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General => Shows, events, track days, motorsport => Topic started by: Paul86S2 on 20 November 2010, 17:42
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We took the Golf to Abingdon yesterday (Friday 19/11) for its last outing of the year. Its stayed dry all day which I think is the first time this year.
Car went well all day. The only real change to the car was fitting some solid front top mounts which didn't really get a good trial last time due to the biblical rain.
There was a considerable difference in the handling with the solid top mounts, the car turns in quicker and feels so much more stable through the corners. We can now chuck the car into the corners much faster than before with less under-steer, and the back seems to be tighter as well. The oem mounts were a bit worn earlier in the year and the w@nk poly ones I replaced them with weren't very good either but I can seriously recommend the solid ones (not if your car is a daily driver though).
We've done 10 track days this year and only had a few niggly problems, loose rear heatshield, knocking exhaust, crap top mounts, and one set of glazed brake pads. The car has now done 154k miles and 3 1/2 years of track days and where I was considering replacing it with something else it is now definitely staying because it was like a different car on Friday.
Got a few bits to do over the next few months - fit fibreglass wings and tailgate which are sat in the shed, fit rear plastic windows, and fit the oil cooler which I haven't got round to yet.
Roll on next years track days.
Paul
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Sounds like a great day, any pics?
I'm hoping I might look to get a VR6 to do some track days next year, did you bother stripping any of the interior out and fitting harnesses, also I know there's lots of people saying VR6's don't make god trackday cars due to the weight of the engine is this a bit of an urban myth if you sort the suspension out properly?
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From what I understand, which isnt a great deal, the VR6 is so nose heavy that even with the suspension sorted it will never handle as well as the 16v. Also, the 16v can be tuned to near enough the same power as the VR6 but without the heavy front end?! Correct me if Im wrong. :laugh:
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Ah but a 16v will always be missing those two important cylinders :laugh:
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Sounds like a great day, any pics?
I'm hoping I might look to get a VR6 to do some track days next year, did you bother stripping any of the interior out and fitting harnesses, also I know there's lots of people saying VR6's don't make god trackday cars due to the weight of the engine is this a bit of an urban myth if you sort the suspension out properly?
No pics from the day but might have some vids when i sort them out.
Interior all stripped out except the dash, bucket seats and harnesses. Thread here
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=138331.0 (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=138331.0)
I've never driven a VR6 on the track, but the engine is heavy and most of the weight is high up and ahead of the front wheels which is far from ideal. I would think it would understeer badly and you would need to spend a lot trying to sort that out, and you'll never be able to get the weight lower and further back. But each to there own and there seems to be a fair few VR6 track cars out there.
Whatever you choose you will have fun and learn to drive round the cars quirks. If you wanted the best track car you probably wouldn't start with a Golf anyway. If one thing I've learnt its not all about outright power but more about getting your car set up properly, some good tyres, and plenty of practice. A lesson from a good instructor at a trackday is fairly cheap and well worth the money.
Paul
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Thanks for the info, i thought your car was a VR6 hence the question, I'll have a good look through your thread though. I've done quite a few trackdays and tbh as you say if i wanted to go round as quickly as possible I wouldn't choose a Golf, but it's just a bit of fun hence the idea of enjoying the soundtrack of the VR6.
A very good friend of mine is a professional racing driver so I'll pin him down to give me some pointers once i get it all together, a few laps in a car with him is usually enough to make me realise what it feels to go stupidly fast. :laugh:
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we also done our last track day for the year yesterday due to track/air temps we decided not run the avons as there hard compound and didnt think they would get hot enough to benefit so we ran some toyo proxies first thoughts scary lol but into my second session i got more confidence in them and they handled pretty well but by the time we had done 6 sessions they are foobarded :shocked:
there was also a mk3 vr6 out there bloke was a total nutter but i couldnt keep with him on the bends but up the straights there wasnt a lot init were running a abf in a mk2 , on the bends tho u could see he was fighting every step of the way to get it round them mayby he just had bigger b@lls than me lol
all in all tho best track session off the year car didnt miss a beat all day :smiley:
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Do you drive the car there that you are using or trailer it? Just wondering cos I really wanna start gettin into some track days next year and there is alot to think about. :undecided: :smiley:
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we also done our last track day for the year yesterday due to track/air temps we decided not run the avons as there hard compound and didnt think they would get hot enough to benefit so we ran some toyo proxies first thoughts scary lol but into my second session i got more confidence in them and they handled pretty well but by the time we had done 6 sessions they are foobarded :shocked:
I've always foud the Toyo Proxies pretty good except in flood situations.
there was also a mk3 vr6 out there bloke was a total nutter but i couldnt keep with him on the bends but up the straights there wasnt a lot init were running a abf in a mk2 , on the bends tho u could see he was fighting every step of the way to get it round them mayby he just had bigger b@lls than me lol
He probably couldn't get the car stopped in time for the corners :evil:
Do you drive the car there that you are using or trailer it? Just wondering cos I really wanna start gettin into some track days next year and there is alot to think about. :undecided: :smiley:
We've always driven there and back, but its a bit of a worry if something goes wrong.
Paul
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Yeah I can imagine that there is a bit of worry and that maybe you hold back a little bit extra when you are there. For me though, Id have to take another test to be able to trailer and thats another cost to think about.
So buying another golf that is road legal would be the better option?!
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I trailer, as it reduces the risk.
Paul86S2 on here drives to track days and a lot of them and has never had an issue, that I'm aware of.
If you can afford a trailer, on the basis of saved tax, MOT and insurance, I'd say go for it. Not only is your risk reduced, the stress of making sure you can drive home is reduced, too!
You can also earn the odd few quid when people need cars trailered about, too :wink:
How is a trailer license ever going to be a disadvantage, eh?
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How is a trailer license ever going to be a disadvantage, eh?
when someone wants a carvan towing to the SW. i will NEVER tow on the m5 in summer again :sick:
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Yeah I can imagine that there is a bit of worry and that maybe you hold back a little bit extra when you are there. For me though, Id have to take another test to be able to trailer and thats another cost to think about.
So buying another golf that is road legal would be the better option?!
No never held back due to the worry about getting home :evil:
Just get breakdown cover. Most breakdown companies say your not covered for trackdays but I've seen a few people recovered from the track and the breakdown drivers always seem keen to see what is going on. I always thought I would probably just get someone to tow me round the corner from the track / airfield and then call the breakdown company out if I ever needed to.
Having the car road legal helps when you need to take the car out for a drive to make sure everything is ok when you've done some work or modifications.
If I had somewhere to store a trailer I would definitely get one.
Paul
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If I had somewhere to store a trailer I would definitely get one.
It gets you there in so much better state it's untrue and really takes the edge off the day. My trailer really was one of the best modifications I got for my track car. :grin:
It's also provided peace of mind on trips like the jaunt I did with Sharpie and DannyP in 2008 - three Golf2s to the 'ring - what could possibly go wrong? Peace of mind on that trip was that if one of them dropped a b0llock we would still be able to get all three of them back to the UK. Takes the pressure off everyone and lets them enjoy themselves.... even if there might have been a tense 10 minutes for the others while I took my wife and daughters around the 'ring in the tow car. :grin:
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i take mine on a recovery truck as i cant tow either so thought thats a good way around that one and on a plus side u can make a little money out of the truck to help pay for it
does take the worrie out of how we are goin to get home
paul
i found the proxies quite good in first 2 sessions but they gave really bad understeer in the 3 rd session il get a pick of them later just to show u how bad they got chewed
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paul
i found the proxies quite good in first 2 sessions but they gave really bad understeer in the 3 rd session il get a pick of them later just to show u how bad they got chewed
I'd be interested to see them.
A few questions - have you had the alignment done? What tyre pressures were you starting off at? Were the tyres new or already part worn?
Paul
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we started cold at 24 psi when hot they were around 29 psi not sure if that was to little or to much
they were very slighty warn hardly any think tho still had pimples on
we had 4 wheel tracking and thats it
drivers side
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p319/leeroy8v/DSC01422.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p319/leeroy8v/DSC01418.jpg)
passenger side which was the worst side to
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p319/leeroy8v/DSC01421.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p319/leeroy8v/DSC01420.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p319/leeroy8v/DSC01419.jpg)
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:shocked: :shocked: Surely they aint supposed to get like that? Probably need the whole geometry setting up or more air in em? :huh:
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:shocked: :shocked: Surely they aint supposed to get like that? Probably need the whole geometry setting up or more air in em? :huh:
not sure m8 the avons didnt wear like that no were near as bad mayby pressure is to blame
the car doesnt pull ect so it cant be that much out the only thing i could have done is camber i sopose
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Need more negative camber and you need to control your understeer more. You'll go faster and wear your tyres less. Also what was the surface? Airfields are much harder on tyres than proper circuits due to the rough and ready concrete.
Nick
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cheers horney think the track is a tarmac and have as much neg camber as is possible without grinding bolts down ect
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In that case I think you need to get a bit smoother with your turn in and throttle application. T1R's aren't mega soft but they are quite soft, still shouldn't have killed them that badly!
Nick
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In that case I think you need to get a bit smoother with your turn in and throttle application. T1R's aren't mega soft but they are quite soft, still shouldn't have killed them that badly!
Nick
so your blaming my driving :shocked: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:
that is a good point there was one corner that was quite fun to get throttle happy out off
they done 6 sessions and the avon acb10s done around 9 sessions and have loads of life in them must be a harder compound
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Having looked back, your pressures sound a bit low as well. I tend to run mine @32psi hot.
Nick
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well will have to wait till next yr to play again thanks for the advice nick all taken on board
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Not sure what the standard pressures are meant to be on a Mk2 but on the Mk3 for 195 50 15's its meant to be 38 front and 35 rear. I usually start out at 30 psi and they go up to about 37 psi.
It looks like you have suffered from the outside edges rolling over too much. A bit more pressure should help reduce this.
Another problem with running new tyres is that the tread is too deep and squirms and gets too hot. A lot of people get some shaved off of new tyres, a cheaper way is to buy part worn tyres if you trust the source they come from.
I run Toyo T1R's most of the time and usually get 2, 3, or 4 airfield days out of a set. Fronts always take more of a hammering on the inside and outside edges though.
The cost of a decent full alignment will always pay for itself in saving your tyres.
I run 1 1/2 degrees of negative camber and 2 minutes of toe out on each side (total 4 minutes toe out) which helps with turn in but not very tyre friendly.
Paul
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im running mk3 set up all round on the mk2 so would have thought its about the same ? sopose weight of car is a point to consider
tracking was set to 0 as thought be a good place to start
and yes did notice some tyre roll so will know for next time to put some more air in
still learning so this is helping loads cheers
just cant wait for next year now :smiley:
will get it set up again as will hopefully be replacing topmounts and suspension over winter and poss addin a lower front brace
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I think that was a track with a lot of tight turns and those were new tyres so they would have worn fast, especially with enthusiastic goons at the helm.
Brands Hatch nearly killed an R888 of mine last year - tight tracks are harsh on tyres.
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who u calling a enthusiastic goons :laugh:
yes is very tight turns on that track as u have seen in the vid dh
but next yr will hopefully see better handleing so wont have to push quite as hard on the bends to keep up with others well thats the theory anyway
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I was at Lydden to, my o/s/f R888 is down to the cords on the outer edge (3 trackdays). lydden is a very tight circuit & the surface is in a very poor state, really kills your tyres. Lydden hill circuit is only 20 mins away from me so i drive my track car there, i don't use my Golf for anything else except trackdays& driving to/from track. I don't have anywhere to store a trailer otherwise i would deffo buy one.
Simon.