requires big kahunas and third to actually retain traction. I'll get some more pics and a video at some point .

Progress has been slow and steady.

Interior stripped.

And, with me in the driver's seat it's more weight than we'd like. Disappointed but we have a plan.

Cage prep started, based on new seats and the steering wheel's final positions. Massive thanks to a friend from another forum for collecting the seats. Wheel came from the ClioSport Classifieds . Had to be done, they are all blue .

 

[Brando]

More progress, inching closer!

Brackets and rear seat & belt mounting points removed. Turns out I'm not the best at removing spot welds (or glass, more on that to come in a bit). Because the Clio is French, the spot welded was mostly thicker than the shell of the car. This combined with my lack of skills led to a few holes that need welding :smiley:.

Sound deadening removed! A combination of vibrating mega tool, heat gun & scraper, and petrol soaked rags were used in the heinous task. The panel on the roof was by far the worst. The amount of hours involved is hard to believe until you've lived through it. Some of the astronomical racecar build fees you hear of start to seem good value. After three washes my garage kit only faintly smells of petrol and tar.

We removed all of the glass to make it easier to install the cage. After successfully removing the windscreen and storing it over Christmas, I moved it. 5 minutes later, from the other side of the workshop, we heard cracking. Rather 'cleverly' I put the windscreen down on top of the front electric window glass. Thinking glass on glass would protect it. However, far from cleverly, only being supported by two bits of curved glass caused the screen to crack all the way across 😧. All of the side windows will be replaced with Polycarbs. Ordered from ACW Motorsport plastics. And and new front screen will be ordered shortly, D'OH!

With the glass out the cage work started. We're not going OTT. Given this will be used at the 'Ring and by various levels of driving ability we want it to be safe in the worst case.

More pics of the cage once it's in. We're opting for a diagonal and harness bar to join the rear legs. A single diagonal in the roof, and xbars in the doors as high as we can get them (and still get in/out).

Next steps:
* Remove the fuel tank to finish welding the cage in
* Finish cage
* Re-fit the fuel tank
* Paint the interior, and tidy up a couple of exterior bits
* Fit ordered polycarb windows
* Order and fit front screen
* Make and fit a heat shield for the brake lines
* Re-fit Fuel line crash protection... <<whistle/whoops - removed for extra lightness, re-added for 'ball of flames in a crash' protection>>
* Buy and fit Cooksport springs
* Replaced pads, discs and brake fluid.
* Change oil and filter

 

[imprezaworks]

Looking great

 

[Coops Mk1]

nice work!

 

[Brando]

Thanks, all! More progress...

Door bars finished. Comparing this pic to the last one, I can see how the angle of the pic makes the door bar look a lot higher than they actually are. Entry and egress is more than do-able.

Rear feet and main hoop feet ready to be welded in. Harness bar set at 10 degrees.

Si dropped the fuel tank ready to weld the main hoop feet and rear of the cage. I started removing it and after nearly snapping a bolt was relegated to hoovering the inside :smiley:.

Floating Clio.

We've done some part shopping: Part Eurocar, part forum, part Gumtree, and part eBay (part puns intended).

 

[Coops Mk1]

be sure you have space when seat and steering wheel are in to get yourself over the bars and into the car too ;-)

mines a tight fit, but I don't have a quick release boss on wheel so have to go a bit contortionist to get in!lol!

 

[Brando]

be sure you have space when seat and steering wheel are in to get yourself over the bars and into the car too ;-)

mines a tight fit, but I don't have a quick release boss on wheel so have to go a bit contortionist to get in!lol!

Contortionist is a good way of describing getting in and out. The seat being on sliders is a godsend. If we race it we'll lose the sliders and fit a quick release wheel. As a track toy, I'd rather not. The cheap quick release systems always end up with play and the expensive systems are overkill for my budget (unless it becomes a race car).

 

[Coops Mk1]

That's what I've got to deal with, fixed seat and wheel, flol!!!

 

[Brando]

That door bar position is pretty much identical to ours, I feel your fixed pain. PMS shifter high on my want list!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT IT!!!!! We need to sort a Red vs. Blue track day meet

 

[Coops Mk1]

That door bar position is pretty much identical to ours, I feel your fixed pain. PMS shifter high on my want list!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT IT!!!!! We need to sort a Red vs. Blue track day meet :smiley:

its not too bad but I'm a skinny little git so that helps! lol!

yeah the PMS is one of my favourite mods on the car tbh, lovely thing. and yeah hopefully she'll be out this year as last year was a write off and need some welding to the rear drivers sill, sigh....mk1 life! :-(

 

[Brando]

We've kept the cage specs as per the MSA Blue Book, all CDS:
* Main cage members are 45mm x 2.5mm
* Door bars and harness bars are 40mm x2mm

Gusseted and lots more parts have turned up (bank balance is hurty)

We've been busy: new pads, discs, oil, front brake hoses, brake fluid, evol-racing dogbone bush, and spark plugs.

Forum sourced Cooksport springs fitted.
1314855[/ATTACH]']

 

[Brando]

What does a £300 cash paint job look like...

1314859[/ATTACH]']

It's not perfect but it'll do. It's a lot better than e-coat, scratches, unpainted metal, naked CDS, and what I could achieve with a rattle can. Sprayed over a weekend so we didn't lose much time. As an added bonus bits of grit and dust mixed with the paint have made the floor grip-ier :smiley:.

Dash back in, then out, then in... Repeat lots until way past midnight and you 49% want to put it in the bin while 51% still believe it needs to go in the car. Much easier to do with the screen out!

ACW Motorsport Plastics windows fitted. The fronts were relatively easy to silicone seal. The vent on the D/S will 100% leak. The rears are an abomination. They were cheap and we got what I didn't pay for. With my time again I'd save up and order better quality windows. Or, I need to remember this is a budget Track Day Toy and not something to be precious about. Because of the windscreen incident, we ordered a new screen and for it to fitted. The fitter, a friend of friends, also offered to fit the rear plastic windows for £10. We were going to put them in the bin and therefore bit his hand off.

More pieces of the puzzle finally coming together. Not overly pleased with the skateboard tape. It's a temp measure until we can work something better. Please don't judge me on it :smiley:

Top tip: Don't buy seats or a car from anyone that owns a wire haired Jack Russell!

I had a spare tow strap kicking around and we were wondering how you tow a Clio backwards... 20 minutes after leaving Si sent me this :smiley:

To say I am pleased with it would be a sizeable understatement. No idea on the costs, I lost track ages ago. Lots of stuff going on in work / life that's far higher priority. Where possible we've tried to keep costs down using eBay, Gumtree, and the mighty forum classifieds.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Looks great so far!

 

[R29TJR]

Great progress so far.

I look forward to seeing out on track/ring.

 

[Coops Mk1]

nice work!

Grip tape mats are great, been using them for years, but what I do is actually cut out the shape of a mat from a couple of strips and fit it, looks much much tidier that way ;-)

 

[Brando]

Thanks all

Grip tape mats are great, been using them for years, but what I do is actually cut out the shape of a mat from a couple of strips and fit it, looks much much tidier that way ;-)

I just don't like the look (or feel) of it . "The plan" is to move to a rally style punched alloy sheet and pax foot rest. With grip tape neatly laid on top. However, there are a few other priorities to sort first...

Cleaner picture of the rear end, including a 20s plenty sticker for +10 BHP, to make up for the dirty pic above.

 

[Brando]

We are far from our original "£600 bit of fun” plan. I will add the spreadsheet up, but not today / soon! It doesn't matter because I genuinely love it and the money has already been spent. Still amazed at how long these things take, how much commitment you need, and how often you have to order stuff...


Talking of ordering things, a few GumTree/eBay purchases were required: USBs and adapters for charging phones & gps tracker, Motorsport padding for the roll cage, TRS door pulls, and Eibach camber bolts

We were going down the route of aluminum door cards. In the final stages of ordering the alu @Brushwood69 dropped some foamex door cards into RK. He'd bought them off a Cliosport Forum member and we all liked them better than the alu plan. £28 of foamex ordered later... Pax side still to be done, we (Si, I'm not trusted to cut things people see) ran out of time.

We debated keeping the electric mirrors. Very glad we did, solo trailer loading/unloading is a lot nicer with. That and the fact we are all different heights with different seating positions makes for a much easier time of driver changes. The new switch location is nice and easy for all three of us to reach when strapped in. Far nicer than pissing around with stalks or people outside the car.

The fleet, assembled for the first time at my other build project that surprised me with just how much work is involved and how often you have to order expensive things.

 

[Brando]

Wagons roll! Off to Rockingham Raceway we go.

7 Hours 30 minutes later I arrived at the circuit. Not quite for the 3:30pm I'd originally planned. The M6 and M42 were both suffering from accidents and people driving badly in the rain. Ideal when your train length is over 11m and weights over 4000kgs. The security guards were really helpful and friendly, nice peeps at Rocky. After a lovely meal, it was time for a crap nights sleep. Lots going on in work and the worry of 'will the Clio actually work' meant sleep alluded me. Thankfully, the thought of the Rocky burger van and its steak sandwiches & breakfast baps kept me going...

Unloading and noise testing (83db with holey stock exhaust) revealed a significant issue... NO F**KING BURGER VAN, WTF... With that travesty discovered it was on to the usual briefings and accompanying butterflies that go with all track days. Especially a damp Rocky. The usual self-doubts: Can I actually drive a car? Why do I pay money to feel this bad? Will the Clio make it round a lap? This event was the start of another Forum's 'social calendar' and we shared a garage with a forum friend, Neil, and his lovely Megane. Looking forward to being reunited with it again at Thruxton on the 12th May in case anyone else fancies it! Catching up with old and making new friends are a big part of this hobby for me.

Talking of bricking it... I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. If you've never been to Rocky when it's wet you can't imagine how slippery parts of the track are. You just can't. I'm into double figures now and it still amazes me how something with so much grip in the dry transforms in the wet. Si's also been to Rocky and seen his fair share of spinners in the wet. He didn't want to go out until it had dried. He did want me to go out and see if I span. Watching people spin in front of us on the sighting lap did wonders for my nerves. A total of 4 people managed to spin over the 3 sighting laps. At this point I'm painfully aware it's an untested car, no idea how it's going to handle, and that a significant contributor to project Clio needs to at least have one drive before we crash it... After a quick catch up with friends, including watching various forum members drift Tarzan, it was time...

Off we went, to the slippery ice rink that is damp Rocky. First observations: The brakes are great, the back end is lively, and it's a lot of fun to drive. Cautiously did a few laps and then headed for the pits to check tyre pressures and give it a quick once over. Bringing your own mechanic is ace :smiley:.

Second time out I started to get a little braver, this lead to some big saves and still not going that quickly. Especially on turn one and the right before Pif-Paf. Oh man, how I love Pif-Paf! Back to the pits, few more checks and back out. It's finally starting to dry, not enough that Si wants to go out but enough that I am carrying speed (and willing to turn the GoPro on). The Clio feels good, fun, fast, and communicative.

It's finally starting to feel dry!




Around 11ish with not much fuel left (fair to say I'd had a lot of fun), Si called it 'dry' and wanted his first go. Just before we left the pits Neil caught us up and said he'd followed some Clios before and ours was 'properly quick'. This was perfect timing as Si badly wants to SC, Turbo, or 20vt convert the Clio. Before Neil arrived I was suggesting let's lap it lots first. Thanks, Neil. I owe you a beer!

Lunch, and two lessons learned the hard way:
1) Don't go to the cafe, bring your own and use lunch time to get fuel
2) After a painful amount of time in a queue and some mediocre food we returned 2 minutes after the onsite petrol station closed. D'oh...

And out we go for take 2.. Si's second go and our first on the new layout...
Red flag... D'oh
Take 3 and wait, what's that smell and proceeding smoke?

Game over. The PAS pump decided to atmospherically vent fluid. We loaded her up, Si set off and I stuck around to catch up with people and took the opportunity to blag pax laps with Neil in the Megane and another forum friend in the Focus RS. Great cars, good fun! Overall a great day, as you can tell I've utterly fallen for the Clio's charms and can't wait for its next outing at Thruxton on Friday 12th May.

So, now we need an EPAS setup. If anyone has or knows of one for sale please think of us :smiley:. All suggestions and thoughts on EPAS appreciated.

 

[imprezaworks]

Great write up mate

 

[Coops Mk1]

great first outing by sounds of it!
and yes PAS is a PITA, more fluids = more problems, I binned mine off years ago and just run manual steering, brackets on block from a Renault 19 to delete pumps for AC and PAS etc and then just removed pipes from rack and done!lol! bit heavy manouvering but once moving its fine and responsive for track work. Also means no hydraulic or electric components for power steering to go wrong

 

[Brando]

great first outing by sounds of it!
and yes PAS is a PITA, more fluids = more problems, I binned mine off years ago and just run manual steering, brackets on block from a Renault 19 to delete pumps for AC and PAS etc and then just removed pipes from rack and done!lol! bit heavy manouvering but once moving its fine and responsive for track work. Also means no hydraulic or electric components for power steering to go wrong

We thought about removing PAS altogether. On a wet Rocky I needed it. I removed it from my last few MX5s and actually thing I enjoyed driving them less. Maybe I need more gym time . It's nice to have for longer stints too, especially round the 'Ring. It's physical enough.


EPAS Conversion
So, we're 100% EPAS-ing. All thoughts on guides and setup appreciated. Looking into DCI rack column and part numbers...

Found these two guides / posts so far:
http://www.cliosport.net/threads/epas-on-172-cup.687703/
http://www.cliosport.net/threads/epas-conversion.794772/

Thinking DCI rack, DCI column & ECU, and eBay special box of tricks. All thoughts welcome :smiley:. Especially part no.s and tips.

Edit: If anyone is thinking to sell or has spares kicking around please get in touch :smiley:

Exhaust and de-cat
Also looking into exhausts. Ours has more holes and bad welds than anything else. We want to ditch the CAT and run a SS exhaust but also still be able to do 90 DB trackdays. Thruxton is 90DB and other tracks will follow 😧.

Any thoughts on exhausts that will give us some gains, ditch the cat, save weight, and be under 90db?

 

[imprezaworks]

Imo not many exhausts will give gains. Is the car mapped?

The pms exhaust would be my choice if money was no object.

 

[Brando]

The Clio isn't mapped, yet. The friends I am building the car with (OK, the people actually doing most of the work while I make cups of tea and try not to break stuff - that said, one of the duo blew the PAS pump :smiley have a rolling road :smiley: - http://www.rk-engineering.co.uk/

We need an exhaust to get an MOT. I wasn't joking when I said our 'stock' exhaust was more holes and weld than anything else. It's really heavy and we need another 15kgs gone to get under a tonne. The end goal will be to rebuild the engine with 197/200 cams and port it when we do the dephaser and clutch. For the mo I just want it working and MOT'd before Thruxton.

Very glad my better half doesn't read forums and has no interest in cars because I've just spent £50...
http://www.pure-motorsport.co.uk/clio-2-rs182/clio-2-rs182-exhaust/182-racing-exhaust-system.html

After chatting to Nicky we've opted to go cat back to keep the noise down. We'll look at a way to get a silenced de-cat on after Thruxton. Depending on how loud it is at Thruxton. Also, having read the above EPAS threads (and the additional one below), I've ordered the replacement pulley from PMS and bought a 1.5 dci rack, column, and ECU from https://renparts.co.uk/ - Have to say I'm impressed by the Renparts peeps (and PMS was a given :smiley. I rang up and got half way through "1.5 ..." when they said "Is this for a Clio 172? Then you need this, this and that, call it £95 posted". Sorry, £50... All being well work will start on Thursday and I'll pop into PMS Wednesday to collect the pulley and exhaust.

This pic has the correct 1.5 DCI rack part no. 77 00 437 055. Lifted from the previous threads mentioned above in case anyone else is after it / doesn't want to read a few pages to find it.
Another thread read: http://www.cliosport.net/threads/clio-dci-steering-rack-for-cup-what-year-make.358181/

£50 well-spent :smiley:. Massively need to avoid buying the shifter on Wednesday. Magic'd this cash up from behind the sofa but I'm definitely treading the thin line of wife rage vs. Clio greatness.

 

[imprezaworks]

You bought the pms, nice choice mate the quality is awesome

 

[Brando]

You bought the pms, nice choice mate the quality is awesome :smile:

Thanks for the recommendation, that tipped me over the edge - If my wife divorces me you'll be listed as one of the reasons.

 

[imprezaworks]

Ha ha

 

[Clio_fool]

Best £50's you can spend on shiny pipes. I wish I was good at hiding what I spend, my wifes clio rage meter is taller than her .

I like turtles

 

[Brando]

Renpart's column and rack turned up. We've opted to replace all consumables so those have also been ordered, including new ball joints.

For our EPAS setup to work well we have to fool the EPAS Ecu with torque and speed sensor signals. Thankfully, a handy company in Portugal provide a magic box of tricks that lets you dial in the assistance by simulating these signals.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181027314492?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


Last Thursday, I called in at Pure Motorsport - http://www.pure-motorsport.co.uk/ - To retain aircon and move to EPAS required a replacement pulley for the PAS pump. As mentioned, to get an MOT we're going to need an exhaust... The current religious original is going to the scrapper. To meet noise regs and keep it open for the possibility of racing / sprinting we've opt'd for their cat back system.

Foolishly thought we'd get the rack and pulley sorted in an evening... The pulley we (Si and Jem) fitted while I cut PAS pipes and tried not to get in the way. This was not a fun job, anyone would think a 2.0l 16v wasn't designed to fit in the engine bay... Getting the pump out and new belt on was 'fun'.

We took the opportunity, with a last minute dash to ECP in the courtesy car, to add some german engineering.

Next up is the rack!

 

[Brando]

A couple of issues with the rack to be sorted, missing parts and wrong parts from ECP = let's fit the exhaust! Turns out the old one was a heavy work of art!

Nearly 23kg! The new system weighs 12kg (not including the CAT, but that's consistent on both systems). As mentioned, we opted for CAT back to avoid noise issues. This required some TIG welding from Jem.

The middle box mount was deader than a very dead thing. New one eBayed and temp cable tie hack fudged to get us rolling. The ordered mount claims to be up-rated, we'll see how it goes. Talking of mounts, the PMS rear mounts are lovely! They made for an easy fit and alignment. We're waiting on the eBayed center mount and a few heat cycles before we go OCD on alignment.

At Rocky, with a full tank of fuel, we noticed a few petrol-esque smells. Si feared we'd holed the plastic fuel tank welding the cage in. However, closer inspection revealed the fuel tank seal was on its last legs. Fixed.

Definitely an easier job if you don't have a cage... No interior saved a fair chunk of time :smiley:.

Rack update, soon, I hope. Thruxton is looming :smiley:.

 

[Brushwood69]

I'm falling behind compared to you ;-) but great work by some...

 

[Brando]

I'm falling behind compared to you ;-) but great work by some...

You'll get there and your's is way tidier :smiley:. Can't wait for Thruxton.

More progress in a bid to be ready for Thruxton. To remove the rack you can either drop the rear of the subframe or get choppy...

Comparing the columns and racks. It became apparent we were missing a lower shaft (thanks for PM confirmation NorthloopCup :smiley 😧. All sorted with a call to Renparts! Pays to check before you plan to fit... Amazed the EPAS motor fits behind the dash :smiley:.

The wiring was easy (for a trained mechanic :smiley. Si also fabbed up a bracket for the EPAS ECU bracket. This mounts it lower down and makes it possible to access and remove. The cage goes through the original bracket mount. The potentiometer fitted just within reach and out of they way to avoid being accidentally knocked.

While Si was busy with the above, it was my turn to learn how to change a car tyre. I've changed a few pushbike tyres in my time, never a car tyre. Much laughing (at me) eschewed... Got there in the end, and it even balanced! Front tyres changed for a new pair.

Wheels back on and it was ready to be tracked.

Si also replaced the horn in prep for an MOT (see previous MOT history :smiley.

We're so close to ready! Just a few issues remain to problem solve. All thoughts appreciated!

1. ABS light comes on. As soon as the Clio starts moving it comes on and ABS goes off. If you turn the ignition off and on again while the car is moving it stays off and ABS works fine. We think this is down to removing the Stability System and sensors.

2. The EPAS only works if you adjust the potentiometer and wiggle the steering wheel each time the car starts. 0 assistance until you do the above and hear the EPAS 'click'. Once it's clicked it's fine. Which rules out the ECU, Motor, and wiring?

Possible that 1 and 2 are related. Combined they are a bit of a pain as it means you need to start the car, move it far enough you can switch it on and back off again, then with it running for the second time get the EPAS to kick in. It's like a light aircraft set of flight checks/things to do every time you want to take it out. Unless you don't want assisted steering and ABS...

All thoughts appreciated:smiley:

 

[MarkT]

Subscribed!

 

[Speedy300]

Great project, and enjoy Thruxton its a great track.

I was considering the PMS exhaust system but thought it might be too loud for Thruxton. I will be interested to see what your DB reading is, it might encourage me to go and buy one!

 

[Brando]

Thanks, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. We'll find out a week tomorrow :smiley:. It doesn't sound that loud in or out of the car, fingers crossed.

 

[Speedy300]

Thanks, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. We'll find out a week tomorrow :smiley:. It doesn't sound that loud in or out of the car, fingers crossed.

How did you get on at Thruxton?

 

[Brando]

Sorry for the delay. Lots of work and home fun got in the way of car fun...

Cleaned, dyno'd at 176 BHP, and MOT'd!



81db!!!!! Noise is a funny thing, the main noise in the car is still induction. The Pure Motorsport exhaust has added a deeper, sportier edge vs. the former work of art. After a sleepless night worried about the strict 90db limit, 81db has more than confirmed our exhaust choice. I can now return to sleepless nights worrying about everything else :smiley:.

On to the day itself, with lots of friends also booked on I was even more excited. We picked up an m3 Clubsport spec owning friend en route. Confession time: I'm an utter BMW fanboy. For me, this M3 is the pinnacle: the looks, the colour, the spec, the s54......... <<sorry, I need a moment>> We arrived, unloaded, caught up with some friends, and then headed for the briefing. MSE 'perform' the worst briefings in the UK TD Industry. You can watch the room nod off and zone out, pay no attention beyond the first 5 minutes, and miss most of the key info. Affirmed when people left the room asking the same questions: how do you return to the pits, when's lunch, how do sighting laps work, what side of the track do you overtake. I'll admit to not being a patient person, but seriously, 45 minutes of the same jokes and waffle is no way to convey information. My survival plan: eat breakfast and sort a couple of work emails on my phone during. Ruined by: leaving both phone and breakfast in the car, D'OH!.

I offered Jem, the cage builder & other third of the RK Clio, the sighting laps and follow-on session. His first time at Thruxton and in the Clio on-track. A massive relief to make it this far and for him to finally get a go. It was wet and raining, and Jem reported the EPAS was struggling. I hoped in for a go and confirmed the same. Coming off center the steering was very heavy, then it would suddenly lighten with zero feel and grip. This could have been EPAS, new tyres, understeering wet track etc, etc, etc... It robbed me of a fair bit of confidence. Ideal timing for the aforementioned m3 friend to chuck me the keys... Oh man, what a machine (did I mention it was only recently finished... and wet... and pooring with more rain...)!!! Such an idiot for not sticking the GoPro in... A theme I continued for most of the day.

After the m3, returning to the Clio felt like a wrestling match. The Clio felt faster and required more effort and commitment to drive. In reality, it was around 20mph slower. Through the chicane and complex, I'd say it was even. That's more down to my lack of ability in the m3 and not wanting to spin someone else's car, and the Clio's weight advantage. Not really a surprise, the m3's Intrax suspension cost more than our entire build. Hopefully, I'll get to drive the m3 again (and video it).

Lots and lots of laps later, it was lunch. By now we'd worked out a way to make sure the EPAS was on (let Jem drive and then don't turn it off was my solution :smiley and confidence was growing. The EPAS isn't as bad as I feared it might be, once it's working and 'dialed in' it's fine and nice not to have to worry about the PAS pump exploding. After lunch, the track dried out enough that it was more dry/damp than wet. Church was around 110 at the lateish apex, with a comfort lift or check of the brakes before turn in. I'm convinced this should be flat in the Clio a few 4 wheel drifts over the bump put me off, next time... Complex and final chicane were in third. Rest of the circuit 4th and 5th. No need for second and first, it really is a fast circuit.

Not long after lunch another friend let me out in his caged 330ci. Keen to back to back with the m3. This time the Clio was faster. However, it really showed the Clio's original 110k dampers up and I finally remembered the GoPro.



After the 330ci, I went for one more session before letting Jem drive to the chequered flag (and fianlly remembered the GoPro). Excuse the poor driving at the complex, I was messing around and keener on getting it back safe and sound for Jem's final go. Back to back the videos show the Clio's tired dampers. I wasn't pressing on in either car, there is plenty more in both. Looking forward to seeing how the 330ci develops.



Thruxton is rapidly becoming my favourite UK circuit (topping Dony and Cadwell). I don't think I've been in a car more at a trackday. Thanks to generous friends I was driving most of the day, and barely set foot in the pits. A top day out :smiley:.

Plans now: carry on with the todo list, fix a new minor fuel leak, new shocks, nut and bolt check.

Next outing: Castle Combe at the end of June.

Any recommendations for dampers, and does anyone have a spare fuel pump (our plastic housing has a hairline crack 😧)?

 

[Speedy300]

Great read, glad to hear you had a good day out at Thruxton. I attended a Thruxton track day in April and went in a E46 M3 for a few passenger laps, it was very quick especially due to slicks and extremely powerful brakes (its the car I would love to replace the Clio with, its a shame they are so bloody expensive to run as a track car). I still cant make my mind up if Church is flat out, I normally wimp out at the last minute...

I am amazed the PMS exhaust was only 81 DB! My next exhaust choice is based on Thruxton 90 DB track days so you might have convinced me to order the full system!

FYI - I have Koni yellow suspension kit on my car (below), I personally rate them. Stiff setting for track, soft for road works well. Depends if you want to up the budget and go for a 'more' track day focused set up - i.e. decent Coilovers.
http://www.larkspeed.com/shopper/i/...-2-0i-16v-Sport-182-Koni-Sport-Suspension-Kit