197 / 200 gearboxes: Sacrificing top speed for acceleration............

[sevenfourate]

Just a random thought going through my head:

Back in my Saxo days - it was really common for the track boys / road hoons to fit a 1.1 gearbox etc with lower ratio's into a hotted up VTR / VTS to make it a little more fun on Track / on B-road blasts. All of them were made of cheese and it was just a matter of course to replace it every XXXXX miles whatever you were using.

Is this even possible on a 197 / 200 ? ie: Would a 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.6 box even fit ?

Are the RS box's beefed up especially ?

Is it even worth doing because they have 6 gears ? (On shorter, tighter tracks such as Cadwell (?)....do these cars even really need or use 6th gear ?)


Im just imagining 200 odd bhp - in a lightened car, and geared to do maybe 130mph max on the limiter would make a seriously fun weapon..........

 

[Foxspeed]

plenty of ratio choice with tl4 box its fitted to plenty of different engines petrol/diesel

early 197 06-56-07-57 had a fairly low geared box top was like 18.6mph/1000rpm

 

[Big Ben]

plenty of ratio choice with tl4 box its fitted to plenty of different engines petrol/diesel

early 197 06-56-07-57 had a fairly low geared box top was like 18.6mph/1000rpm

I'm in an 06' 197 and think 60mph in 6th is a tick over 3000rpm. Might be a little higher than 18.6 though Foxy?

 

[Foxspeed]

I'm in an 06' 197 and think 60mph in 6th is a tick over 3000rpm. Might be a little higher than 18.6 though Foxy?

if its had a replacement box it could be the longer geared one...but 3000rpm ish at 60 isnt far from 18.6mph/1000

 

[Big Ben]

Couldn't tell u if it's a replacement...

As you say it's not that far away.

 

[DS197]

I don't think the standard car would make it much over 130 to be honest

 

[sevenfourate]

I don't think the standard car would make it much over 130 to be honest

Sure.....but as the car is geared for what.....just over 150mph ?.........130 max on the redline would be down-gearing it by 20mph at least.

 

[Big Ben]

The stock car is never going to make 150mph so yeah I can see where your at Syer. Might be that a shorter ratio box might help acceleration!

I'm not an expert on theses things though

 

[TB Rich]

yeah this is a thing mate, though I think I'm the first to have raided the Renault TL4 parts bit to do so.
I've used a different final drive in mine and using the early 197 003 box with it.

Otherwise using a short FD on the 200 (031) box makes gears 1-3 become too short. Also using the 003 means by having the shorter 5-6... my box is 'close' at top!

This is my ratio set vs a stock 200 box (031).
1-2 basically identical, 3's a bit shorter, but 4-6 are epic (6th is as my old 5th was):

 

[sevenfourate]

The stock car is never going to make 150mph so yeah I can see where your at Syer. Might be that a shorter ratio box might help acceleration!

I'm not an expert on theses things though

I'd expect the punch and response to be somewhat 'instant' compared to standard - IF a 130mph max ; gearbox could be found / made / fabricated / fitted !

plenty of ratio choice with tl4 box its fitted to plenty of different engines petrol/diesel

early 197 06-56-07-57 had a fairly low geared box top was like 18.6mph/1000rpm

With a redline of 7750rpm like mine....i'd need a final drive ratio in 6th that equated to 16.77mph per 1000rpm.

Alot smaller wheels and tyres would of course do the same thing as an experiment to try it.......

 

[sevenfourate]

yeah this is a thing mate, though I think I'm the first to have raided the Renault TL4 parts bit to do so.
I've used a different final drive in mine and using the early 197 003 box with it.

Otherwise using a short FD on the 200 (031) box makes gears 1-3 become too short. Also using the 003 means by having the shorter 5-6... my box is 'close' at top!

This is my ratio set vs a stock 200 box (031).
1-2 basically identical, 3's a bit shorter, but 4-6 are epic (6th is as my old 5th was):

Very interesting. Should have guessed you'd have this covered as well !!!

Coupled with your lump - that is a recipe for max smiles-per mile

 

[TB Rich]

Very interesting. Should have guessed you'd have this covered as well !!!

Coupled with your lump - that is a recipe for max smiles-per mile

if there's a trick to be had

yeah it'll hit the limiter in 6th. It's a bit fruity on the motorway, but just makes me drive 70mph so no bad thing