Big Decision Track Day Car?

[steves944]

When I bought my 1986 944 Lux Oval Dash it had a mint body , good leather interior and 202,000 on the clock,
12 months MOT and patchy service.
2 years down the line the sills are a bit bubbly, paint is a bit scratched with a couple of dings, its got 212,000 miles and needing belts/tensioners.
The car has passed its MOT and is structurally sound, the sills issue is paint lifting on the outside luckily.
I fancy using it for track events and wondered what things I HAVE to do to the car in order to go to the likes of Snetterton/Brands Hatch etc ( I know about my own requirements in terms of exams/certification).
Thanks

Steve

 

[chrisg]

Steve

Good to see another Huntingdon based person on the forum. Unless I've missed something, in order to do track days (as opposed to test days or racing) you don't have to be certified or have a licence.

For track days I would suggest the following modifications in order depending on budget:

1. Brakes - replace flexible hoses with aeroquip/goodridge, uprate the fluid and new pads and discs(certainly at the front)
1a. Engine reliability particularly for cooling and hoses
1b. New oil and filter
2. ARB's and bushes - where possible upgrade, failing that at least replace all the bushes with polyflex/ powerflex ones.
2a. Tyres - good set of tyres, such as Yoko's etc. Don't go mad with the grip levels as all you'll do is trash the brakes & supss
3. Suspension - very budget dependant but likely to require a refresh/ replacement with uprated units
4. Lighten the car - interior trim, etc not required
5. Seats, harnesses, roll cage

These would be my suggestions ?

Yours

Chris

 

[Mike_Pollock]

I don't take mine on the track, but I have been to quite a few track days, and know several regulars and would go with everything Chris has said.

You could do something like a track day at a sprint track like Curborough, only 1 car on the track at a time, and a blast of a mile or so things dont get too overheated. Some of these days don't even require a helmet!

 

[944Turbo]

keep an eye on the oil level can go down very fast on track.

Tony

 

[steves944]

Yes i seem to have misunderstood my own question!

I was planning on doing the Track Days where you register/turnup/drive using your own car.

In fact I didn't realise you don't need anything other than a car , a helmet, and a current driving licence.

Regards my car I will definitely need to sort the brakes as they fade badly, suspension I will put better dampers on, and the engine I will do belts/tensioners,( bit of vibration too) and full service.

Has anybody done it and as I live east anglia are tracks lke Woodbridge, Snetterton, Bedford good ones?

THanks

 

[MarkK]

Snetterton is a nice circuit,they have improved it for 2011 with a new layout.Track days are a lot of fun,lessons can help u enjoy them more,making u safer ,smoother and wearing the car out less.

 

[chrisg]

Steve

for a first trackday you can't go wrong with Bedford = a number of challenging corners high and low speed, but lots of run off area in case you get it wrong.

Snetterton is also fun(not sure about the new layout) but similarly has a lot of space.

I cant comment about woodbridge, but i believe its an old raf base so should be lots of space !

Chris

 

[edh]

I'd take a good look at the brakes if you are getting fade on the road - that just shouldn't happen (not many mountain passes in Huntingdon [])

All Chris's comments are good - although personally I wouldn't do much more than sort the brakes & routine servicing if it's your first trackday & you don't really know how deeply involved you're going to get. It's a lot of fun but can get very expensive

Mark is spot on with advice on instruction - will really help you get round quicker & with much less wear on tyres (and everything else)

 

[Fat Albert]

I have managed to get my brakes to smoke on the roads just North of Huntingdon! (Riptons, Woodwalton, Raveleys, etc) but my disks were shot

Glad to see another Huntingdon-based person, and with a higher mileage than me! Mine clicked onto 208k yesterday, by the end of this week I will have done 1,000 miles this month.
I'm out in Warboys, where are you?

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: 944Turbo

keep an eye on the oil level can go down very fast on track.

Tony

and if you trailer it to the circuit, don't forget your keys... []

 

[Mike_Pollock]

ORIGINAL: edh

ORIGINAL: 944Turbo

keep an eye on the oil level can go down very fast on track.

Tony

and if you trailer it to the circuit, don't forget your keys... []

Thats uncalled for! [][][][][]

 

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: edh

personally I wouldn't do much more than sort the brakes & routine servicing if it's your first trackday

I agree, far better to get a feel for the car and then evolve it to suit you gradually. It may be an unpopular view, but if you're new to track driving it's very unlikely the car will be weak link for the first few trackdays.

Just make sure it's serviced, has fresh brake fluid (I'd recommend Castrol SRF or Response, as you will work the brakes hard at first), has plenty of tread on the tyres (so you can get home...), some decent pads (new standard ones are ok but better to put something like Porterfields on, etc), and that should be it. Tony is spot on about the oil, always take a full bottle of oil (4+ litres, you'll be amazed!) and check levels after every 15 minute session at first. Oh and well worth getting some instruction, something that i regret not doing sooner, which should be available at all good trackdays.

 

[steves944]

Thanks for all comments so far, really wetted my appetite. Also at the moment there is a whole season to go and seemingly plenty of venues!

I go to Snetteron/Brands Hatch to watch saloon car racing and love it ( that's what I really want to do) - I suppose that's a whole different thing with tighter regulation?

 

[944Turbo]

ORIGINAL: edh

ORIGINAL: 944Turbo

keep an eye on the oil level can go down very fast on track.

Tony

and if you trailer it to the circuit, don't forget your keys... []

LOL top tip - glad you are learning from my experience

 

[edh]

[OT] btw chaps - how about fixing up a Silverstone evening date?

My car is in bits at the moment, but should be back together soon. Am off to the 'ring in late May but nothing booked after that [/OT]

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: steves944

Thanks for all comments so far, really wetted my appetite. Also at the moment there is a whole season to go and seemingly plenty of venues!

I go to Snetteron/Brands Hatch to watch saloon car racing and love it ( that's what I really want to do) - I suppose that's a whole different thing with tighter regulation?

Very different - and much more expensive. Talk to our very own MarkK (driving god/series winner in his first season) if you want to know more about it

 

[MarkK]

Yup it is a bit expensive,all normal logic goes out the window...[&o],may have to stop year after next as the kids are always saying they are hungry and that their shoes are too tight,kids just always think of themselves- so selfish[]

 

[944 man]

Fit an oil catch tank.
Replace the coolant with water and lube additive (antifreeze is very slippery).

 

[Neil Haughey]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson

Just make sure it's serviced, has fresh brake fluid (I'd recommend Castrol SRF or Response, as you will work the brakes hard at first), has plenty of tread on the tyres (so you can get home...), some decent pads (new standard ones are ok but better to put something like Porterfields on, etc), and that should be it. Tony is spot on about the oil, always take a full bottle of oil (4+ litres, you'll be amazed!) and check levels after every 15 minute session at first. Oh and well worth getting some instruction, something that i regret not doing sooner, which should be available at all good trackdays.

I would add check the torque on all the wheel nuts as close as possible to when the car goes on track, for my race car this means its a race day check before qualifying and again before racing. Keep a tyre pressure gauge handy it always amazes me how much of a difference correct pressures makes.

 

[cole.bin]

+1 for trackday instruction. First session is often free. Also +1 for oil. On track my 944t oil consumption is x10 compared to road driving.

Re the comments on tyre pressures please advise me too. What is the best approach for track tyre pressures? Reduce? Increase? Adjust them to stay at road pressure?
Any specific pressure recommendation for 944T running 205/50/17 & 255/40/17. Cheers.