I thought I'd start a post on my VR6 Track Car. Over the past year i have turned it from a one owner 31,000 mile standard golf vr6. Pics of the car when i bought it. Now the Specification at the start of this thread is Bilstein B14 Coilovers OMP Front and Rear Strut braces Goodrich Braided hoses with high boiling point brake fluid Black Diamond Grooved brake discs EBC Red Stuff Pads K&N Induction Kit Jetex De-Cat exhaust system Magnecor 8mm Ignition Leads Luke Harnesses Corbeau bucket seats Removal of all non required trim and wiring, Radio etc And I start this thread in the middle of installing an OMP Roll Cage.
Golf Mk3 Track Car Build Cage from the rear. Thought I'd also add some pics of the car in action at Donington last year
Hello mate welcome to the forum. Nice to see another MK3 destined for the track. Cage looks a nice install.
Wheels Thanks mate, funny to get encouragement from someone that owns one of the cars that was an inspiration to do mine! You may be able to help me with a little issue I have? I have bilstein coilovers with the standard bbs 15" wheels. If I drop the ride height to low the wheels and shocks rub. On your mk3 race car I think you had 17"s but still had it nice and low. Did you use spacers or use a wheel with a different offset? I want to keep to 15" wheels as it helps with the gearing on the vr6.
Hi, Great to hear my car has had such an effect. When i bought the car back in 2006/7 i dont think i realised what impact it would have on me either. She is going into the body shop in the next month for some new panels and a respray, just to freshen her up a bit. Im toying with the idea of a 3.2 12V VR6 on throttle bodies at the moment but will depends on funds. On the front she has custom bells with a lot of caster on the top mounts which moves the suspension leg away form the wheel and vica versa. The 8x17's are ET 35 out of interest. I did have some 9x17's but the 8's were lighter so ran with them to reduce unsprung weight. You need about 10+ mm of clearance between tyre and springs on the front but less on the rear. You would be surprised how much tyre flex occurs when under load even with slicks which have much stiffer side walls than road based tyres. For track use the VR6 will benefit from a higher final drive to lower the gearing. Have a search on here it is well documented. I do like the standard BBS wheels but for handling with the VR6 you need a wider rim and tyre to increase front end grip and get that nose to turn in. Also a plate diff would do wonders but as always depends on budget. If your staying 15" then some 8x15 with a 225 would be ideal. This is when she ran 245mm tyres on 9x17 rims et 21 with 5mm spacers and the additional spacing the bells give it.
Spacers Do you use spacers? I wash shying away from them. Didn't think they were that safe for track use. Your Wheels look great, they fill the arches nice, I was looking at ordering some new wheels for it with a custom offset but not sure I want to spend that money on a track toy (not that I haven't spent lots already!) and I would have to wait for them! I was hoping to find some off the shelf wheels at some point. Will defiantly try to get some wider wheels at some point though roll cage took priority this month. I have got some 15" slicks coming. Looking forward to getting it out on track again. I noticed a massive difference with the strut braces can't wait to see what the roll cage makes to the handling.
Yes i do. Only use spacers with studs on track not the standard bolts.! I run 3-5mm spacer on the front + the bells and a 12mm spacer on the rear. She has run this from the early days when she was in the VW Cup with no issues. Your best solution is to use adjustable top mounts and buy some wheels with lower offsets but i recomed studs and buy quality ones. If your looking for wheels at reasonable costs then look at the Toyata Celica GT4 they are 5x100 and et 30/35. Rally wheels will be 8x15 and tarmac 8x17. Just check the centre bore before purchase. As long as they run spigot rings they will be fine, but if they are custom made then they will be cast in 54.1 you need 57.1. They can be easily machined out if you can be bothered and or have they money to do so. Depends on the wheels you find id say. There isnt much about in the used VW Motorsport category especially in 5x100. The roll cage will transform the car, if your running slicks you will need to up your spring rates. Also id put a plate diff on the top of my priority list.
awesome another vr doing battle . i love mine check my thread out may be of some use http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233254
Spacers Nice Thread Marmite Monster, Does the dog in the boot do anything for the handling! LOL. Some serious weight saving going on there. I haven't had the heart to cut holes in panels yet, maybe one day! Pascal77uk, I was looking at what you said about using studs rather than bolts, are theses the sort you used on your? http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/wheel-tyre-accessories/a-i-tech-double-thread-conversion-stud Thanks for the tips on the diff and gearbox, you do feel the diff work overtime on the corner exits, i may look at this in the not to distant future. Good call on the Celica wheels, your a fountain of knowledge! Want to sort the wheel positions next really, will probably change to studs as you recomend and use a spacer to get the wheel in the right position before i buy new ones. Any way, we are getting back on with the cage welding today, hopefully have some more pics as things start taking shape. I can't deside to paint it red to match the strut braces or black. Desisions, desisions!
The diff will help control the car under braking and keep the front end balanced, turn in will be sharper and will allow you to attack the corners harder, you will hit apex's easier and be able to use the power sooner on exit of corners and is a must if your planning on slicks. A all round winner. Use Gripper for plate diffs. The studs on your link look good some of the better ones ive seen over the years. One thing with your cage install the front legs look quite far into the car they would be better on top of the inner sills for strengh and saftey as the floor is quite thin where you have them and will have a lot more flex. If it was me id move them outwards. Also on the rear feet mounts you have the side supports not sitting under the main plate they are butted on the side. So if you did roll the pressure on the top plate could crack the welds and cause the main plate to drop down. Im sure some of the engineers on here might have some further thoughts on that. But worth addressing now rather than later. And black cage all the way.
Cage Thanks for the advise, Going to unpick the welds and re cut the plates to fit under the top plate, alot of the weight is on the box section and we thought the weld would be strong enough, but i think your right with the way you suggest and it makes me feel better doing it that way too, it was bugging me in the back of my mind. With regards to the front legs, i understand what you have said but the cage will not fit up the sill section with out cutting off the feet, this means that the cage would not be a bolt in but weld in cage, we have taken the front mounts up the sill section to use their strength but even the sill section is only the same thickness as the floor. Black was my thought as well, i may get the rear strut brace painted at the same time to match. Just ordered some Blue Chassis paint from VW for the mounts we have made, didn't fancy black squares on the floor, not that much of the inside actually has blue paint on it, but it will stand out less if its blue on the floors.
Have a look at this thread done by Chris Eyre. Worthwhile reading, also if you want to do any competitions in the car at a later date then it will pass the scrutineers http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168862
I have been reading that thread, Thanks for the link though. Out of interest, why do you recomend studs over longer bolts? are they not both the same thing, screwing into the wheel hub?
Its a very good thread. Looks like your doing Ok. Studs are generally a lot stronger than bolts, enable a greater clamping force and there is less chance of them coming loose due to the stud being directly fitted into the hub. Then the nut clamping the wheel to the face of the hub. If your running slicks then you will be putting much higher loads on them. Also it makes changing wheels so much easier. A deffo on my list.
have a look at this I think you should snap these up if you can get them at a reasonable price, if not im going too lol. There is 800 pounds of alloys there
