Clio track prep - next stage complete !

[rs32]

It's taken a while to get things this far, but now have stage 2/3 of the 172 Cup track car prep complete.

Thanks are due to APS in Brackley for their continued superb efforts, and Balance Motorsport, K-Tec, Yozza and RSTuning for providing, parts/advice etc.

To recap the car had originally been a completely standard 172 Cup with 44k miles on the clock.

The car went to Castle Combe and Croft with the following mods:

• Whitleine adjustable rear ARB
• Full Powerflex purple bush kit
• Oil Cooler
• Eibach Pro-kit springs
• Samco hoses
• Magnecor 8.5mm blue ignition leads
• BMC panel filter
• Sparco front strut brace
• Tarox G88 discs & matching pads
• Goodridge hoses and ATE Blue brake fluid
• Sparco steering wheel
• Whiteline rear toe adjustment kit

For Croft the following was added :

• Samco intake elbow
• K-Tec Stealth cat-back exhaust
• Dunlop Direzza cut-slicks
• Speedline 2118 15" wheels
• Helix paddle clutch

Then I ended up with an issue regarding the seats - it didn't seem possible to get the car going any quicker as I was having to brace myself between the OEM seats and steering wheel. This was completely knackering over the course of a full day's track time - so something needed doing.

So the car now has

• Sparco Pro2000 seats with 4-point harnesses

and also

• RSTuning 7650 rpm ECU-exchange with Milltek 200-cell cats
• Custom rear strut bar between suspension turrets
• Removal of all interior behind B-pillar

Really, really looking forward to doing Croft again - this coming Saturday

 

[simonwwfc]

how much you spent so far

 

[JR]

Very nice richard, mite have some castle combe action for you to attend soon again.

 

[rs32]

About 9k including the car.

 

[John D]

Good write up Richard.

Love the seats :approve:

 

[Batman]

croft's a good track hope you dont break through the corners after the back straight

 

[John D]

I hope it does'nt break too

 

[MarkCup]

Nice.

*** drools ***

 

[rs32]

croft's a good track hope you dont break through the corners after the back straight

for the first few laps - of course I did Then I remembered some good advice - "Croft is a ballsy circuit so don't back off in the section after Tower". Once I got the hang of "hanging on" it was fine !

The toughest bit I've found at Croft so far is Hairpin - there seemed to be absoultely no grip mid-corner but I'm going to try to carry more speed in without power then get on the power much later. We'll see how that goes.

Can't wait to see what the car can do when I'm properly strapped in. Should be fun !

 

[rs32]

more pics

 

[d4ve86]

looking very nice whats this rear toe kit?

 

[Peperami]

Looking good mate

 

[Gaz_]

hardcore Love it!

 

[rs32]

looking very nice whats this rear toe kit?

Whiteline make a rear Toe kit allowing the rear wheels to run parallel - I'm running 0 degrees rear Toe. Kinda makes it a bit interesting on B Roads where you have both cambers trailing away from the centre ! Not really for the road if I'm honest - it's a bit snaky sometimes

 

[Gaz_]

any outside pics?

 

[Ali]

croft's a good track hope you dont break through the corners after the back straight

Doesn't matter if he does, croft is surrounded with Rape seed fields!

More pics, sounds brilliant.

 

[rs32]

any outside pics?

only these from a while back (Top pic is with Speedline Corse Turini 16" wheels) - will hopefully get some more this weekend.

 

[Gaz_]

looks good mate. If Ben r comes up with the plug and play ITB kit, and works, i will be back with a Cup i think

 

[Renault_Boy01]

how are the seats mounted ???

 

[rs32]

seats are mounted on slider frames on top of the Sparco base mounts.

 

[philmots]

If Ben r comes up with the plug and play ITB kit, and works,

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[philmots]

Proper decent machine mate, not sure if ive missed it or not but is it on coilovers of any description?

 

[rs32]

no coilovers - I went for a somewhat different route and used the ARB with the toe kit, bushes and springs.

 

[Gaz_]

If Ben r comes up with the plug and play ITB kit, and works,

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

the thing we are witing for

 

[philmots]

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

the thing we are witing for

Whats an ITB though haah, excuse my ignorance and how much we talking and how much grunt we talking

 

[Gaz_]

Throttle bodies, he is in the process of making a bolt-on specific to the clio, just plug in and go apparently!!!(ish lol) not like the generic kits that are out there at the moment.i ,like the sound of it

 

[philmots]

Yeah i do tooo The 182 not turning you on then Gaz?

 

[d4ve86]

looking very nice whats this rear toe kit?

Whiteline make a rear Toe kit allowing the rear wheels to run parallel - I'm running 0 degrees rear Toe. Kinda makes it a bit interesting on B Roads where you have both cambers trailing away from the centre ! Not really for the road if I'm honest - it's a bit snaky sometimes

Cool, was talking about the rear set up when my coilovers went on, would you send me some info on the kit or where to get it from?

 

[dhampton]

How do you find the seating position? I was considering Pro2000s as i already have a pair of sparco base mounts. I really didnt want them mounted to high though.

 

[Gaz_]

Yeah i do tooo The 182 not turning you on then Gaz?

Not bad matey, Cup is simplier to apply bodies on though (no aircon etc) I got it as i wanted a lower mileage car, and aircon for the summer, but used it twice so far I'm sheding some pounds off it as we speak, trophy rims, lost the standard seats with the airbags (engine cover lol)...... saved around 10-15kgs so far, seen something about a kevlar bonnet in exterior,(another 10kg?) that will be super light, also interests me! Janspeed make a zorst thats 8kg lighter than the standard system...... i'm trying to make it as cup like as possible without fully stripping it lol!

 

[edde]

seen something about a kevlar bonnet in exterior,(another 10kg?) that will be super light, also interests me!

Anr forget the bonnet there better weight saving. Light weight battery in the boot is better.

 

[Graham Gooch]

Those seats are where its at! Lovely!

 

[rs32]

2 videos from today's time at Croft. Was lucky enough to get 2 sessions with instruction and learnt loads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtsaWabV508

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0AH8cU94xI

 

[PYE21]

How is the rear ARB kit? Noticed any differance with it?

 

[Final Maxim]

looks impressive that, nice work

 

[ollie]

That looks the part! Usually hate aftermarket steering wheels, but I quite like that one.

And havn't spent as much as I expected! Good work!

 

[rs32]

How is the rear ARB kit? Noticed any differance with it?

yes it makes a big difference - sharper turn-in when used with the rear toe kit and works really well with the sticky tyres.

for the money it's a superb mod !

 

[clio_luke]

nice mate. bet its a lot of fun

 

[Neal 182]

Some Vids from Croft on here was a good day with 3 182 and 2 vee's http://www.trackaction-online.co.uk/photopost/index.php amd if your interested we are going to Donington on the 31th August look here http://www.trackaction-online.co.uk/index.php

 

[Mark5290]

seats are mounted on slider frames on top of the Sparco base mounts.

Do the Sparco mounts fit straight in without any modding as i am interested in some sparco recliners for my 182, just need to find somewhere that sells them so i can try them out.