ZS VVC track car project

[Mark S]

OK, I've said for years its not about power, its about driver ability and chassis/cornering ability...so here it is...money where the mouth is...no willy waving of v8's, v10's, turbo's or superchargers here!!!

This is my little shoestring budget project.

A £250 car with a roll cage that hasn't turned a wheel on the road in 6 years. Some of you may recognise it from here http://www.zscentral.com/phpbb/chris...t2802-675.html

The plan is to carry on with what Chris started, with a few changes.

1800 VVC engine - may push the boat out for a remap!!!

The Z&F remap (and I assume superchips one too) raises the rev limiter to 7450, as the torque hasn't dropped off cliff edge, it still makes power, the reports are around 174ish bhp in a healthy engine, a nice gain from the 156bhp it left the factory with, but the factory cars really only revved to 7k (they hit 7300 once for the 0-60 press times, then the ecu would limit it to 7k)

Assuming the remap is worth 170bhp, that equates to a nats whisker off 189bhp per ton.

strip it and the target is 900kg.

polycarb windows, DIY to keep the cost down

plate the hole in the roof where the sunroof was!

Arch work to allow a wide track or wide rims, the car will accept 9J x17" rims running 235 tyres without rubbing on the arches.


It's a real shoestring budget, fortunately many parts that will be used have been donated. These parts were removed from a track car when it was built into a race car, they were removed for a reason, they are junk!!! But hey ho, they are free!!!
Corbeau race seats (I'll exclude these from the junk comment)
GAZ coilovers
Camber adjusters front and rear
accord type R brakes (good, but not lightweight)

The plan is lots of hard work, with minimal new parts. The windows for example will be cut with a jigsaw from an 8x4 sheet of polycarb, this will save money, although the rear window will be formed and fitted professionally.

The car is a mk1, the plan is to mk2 it.

possibly do a hybrid front bumper, a mk2 bumper that mates up to the mk1 lights? - what do you think? not sure myself.

It'll never win on the drag strip, nor the power circuits, but being an 1800, its light up front, so I'm kinda hoping it won't handle too bad.
Target circuit times are:

Mallory, 55.something!
Donington Nat 1m25.something
Oulton Park 2m5.something

maybe a bit atomistic, but its something to aim for.

Time for some hard graft, and most important of all, LEARN TO DRIVE!!! driver coaching/tuition is a must.

[Dan1971]

Awesome plan .... Look forward to reading about your progress with both the car and the learning how to drive it !!!

[adam]

Sounds a cracking project!

If you need seals for the polycarb windows, I used www.sealsdirect.co.uk for the MGB as we made/fitted our own windows in that.

[carmadbaker]

Got a low mileage decent vvc 160 lump for sale if you are interested? From an '03 TF with 33k.
Was destined for my Lotus but plans changed!

[carmadbaker]

Lotus Elise VVC engine loom too

[Mark S]

an area of roof cut from another silver car and pop riveted on.

The union Jack flag should make it go faster...all fast cars have a union Jack!!!? At least it disguises the metal plate a little.

[Mark S]

282 front brake calipers vs the twin pot 300mm Honda Calipers

[Mark S]

hard work and elbow grease, removing all the sound deadening material, then painting the inside.






Chris had hand painted the roll cage with Hammerite.

Lots of work sanding the brush marks out, the only part of the car that has seen a rattle can - the cage!
Trying to paint over rattlecan or hammerite with proper automotive paint requires a barrier to stop reaction.
In this case, it was easier to stick with rattle can type paint, this project is a shoestring budget and I didn't want to spend money on the primers required to stop the paint reacting with poly base/2k.

Word of warning here guys - its better not to go down the rattle can route in the first place. The paint is rubbish and often ends in regret (with the exception of proper 2k paint thats been put in a can for those without spray equipment)

[Mark S]

This is where I'm up to, the MK2 conversion...

I was lucky enough to lay my hands on a 1-piece fibreglass front wing, its not made to the same insanely light weights that are used on the race cars, but beggers can't be choosers, non-the-less, its still lighter than the steel version, super strong and FREE!!!



the rest of the kit is standard mk2 stuff

A bit of arch work allows the car to run really low and a really wide track, just to give you some sort of idea, this will run 9" wide touring car rims with 235 wide tyres WITHOUT RUBBING.



No big spoiler on the boot, the boot (bonnet) aero catches are going where the spoiler would sit...who needs that useless ornament anyway???

Its having a polycarb rear screen, so I wasn't bothered about masking up the glass!





262 rear brakes fitted too

[Mark S]

It may seem odd having a cigerette lighter in a track car, but its a perfect power supply for a data logger, tyre inflater etc.



seat brackets that bolt straight to the mounting holes of the MG floor - that saved a whole load of fab work and messing about.