controversial post

OK so getting a bit frustrated with a lot of armchair racers giving various bit of advice on this and that for track cars.

I'll be the first to expose myself and show any comments I make are based on my experience that is all out there for everyone to see, and I dont profess to be an expert, its purely based on my experiences..

I've been racing cars for nearly 30 years, started with autotesting, did a bit of clubman rallying and then after a long break went to do track days. I run a garage and have been a mechanic for 30 plus years but still admit to the fact I don't know it all and I'm open to new ideas and suggestions. I've raced lots of different cars from RWD to FWD and I regularly take instruction from the ARDS instructors on trackdays, worth every penny every time. I still have a lot to learn even after 30 years.

So here's a challenge, Here is 30 minutes of me hooning the Puma round Oulton Park. heres the spec of the car: polybushed suspension all round - cheap TA technix coilovers - ebay special 4-2-1 manifold - Hoffman race pipe and Miltek back box - running T1R tyres, standard Mintex brakes all round - yes drums on the rear - pair of cheap ebay bucket seats with cheap ebay 3 point harnesses. Yes some stripping of the interior but sound deadening still in place and I estimate its still around 950kg. Rolling roaded at 118bhp so not breaking any records - not even up to standard the whole car is still road legal and my daily drive.

The video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUimhPxySXY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - this shows an average lap time of 2.15 for the full Oulton circuit is anyone willing to give me some constructive criticsm of how I could be any quicker - how could I have any more fun - do I need to and does this not qualify me to give other people real advice on how to achieve something similar on a budget of under £1000.

Yes I could throw £5k at the car and be up there with the proper racers, but why? Does it make me a better person? _ I would rather be a better driver with a cheaper lower powered car and gloat over those who have invested thousand for power but not skill - ~I would rather impart my budget bodges to people to help them have fun than run the gaulet of critics that say - no you need to do this that and the other....

Tell me something constructive about my driving, give me some cheap tips to get more from my car and I will be forever greatful - tell me I need £600 worth of tyres, £700 of LSD and £1000's on engine mods and I'm just not interested - challenge laid down

Grate post

I can't claim to be an expert, i do the od trackday, maby once a year, or less... But i do like to study druving technics, and i do have a "simulator" in my game room

From what i can se in your video, there realy isn't to much to pick on, you put down werry consistant laps... If i were to be realy picky, i could say that there are some points where you could use more of the trackm and shave a few milli seconds... But that's it.. What i have learned, is to go out in out on turns, kissing the apex on both entry and exit.. I'm shure you already know this thoug like I sayd, i realy cant fault your driving

Personaly i would upgrade the brakes, if not bigger discs, then atleast uprated pads, for les fade, and later braking, but since you're not upping the power, there realy isn't any point to this either, a good service, and just make shure the brakes are working the way they are suposed to, might be in order thoug just to be shure, but again, i'm only telling you things you probably already know

There is one thing thoug... Weight balansing the car, making shure it's as balansed as it can be can shave some time off your lap times

And perhaps a splitter, i'we heard they can make a real difference

Ok, I’m not a mechanic with thirty years experience; I’ve never prepared a track car, raced or done track days.

My 2p worth (for what it’s worth) would be to ignore what other people say (especially those criticising the advice of an experienced racer) and carry on enjoying what you’re doing and are obviously very talented at.

Sure, get advice and tips from other racers but trust your instinct and experience, only you know your car and your ability.

Relax and enjoy it and even if the times don’t change you’ll always feel like you’re going quicker when you’re smiling.

(and post more videos)

now these are the types of post I was looking for - people talking sense and being constructive. Collective advice like this helps everyone gradually build up an idea of whats needed to have fun and drive well whilst improving the car.

Agree Cartman, bigger brakes will make a big difference, here's a little list of whats planned, albeit over a long timescale bit by bit.

Lose more weight - its free and increases power to weight ratio helps all round
lightened flywheel - improves acceleration out of the corners - bit expensive though and a long save
300mm brake conversion - later braking and less stress on the brakes removing any brake fade - although never suffered from it
Splitter - going to try it just to see if it does make a difference
maybe a remap to squeeze a little more power.

As for videos, got plenty on my Youtube channel here https://www.youtube.com/user/Maxtedsgarage/videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Been taking some flack for somewhere noobrider? Doubt there anyone on there that can provide better advice than the instructors so don't let it bug u. I for one would say I'm not a good track driver, I often declutch far too late, my rev matching is awful at the minute and I don't look ahead far enough. To be fair to myself I'm quite a noob and maybe ill become critical of myself in years to come but track days should always just be about fun (unless your testing the car for a race series) otherwise if your not grinning all the round and excited when coming into the pits telling your mates about your laps (no matter your budget for the car or how much power it has) your blatantly throwing your money away

http://www.drivingfast.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best way to make a car faster? Fix the nut behind the wheel!

Hiya sounds like yer doing it the best way, not going for overkill on spend and spending yer cash on track! imo anyway.. just inboxing you mate

yeah had a few numpties chatting about how the car need £1000s spending on it - how you need this and that and discussing trackdays like they were some kind of F1 series and they were chief technical designers and Lewis Hamiltons teacher....just got fed up of the overkill and wanted to bring stuff back to reality

I'll be ordering my first cheap bits at the weekend :wink: but i'm not arsed as i'm a one man band haha no pit crew or technical department.. Just me, me lad and t :wink: the pie shop haha

Meanwhile loads of motorbike stuff going on ebay to fund bits for the puma haha

As long as you're having fun, who gives a shit what anyone else thinks? They're just wasting their breath.

Dal said:

As long as you're having fun, who gives a shit what anyone else thinks? They're just wasting their breath.

Click to expand...

Yep thats the way i see it too :lol:

Noobrider said:

yeah had a few numpties chatting about how the car need £1000s spending on it - how you need this and that and discussing trackdays like they were some kind of F1 series and they were chief technical designers and Lewis Hamiltons teacher....just got fed up of the overkill and wanted to bring stuff back to reality

Click to expand...

Sound like a bunch of bobby bellends! No one 'needs' to do anything. I for one enjoy your project thread, think the mods are just right, along the lines of mine and you get on track a lot.

Track time is what its about - thats when you begin to understand what mods to do to get more fun. Its where you find out what works and what doesn't and its where you learn your driving skills.

Thats another thing, half of these know it alls haven't been on proper track day and base there driving abilities on how they race on public roads - they also measure their cars performance against other motors like this, really winds me up. I think, get out on track and I'll show you how to drive quick.

When we do a track day we generally do 200 miles on track, I generally get one of the instructors out with me to tidy my lines and technique and we take lots of video of each other to analyse how we drive the lines - but above all else we have fun for the entire day, it costs enough - get value for money

and thanks for the kind words

I just want people to be enthusiastic about their cars, yeah we all want more power but lets be realistic, if you have the sort of money to make a monster Puma, you have the money to buy something like a Westfield as a track toy, the whole point of a Puma track car is budget

buy a quaife LSD, you'll have more fun


Just kidding, I agree with your first post, for the whole point of a track day is first and foremost to have FUN! Learning a circuit and getting the most out of the car, lap times im not interested in, when your going faster you can feel it in the car.

I do enjoy spending money on my car and now that ive pretty much bought everything there is to buy for a puma I can now look at what was a waste of money and what wasnt.

Might I add if you'r getting a lightend flywheel, that you should get an upprated clutch as wel? an st150 clutch perhaps. I fitted one to mine, and it makes a big diferense when changing gears, where the old one could slip, this one just bites, and pulls...

I would add thoug, that lghtening the flywheel, can reduce the torque a little, but as you are reducing weight, it shouldn't be to noticable

I went for the 1.8 focus clutch, and specifically a Valeo one, been on the car for about 4 years now and has taken lots of abuse and its never once slipped. bullet proof!

You will always get your keyboard warriors where every you go. I get alot of b.s about building the rally car, your in the wrong class, u should be building something with at least 250bhp, u need a lsd etc.
But no I don't! I am building a 150bhp puma that I can upset a few people with. No I won't be able to go out and win the 2.0 class but I can go and have fun and that's all I want as its a hobby same as you track guys. My car will off cost less to build than a gearbox in an r2 car. Will I have less fun? No!
2 many b.s people out there who drive like idiots on the road and think pulling handbrake turns in car parks think they can drive.

Well there is my pov.

Ps Noob I enjoy your threads so keep them coming

seem to have attracted the right kind of people to this thread

Dont get me wrong, I appreciate those people with the skills and facilities to build monster cars but in reality its a bit like watching Topgear - yeah you appreciate the Zonda putting in a hot lap and the review about how they tweaked another 5bhp with a carbon fibre ashtray but in reality....none of us will ever get the chance to drive one let alone own one. Occassionally you just want something you can realistically aim for even if it takes a while to get there