This is what a lot of race teams do, have it on a coiled cable then a jack so the wheel can be removed and hung up without problems but also so you can unplug it and remove totally from the car when required. The other way to do it is to have the plate with the buttons between the steering wheel boss and the snap off adaptor. So when the wheel gets taken off it stays on the boss. Not as user friendly for use as directly on the steering wheel but will do the job just means it sits 2 inches behind he steering wheel.
No not GRp4. Originally I ordered from LWS the uk based carbon manufacturers. But got been let down so sourced them from somewhere else. Carbon-Tec and Tomson Motorsport both in Poland.
Next Job will be the rebuild of the front end. The suspension, tubular wishbones, hubs roll bars and brackets etc are all looking tired with a lot of surface rust so plan is to strip the whole front end down and have all parts media blasted and then powder coated. I might even do the rear axel at the same time not that it really needs it. The suspension is going back to Exe-tc for a full rebuild with revised spring rates. Just waiting on Ed@ Exe-tc finding the original drawings for the damper units and to work out some costs. Had a good chat with Ed and found out Ray Richards 'the chap who built the car' worked for Exe-tc hence the link. When I originally phone up Ed asked what car is the dampers on and when I said MK1 golf he was a bit bamboozled lol. More used to dealing with WRC suspension These are the top mounts that are on the car. I'm looking forward working with them with the new set up. A few pics of the underside of the car, not so pretty RobT lol The rear isn't so bad But generally the underside of the chassis of the car is mint. Sills are perfect as are the rear arches, floor pan and front and rear valence. which was one of the main reasons this car was purchased in the first place over so many others.
Get all the home made wishbone stuff checked for fatigue and cracks!. When I spoke to Ray he advised I should be looking for them regularly when using the car hard. I got the same response from exe-tc, the lady actually laughed when I said a Mk1 Golf!. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That suspension is a bit special isnt it! I still don't have a working horn. Thanks for the idras. Gurds
Until I spoke with Gordon I had never heard of them either. You have the likes of Ohlins, Moton, Nitron, AST, Proflex etc and these guys sit above them. The kit on the MK1 is a bespoke one off kit, Gordon spoke with them a while back and they said they would rebuild them but God knows what the rebuild cost will be like, I'm dreading it! For reference a new set of Subaru dampers with top mounts in Tarmac spec would see you paying around the 10k mark. They supply Sebastian Loeb! They built all his suspension from 2003-2010 when he won all the WRC championships with Citroen WRC. Also supplied Prodrive for the Subaru WRC team. I was chatting with one of the instructors at Prescott Hillclimb last year. He's a old boy and hillclimbs in a lovely Sirera Cosworth. He was admiring the MK1 and asked what dampers it was running. When I told him Exe-tc he sort of had a double take look at the car and me and said '****ing hell' lol
That's one reason why they are coming off. I know the welds on Alex-Sparrows tubular wishbones cracked a few years back. I did check them last year but your right you do need a keep a constant eye on them. Yea was a funny phone call with Exe-tc, when I told them it was a MK1 golf the reply was Oooookay........Right....... Are you sure it's one of ours, then Really!!!!!!!!! Does it have our stickers on it? When I mentioned Ray Richards it all fell into place and hey we're very helpfully, one of those amusing conversations. Hopefully they will help with some chassis set up advice as well now we are on Avon A15s on the hills and full slicks on circuit. What spring rates were you leaning towards Gordon. I remember you were planning on upping the rates.
No, sadly not so pretty underneath. This is what happens when race spec stuff gets used on public roads. Its just not designed for it, more to be rebuilt each race and cared for. I recall talking to Ray about these dampers I think at CGTI Donnington day. He was on a work placement at Exetec. At the time the rears were the wrong size for the car. He made me some cracking solid topmounts for the rear of my ibiza while he was there. Nice stuff...deep breath for rebuild costs.....
Yea nearing 10k's worth, mental kit and stunning engineering and craftsmanship. Makes the proflex I have on the MK3 look a bit agricultural in comparison. I wasn't sure how much I really need a horn apart from the MOT but useful if I'm all belted up at an event and need to get someone's attention. I actually cant get in or out the car without the snap off boss now as the sides of the seat are so high and the wings so far forward.
Regarding cracks in parts....this has long time been a big concern for me. Folks need to maintain...some.....compliance in cars used on public roads. If you trailer your car everywhere, no issues. If you dive much of a distance, nuts and bolts will come loose, welds will fail, metal will fatigue. My SR8 has hard poly bushes on the inner wishbone points. Sphericals on the outers for adjustment. Engine and box sit on hard rubber mounts. Not solid. Vibration has to have somewhere to go.....(sorry for slight thread duversion mike)
Road Car or Race Car Race cars wear out as fast as they travel unfortunately! The faster it goes the faster it wears out and the more expensive it gets Loving your cars Mike and your new plethora of updates
Yea, bit of a dogs dinner under there lol. everything has been on there for 10 years now and is looking like it. I don't even want to think what the costs will be will probably be cheaper to buy a set of AST's but got to stick with these for the heritage of the car. Were the top mounts similar to these. I have a set on the MK1 and it came with a spare set.
I have been told this recently at a karting circuit and it is true, race vehicles need to be maintained like aeroplanes if they are to remain reliable let alone at a race.
Yes, also looked at the coiled cable option. My problem was finding a small enough plug/socket for it as everything seems to be huge.
Mine didn't crack, the drivers side was damaged in the crash. After that it kept bending, probably due to fatigue from the crash. I'll definitely go back to some when I get a chance.
