Track day mods on a daily driver?

[litchy]

Does putting parts for the track really make sense on cars that are 95% daily drivers?
The world of modding can be a strange place. We buy a car thats strength is they are great straight out the box and realitively cheap. Then we take all those parts off and replace them with expensive ones made for the track but dont track it?

I guess even if we do track it, are we good enough drivers to make the most of the track mods? A crap driver in a GT3, is still a crap driver....

 

[Raptor6767]

We have a saying in Croatia: "Every fool has it's joy" - we all have our vices - some fancy clothes, some fancy traveling, some going out,...you get the picture.

There have been times that I didn't want to buy new clothes because I thought I could have spent it better (mods on the car ).

I love to make modifications on my car that make it more "robust", "stiff" and finally - faster.

Even before I bought the car I knew I would change the wheels.
On the first day I got the car when I "heard" the exhaust sound I started saving for a new exhaust.
The same thing was after running in period (2000km) - I started saving for performance mods.

If the last "mechanic" had not blew my engine with the wrong cam timing I would be writing a review of a Quaife LSD. Instead, I had to spend <£4000 on a rebulit engine (plus some performance mods too ).

 

[james_h]

Does putting parts for the track really make sense on cars that are 95% daily drivers? QUOTE]

sensible answer in the question ...no..However, it depends on what mod, if you like just doing it for fun, or you want to achieve a certain image etc etc..It could just be that things like a brake upgrade suit both sensible road and enthusiastic driving (or a track)...It could be your daily drive is a fun country lane...

I like to have a play/tinker and get my hands dirty, even though this car won't probably see the track.

My two pennys worth..

 

[Brown bear]

Depends on how far you go. If you stick rock hard suspension, stupid exhaust, strip everything out and fixed seats I'd say you've got a pretty compromised road car.

Decent coil overs that work well on the road (or have some adjustability), seat upgrade, uprated discs/pads, and I'd say you've got an improved performance car.

Most road cars are built to a price, with compromises in mind (for Doris that wants to do the shopping in her car). You can use higher quality parts, eliminate some of the compromises and end up with a car that's better for you.

 

[MadaCup]

I see people putting in fixed bucket seats, stripping the rear seats and every door card out as well as fitting a roll cage to drive to Tesco and back.

The idea of a "track car" seems to be one of those fads right now. Anyone remember the tamagotchi?

 

[litchy]

I guess gonna answer my own question - as there will always be those who will take their cars to the extreme irrespective of how they are used. We all knew thar lad who had to have the best football boots, whether he could play or not. Its an individual's choice....

 

[MikeLYR27]

Depends I think on what you perceive a track car as. Mine with coilovers, zaust, cams then charger, still feels the same only better. Stripped caged would be a ball ache day to day, mine still feels reletivly peaceful to drive when driven normally.

 

[Richy_Boy]

Having recently come back from the Nurgburgring, I don't think the Clio needs anything for the odd trackday. Having been 4-up chasing a Focus RS for a couple of laps, they punch waaay above their weight in standard form.

If you cant resist upgrading, then buy a Megane, I guess?

Rich

 

[Brown bear]

Having recently come back from the Nurgburgring, I don't think the Clio needs anything for the odd trackday. Having been 4-up chasing a Focus RS for a couple of laps, they punch waaay above their weight in standard form.

If you cant resist upgrading, then buy a Megane, I guess?

Rich

I agree in some respects. I still think there's a place for suspension and brakes, but chasing big power has never appealed. It's often cheaper to buy the more powerful car (in this case a meg etc) than it is to turn your own engine into a potential time bomb.

 

[Raptor6767]

Depends I think on what you perceive a track car as. Mine with coilovers, zaust, cams then charger, still feels the same only better. Stripped caged would be a ball ache day to day, mine still feels reletivly peaceful to drive when driven normally.

Same here - cams, ported & matched inlets, modified head, V6 airbox, y-pipe, decat, miltek, remap and the car drives normally, has better mpg than before and it's fast.

Quaife LSD, Clio Cup ARB & rear strut will be the last modifications on my car.

And it still has all the benefits like: automatic AC, automatic wipers, xenons, Recaro seats, Pioneer AVH-5200BT DVD player, full trim, LED interior/exterior lights, carbon look 3M 3D vinyl on the center console and the trims, yellow fog lights (FDM - French domestic market ), small aerial (Peugeot 807),...

 

[litchy]

There is a barn where I live that all the bikers go to most sundays. 70% of them there are recreational bikers in their 40's & 50's, talking a good fight but the 'big' bike exceeds their ability. I wonder whether that is true of a lot of the mods we do to our cars? Can you drive fast enough on the streets safely to maximise the differences of a cup suspension over a set of coilovers, struts, LSD....I guessing but I recon only 10-15% of owners on here do more that 2 track days a year?

By no means am I saying that they shouldn't be done, as mentioned before, its peoples hard earned to spend as they see fit.

Personally the clio wins hands down as my ability to drive fast has never exceeded the clio's ability to be driven fast. Quite the opposite. So I have to ask myself why do I want to go faster or for the car to handle better, when I can't safely make the most of what I've got at the moment. Forums do strange things to you and your money\credit card?

 

[Richy_Boy]

I will be the first to admit, my RS clio 200 with cup suspension is far better a car than I am a driver!

Friends that went to the ring with me were way closer to the limits of the car, and went beyond the limits of the standard tyres! lol (the brake pads were fine, weirdly)



Rich

 

[MikeLYR27]

There is a barn where I live that all the bikers go to most sundays. 70% of them there are recreational bikers in their 40's & 50's, talking a good fight but the 'big' bike exceeds their ability. I wonder whether that is true of a lot of the mods we do to our cars? Can you drive fast enough on the streets safely to maximise the differences of a cup suspension over a set of coilovers, struts, LSD....I guessing but I recon only 10-15% of owners on here do more that 2 track days a year?

By no means am I saying that they shouldn't be done, as mentioned before, its peoples hard earned to spend as they see fit.

Personally the clio wins hands down as my ability to drive fast has never exceeded the clio's ability to be driven fast. Quite the opposite. So I have to ask myself why do I want to go faster or for the car to handle better, when I can't safely make the most of what I've got at the moment. Forums do strange things to you and your money\credit card?

I agree with that. To maximize the clio on the road you do have to be going some, with coilovers the grip is ridiculous!! It actually scares me how much it has now and you have to going silly to get the same level as before which just isnt safe, it inspires to much confidence lol!! But i still love it because it just feels so flat and knowing its all there to use if i want to. Most people will only do a few a year, but maybe the modifications are worth it just for that? especially as imo they dont compromise on the road day to day. I think modding is fun if you no where to stop, and in many ways its the social aspect of meeting new people, going to shows etc is why i love it. But mainly because my car does feel improved, its just expensive lol!

 

[Ed...]

Hmmmmmmm this is a topic that always bewildered me too I was thinking a similar thing at the end but I forgot what the car was like when it was standard that's all so it was hard to do a comparison. Handling was unbeleivable on track and tbh I pushed very very hard. Only on a few occasions the tyres could take no more so it let go. I made a car in the end that was above and beyond my capabilities and it didn't really take much driving to make it fast.

On the other hand I missed the reliability of an untuned un-modified car as something was always costing money.

 

[Ed...]

Ps I never gave it any stick on the roads it was too risky

 

[Brown bear]

Suspension mods (for me) are more about changing the feel/balance than trying to go faster. With coilovers people often feels there's loads more grip, but there really isn't. Car weighs the same and has the same cOntact patches! Lack of pitch/roll just alters the feel an awful lot, and gives more confidence.

 

[ben_r1]

My car feels so much more fun to drive even on the road with its stripped out back, roll cage and harnesses with stiff suspension and road legal slicks blah blah blah...

To me all these crazy track mods just make it more of an occassion driving it on any road, even if i do go down the motorway at 60mph cos i cant afford the petrol from the decats lol.

 

[Ed...]

Lmao yep  decat drinking fuel have u not thought of microcat?

 

[ben_r1]

Any cat is a cat and cats are for greenpeace not power

 

[dangerdaz]

I aim to do 5-6 tds a year.
I started modding the Clio to enable it to perform even better plus to put my own stamp on the car itself.
Its fun..though expensive but at the same time having a forum like this also allows us all to share in the good or bad modifying experience.