I think I'm going to have to use a different image company for hosting and just deal with the fact all my thread is now dead..
Mega happy! managed to get my full thread back and its now been fixed! It involved uploading to some web space and replacing the images. A huge thanks to Nige who kindly had the patients to go through it all with me Next up.. the latest ring trip
NURBURGRING 2017 I gave my brakes one last bleed before setting off. Washed and loaded the car up ready for the trip. You can see how much weights in it with tools/jack/spares etc. The trip started in the usual way, catching the evening ferry from Hull to Rotterdamn, the weather was nice and calm which made for a smooth sail. We even had a room with a view! We arrived in Rotterdamn at 9:00am and had a nice steady drive down to where we were staying. Thankfully there was no hiccups and we had a smooth drive all the way down. Id booked a place that was 15 minutes from the Nordschleife entrance and yet again it was a fantastic place! This is a mega cheap way of staying at the ring and this place cost us 70 each for over a week between 3 of us. You really cant grumble at that! We got unpacked and headed straight for the track. There was a track day on will 5pm ish then tourist driving was open until 7:00pm The weather was dry with some cloud so we were praying for a couple of dry laps to get our bearings. Before heading over Id been in touch with Nige who was over there for the track day. Luckily, I managed to find the pinderwagon, which is just as impressive in the flesh as it is in pictures Unfortunately, Nige had done for the day so no passenger laps for me. But I did invite him to come for a lap with me once the tourist driving was open. The first half of the lap was bone dry and the car felt good, Nige was giving me loads of pointers all the way around, this proved to be very useful and I kept watching the footage back all week I was there to make sure I had my turn in points/exits and positioning nailed. Going round Adenau Forst the heavens opened! as you can see Eifel is crazy for that! Ive never done a lap in the wet nor do I ever want to again, the track gets extremely slippy on the racing line due to the amount of rubber on the tarmac, I can only describe it like black ice and even at 30mph you can feel the car slipping and sliding underneath you. Never the less the reduced pass gave us both chance to really work on lines and little tips and tricks Nige has picked up over thousands of laps. theres a dot in the middle of the tarmac, thats your turn in point. end of the kerb turn in when the front wheels chirp wind off the lock a fraction aim for that board, then the following corners are straight I really tried to drill all this in my head for the coming week, this along with lots of practise on iRacing months beforehand, improving the car since the last trip I managed to absolutely smash my previous PB.. but onto that later THE "INCIDENT" PBs aside, things can go wrong from time to time, and go wrong they did! The car was feeling good and I was growing in confidence, getting a good feel for the track and the limits of the car. So good was my confidence I went out to do a back to back lap, not letting the car cool between laps this was my first mistake never become complacent! I had Beardy in the passenger seat and we were really picking up some pace, passing a lot of cars with well over double the power I had. Coming round miss-hit-miss, and onto the slowest (luckily) and tightest corner over the track. I brake before the corner, turn right, dab the brakes again in a straight line to take the sharp left hander. I came fully off the brakes, just as I started to add lock to turn in, the rear wheel(s) locked Now Ive had the car slide before, I even had it snap unexpectedly, but this was very different. It snapped so hard I was just a passenger and instinct took over. In less than a second I had full opposite lock on, then back the other way as I see the barrier coming ever closer fortunately I saved it. How, I really dont know? A lot of people have said what a great reaction, but it wasnt a reaction, there was no time for that, this was pure instinct. I pulled off the track at the bridge to check the car over, I was fully expecting to see the rear wheel hanging off or something snapped, but there was no visible damage at all. The only thing I can think is the rear pads got too hot and momentarily stuck to the disc as I came off the brakes. Im only running standard pads on the rear as I dont want the rear to do any more braking. [video=youtube;TVIzeEjgx58]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVIzeEjgx58[/video] Beardy thought he heard a 'clunk' which we later figured was just my tyre catching the plastic arch. but "It were a clunk won't it" became a the holiday catchphrase. The next morning, I watched the video over and over. I think its always good to remind yourself where you are and to learn from mistakes. There was no margin for me to crash at the ring, the track repair bills are eye watering, so this was a big eye opener. I checked the car over again back at the house and took the rear brakes off to check over thing over, again everything was fine. So we set off for another day of lapping, I took with me a sense of trepidation but had a positive outlook on the whole thing, It would just take some time to get confidence back in the car. the track was dry and Nige came for one more lap before he had to shoot off for his ferry. I told him about the incident and showed him the footage... lucky bugger! Before heading out Nige asked if I wanted him to talk me through the lap, I said because it was dry Id be 100% focused so only if he thought there was something wrong. This time we had a nice dry lap but unfortunately there was a false yellow flag for half the lap, which reduced pace. Coming off the track Nige said he felt very comfortable with me on track and that the main thing was, I was smooth excellent! As Ive said before Niges tips and tricks was a huge help and an utterly sound bloke! We had a fantastic trip and had loads planned when the track wasnt open. We found the forgotten Sudschleife or South-Loop We ate some fantastic German cuisine! Drove around like lunatics in these little hotrods that would do 70mph! We also went for some laps around the GP circuit but it was too busy Met my mate Arne again in his E36 M3 He took me for another lap which was insane! He asked me if I wanted to go to his unit, and he suggested we swap cars! So, I drove his M3 and he drove my golf. It surprised me when we got to some fruity roads and he took off! And I was left playing catch up, in a left-hand drive car, on un-known roads, following a crazy German who was driving my bloody car! Haha We also mountain biked the forest trails which follows the track, which provided some great viewing spots! the evenings were pretty special Lap after lap the I regained my confidence and soon I was back on form. Rear tyres were 'working' nicely I even managed to cock a wheel through the Karousell my favourite picture from the trip After all the lapping was done I check back through the footage and I was pretty shocked to find Id managed a 9 minute 11 second lap. Thats 24 seconds faster than last year! That was also with a couple of hold ups! Its not about lap times and it never Ill be... but to say I was pleased is an understatement I really feel with a clear run and some better rubber a sub 9 min lap would be achievable. For a car with little more than 130hp and a full stock interior this for me is a massive achievement! Both myself and the car were pushed hard! And with that Ill leave you with some videos. [video=youtube;pBSirQfgMfo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBSirQfgMfo[/video] The 9:11 lap. [video=youtube;IYS9o-bBFcA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYS9o-bBFcA&t=215s[/video] And a clean lap with a front and rear camera. ^ the video above was my last lap of the trip, coming over the gantry or finish line for tourist driving I couldnt hold my emotions back pure joy and elation! There is no feeling that will ever come close to that! A lot of you might think Im being soft and whats the big deal but genuinely waking up every morning feeling anxious/excited/nervous/ on edge to finally pass the finish after a mammoth week of lapping, it was a massive relief! Wed done it! Hope you all enjoy the trip.
I hope people enjoy reading my reports as much as I enjoyed reading this. That was flippin excellent Nice to read I`m not the only one who still wakes up apprehensive each day when I`m out there That `moment` was so unexpected, you certainly are a lucky bugger lol Although you forgot a bit. /exiting the cones starting the lap/ "You can put your foot down now." `Nige, that`s full throttle...` "oh. lol" When I`m talking to people and talking them through lines I can talk too much and I realised I was starting to overload you, the rain actually came at a perfect time and we could really focus on your lines and driving. I went out with you the next time and could see the improvement straight away. You were putting everything into practice and were so smooth, if you had another 8 valves you`d be sub 9 Minutes . When my son and daughter were younger, I insisted that they don`t just jump in with anyone. I`ve had some passenger laps where I wanted to get out at T13 and I don`t want them jumping in with drivers like that. It`s a parent thing !. I can honestly say I would be happy for either of them to have a passenger lap with you.
Thanks very much! with the server down at work what else was I meant to do! hahaha I did forget that bit! the old girl does alright... Thanks for the kind words! they are both more then welcome catch you soon I hope, Cadwell this Wednesday if you get bored at work!
Great write up, and sounds like a wicked trip. Hotrod tours look like fun and from your own self-feedback and that from Nige it seems progress was made on track too (minor pants-****ting incident aside!) I didn't realise there was MTB stuff near the track - is it actual mountain biking, or just a casual trail? If the former I might be able to persuade the wife to take a trip after all!
Delighted to come on this writeup, by pure coincidence I happened upon your Ring video on YouTube the other night! Well done!
Thanks everyone for the kind words! really means a lot, I'm glad you guys enjoyed it I had some left over holiday to book at work so thought it would be rude not to fit that around a track day! I've got Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off this week to do Cadwell, this gives me a day either side which is perfect! Tuesday I'll be re greasing the rear brakes and possibly looking at some kind of ducting. It will only be my 4th track day so I'm excited to try out a new track, especially one that seems to be so many people's favourites! I'm trying to persuade my dad to come along, I'd love for him to experience it, but he always says it would be too much for him... so I may be going on my todd! wish me luck!
Cadwell Park 2017 I had 3 days holiday left to take before the end of the year and having just been away with the missus this was an immediate free pass for a track day! I decided to take a day either side of the trackday to give me chance check over the car beforehand and do the same the day after. It would also mean I wouldn't be rushing back to catch a train back to London. This worked out perfectly! I've always fancied Cadwell, on video it looks a tight track, perfect for a mk2! Its around 2.5 hours drive from mine so had to be up and out the door at 5:00am! I'd asked my mates to join me weeks before but with it being mid-week they were struggling for time off. Fortunatly ford managed to sneak a day off last minute so I didnt have to go on my todd! The day before setting off, I bolt checked the car, took off the rear brakes and re-greased the sliders for peace of mind and went to Lidl to stock up On Wednesday morning we set off and arrived at the track nice and early, I'd brought loads of spares, jack, stands, food etc etc. You can always spot a Yorkshireman though... I even brought my own tea! The milk to tea ratio is way off though. Less milk next time. noted. Got unloaded, noise tested and out for sighting laps. Came back from sighting with a big grin! I knew this place was going to be fun! After lunch time I felt good with the car and the track. Still loads to learn but improving every lap. While the car was cooling down we went to watch for a bit and got chatting to a lad called Slater, he said he comes down to watch on his days off from work. I offered him a passenger lap and he jumped at the chance 'I've got my helmet in my car!' I took him out for 2 sessions and he seemed to be loving every minute of it just as much as me! ^from his instagram. It turns out his dad is a pretty good photographer, and happened to be taking some pictures through the day. I gave him my email address and by the time I got home that evening his dad had sent me all 120 pictures he'd taken! for free! Top bloke! It always great to meet likeminded people at places like this a few of his dads pictures. pretty chuffed with all of them! Ford was feeling slightly nauseous in the afternoon lol so he grabbed some videos of me going past. I do love how she sounds! [video=youtube;zyPxc77mQsI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyPxc77mQsI[/video] and here is the on-board [video=youtube;4_624wkvjfE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_624wkvjfE[/video] Still learning lots in this video as you can tell. Staying in 4th for Charlies and down the Gooseneck was much better! but something I only really got the hang of later in the afternoon I also think 3rd is probably best for the corners before and over the mountain. Although I couldn't resist belting through them like a yobo in 2nd! lol The track day ended and the golf had survived another beating! Driving home we heard a strange noise which sounded like the exhaust was blowing, the noise sounded like it was somewhere around the manifold.. The next day I was expecting the worst, possibly a cracked manifold? luckily this was not the case and the exhaust was blowing on one of the joins. So with my free day I decided to drop the system clean everything up and re-assemble. The metal cable tie securing my heat wrap had snapped, presumably with heat. Although I'm thinking of removing all the wrap, itsnow very brittle and looks to have melted!.. not ideal. With that all back together the car was running sweat as a nut again! Lovely job! I did have a couple of slidey moments which I will post up later on
got a couple of new videos up this last week [video=youtube;K-OhY1jWhEg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-OhY1jWhEg&lc=z231jtnzvrqagnp2aacdp4305rpobnpkuhex2ppbgo1w03c 010c[/video]
A few little updates on the Golf. Some new tools and big plans for 2018... Went back up home from London on the 27th for a late Christmas and New Year. you could tell it was Christmas at my house because the Golf was barricaded in with a wall of beers! We had a load of snow, so of course I had to go out and play! I thought I'd see what it would be like to drive on Semi Slicks in the snow... turns out its as bad as everyone makes out. I couldn't even pull out of my road (which is flat)lol Once the snow cleared I went to pick up my new welder and absolutely obliterated my polished lips lol so they will need a flat and re polish. The new welder is a Clarke 135TE, I'd been looking at this model because it seemed perfect for body panels and was one of the best I could get in my budget. Found on ebay the bloke had only used it once and I managed to bag it for a stupidly cheap price! even came with spares, gas a trolly and Auto Helmet, result! I haven't ever properly welded but its a skill I've wanted to learn for a long time. I watched a load of youtube videos before using it about what to listen for/ settings etc. after 30 mins or so testing different settings I cut out a patch in and old wing I have and had a play. Really happy for my first bash. After this I did practise getting the spot welds over lapping for a better weld, I'm really surprised how even and flat you can get the metal after grinding it back. there are a few patches that need doing on the golf and I'm confident I can get them done to a good standard. The main thing I've learnt so far is to get the patch to match as perfectly as possible as any gaps either side tend to provoke a blow through. But I'll keep buzzing away next time I'm back home and getting as much practise as possible. 2018 and Beyond... I made a pretty big decision late last year and I've decided I need to look at some safety for the golf. Through out everything I've done I've tried to keep everything as OEM as possible whilst adding my own character here and there. With me now using the car mostly for track use I've decided its time for a cage. I've watched too many videos and read too many horror stories of people getting seriously hurt or worse due to a lack of safety gear. Although the Golf doesn't have a shed load of power or go half as fast round a circuit as some/most cars I'm still going fast enough to cause myself some damage. Here though lies a problem, I've looked at all the off the shelf cages for Mk2's from Safety Devices, OMP and Sparco but I don't like any of them. Although they will do the job just fine If I'm doing to put a cage in I want it to look like VW had put it there. My main issue with them is the fit around all the pillar and how the cage curves round the dash. For me this makes them look like an after thought rather than a beautifully designed cage made to fit. Then I stumbled across Dave, from Tornado Motorsport. I'd seen an old thread on here and the fit and finish looked perfect! The cage goes through the dash, and all the tubes butt up to the pillars nicely. I gave Dave a call and after a few emails everything has been finalised and its booked in for the start of April! The image below is what I've specified (minus the bar at the back of the front seats), 'X' brace in the rear with harness bars and double door bars. you can see the fit in the image below I've asked for mine to be powder coated Satin black and I'll be keeping all the door cards, carpet and trim. Perfect! So watch this space! I have to take the car down to Dave fully stripped out including the dash, so that will give me a chance to sort out any unexpected rust under the carpet. Next update should be the strip down
Fair play with wanting to do the welding yourself, I was the same wanted to do it myself so bought a welder etc. Only thing I would say on sheet metal its not too bad aslong as you have the right setting and feed rate and like you say keep your butt joints as tight as possible, but when you add in the presence of cavity wax things get extremely interesting, just melts and runs into your weld and causes alot of grief. Unfortunately when doing sills and quaters its hard to get away from it so I wish you the best of luck and with some patience it will be worth it
Some progress for 2018. It would be excellent if we can see this car go at the Club GTI Curborough event on the 28th May. Would also be an excellent time to meet up with like minded enthusiasts as yourself and also take a few passenger rides in some of the vehicles that will be there. The thread to get signed up is >>here<<. The volunteers that run this will be delighted to have you.
Thanks mate I will look out for that! Thanks buddy. That sounds fantastic! Its something I've always wanted to try but all the previous years I've had something planned. I'll get my holiday form in at work! hopefully see you there
