Donny_Dog
ClioSport Club Member
Jim's rejects
So I bought Matthew's VTS - which was previously someone's on the 106owners forum's girlfriends or something. I've wanted to do track days for about 5 years, but never had the balls with my own daily use car + funds etc etc. When the baby was born, I thought it would never happen but my wife has suprisingly allowed it to happen (cheers love).
Note: this is track day running on a budget.
Here it is the day I picked it up:
75k, lowered on Gmax springs at the front, torsion bar at the rear. Filter and exhaust also. Few dings and scars but nothing amazing to report. The car is solid underneath, a little cosmetically unclean but no problem.
I basically drove it home and parked it up and today was the only time to start getting a list together (which then turned into doing stuff - as you do)...
First thing was to sort the basics. The car needs to be road worthy and if something isn't right, It just pi$$es me off to the point I have to sort it anyway. I'll be stripping it and keeping all the parts - but before all that I cracked on with the basics I could do in 60 mins.
The nearside headlight was knocking. I had a look and found this:
Note: large washer, but still cracked plastic bracket.
Home made top bracket FTL.
I've removed the headlight and ordered a new one.
Looks like someone has nudged something with the bonnet and thus it's broken the light brackets.
Bit of panel beating:
It doesn't rest on the light now at least. One job done.
Next, the ECU cover...
It wasn't fitting right and rattling away, so much so its started to rub through some cables.
And rubbing on the bulkhead as pictured too.
Cable protection restored and made my own bracket adjustments so it fits snug with no rattles.
Next up was the air filter and cam breather...
Home made cam breather - oh dear. YES that is wirewool and a bottle top.
Whipped that off and the air filter. Will probably end up saving for a simota intake but have ordered a generic 19mm breather to go on for now.
Cleaned the throttle body whilst I was there too.
The previous owners had a sub, head unit, upgraded tweeters and door speakers. So whipped them all out as well (ebay). Found that the sub's power lead went under the car and in through the bottom of the passenger footwell :S then under the carpet to the boot.
Whilst I was pulling the cables through I found these under the back seat.
Technically by removing them I have gained £5 off No7 makeup (at boots) and saved 0.01grams on the track car kerb weight. The car parts receipt shows spark plugs and oil were done in 2011 - so that saves me doing them - will still check the quality later though, before her first outing.
Next up was the bodykit. Its not sitting right on the passenger side arch/side skirt and doesn't sit right on either side rear section of the side skirts.
Took the arch one off to find that all of the clips had broken and that it was actually tie-wrapped on the underside of the car.
Ordered the repair kit from Citroen, so they'll sit back nicely.
Guilty items: The metal bracket should actually be on the inside of the kit, but it has corroded and was just vibrating on the wing.
This is the driver side rear section of the side skirt. You can just see the white clip, which is broken.
That was it for today. Only had an hour.
Parts ordered from Ebay and the first stage will be complete at the weekend.
The next jobs (next week):
- Tracking
- New Brake Fluid
- Check plugs and oil
- Check coolant
- Check exhaust hangers
- New Discs and pads
- Check and tighten gear linkage - a bit of a mixing bowl atm.
- Stage 1 interior removal (+ spare wheel/cage)
- Spend the £5 voucher on some new blusher
Note: this is track day running on a budget.
Here it is the day I picked it up:
75k, lowered on Gmax springs at the front, torsion bar at the rear. Filter and exhaust also. Few dings and scars but nothing amazing to report. The car is solid underneath, a little cosmetically unclean but no problem.
I basically drove it home and parked it up and today was the only time to start getting a list together (which then turned into doing stuff - as you do)...
First thing was to sort the basics. The car needs to be road worthy and if something isn't right, It just pi$$es me off to the point I have to sort it anyway. I'll be stripping it and keeping all the parts - but before all that I cracked on with the basics I could do in 60 mins.
The nearside headlight was knocking. I had a look and found this:
Note: large washer, but still cracked plastic bracket.
Home made top bracket FTL.
I've removed the headlight and ordered a new one.
Looks like someone has nudged something with the bonnet and thus it's broken the light brackets.
Bit of panel beating:
It doesn't rest on the light now at least. One job done.
Next, the ECU cover...
It wasn't fitting right and rattling away, so much so its started to rub through some cables.
And rubbing on the bulkhead as pictured too.
Cable protection restored and made my own bracket adjustments so it fits snug with no rattles.
Next up was the air filter and cam breather...
Home made cam breather - oh dear. YES that is wirewool and a bottle top.
Whipped that off and the air filter. Will probably end up saving for a simota intake but have ordered a generic 19mm breather to go on for now.
Cleaned the throttle body whilst I was there too.
The previous owners had a sub, head unit, upgraded tweeters and door speakers. So whipped them all out as well (ebay). Found that the sub's power lead went under the car and in through the bottom of the passenger footwell :S then under the carpet to the boot.
Whilst I was pulling the cables through I found these under the back seat.
Technically by removing them I have gained £5 off No7 makeup (at boots) and saved 0.01grams on the track car kerb weight. The car parts receipt shows spark plugs and oil were done in 2011 - so that saves me doing them - will still check the quality later though, before her first outing.
Next up was the bodykit. Its not sitting right on the passenger side arch/side skirt and doesn't sit right on either side rear section of the side skirts.
Took the arch one off to find that all of the clips had broken and that it was actually tie-wrapped on the underside of the car.
Ordered the repair kit from Citroen, so they'll sit back nicely.
Guilty items: The metal bracket should actually be on the inside of the kit, but it has corroded and was just vibrating on the wing.
This is the driver side rear section of the side skirt. You can just see the white clip, which is broken.
That was it for today. Only had an hour.
Parts ordered from Ebay and the first stage will be complete at the weekend.
The next jobs (next week):
- Tracking
- New Brake Fluid
- Check plugs and oil
- Check coolant
- Check exhaust hangers
- New Discs and pads
- Check and tighten gear linkage - a bit of a mixing bowl atm.
- Stage 1 interior removal (+ spare wheel/cage)
- Spend the £5 voucher on some new blusher
