Adam_B
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Registered: 13th Dec 00
Location: Lancashire
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For starters the engine in a corsa hangs right out over the front wheels, then we have the rear beam that has similar properties to cheese wrapped in tin foil. Also worth pointing out is that there is not a great deal of feedback through the steering, even less if you use power steering.
If you have a corsa already, and more importantly want to do a corsa then fair enough. when people ask me i suggest starting with something like a 106, MX5, MR2 or Elise depending on budget, i know uprated parts cost a lot but i think its worth it.
However if i was the big man it would be a standardish 2.0 16v XE and really good brakes and suspesion on the corsa hes got, i did an all MR2 day at the old Anglesey track a few years ago and its pretty awesome being the fastest thing round there in Corsa exept for some dude in a brand new at the time Porsche Caymen S 
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Plus, I'd say a Corsa handles well enough with a set of decent brakes, low profile tyres and a decent suspension setup to go out have some fun and learn the game...
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Fad
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Registered: 1st Feb 01
Location: Dartford Kent Drives: 330cd
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Seriously Steve start with a car that doesnt need money pumped into it like a Corsa.
As much as some of jr's points are valid i would say good brakes and suspension can only go so far.
Buy a good car out of the box and actually move onto better cars now you have the money...surely yu aspre to actually drive something decent?
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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Would Steve physically fit in an MX5? 
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Adam_B
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Registered: 13th Dec 00
Location: Lancashire
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
and when you bin it into the wall
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Fad
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Registered: 1st Feb 01
Location: Dartford Kent Drives: 330cd
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
Plus, I'd say a Corsa handles well enough with a set of decent brakes, low profile tyres and a decent suspension setup to go out have some fun and learn the game...
It handles ok i wouldnt say well compared to the alternatives and you will find that a lot of so called Corsas that do well out on track is purely down to driver ability
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
You'd have fun with your car on a track without spending some stupid sum of money on the engine. For a first track car there is no point in spending loads of money on bits because you wont know how to use them properly and when you bin it into the wall it will be that much more painful looking at the damage and the repair bill.
This man speaks the sense! 
Also to note, most people I've witnessed who've built a 'ultimate' track car without going on track previously, take it fairly easy / don't reach the full potential anyway due to lack of experience.
Whats the current spec of the corsa Steve? Just track it and see how it goes, change the things you feel you need to change, when you've tried it first.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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It's just a 1.2 8v at the moment Paul. It needs a seat too as I think all the interior went into the skip
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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I dont even know why people spend so much money on track cars. I mean if you make it mint and spent loads of money and effort on it, its only going to be worse when something happens. My car costs me alot of money, its all in the parts though, as a whole the car is tatty and a general mess. For this reason I can spend less time pansying about and more on stuff that makes a difference when it comes down to it, and when im on the track dont have to worry too much about binning it.
Basically if you want something for fun, dont be gay about it, the engine bay doesnt need spraying, those dirty second hand seats will do the job, etc etc...
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
It's just a 1.2 8v at the moment Paul. It needs a seat too as I think all the interior went into the skip
ok as much as people say 'you can happily track any car' - I think 1.2 8v is maybe a bit too gutless for the task
However a standard 1.6 should be sufficent if steve doesn't want to spend mega money. Also as Robin says, XE corsa's don't handle too bad.
But my point is, spend a bit on it getting it quite good, then track it (even if its 'not ready') and see how it feels. From that decide what to do next. You run out of brakes? Spend lots of money on the brakes. You understeer? think stiff rear, LSD, Semi Slicks etc. You don't understeer and hang on cars in the corners, but feel you're lacking down the straights - go mental on the engine.
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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I sort of agree, however, a well presented car is always nicer to work on and easier to find a fault with when one arises.
If your engine bay is freshly painted, you can see an oil leak easier, if you have shiny new parts, you can spot damage easier.
You also don't get covered in shit when you have to take the car apart, that also means the shit doesn't end up in the part you're removing, causing damage.
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mattk
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Registered: 27th Feb 06
Location: St. Helens
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I rekon it depends on how focused and how serious you want the car to be,
Id be happy with a stripped XE with a mid range set of coilovers and a set of V^ breaks on it
many other people would want top spec everything and thats when it gets dear
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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It's one thing keeping the car clean and keeping the paintwork in check, and another spending hundreds of pounds on Aeroquip, expensive magnesium alloys, carbon fibre panels and other fancy parts.
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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quote:
Originally posted by Paul_J
ok as much as people say 'you can happily track any car' - I think 1.2 8v is maybe a bit too gutless for the task
I wouldn't be so sure
There's a bloke on Passionford who used to have a Ford Ka with a totally standard engine, but it Leda coilovers, proper brakes, decent tyres etc. It was quicker than a lot of cars at a lot of track days (not just on twisty tracks, it was good at places like Donnington)
Ok it wasn't brilliant down the straights but it destroyed pretty much everything under braking and in the corners.
Only 15bhp more than a 1.2 8v Corsa too
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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Agreed Ed, but some of those things make it easier to find problems, or make the car less likely to break.
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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No track car needs carbon, waste of money
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by Robin
Agreed Ed, but some of those things make it easier to find problems, or make the car less likely to break.
On my budget im going on the idea that if you break it, you upgrade it. People spend too much getting everything amazing before they even look at tracking the car.
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by Butler
quote:
Originally posted by Robin
Agreed Ed, but some of those things make it easier to find problems, or make the car less likely to break.
On my budget im going on the idea that if you break it, you upgrade it. People spend too much getting everything amazing before they even look at tracking the car.
Yeah. Fine going for the best, if you're paying Jamsport to build and prep a car for a race series or serious track enthusiast and you know you want and need the best.
Different to buy the best for a complete track novice never been on track before. Otherwise this happens... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7ALTJMi79m8
Straight... flat out... 240 bhp... rest of the track... mince....
££££ thousands of parts... wasted. Could go quicker in a standard vts
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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A track car, and a race car are two very different things in the grand scheme of things
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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Oh yeah, definitely, but just because your budget isn't as much as some people's, doesn't mean the car needs to be badly prepared and look shite.
You can have a quick car which looks crap, but it'll always be nicer to have the tidy car when you come to work on it.
I totally agree there's no point in spending thousands on nuts, bolts and fittings for a car which is just a bit of fun, but certain things do make the car so much nicer to work with and save you time, effort and money in the long run.
My car isn't going to have any fancy red and blue pipe ends on it, but I know for a fact that making things easy to get to, neatly installed, clean, tidy and safe is at the top of the list of preparation items.
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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There is a compromise on doing things tidy, I mean I understand your point. Some people just go way overboard though and tend to miss the point of a track car.
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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They do indeed.
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AK
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Registered: 5th Jul 00
Location: Aberdeen City
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if starting from scratch dont use a corsa as a base car. Its just making things hard for you.
Clio cup, 106, 205, Civic if it has to be a hatch.
Impreza if you have a brain
My old corsa would have worked well, but it would have taken a lot of fiddling and a complete susp rework. It gripped, it stuck to the road normally.... but just sometimes it would spit you off the track!
hunk of shit.
Steve - That vid of a corsa an bruce taxo evo.... That isnt the Evo in time attack nothing like it!!!! He has 3 or 4!!!
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AK
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Registered: 5th Jul 00
Location: Aberdeen City
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agree with butler and paul...
I completly agree with the fact that you get so many folk building track cars to such a good spec, and wasting heaps of cash on useless parts... then when it eventually sees the light of day they cant even drive it!
I bought the skyline.... took on track standard and was nearly sea sick
OK... it needs X Y Z
We have a fair spec car now, but its a fair bit lower spec than many Skyline 'road' cars. We simply dont have stuff we dont need.
We have stayed at a sensible power level so far, but spent on susp and brakes..
Try and and be objective. You want a track car, but you also want to be able to drive it. Start slow, think small and learn what needs to be improved! Most of the time improving the driver is better than doubling the power.
[Edited on 10-08-2008 by AK]
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Ant
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Registered: 12th May 02
Location: Hereford and Worcester
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quote:
Originally posted by Robin
This might come as a bit of a shock, I think some of you should probably sit down before reading it.....
I'd go for a TBd XE for a track car. With the right suspension setup, they do handle, obviously not as well as a 16XE with the same suspension bits, but they do still handle.
Ant's is a perfect example of a well prepared car, decent power, drives brilliantly, the suspension is good, blah blah blah.
I took it to Santa Pod for him for PVS, obviously, with it not being my car, I didn't actually give it any abuse, but I was surprised by the way it turned in at the first roundabout I came to after leaving work.
So there, that's what I'd do.
TBd XEs are proven to be good drag cars too, so you've got the best of both worlds.
i wonderd how long before you would go public with 'i drove an xe it and it handled' it weighed in at 850kg's for info and i run a fair bit of toe out
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