Turning standard Mk2 16v into a track car

Right, I have a standard Mk2 16v sat in my garage now that I have a Mk3 diesel so I thought I'd turn it into a bit of a track car.

From what I've read, these are the things I should be spending money on:

Uprated ARBs
Front Strut Brace (upper)
Weight reduction

Currently running Boge Gas dampers with standard springs. Is it worth getting some new springs e.g. -40mm (dampers are pretty new so didn't really want to throw them) ????????

Any other cheapish mods I can do just while I see if I like trackday action / have the time to do them?

Thanks, any advice greatly appreciated.
Andy
Edited by: dooosuk

 

IMO the important bits to look at are suspension/brakes..

Power can be increased over time, but its important to have the car safe/feeling right for track work...

the above list of things you have are all a benefit but also consider...

1.Uprated Bushes...(a must if the originals are on the car now IMO)
2.A decent 256mm brake setup, or 280s if you can find them (quality discs/pads/fluid)
3. Decent track Rubber (toyo Proxes are a good budget bet
4. External Oil cooler (to keep engine temps safe)

aside from this ensure all other drivetrain items are in good condition (wheel bearings/CV Joints etc etc) as these take a hammering too........

From here on the sky's the limit, but these mods should improve the car "generally" so very worthwhile even if you decide trackdays arent for you..

 

A free mod is to stitch weld (not seam since its just a track day car and I assume used on the road aswell?) the interior and engine bay.

It'll be fun on the standard suspension, but as ChrissMC says an uprated setup would be best considered. Better oil cooling, brakes and tyres. Dont underestimate the tyres!

 

Yip, a decent set of springs would be very worth while- H&R or Eibach would be my choice.

 

Thanks for the replies .

I guess I'll be asking a lot more questions but will start by replacing the brake discs/pads and fluid. Any recommendations for these?

Bushes are the originals I think (nothing in the previous 148k miles of history). Am I after those powerflex ones then?? (can't remember if this is what they are called) Easy to replace myself?

Will look at springs as well then. Any good online stores to use? Only ever really used GSF.

Thanks
Andy

 

1. Strengthening chassis .... ARB's / Strut braces / Roll cage all add to the chassis feel and less flex.



2. Uprate suspension ... this is a must .. depends what you want to
spend, an adjutable coilover kit would give you more control over the
feel of the suspension and the characteristics.



3. Brakes .. 280 up front is a must i think along with braided hoses
and a good set of discs and pads... Pagid FR's should doe for track use
along with a good fluid .. usual dot 5.1 should suffice or maybe some
higher temp stuff.



Rears shouldnt be a huge concern, some standard pads with Pagid Fr's
should bite well enough, you wouldnt notice too much difference due to
the bias.



4. Lose some weight ... lose everything you dont need . Simple as , even get a fixed race seat just for you.



5. Good rubber ... seeing as this is the point of contact between the
vehicle and ground, you have to trust it and have your confidence. A
good all round tyre would be the T1-R's ... good tyre all round use and
ample on the track i believe.



Still a bit of money there... but with a bit of searching and ebaying you could do it ...

 

3" - Four point harness is a must

Race seat if possible

Motorsport steering wheel

Torque wrench for your `nuts`

Accurate tyre pressure gauge ( e.g. Longacre )

If you have a spare set of wheels then look for some part worn `road legal` competition tyres e.g. Yoko A032R`s or even part worn road tyres. Don`t use new tyres as they`ll soon overheat / go off.

I`ve some spare 14" steel wheels 6 x 14 ET 38 100 PCD plus two `illegal` AO32R`s. Trouble is I`m up in Aberdeen, making postage prohibitive.

Good luck
Andrew

 

Cheers guys.

Looks like I've got some stuff to be sourcing and fitting then.

 

this is a helpful thread, I'm thinking of doing the same. I have a 16v doing nothing that I'm thinking of using for a few track days.

Plan was to sort the suspension (standard at present), uprate the brakes (discs and pagid pads), strut braces'/arb's, strip the interior and find some suitable 15" wheels (cheap toyo 195/50's!). Never thought of a harness

Renewing the bushes might be too much but I wouldn't be planning on it being the fastest car out there, just a bit of fun really.

 

After reading replies and some other threads I came across I think my plan is:

Strut brace (Front Upper)
Suspension (springs only initially)
Brakes

Do a few track days to see if I like it and then move onto the ARBs and stuff if I do.

 

Trackdays are pooe - take up needle work - FAR better

 

and i'd be able to fix my seat bolster too

 

see good chap you now it makes sense !

 

Dont get hung up on the strut brace, lots of stuff to get first- ARBs/firmer springs/braided lines/new fluid/decent pads/poly bushes for starters

 

Learn not to lift first

 

I'd say brakes are the priority. You don't need 280's straight away, my 256's are quite happy even with my 2.0 16v under the bonnet. You'll be best to get some ATE power discs and Pagid Fast road pads, that's what I run. Dont worry about the rear brakes, just make sure they're working properly.

New fluid (Castrol response super DOT4) and braided hoses are a must as well.

After that, get some poly bushes and better suspension, you don't need to go crazy, Eibach springs with Boge Turbo dampers are a nice combination, also means you won't shake your teeth out on the way to the circuit.

If it's a real track only car then you can strip out the entire interior apart from the drivers seat, that's a free mod!

Decent tyres on some old 15" rims are a very good idea, if your tyres are all old and rubbish it can make the car very unpredicatable.

EDIT: ... tho brand new decent tyres aren't a good idea either as there's too much tread and the subsequent overheating will prob cause the tread blocks to disintegrate.

Joe
Edited by: Joe_G

 

I would go for brakes - Ferrodo DS2500's and Standard VAG plain disks IMO.

ARB's - a far better investment than cheap suspension.

And some rubber to hold you there. Personally i hate road tyres on track, but some people can live with them.

 

I fitted stiffer lowered springs and tried the car first on track, it was good but understeered in tight or slow corners. The next trip I'd fitted Yoko A048r tyres and an uprated front ARB which completely solved the understeer.

(Mind you I'd uprated the brakes to 280's and fitted poly bushes aswell before both trips)

Of course you could save yourself a fortune and buy my track car which is going up for sale shortly

 

What why are you selling?

 

Too many other commitments at home and work I'm afraid. (family and new house) I'm dissapointed as I'm not going to reap the fruits of all my effort! but I will be replacing the car with something I can run in the standard class and pay someone else to maintain it.
I started what should have been a 2 weekend job swapping the engine & box over two months ago and only got enough time to finish it yesterday!

Not sure where to advertise it, It'll go on Pistonheads and here I suppose.