thinking of tracking my s3

[Mpathe]

I'm thinking of tracking my s3 as there not worth that much nowadays and has been stood since febuary so I'm tying to think of the bits I can't take off and sell, leaving me a lighter track s3. also how much do full leather interiors go for these days?

 

[dancupra225]

Depend on what like good set 600 quid eBay research

 

[Alex C]

depends on the condition really, a good set may fetch £600, have a look on ebay.....

 

[jojo]

Is this a 'what's it worth' thread?

 

[Prawn]

sounds like fun

Just don't make the mistake of going into it thinking it won't cost a lot.....

Preparing a track car from an A3/S3 is NOT cheap, not even slightly.

It's fun though

 

[Westy]

sounds like fun

Just don't make the mistake of going into it thinking it won't cost a lot.....

Preparing a track car from an A3/S3 is NOT cheap, not even slightly.

It's fun though

There's nothing wrong in stripping out an S3 and then doing track days. Don't expect it to handle well or stop well but there's no harm in doing just that.

Selling your interior should fund bucket seats, minting brackets, and harnesses at a minimum.

 

[Prawn]

Selling your interior should fund bucket seats, minting brackets, and harnesses at a minimum.

Not properly man!

Harnesses alone will be £200-250, and the cheapest seats I can think off are £300 a pair. Cheapest side mounts available are £50 per seat, then there's a LOT of labour involved in fitting runners into the shell to bolt them to.

Then you're left with a car that'll handle like a sack of ****, won't go that well, and will hardly stop

This trackday lark is not cheap in the slightest!

 

[Westy]

Not properly man!

Harnesses alone will be £200-250, and the cheapest seats I can think off are £300 a pair. Cheapest side mounts available are £50 per seat, then there's a LOT of labour involved in fitting runners into the shell to bolt them to.

Then you're left with a car that'll handle like a sack of ****, won't go that well, and will hardly stop

This trackday lark is not cheap in the slightest!

You've just totalled up £600, the goin price for a mint S3 interior

 

[16Klappe]

You've just totalled up £600, the goin price for a mint S3 interior

Nobody actually pays that sort of money, I was offered and foolishly turned down an immaculate full electric set of Recaros with door cards and arm rest for £250 a couple of months back.

They rarely sell for more than £400 anymore in the best of conditions

 

[Prawn]

*******

A whole S3 is only worth about 2.5k these days, are the interiors really worth £600!?!

Having had bad experiences myself, I'd want to fit better seats myself.

 

[Alex C]

i have no idea whats its worth, i just retyped what i read

 

[16Klappe]

Then you're left with a car that'll handle like a sack of ****, won't go that well, and will hardly stop

Yeah but if you put a Haldex Controller on them they're amazing!

 

[.Ben.]

Any Mk4-platform car will need a lot of work & cash to make it suitable for the track.

Why not save a boat-load of cash & just get a £1.5-2k Clio 172? Great out of the box & cost peanuts to run & fix if you break it.

 

[Prawn]

Any Mk4-platform car will need a lot of work & cash to make it suitable for the track.

Why not save a boat-load of cash & just get a £1.5-2k Clio 172? Great out of the box & cost peanuts to run & fix if you break it.

Why didn't someone tell me this 2 years ago

 

[Jason.s]

Where's the fun in being a sheep though? Everyman and his dog buys a Clio or mx5. You'll be just another face in the crowd instead of THAT guy in the awesome Audi lol. Much like Prawn is THAT guy. Much like Combe where he was dicking evos and scoobies. If he were in a Clio it'd just be meh but in an a3 which nobody expects its more wtf was that Audi how what where when...and it'll forever be remembered.

 

[Prawn]

You'll be just another face in the crowd instead of THAT guy in the awesome Audi lol. Much like Prawn is THAT guy ...and it'll forever be remembered.

This is my favourite post, in the world, ever

Sorry for my S3 bashing, I don't really mean it.

I think with the right choice of mods an S3 could make a great track car, it's just that nobody on the forum has taken that plunge yet, Westy and Stacey are stood at the top of the cliff holding hands, ready to jump, but can't seem to decide who's going to jump first!

When it happens, I'm sure it'll be great

 

[Essflee]

I'm thinking of tracking my s3 as there not worth that much nowadays and has been stood since febuary so I'm tying to think of the bits I can't take off and sell, leaving me a lighter track s3. also how much do full leather interiors go for these days?

looking at the mods you already have it'll be a fun car to track.

You could sell the ch alloys, the interior, the Andy mac sub, just gut the car and make it as light as possible !

 

[burns3]

Any Mk4-platform car will need a lot of work & cash to make it suitable for the track.

Why not save a boat-load of cash & just get a £1.5-2k Clio 172? Great out of the box & cost peanuts to run & fix if you break it.

Its more when it breaks than if it breaks though I would say.

 

[Westy]

The OP hasn't even stated anything about going mental and making a proper track car. He just said he's thinking of tracking the car so I gets used. Every time I've been on a public track day I've seen bog standard cars going round. The guy really doesn't need to go spending thousands!!!

 

[Jason.s]

Yeah look at the guy in the 20yr old jag xj with like 80 profile tyres that was at Bedford. You see all sorts and I'd say even a standard s3 is going to be better on track than an old sh!tter like that

 

[16Klappe]

Its more when it breaks than if it breaks though I would say.

Denied.

I have friends who have had RS's for years as track toys, thrashing them a couple of times a month and using them as daily drivers. If serviced at 6k intervals and with the timing belt and pulleys done at appropriate times there is no reason for them to be any more unreliable than our 1.8t's.

My 172 RS was one of the most fun cars I have ever owned, one owner from new with full main dealer history it was immaculate other than a small scuff on the front wing. I paid a grand for it, put a rear ARB on it and remapped it myself with an RSTuner. It made 184bhp on a RR with good torque for a nonturbo engine, it out handled any Mk4 platform car I have ever driven other than Prawns track car, had an addictive red line and was great on fuel and easy to run and live with. In terms of speed mine wasn't all that far off an S3, compared to a standard one it was certainly quicker. It was more than capable of keeping up with my current A3 at the time.

The F4R is an excellent engine, a faster mean piston speed than the Renault F1 engine of the year and fully balanced internals.

The only problem with RS Clio's is the owners being chavvy kids, luckily skint people are struggling to pay the insurance on them and they are regaining a good image. People who run them into the ground and abuse them are the issue, if you join forums lime cliotrophy you will find the same sort of owners as our S3 lot on here, more respectable middle aged men who want a toy car to play with and enjoy.

I won't have a bad word said about RS's, they are a well built and reliable car with huge character and great performance.

People who say they are just a Renault are mugs, they were all built in the Dieppe factory by Alpine. And as such really are something special.

If you want a cheap track car that will reward you every time you drive it then here it is, capable out the box and ready to go on track. Why make it harder for yourself when you can buy something like this for a grand which will be better round a uk track than an S3 with 5x as much invested in it-

 

[s3dave]

Renaults Are crap.....FACT.....

 

[16Klappe]

Renaults Are crap.....FACT.....

FWD Megane fresh from the factory is quicker round the ring than any S3 has been. Can't argue with that.

Northeners are all crap; but there is always the odd exception.

 

[s3dave]

FWD Megane fresh from the factory is quicker round the ring than any S3 has been. Can't argue with that.

Northeners are all crap; but there is always the odd exception.

Ahh.... i forgot you had all the data of every car that has been around the ring.... my bad...

 

[16Klappe]

Ahh.... i forgot you had all the data of every car that has been around the ring.... my bad...

I do for closed lap official timing runs, as do you. It is all readily available on the internet for eveybody to view, you know me Dave I talk in facts not internet hearsay or youtube videos. In my eyes a closed lap official timing of the Ring is the only arguable measure of a cars true performance.

You know how much I fcnlove you Dave, lets not fall out over something silly. X

 

[.Ben.]

Jardo, I mentioned the RS because I remember you from Cliosport and because they're a great, cheap car that are massively capable & huge fun on track. The fact they are so cheap to buy belies what great cars they are.

I've had 2: a 172 Cup & a 172 with Cup upgrades (lightweight wheels, hubs and increased castor wishbones). Both were literally epic in stock or lightly modified form when used on track & would return 45+ mpg on a run.

I bought the S3 because I wanted something a bit more refined and grown up (I'm just about to turn 37!) & capable of carting the family around.

I would disagree on a few of your points though: The build quality and materials are often poor or below-expectation (the reason for the low weight) and no iteration of RS Clio that I've driven (172/ 172 Cup/ Trophy/ 200) would keep up with my current car in a straight line. Though obviously corners are a different matter...

 

[16Klappe]

I remember your name from CS too, strannnnge forum. Very clicky.

Build quality isn't amazing and the plastics feel cheap; but for a performance weekend toy or track car it doesn't matter. I got the same MPG figures as you.

My friend has a 182 cup with a Stone RS2 inlet and cams. Man I love that thing

 

[Westy]

Someone take Jardo back to the Clio forum please.

 

[dre_S3]

Renaults Are crap.....FACT.....

i have none of that lol i have 2 clio williams and there much more fun the a s3 yeah the build quality is no where near as good but for oldskool rawness and fun there great and handle well to

my mate on the williams forum has a williams 1 restored with a 1.8 bam engine and uprated turbo running at 320 bhp the thing is a beast and makes other fast cars looks stupid as it looks standard from outside and just leaves them the whole car only weighs just over ton

 

[.Ben.]

Yeah - CS... Useful resource with some great members but some have severe delusions of grandeur! C'est la vie. Good cars though.

 

[Jason.s]

I nearly bought a megane 225 before the civic until I thought I'd read up them on the net and the first thread I came across said about how dog sh!t the wiring is and many many forum threads followed. So bought the civic lol.

 

[dre_S3]

French and electrics have never mixed well to tell the truth

 

[16Klappe]

I nearly bought a megane 225 before the civic until I thought I'd read up them on the net and the first thread I came across said about how dog sh!t the wiring is and many many forum threads followed. So bought the civic lol.

The interior electrics on the meganes are such spaghetti, a friend of mine had his entire fuse board fall out in his hands and every single wire crack and split at the taped loom join. **** that!

When EP3's come down to £1500 they will be an excellent track car, when stripped they are a rocket. What spec was your CTR?

 

[s3dave]

You know how much I fcnlove you Dave, lets not fall out over something silly. X

Not falling out mate just doing a shift at the Harbour masters office....

 

[StaceyS3]

Sorry for my S3 bashing, I don't really mean it.

I think with the right choice of mods an S3 could make a great track car, it's just that nobody on the forum has taken that plunge yet, Westy and Stacey are stood at the top of the cliff holding hands, ready to jump, but can't seem to decide who's going to jump

Came extremely close to buying a pair of cobra missano's off of eBay on Sunday but when mentioned to the mrs she went ballistic lol

To the op....go for it you can have a lot of fun and don't have to go mad with the £££ can make a pretty big difference by just ripping as much as possible out

 

[Prawn]

Yawn.

This is a thread about Tracking an s3. Can we stop with all the Renault bashing/bumming?

this is Audi-sport. Nobody cares!

 

[s3 Hoggy]

Prawn = Legend

 

[Mpathe]

The plan is to strip it as much as possible, put some bucket seats in, fit a hybrid turbo and then take it on tracks and slowly make it better.Prawn I've had a flick through your thread and as I've made afew toys before I'm blaming you for putting the idea in my head lol, what else have you stripped off yours apart from the interior

ps Renault = o behave, I don't want any of that rubbish

 

[Prawn]

Looking at your spec list, it sounds like an already well sorted car.

Get it stripped out, fit some decent seats and harnesses, and a new steering wheel, and go enjoy!

 

[Jason.s]

What spec was your CTR?

Facelift, leather which is rarer than rocking horse shi.. Other usual options. Eibach springs, camber adjusters, atb diff, clutchmasters. Stage 3 clutch and flywheel, torque damper.