35 replies to this topic

[SwannyUK]

Well, i've been talking about getting into motorsport before i get to the point where i have to deal with bills, mortgages etc for a while but at the moment i havent got £££££££ to throw at it.

So, i've decided to kit my mini out as a full on track day car for now so i can get some track time.

I'll be upgrading the suspension, exhaust, getting rid of the seats and fitting buckets with harnesses, fitting some sort of roll cage etc etc etc

I was just wondering if anyone else on here has done anything similar? Also any tips on what sort of upgrades i should be looking at would be great

Cheers

Chris

[dave21478]

You need to decide sooner rather than later whether you want to keep it to general trackdays or go for a particular branch of motorsport.
You need to decide this before modding the car- there is no point fitting a cage, buckets etc now, which will be fine for open trackdays, only to find later when you want to start competing, that they dont meet the required regulations.

[SwannyUK]

I wont be turning this mini into a competition car. Just track days.

If i then decide to go into say mighty minis i would buy one that had already been raced from their for sale section. That way i know it meets regs etc.

Just wanted to see if anyone else has a car specifically for track days as i know most turn up in their everyday drive.

Only thing i might need to look at is the sunroof :S Not sure where tracks stand on them. Maybe i could just tape it up?

Edited by SwannyUK, 17 July 2008 - 01:29 PM.

[E11OOT]

mine is all track day ready!

things to spend money on:

Speed: use the minis already good qualities of handling and put money into that area first!

Coliverover or adjustable hi-lows (if on a tighter budget)
Good Brakes - 4 pots, braided lines, good fluid.
Good Tyres - Semi Slick type that are just about road legal. (£80ish a corner)


Saftey:

Rollcage
Fire Extinguisher (how ever you spell it)
Buskets
Harnesses

Tuition:

Get a few lap with an instructor, most people shed more time off this way than anything else! money well spent!

thats how i would start off...

Edited by E11OOT, 17 July 2008 - 01:36 PM.

[SwannyUK]

Cheers, that was exactly what i was after

Really helpful

I've found a company near me that does the coilovers

http://www.toys4cars...=2736_4243_4254

Not sure which ones i'd go for though. Come to think of it how do these fit/work :S

Edited by SwannyUK, 17 July 2008 - 02:29 PM.

[dave21478]

well, if I was going to build a dedicated track-day car, I wouldnt use a mini!

About 10 years ago, I used to go to Knockhills trackdays in a mini. It was great fun, and there were a few other cars of similar performance level around to compete against. I got out of minis for a long time, but went back to trackdays several years later in a peugeot 205gti with an MI16 engine conversion - stripped interior, buckets, cage, uprated suspension and brakes.....significantly faster than a mini could ever be without spending a massive amount on (or fitting a large non a-series engine) There were a few similar cars and stuff like astra GTE`s etc, so again a few car to compete with....thing is, there wasnt much else thats slower. For all the good handling and fun driving of a mini, it would be well off the pace at any open trackday...last time I went to Knockhill, the place was over-run with scoobys, early evos and other 4wd / rwd jap turbo stuff. You would have fun in a mini, but you would consistantly be the slowest car there, and that gets very frustrating very quickly.

[E11OOT]

In my opinion you dont go to a track day to race the other people around, that just causes problems!

Best thing is not to worry about other people and just enjoy yourself and just try to beat your own time.

[SwannyUK]

Yup, i'm not going there to try and beat chavs in imports

I'm looking at mighty minis as an entry level championship to get into so i might as well learn how to drive a mini quickly

Edited by SwannyUK, 17 July 2008 - 02:47 PM.

[dave21478]

no, trackdays are not races, but if you have other cars at a similar performance level, its nice to have some competition. Lapping away on your own becomes pretty dull, especially when you have every other car on the track streaming past you on the straights or stuck behind you trying to get past on the narrower corners.

[*DJH*]

Mines track ready too

Ignor the red circles

[Scott.Tamson]

Mmmmm!!!!

[Pie]

Save your money and buy my mini
Its all ready for Track day action.

[SwannyUK]

Thats a really great looking car DJH.

I would love to do something like that but in the back of my mind i'm thinking i should keep it as original as possbile so if i have to sell it at some point i can remove the cage and just put normal seats back in.

[*DJH*]

Thats a really great looking car DJH.

I would love to do something like that but in the back of my mind i'm thinking i should keep it as original as possbile so if i have to sell it at some point i can remove the cage and just put normal seats back in.

cheers.

yeah that is a very good point, my mini's gone beyond that point now since the rollcage is welded into the chassis but you would be better off leaving it in near original condition with no livery and with a bolt in cage.

[SwannyUK]

yup, probably would be for the best in the long run.

By the way, what size wheels are you running with your miglias?