Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Snarks]

Hi,

I'm looking for some advice/thoughts/opinions.  As I said in an earlier post I've got a pair of Omegas and am looking to convert one to a more track focussed car.  The two I have are a 2.6 mv6 estate and a 2.2 sport.  Both are manual and are standard, currently.

I'm interested to hear which or the two I should use as the track car.  I'm thinking the 2.2 sport as it is less practical than the estate, it has the leather interior (which I can sell) and the dual mass flywheel on the 2.6 would drive me insane on the track.

Also any advice on (cost effective) spring and shocks (once the car is stripped) and brakes.

All advice gratefully received.  :

[Bojan]

How much 'track focussed car'?
Stripped out?
Or just some twaks and upgrades, without affecting comfortabily?

Will you use it as a daily runner?
Need air-con, heating?
Need back seats?

[tunnie]

I love my 2.2 to bits, but it's no basis for a track car. Only 3.0/3.2 really if you want to have any sort of "go"

[05omegav6]

I love my 2.2 to bits, but it's no basis for a track car. Only 3.0/3.2 really if you want to have any sort of "go"

Rubbish...  better availability as a manual, no servotronic steering, better engine upgrade options... Saab turbo or red top turbo both bolt straight in with minimum fuss...

A four pot might not have the outright grunt of the v6, but a gutted shell with a few choice engine mods will come close to the factory v6 power to weight ratio, and the fourpot is a rev happy engine so keeping it on the boil is easy enough

[Kevin Wood]

... plus, you can catch up on a few Z's down the main straight without going for a burton at the chicane.

[biggriffin]

I love my 2.2 to bits, but it's no basis for a track car. Only 3.0/3.2 really if you want to have any sort of "go"

Rubbish...  better availability as a manual, no servotronic steering, better engine upgrade options... Saab turbo or red top turbo both bolt straight in with minimum fuss...

A four pot might not have the outright grunt of the v6, but a gutted shell with a few choice engine mods will come close to the factory v6 power to weight ratio, and the fourpot is a rev happy engine so keeping it on the boil is easy enough

Tunnie doesn't do fast, that's why he doesn't have a 'fast black one'.
Your points are very valid. Turbo easier to tune.

[tunnie]

Plenty of V6 manuals about, out of the box 200bhp. Need to spend £££ to get 2.2 anywhere near V6 power output.

I do find it funny people commenting on my speed, having never met me, seen me drive or know history on my license.

[henryd]

Plenty of V6 manuals about, out of the box 200bhp. Need to spend £££ to get 2.2 anywhere near V6 power output.

I do find it funny people commenting on my speed, having never met me, seen me drive or know history on my license.

I think you can blame a certain Admin for that

[TheBoy]

know history on my license.

I'm told, as mine is, and always has been, clean, that it means nothing...


Back on topic, cost matters. For cheap 'n' cheerful track Omega, I think I'd start with a 3.0l manual, as readily available out of the box without spending a fortune on engine mods.  The brake/suspension mods will still be useful if a decent turbo comes up cheap.

[05omegav6]

Tempted to get a manual Desmond just to test the theory...

[deviator]

As above really, if you want out and out speed, then the 2.2 replaced with Slab turbo lump is the way to go. If you want the ease of not changing and engine then 3.0L.

[Bojan]

As for the engine, IMO you need a 3.0/3.2 as a starting base, and eventually tune it, do some modifications to it. If you want to start with a 4pot, of course you can, but in time you will want more power -> when this comes, don't go spending money on that engine, just get a stronger engine (V6 or a saab turbo).

If you want to make it fast around the track (with bends and curves, not a straight line), corrnering ability will be a major issue.
- springs/shocks - get a set of decent gas shocks (any 'next-to-cheapest' model from major manufacturers like bilstein, kyb will do), and some lowering springs (eibach or similar)-but dont go to low, some 30mm drop is more than engough.
- brakes - if you start with 4pot, you can upgrade to a V6 front disks/calipers (they are bigger) - also, get all rubber lines renewed, and new brake fluid
- bushings - usually needs renewal - for front axle, there are poly bushes availbale, but for rear there is none. Also, you can stiff up the rear end by repleacing big rear donut-bushes with solid ones (actually a piece of aluminum rod), but then you need to have this in mind when driving on poor roads.

Now, the big enemy of the speed and corrnering is the weight -> the more you loose it, the better. Also, the balance is very important, as well as reducing unsprung weights (everything in front of front axle and behind the rear axle -> you need to remove this, or move it towards the center of the car.
- bumper supports - drill as many holes on them (make it look like a swiss cheese)
- battery - relocate it to trunk (but next to the firewal, above the rear axle) and get a small-batery
- air-con - compressor, radiator, two fans in front, lines and small cabin radiator
- heater matrix, coolant lines towards it, HBV
- sound-deathing/insullation in cabin - everything below carpets, as all that insullation sums up to 20kg.
- front seats - omega seats are very heavy (around 30kg each) - repleace with lighter ones (will address this more)
- rear bench - if you don't plan to drive anybody in the rear seats, remove them, along with seat belts, and everything installed in doors (window lifters and rails, installation, disconnect the outside door-knob, remove the central locking actuator, door-lock pin and rod connecting it with a door lock) just leaving the inside door knob - you will be able to open the door only from inside.
- all unnecessary wires and installations
- airducts towards the rear of the vehicle (below the front seats, and inside the mid consolde)
- sunroof - if you have one, replace it with a metal or plexy sheet
- door cards and floor carpets - leave them in, as they all several kg all together, and car looks way better with them.

Front seats -> you can use bucket seats, which are light, and give a great support. But they are also very inpractical for every day use (hard to get in and out). Other option is to get a omega sport seats, and get rid of the adjustment mechanisms (it has several kg) by welding seat base to rail.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

There cant be many worse cars to use as a basis for a track car. Far too big, heavy, and no obvious cheap options for serious power upgrades.
If it must be done then stripping every possible gram of weight out is the way forward I suppose. It would be interesting to know the weight of the car before and after this is done. I suspect there would be potential for losing hundreds of KG,s.

[Kevin Wood]

There cant be many worse cars to use as a basis for a track car. Far too big, heavy...

Well, there is that. "I wouldn't have started here".

A rotten MX 5 is probably an infinitely better starting point for a cheap track slag. Patch up the rust, change the oil and you're good to go.

Might want a roll bar, of course, but you get the idea. Reducing the weight by 700kg kinda kills any arguments over 2.2 or 3.2.

[deviator]

There cant be many worse cars to use as a basis for a track car. Far too big, heavy...

Well, there is that. "I wouldn't have started here".

A rotten MX 5 is probably an infinitely better starting point for a cheap track slag. Patch up the rust, change the oil and you're good to go.

Might want a roll bar, of course, but you get the idea. Reducing the weight by 700kg kinda kills any arguments over 2.2 or 3.2.

I disagree, whilst the handling out of the box (maybe with a standard refresh) is awesome, the power is lacking and to get a MX5 up to track power and reliability will add at least 2k in the form of a turbo or sc. It then becomes far from cheap. The mx5 is great for lower speed car control, such as Autosolo - hence the reason I use them, but on a straight, everything will own you.

For low budget track fun, you really can't beat the clit 172/182 era of car. The early ones are sub 1k now. I've been told of a track built clit were the owner went a little mad with the weight reduction and managed about 700Kg total weight.