Big Bens non Clio

[jimmybell]

Ever tried doing a hill climb? Alternatively if you enjoy the social - perhaps could organise the next forum track day?

I get the same negative energy over winter tbh, but a little bit of mods or cleaning (surprising how much excitement i got from a stretchy custom car cover for my aston..) gets you back in the zone. A dirty car always seems to be a cost and drain, but as soon as the thing is shiny i’m like a kid in a sweet shop

 

[Marsch]

Hey Ben, I don't really know what to say except for it would be sad to see you and/or your Clio go! If you've the means than keep it for gods sake.

To cheer you up a bit. I'll invite you to our meeting and offer to pay the entry fee for you. Come and visit us if you've the time and means. You won't regret it. I'll guarantee!

 

[R20BTG]

The laps I had with Iain at the ring were properly epic, and I know I’ve ruined that by buying the Megane now.

Yep, you're dead to me now

 

[R20BTG]

as good as the car is it’s beginning to thrill me less. I’m sure that’s human nature. Does anyone else have these thoughts?

You need to book a big boy track day.

Sack off the flat airfield bollocks and go somewhere that requires you to dip into your trousers and find your cojones. A few days at the Nurburgring would sort you right out, a break from work, the wife, the kids, hang out with your mates, scare yourself silly, eat steak and drink lots of beer.

Whenever I come back from the place I've got a whole new level of buzz. You'll never want to go to Bedford again.

 

[Marsch]

To up the ante a bit. I'm quite sure I can organise a passenger ride in this gem here.

You basically have no excuse now!

 

[Big Ben]

You need to book a big boy track day.

Sack off the flat airfield bollocks and go somewhere that requires you to dip into your trousers and find your cojones. A few days at the Nurburgring would sort you right out, a break from work, the wife, the kids, hang out with your mates, scare yourself silly, eat steak and drink lots of beer.

Whenever I come back from the place I've got a whole new level of buzz. You'll never want to go to Bedford again.

Lend us two grand then!
There’s a reason I’ve never been and it’s in the picture below. When I recovered from said trauma level pelvic injuries I treated myself to the Clio as YOLO etc.
But riding in that car in bucket seats for however many hours to the ring feels me with dread mate not excitement. Id
So that leaves trailering the car in a nice comfy rig as an option. No chance in hell I’d get that past the missus.
Unless you lend me 20 grand

 

[Marsch]

I've heard about having an RS bolt in the head but that is something different.

 

[jimmybell]

so what your saying is your next mod is.. a trailer?

 

[Marsch]

Or alternatively some good seat cussions.

 

[Big Ben]

so what your saying is your next mod is.. a trailer?

Boosted wheelchair

 

[Marsch]

F4RT wheelchair? Sounds legit!

 

[jimmybell]

there MUST be a ring shipping company that does regular transport runs. i have to admit i dont fancy sitting in my clio all the way there. i see some attending in June, wonder if i could jump on that bandwagon..

 

[R20BTG]

Lizard Logistics

Lizard Logistics - Lizardlogistics.com

Established in 2006, Lizard Logistics offers delivery/collection of vehicles throughout the UK & Europe A small owner operator business, offering a bespoke fully insured vehicle transport service. With both open & enclosed transporters, these are not signwritten & are discreet. We specialise in...

lizardlogistics.com

 

[RSRowe]

It’s definitely a bandwagon worth jumping on to.
There’s nothing that compares imo.

We’re heading over on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry this time (which is a first for me) which takes a big chunk of the journey out for us ‘northerners’.

 

[R20BTG]

@Beany can tow, he's got all the gear now

 

[jimmybell]

the upside of shipping your track tool is you can take additional cars... man maths right here.

i've now told my wife our new practical baby car is going to need to have a tow bar. obviously.

this forum is expensive.

 

[NickD]

I liken it to sleeping with the wife for 25yrs. It’s still good but it ain’t as great as when you first started out. Bodywork has faded, few age related marks. You’re tired and your back hurts after riding in it….!

Two sides to every story, guess what the car thinks of you!

 

[NickD]

It is a trap many fall into. You start out with a car and then you want a bit extra to keep up with the slightly faster car, and then when you have done that there is the next faster car and so on. The problem is though, especially for track days, those cars you chased might not be on the next day and also because it is a track day and now your car in in the faster half, you end up waiting for slower traffic far more frequently and it kills rhythm.
However the real problem, I believe, is that the more you modify a car for track, the less road it becomes, then it starts to be a chore, just even shunting them round on the drive is an arse but even more so, the more competent the car becomes, the less fun it is to drive. Once you stop having that feeling that you are controlling the car on the limit, because the suspension moves around a bit and the tyres slide more, it starts to feel dull. You have to drive it correspondingly faster to get to the same point of enjoyment and that means going faster and harder just to get the same thrill. There is a lot to be said to having a standard car that is capable on track rather than an outright track car that can drive on the road.

 

[Beany]

@Beany can tow, he's got all the gear now

all the gear no idea

 

[R20BTG]

It is a trap many fall into. You start out with a car and then you want a bit extra to keep up with the slightly faster car, and then when you have done that there is the next faster car and so on. The problem is though, especially for track days, those cars you chased might not be on the next day and also because it is a track day and now your car in in the faster half, you end up waiting for slower traffic far more frequently and it kills rhythm.

However the real problem, I believe, is that the more you modify a car for track, the less road it becomes, then it starts to be a chore, just even shunting them round on the drive is an arse but even more so, the more competent the car becomes, the less fun it is to drive. Once you stop having that feeling that you are contriving the car on the limit, because the suspension moves around a bit and the tyres slide more, it starts to feel dull. You have to drive it correspondingly faster to get to the same point of enjoyment and that means going faster and harder just to get the same thrill. There is a lot to be said to having a standard car that is capable on track rather than an outright track car that can drive on the road.

Great post. I feel very similar about chasing power. I'm in a position now where I've got a 200bhp car that handles quite well, and I'm content staying in that bracket and trying to improve myself as a driver and how quickly I can get that 200bhp car around compared to other 200bhp cars.

That means that I need to be content in conceding to 300bhp+ cars that are going to appear in my rear view mirror, and I need to recognise that my 'fight' is not with them, it is with myself and the car that I'm in, and maybe some others in my bracket. If I can keep up with the 300bhp+ club for a while, great, but I try not to get sucked in. Let them go, remove ego from the equation.

The temptation is to Meglio, or supercharge, and all of a sudden I've got 300bhp.

However, that doesn't solve my problem. All I've done is moved the goalposts. I'm now the one catching the 150bhp-200bhp group, so I've introduced another obstacle into the equation that I didn't have before. Now I can try and keep up with the 300bhp club, but I'm still having the same issue in that there'll be a 400bhp club. Again, I need to be content in conceding to 400bhp+ cars that are going to appear in my rear view mirror, and I need to recognise that my 'fight' is not with them, it is with myself and the car that I'm in, and maybe some others in my bracket.

It's the same problem but I'm now £5k down, and I've introduced a possible reliability issue in stepping up a bracket.

It's really never ending, especially these days when a well sorted M2/M3/M4 or GT3 seem quite common on even the most basic of track days. There will always be a bigger fish.