Project - Yellow Racing 180.

[Mark S]

weight loss;

yes there are some great gains to be had, the air con system really doesn't weigh half as much as you think it does, but is worth removing.
poly carb windows will save 1kg per corner, most people foolishly leave in the rear quarter and upright runners - if you are chasing the last few kg, remove this and fit a single piece rear window, it looks cool, look at the vx btcc insignia (last years) that had 1 piece rear window.
you may save 4kg by spending 200quid on perspex, but you could remove the steering lock for free and save more than half that.

relocating the battery to the rear of the passenger seat costs little (40quid in new cables and fia cut switch) and helps a little with weight.

powerflex bushes - if you need to change you may as well go spherical bearing, the cost difference if marginal over polyflex yet the difference is 10x greater.

The intake/plenum is key to power output and the throttle body car proved this. AW who races in cockshoot modded a r800 plenum and finished 3rd overall at Don whilst up against 190 ZR's driven by david Coulthard (been around since the 190 series, so no ameture to the series), so whilst independent dyno stats are not available at present, this is worthwhile of consideration. (this is a mod that is being worked on with te intent of producing back to back dyno results of any power increase)

Exhaust manifold are in the and design process - and I don't mean the junk from janspeed - but the benefits on std or 270's may not be worth the cost, although likely no more and probably less than janspeed - again subject to dyno results, it is thought that the best results of flow would be achieved with 285 cams - but anyway, specifically designed lenth and diameter of primaries and secondaries of equal length is the key here, but for ultimate power may mean moving the cat location or doing away with it.

But all of the above is futile if you can't drive the thing to its max, so tution for many is a key benefit...

but grip and suspension is the biggest key (assuming you've learnt how to drive it in the first place), yes a powerful car can produce a fast lap even driven averagely, but a less powerful car driven well can produce a quicker lap, yet still, a car that has been made to handle can out perform and embarrass cars much more powerful cars driven averagely.

chassis, suspension, spring rates, damping, tyres, rims are probably the easiest and most cost effective way to building a car that can produce a quick lap.
I will touch on just one example here - many people think more rubber produced more grip, and to some extent that is true, a tyre with no tread pattern will have most rubber - ie. a slick, but the fool puts over wide tyres on a rim thinking more rubber means more grip - I have even seem 225's on mk1 straights!, whereas the thinker will look at the wheel width and choose a tyre that sits squarely - and on a 7j rim a 195 fits square and 205 on a 7.5j (yes, rover despite having no money worked that one out for us) will produce more overall grip when pushed to the limit than something thats over tyred.

Of course, to make use of the cheaply available used race slicks you will need a rim of appropriate diameter and spring rates to suit - but all of this is generally paid for by the second or third set of tyres.

camber, geometry - toe in / out front and rear are aspects that need attention, possibly before throwing money at engine tweaks that produce little gain, whereas suspension and grip is very cost effective, it is easy (given the knowledge) to produce a relatively standard nasp 180 that can out perform a forced induction (even track modified) zs180 supercharged -this has been proved.

[Ritchy]

Great post

[Cally180]

15 days to go!


so there is only 15 days till the next hot hatch day and the following things are on the to do list:

• Serivce
• clean brakes up
• Strip more weight
• de-cat

so today I set about giving it a service since I had a box of goodies arrive,





that was 160+ miles on its old oil which was 3 track days. so will try and keep it up on keeping it fresh after its 3rd outing.

easy enough, job done... while the car was jacked up I thought I might aswell start trying to get the Cat off... No chance!! its on there solid, and rolling about on the floor ain't making it easy, I need either a ramp or I might just chop it right off and clamp in a new bit to replace it.


so I started seeing what else I could pull off it before giving up for the day and when removing the plastic around the steering wheel I found this..








A spare fob taped under the steering wheel... is that something MG done, kept a spare in there??


another wee job was re-routing my hazard switch




not a major update and not too much really to be done to the car for its next outing. I do still have that uprated suspension kit from a civic lying there and was considering lowering the rear end with it but I'm thinking it will upset the balance a little and not gain anything. I do want to strip my head lights out and copy this, little bit of weight loss in doing it but mainly for looks if anything

[petet16]

lol at the key fob.

[Ritchy]

Haha, ehm id keep that fob handy incase it needs it to start, unless its had a push start in the past

[BUCKYDEVIL]

That's brilliant with the fob, gonna check mine now..
wonder if anyone else finds a spare ?
Would the headlight removal not work more against you than benefit if weight loss with creating more drag ?

[Cally180]

Originally Posted by BUCKYDEVIL

That's brilliant with the fob, gonna check mine now..
wonder if anyone else finds a spare ?
Would the headlight removal not work more against you than benefit if weight loss with creating more drag ?

I wouldn't be removing them but more just keeping the lens in place.

I know what your meaning if I was to put the mesh in, that would cause drag as such..

[talkingcars]

Not much point in taping the fob there, the Lucas 5AS doesn't have a proximity sensor and is set up on the ZS (and ZR) not to immobilise unless activated by pressing the fob.

You could put a flush piece of metal or Perspex where the headlights sit to keep the drag down.

[Supercharged_Z]

Originally Posted by Mark S

weight loss;

poly carb windows will save 1kg per corner, most people foolishly leave in the rear quarter and upright runners - if you are chasing the last few kg, remove this and fit a single piece rear window,


(even track modified) zs180 supercharged -this has been proved.

Poly carb windows can save up to 14 kg if you take out the window regulators. However the rear quarter windows are actually perspex already so dont bother.

Also having owned most of the ZS supercharged cars that have been on track, it indeed has not been proved at all, however the post is 100% get the chassis right first then look for power.

[Supercharged_Z]

have you drilled holes in your rear bumper? can let the drag out but may alter rear downforce slightly.