Mk2 Golf IHI track car... Rear body work and door catches

Discussion in 'Members Gallery' started by 1.8T_mk2, Dec 9, 2009.

  1. notenoughtime

    notenoughtime Moderator Moderator

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    Any updates Neil?
     
  2. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Yeah your right. I wanted to get the most amount of caster with the least amount of static camber. I wanted to make sure that I'd have room for adjustment. I really didn't want to bolt it all together, drive it (such a dreamer! lol) and then find out I run out of adjustment while fine tuning set-ups. I would think that static will end up around the 3deg mark.


    Lots! :thumbup:

    Just want to finish off a few bits then I'll sort out a proper update :thumbup:

    No giving the game away though! ;)
     
  3. notenoughtime

    notenoughtime Moderator Moderator

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    Lips are sealed :thumbup:
     
  4. notenoughtime

    notenoughtime Moderator Moderator

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    Come on Neil it's been a few weeks now, proper update needed [:D]
     
  5. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Should have a nice meaty one at the end of next week :thumbup: Ran into a few problems and I'm stuck waiting for bits [8(]
     
  6. Notso Swift Forum Member

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    Which gives you time for an update! LOL
     
  7. ThatDaveGuy

    ThatDaveGuy New Member

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    What a read. Awesome build!
     
  8. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    I wish it was that simple lol



    I'm pleased to let you know that an up date is in the process of being formulated :thumbup:
     
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  9. notenoughtime

    notenoughtime Moderator Moderator

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    Come on we are waiting!!!!
     
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  10. Tristan

    Tristan Paid Member Paid Member

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    I read this thread start to finish today, I was saving it for a day off. Enjoying it pleasantly til I saw the Supertouring esque inner wings, after that each update blew my mind a little more than the previous one. Outstanding work.

    Are you doing Motorsports prep full time now?
     
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  11. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Cheers Tristan glad you enjoyed it :thumbup:

    No I'm not doing it full time, just everyday garage work for now. Would be nice to do more of it on a daily basis though, I find it a lot more enjoyable than doing servicing, MOT's and diagnostic work. Got to pay the bills first though. lol
     
  12. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Ok so it's been a while since the last update and lots has taken place but its happened at a rather slower pace than I was expecting.

    Anyway on with the show...


    End of last update I said that the next job was....



    Well to do this I needed some proper numbers to work with rather than just estimations. This meant the rear suspension re-design needed to be sorted out to get some sort of a base line to work from.

    So instead I started with the brakes!

    Because the wheel arches encroached into the foot wells so far it meant that the original pedal box set-up will no longer fit. The easiest option was to ditch the original and any attempts to try and modify it with a new aftermarket pedal box. After many hours of research and web browsing I settled on the Tilton 600 series underfoot pedal assembly. I went for the underfoot option so I could get the pedals as far forward as possible to make the driving position more comfortable. I did consider cutting out the cross brace on the cage and moving the seat further back but it would have created so much more work to remake the seat fittings I opted for the simple way out.
    although I might be redoing the cage at a later date anyway but thats another story!

    I had a look around for Tilton dealers and came across Competition Supplies, gave them a ring, spoke to a really nice guy who gave me a cracking deal and a few days later it was Christmas!

    IMG_3663.JPG IMG_3651_1.JPG IMG_3685.JPG IMG_3682.JPG IMG_3660.JPG IMG_3662_1.JPG IMG_3652.JPG IMG_3687.JPG IMG_3679.JPG IMG_3657.JPG IMG_3656.JPG IMG_3653_1.JPG IMG_3688.JPG IMG_3680.JPG IMG_3672.JPG IMG_3658_1.JPG


    I was really impressed with the quality of the unit and even the fixings were top notch with serrated nuts and bolts predrilled for lock wire.


    After assembling the pedals, it was now time to determine where to put them. Should be easy but this got me thinking where and how should I be sitting in the car???
    I know certain things are obvious like, you should be sat behind the steering wheel, facing the direction of travel and be able to easily reach the controls but what about all the other little details???
    What angle should your left knee be at with your foot just resting on the pedal?
    Where should the brake pedal be in relation to the middle of your body?

    I can't say that I've ever thought about anything like that before when driving anything either on road or track but its all relevant when youre about to permanently fix a vital component to the car. In a road car, your able to move the seat about to find not necessarily the correct position but a comfortable position. As everything is or will be fixed in place with only a few mms of adjustment I had to make sure it was going to be both correct and comfortable.
    By correct I mean, a position that will cause as little discomfort to the driver (Me) as possible. As the plan is to eventually compete in the car I didnt want to be 10 minutes in and my left hip cramp up due to being worked through a weird angle.

    Where to get started??? Time to break out the dancing shoes!!

    IMG_3720.JPG


    With the pedals being so close together my steel toe cap work boots probably wouldnt be the best things to use so I donned the silver slippers and jumped in the mk3 Golf to make a mental note of the pedal position.


    IMG_3723.JPG

    I also googled a bit about driver ergonomics so I had a little bit more of an idea of what angles my various joints and limbs should be. Armed with all this new information I climbed into the mk2 and tried to get my knees at about 90 degrees when my feet were just resting on the pedals with my legs not being at full stretch when fully depressing the pedals. I thought that this would be a problem as Im 62 and fairly long legged but to my surprise it was about perfect first time!

    I used an old plastic parts bin to roughly gauge the angle.


    IMG_3727.JPG

    With the pedal distance from the seat sorted now was the time to determine the lateral position. Again, there wasnt much room to play with as the wheel arch was one side and the tunnel on the other with only two inches of clearance to play with. Another problem I encountered was that it was difficult to gauge how pressing the brake pedal hard would feel while the pedal box was still loose. Pretending to press the pedal isnt quite the same as applying the pedal as hard as you can multiple times over the course of a lap.

    To replicate a proper pedal feel I used a sturdy block of wood cut to the proximate length.

    IMG_3724.JPG

    Im really glad I took the time to do this as it revealed something I hadnt expected. My first thought was that the brake pedal should be in line with the right leg as this would be more comfortable after repeated heavy braking and it should be easier as more effort would be transmitted to the pedal as its in straight line and not going through an angle.
    What I actually found was that I could feel more pressure between the seat and my lower back and that as I pressed the pedal it twisted me in the seat very slightly.
    I then moved the pedal to be more or less in line with the middle of the seat, the difference was amazing! There was no more twisting in the seat and the lower back pressure was still there but it felt more equally distributed rather than concentrated at one point.


    IMG_3726.JPG IMG_3725.JPG

    As you can see I didnt move it much but it make the world of difference!

    With the position now determined it was time for the install but not before I weighed the old vs new setup to see how much weight Id saved.

    Old setup

    IMG_3707.JPG IMG_3708.JPG

    New setup

    IMG_3711.JPG IMG_3712.JPG

    Its minus a few little bits but its quite a substantial save on just one assembly which is good!

    One last check was that with the pedals installed in their final position that the steering column didnt get fouled either while turning the steering or pressing the pedals. To do this I needed to move the column over slightly as where Id moved the seat over it wasnt in line with the middle any more. For a temporary fix, I slotted the holes on the steering column which gave just enough adjustment to centre the wheel with the seat and check all was ok.

    IMG_3716.JPG

    The install its self wasnt too bad just a case of removing all the paint on the floor, inside and underneath, making a template for the pedals to sit on, transfer it to steel and then welding it all in.

    IMG_3733.JPG IMG_3739.JPG


    I also took the time to tidy up the mess of the hole I cut in the floor for access to the sub frame mounting captive nut.

    IMG_3741.JPG

    To secure it to the plate I tig welded some nuts to the underneath.

    IMG_3742.JPG

    Had to lose a little off the foot rest as it just caught the tunnel but apart from that its all good.

    IMG_3744.JPG

    IMG_3745.JPG

    From here it's onto the rear beam...
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2018
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  13. Tristan

    Tristan Paid Member Paid Member

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    I used a Wilwood bias pedal box in my rally car, and like that, I must have spent 2 hours trying to pick a place for it.
     
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  14. vwgolfmk1 Forum Member

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    Excellent work.
    You will love the Tilton pedalbox when you drive it (lovely feel) I have the 600 series with the cylinders in front of the pedals. Wish I choose the same as you now tho as Im currently trying to move mine forward more as find the angle on my ancles too much.
     
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  15. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    I'm curious as to how it will feel without the servo helping. Is it much different in the amount of effort required?
     
  16. pascal77uk Paid Member Paid Member

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    I have a tilton pedal box in the MK3 but not floor mounted and a willwood in the MK1.

    It feels like your feet are directly connected to the slicks, you can moderate the amount of pressure more precisely, but in general greater pressure is required. I have to literally stand on mine sometimes to haul it up but feels just right. It will feel a bit dead in comparison to a servo system to start with and not particularly confidence inspiring, but once you used to it, it will feel perfect and you never want to go back.

    Also it's easier to judge when it will lock up so more confidence when breaking right on the limit and more feel for left foot braking and trail braking. If your really hitting the curbs hard you might notice a increase in pad knock off but shouldn't be much.


    I always say servos were invented for grannies who need to stop quickly:thumbup:
     
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  17. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Sounds good to me, cant wait to try it out [:D]
     
  18. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Got loads to update but have been more interested in working on the car than typing up the progress lol

    thought I'd tackle it bit by bit rather than all in one like I normally do so....


    Finally got round buying a trailer but had to get a new car to pull it with as the Passat I had was only capable of towing just under 2 ton.

    Ended up going for a Brian James A-Max and an Audi Allroad to pull it with. The trailer is rated for 2.6 ton but the Audi can only tow 2.3 ton so a quick phone call to Brian James and ordered up a new trailer chassis plate to de-plate to 2.3 ton and everything remains legal.

    FullSizeRender_2.JPG

    Funny thing was I had been so careful to try and avoid buying a stolen one than when I turned up to look at it the first thing the guy said " Oh yeah the trailer is not actually mine by the way..."

    :( Here we go I thought...

    He then said... " you know who Keith Flint is don't you?"

    Why do I know than name? Then it hit me....

    IMG_3498_1.PNG

    "Keith Flint from The Prodigy?" I asked.

    "Yeah he's my mate, he gets me to sell all his stuff for him. This is his Range Rover and that's his Fiat 500 track car."

    He showed me the name on the log book and said "if you want to ring Brian James they will confirm it all."

    It seemed legit and the trailer is mint. It had been used to take Keith's track cars to the Nurbergring a few times and that's about it. It definitely doesn't look like it's done much work, unlike some of the ex-hire / recovery ones I've seen.

    So after a bit of a chat and a nosey round some of the other toys he had scattered about, a full blown race E46 BMW GTR, an Aston Martin GT3 endurance race car, 2 Bowler Wild Cats and Keith Flint's almost all carbon fibre Fiat 500 Arbath :o, I parted with some hard earned and was the proud owner of a trailer! Which was put to use straight away!

    IMG_3807.JPG

    It's so nice to have the peace of mind knowing that if it blows up or breaks you just load it up and worry about it when you get home lol

    Decided to get a bit more track time in than last year and began with 2 trackdays in 3 weeks at Bedford Autodrome. After the first one on the SEN circuit I found the brakes were getting well up in the 600 degree C range as the heat sensitive paint not only changed colour but started to burn off as well :o

    As the second trackday was on the faster GT circuit I decided to upgrade the brake cooing a little....

    IMG_3824.JPG IMG_3821.JPG IMG_3812.JPG IMG_3818.JPG IMG_3817.JPG

    The big problem with the mk3 disks is that they vent from the front (wheel side) and not from the back so getting fresh air to the middle, up and through the disk is almost impossible. So the only way to increase air flow through the disk was to blow cool air across the outside vent and hope this moved more air through the middle of the disk. I also changed the pads and disks at the same time as the old ones were cooked. I could only get EBC yellow stuff pads as nobody had any stock of any other alternatives but I was hopeful that with the extra cooling they shouldn't overheat too much and they didn't :thumbup: The paint was still there at the end of the day so it was definitely an improvement.

    I also up the spring rate from about 300 lbs alround to 600 all round and to be honest it didn't feel that much different. The lateral G on the data logger (more on this later) actually dropped a little (which is what I expected it to) and you could see that the last inch of tread on the edge of the tyres wasn't being used anymore as it was with the 300lbs springs indicating less body roll.

    This was basically a quick fix as I knew the dampers that are on it aren't up to the job of controlling a wheel barrow let a loan a nose heavy Mk3 Golf on sticky tyres so it is what it is for now. It's also quite fun trying to get that last little bit extra from an ill handling car while trying to chase down quicker things. Also realised that it's probably only got around 130bhp at the moment as well so it's even down on power to a standard mk4.

    The reason being is that as the standard ko3 got destroyed when the engine let go I replaced it a ko3s I had. After a test drive the boost spike was massive and the n47 valve couldn't keep up with it so I went back to a manual boost controller and set it at 0.5 bar. I also replaced the standard AGU injectors with Saab red tops with the intention of upping the boost to 1.0 bar but as the brakes were getting such a work out on just 0.5 bar I just left it were it was. It wasn't until I was sat having a coffee the other day wondering why those pesky Clios were pulling away down the straight that I realised I wasn't even running standard boost levels [8(] Which is kind of good as it means that when the boost is upped I should be chasing them down! :thumbup:

    Next update is on the mk2 I promise ;)
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2018
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  19. vw_singh Events Team Paid Member

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    Keith from The Prodigy! Awesome!

    My grey mk1's original owner was registered as Michael Knight. LOL!
     
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  20. 1.8T_mk2

    1.8T_mk2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    On to the Mk2...

    Rear beam time.

    To get the desired ride height and to keep the rear beam at a near horizontal angle, to maintain wheel base, I came up with this...

    IMG_3496.JPG

    Obviously this wasn't going to be strong enough by its self so it needed to be reinforced somewhat.
    I started off by folding some card around the axle and trimmed it to length.


    IMG_3540.JPG


    I then eyeballed the rough shape that I was after, marked it, and cut it out.

    IMG_3541.JPG IMG_3539.JPG


    The idea was to make some sort of VW Motorsport style triangulation but on top rather than the bottom as the extra torque on the beam tubes generated from the new position of the stub axle would cause more deflection than if it was in the normal location.

    IMG_3542_1.JPG IMG_3545.JPG


    With the template made I planned on getting the parts laser cut so I converted the template to CAD using a photo of the axle scaled to size and modelled the template in Fusion 360.



    IMG_3905.JPG


    After emailing a few companies about cutting the parts the cheapest quote I got was 30 plus postage for each side which I though was a bit steep as I'd already digitized it all for them so all they had to do was nest the parts and press go on their cutter, unless there is more to it than I'm aware of?

    Anyway I decided against getting them laser cut and decided to do it myself.

    Many moons ago I bought a mini cnc engraving machine to learn how to program g-code (the language to control the cnc machine) with the intention of converting my manual mill over to cnc at some point. The thought process was that if I couldn't get on with the mini mill then I wouldn't bother converting the bigger mill and save a whole load of expense in the process. Turns out I really enjoyed it and still want to convert the mill anyway lol but before I do I've a golf to build!

    So the idea was to cut out the template with the mini mill and then plasma cut around the edge for the finished item. With the template modelled in cad so that it was a flat 2d shape rather than a 3d shape (cardboard template laid flat if you will) it soon became clear that the mini mill wasn't going to be big enough to cut the whole template out in one go. The easiest way round it was to cut down the size of template to just over half of it I could then plasma one half, flip it over and then plasma the other half.


    IMG_3750.JPG


    I made the template out of some 3mm alloy sheet as it seemed to cut better than the ply wood I was using that kept breaking up.

    IMG_3753.JPG

    Once that was cut out I laid that on some 1mm steel and made a tester.

    IMG_3755.JPG IMG_3756.JPG IMG_3754.JPG

    Once I was happy with the fit I cut one out of 3mm steel plate and bent it to shape.


    IMG_3758.JPG IMG_3763.JPG IMG_3764.JPG IMG_3757.JPG


    I also cut some little spacers to hold the two sides together while I tacked it to the beam before fully welding it all up...


    IMG_3765.JPG IMG_3766.JPG



    and some little plates for the underneath

    made up a template out of 3mm alloy sheet


    IMG_3768.JPG


    transferred to steel

    IMG_3769.JPG



    I'm not to happy with the way these came out but they will do for now to mock it all up :thumbup:
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2018

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