BIGASH/FF-Racing X85 Clio Cup Racer Project

[BIGASH]

Croft trackday tomorrow Cars are loaded and all ready to go in the morning!

Moving house on Sunday and the new place has much faster internet so will get the video's loaded up once moved as it'll be quicker

 

[Chi]

Gutted I'll miss this. I'm in Brighton, I hasten to add it's business not pleasure.

 

[BIGASH]

Yes Chi its a shame I don't think Croft will give the travel sick feeling to my passengers that Cadwell was doing lol!

 

[BIGASH]

LOL just went through some picture on facebook and came across this old picture from how the car first looked when it got built! Amazing how much its changed/come along in 18 months

 

[Chip-mk1]

Croft trackday tomorrow Cars are loaded and all ready to go in the morning!

Moving house on Sunday and the new place has much faster internet so will get the video's loaded up once moved as it'll be quicker

Have fun mate

Fingers crossed the car just takes it all faultlessly again like cadwell!

 

[BIGASH]

Thanks mate fingers crossed

 

[dinger]

Have fun James.

 

[MG cup]

Have fun.

Matt grey is such a nice colour on clio's , top one would make a nice road car, the bottom suits a racecar. You need some loud colours on a racer.

 

[BIGASH]

Have fun James.

Thanks mate I posted that gear out today with special so it will be with you tomorrow by 1

Have fun.

Matt grey is such a nice colour on clio's , top one would make a nice road car, the bottom suits a racecar. You need some loud colours on a racer.

Thanks Morgan

Haha yes I really like it although every corner of the car has damage now so been chatting with a friend for a new livery

 

[Martin.]

LOL just went through some picture on facebook and came across this old picture from how the car first looked when it got built! Amazing how much its changed/come along in 18 months

What a transformation! Still looks epic in the first pic though.

 

[16xe_chris]

Thank you for the passenger ride today matey, I thought some of those cars you overtook where meant to be quick ha ha

The car handles like its on rails, the acceleration and gear changes were awesome ;-)

 

[Chip-mk1]

Thank you for the passenger ride today matey, I thought some of those cars you overtook where meant to be quick ha ha

The car handles like its on rails, the acceleration and gear changes were awesome ;-)

Still a few hours left to get in on the roll centre correction group buy if you ever want your clio to handle the same

 

[BIGASH]

What a transformation! Still looks epic in the first pic though.

Haha thanks Martin

Thank you for the passenger ride today matey, I thought some of those cars you overtook where meant to be quick ha ha

The car handles like its on rails, the acceleration and gear changes were awesome ;-)

Absolute pleasure mate thanks for all your help with bits this year really have helped the car along LOL i'm enjoying the lack of being overtaken and Rob was the same when he was out!

Still a few hours left to get in on the roll centre correction group buy if you ever want your clio to handle the same

Haha Chris doesn't even have a clio but good try buddy

 

[dmallett]

Looks so strange compared to when it was at snetterton all that time ago, love how much progress the car has made every time i see it!

 

[BIGASH]

That feels like 10 years ago to me it's crazy! Thanks Dan

 

[BIGASH]

So Croft today and another great day in the car Day started off damp so had to swap to the 888's then it dried up so back onto the Dunlop's and then it rained again. The car once again had great pace and I had a good friend of mine driving who used to do a fair bit of professional racing so was good to have him driving and get some data to compare to. Should have some really good videos and also had a pedal camera for the day so should make for some good viewing! I will get the video's up once I get to MK on Sunday.

Unfortunately mid/late afternoon the gearbox started making some odd noises but it's not the end of the world as the box had to come out anyway to fit the new flywheel and clutch that needs fitting. Going to get the engine and box out tonight maybe.... (I made the mistake of getting into bed to catch up with my days emails so maybe not bothering going back to the garage) Also need to get the front AST's off and back to AST as they have been having some play in the shafts recently which is only getting worse but I will refrain from making any comments until they have got a professional opinion

Had a great year with the car this year and was a real sad moment driving it into the garage for the last time of 2013! Onwards and upwards Got a great list of little areas to work on with the car so even if not racing next year can keep chipping away at the laptimes.

Once again a massive thanks to everyone who has helped me out with various aspects of the car this year really couldn't do it without everyones help

 

[Chip-mk1]

Me and les are going to Huddersfield Saturday night to fetch some pilot sport cups, could pop over yours after if you want a hand and don't mind it being a fairly late one (would get to yours about 10)

 

[BIGASH]

Thanks mate i'd love to take you up on that but I fear I may regret it as setting off to move to MK at 6am Sunday morning

 

[Toastfrenzy]

How did you notice the play in your front AST's?

 

[Tony Hunter]

Wiggle them.

 

[BIGASH]

Just when checking over the car and checking for wheel play, there is movement in the 12 and 6 position. I started to feel it when driving now aswell so time for them to come off. I had the same problem when they were new but then it got sorted.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Thanks mate i'd love to take you up on that but I fear I may regret it as setting off to move to MK at 6am Sunday morning

We'll be done by 1am, you can still get 4 hours sleep


Or we could just pop up tonight instead if its better, although would need to be similar sort of time still as les is in work till just gone 8.

 

[BIGASH]

Haha that's very true

It's properly out of your way just to give me a hand but thanks for the offer mate I think i'm going to go down now and pull it apart (Now to explain to Sophie why i'm taking a gearbox and set of dampers to MK lol)

 

[Chip-mk1]

Yeah its a bit out of our way but nothing you wouldnt do for us so stop worrying about it!
So if you do find you dont get round to it during the day today then just give me a shout and we'll be up.

 

[BIGASH]

Thank you very much mate Legend!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Now worries, drop me a message about 7pm or so and let me know if you have done it or if you want us to come up, should be quicker each time and didnt exactly take long last time anyway!

 

[BIGASH]

Okay thanks mate will do Yes I was think sub 45mins really

 

[sonny172cup]

Just out of curiosity James, do you remove the engine with the box on when removing the box?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Just out of curiosity James, do you remove the engine with the box on when removing the box?

Yeah, saves messing up all the geo by having to drop and then remount (and it never goes back exactly the same to a 1/10 th of a mm the front subframe.

 

[sonny172cup]

Thought so, prob do the the same next time when removing my box

 

[Tony Hunter]

I just take tbe lot out.

 

[BIGASH]

Yes Sonny as Chip and Tony say I just take the whole lot through the top. I will always do everything I can to avoid removing the subframe for the reasons Chip says.

 

[sonny172cup]

I take it you dont have to redo the camber when removing the prop-shafts? On my coilovers are slotted so have to be redone, is that the same with the ASTs?

 

[Toastfrenzy]

Man up Sonny, undo hub nut, undo the two nuts for the ball joint and pull the hub off the shaft. Don't need to touch the suspension.

 

[BIGASH]

I don't even have to undo the ball joint as I just have the one 24mm nut on the RCA kit. Just under the car doing it now one nut and then shafts out!

 

[NorthloopCup]

I don't even have to undo the ball joint as I just have the one 24mm nut on the RCA kit. Just under the car doing it now one nut and then shafts out!

See, yet another reason why the hub kit is useless. Flol!

 

[sonny172cup]

Man up Sonny, undo hub nut, undo the two nuts for the ball joint and pull the hub off the shaft. Don't need to touch the suspension.

HAHA, to be fair didn't think of that.

 

[BIGASH]

Had a little jaunt into the field at Croft lol

Also found some of the polystyrene board from Donington! The engine bay was full of mud from the field so time to give it all a final clean for the year

Parked up for the foreseeable future

Stripped off all the bits I need to get fixed

Since swapping to the EBC pads I seem to have cracked the front disc's badly but only on the outer face, going to get them inspected it could just be due to age as the same discs have been on for 2 years now.

Dampers off and ready to be taken for inspection and same with the gearbox ready to go to gripper

Moving forwards with the car I am unsure which way to go, I have had a few people drive it and everyone seems to come up with the same opinion which I also agree and that is the dampers are getting to the point of struggling. I think I have just maximised what they will give so I'm wondering about swapping them out for some other units. The only other thing is building an engine for the car its become increasingly apparent since fitting the new gearbox that to maximise it and its closer ratios then I need to have a more peaky and later power delivery so quite tempted to build up and engine. The thing is I can only afford to do one so its a choice between some very nice dampers or a nice engine..... Mmmm

 

[Martin.]

What do you have on their currently AST Sp2s?

 

[Fred@BTM]

we're just about to order some special suspension for Steve's 500+ monster, give me a call and i'll fill you in

always said AST's need work, not bad for the £££ though