Prawn and BigAls A3 Track Car

ReDBull said:
I know it's been to long but followed some of your progress on FB. I'm on page 118 so when I've finished watching breaking bad and have my evenings back again I'll have a read through it.
I'm hoping to get to inters but can't say for sure. I'd love to go if I can as it was good fun last year and I could do with a weekend of cars and beers. Have you practiced you launches?
Are you planning any track days up this way at all?
Click to expand...

We're doing a Curborough Sprint on Sunday May 25th if you're about?

Bedford on June 16th, and Goodwood on August 9th.

Replaced the silver tape today with black tape, and wrapped the whole air damn in black tape too as it was dead in multiple places!

Looking closely, the splitter has taken a fair beating since I've been using the 03G's on the road as it runs that few mm lower. There's a very slight crack in the splitter and a bit of delamination starting on the front edge where it's had a stone chip. nothing to worry about yet though, and it's still a long way off needing replacement.

i had thought the splitter would be a more disposable item, expecting to smash it off every few months, but this has done 8 months so far, I think I'll get more than a year out of it certainly!

Giving it a wash tonight so it's clean and shiney to roll to BTCC at Thruxton tomorrow :)

Will add pics later
 
Fuelled up, cleaned, and ready for Thruxton tomorrow and the BTCC :)





Airdam re-covered in black duct tape, I covered it end to end to keep the finish uniform, and to be honest it really doesn't stand out at all. I may use duct tape in future to seal if to the bumper and splitter also.



Damage to the splitter:



really not bad considering it's been on through winter and survived 8 months of abuse so far!
 
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I think it is a cracking idea to take the track car. If Plato breaks down he can borrow it.
 
Should of lent the car to Rob Holland, no one would have noticed surely :p

I'm hoping to get to oultan park, current btcc and historic!
 
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"If Plato breaks down, he can borrow it" Shouldn't have said that.
 
So, we went to Thruxton yesterday to watch the BTCC. it seemed only right that I went in the A3 of course :)

If you look really closely, you can just about make out George Michael in the passenger seat, that was the music sorted for the drive there :laugh:



Could we look any more dodgy cruising down the A303 like this?



parked up in the field, and seemed to get lots of attention from people walking into the paddock:



I came back later in the day, and found a family stood around having a good look at it.

''Look Michael, it's got a front spoiller just like the Touring cars''

''That's not a spoiler Mum, it's a proper plywood Splitter just like the Touring cars!''

Made my day :racer:



Within about 4 seconds of getting through the gates, i had 'wing envy' with an merc A45 demo car at the entrance. Interestingly simple wing mounting system on this one, although very secure still:







Lukey appeared to be enjoying himself:




My wing envy continued throughout the entire day!







After all 3 races, instead of sitting in the traffic trying to leave, we headed back into the paddock, where all the cars were sat in the pitlane whilst the teams cleared away their kit. This gave us a good chance to have a real snoop around all the cars

Gorgeous seat in Matt Neals civic. I think I've seen one similar somewhere before....



These things were an absolute work of art inside:



Check out how the tunnel has been widened to allow a more central driving position for weight distribution:






All of them were just awesome:








I had a good look over Andy Jordans civic too, absolutely stunning in the flesh. The level of prep on all these cars is just fantastic.

Properly loved the stickers on the steering wheel too:



So much so that I had a mess about with some spare stickers I found in my door pocket this evening :laugh:



Feeling well and truly in the mood for it, I went out for a proper thrash this evening.

Bank holiday Monday, ~370bhp to lay down, through Dunlops finest road legal rubber, on Hampshires quiet country roads.....

What more could I possibly ask for?




Just need a steering wheel hook now so I can hang the wheel on the wall along with my other 'artwork' :racer:

 
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So, we went to Thruxton yesterday to watch the BTCC. it seemed only right that I went in the A3 of course :)

If you look really closely, you can just about make out George Michael in the passenger seat, that was the music sorted for the drive there :laugh:



Could we look any more dodgy cruising down the A303 like this?



parked up in the field, and seemed to get lots of attention from people walking into the paddock:



I came back later in the day, and found a family stood around having a good look at it.

''Look Michael, it's got a front spoiller just like the Touring cars''

''That's not a spoiler Mum, it's a proper plywood Splitter just like the Touring cars!''

Made my day :racer:



Within about 4 seconds of getting through the gates, i had 'wing envy' with an merc A45 demo car at the entrance. Interestingly simple wing mounting system on this one, although very secure still:







Lukey appeared to be enjoying himself:




My wing envy continued throughout the entire day!







After all 3 races, instead of sitting in the traffic trying to leave, we headed back into the paddock, where all the cars were sat in the pitlane whilst the teams cleared away their kit. This gave us a good chance to have a real snoop around all the cars

Gorgeous seat in Matt Neals civic. I think I've seen one similar somewhere before....



These things were an absolute work of art inside:



Check out how the tunnel has been widened to allow a more central driving position for weight distribution:






All of them were just awesome:








I had a good look over Andy Jordans civic too, absolutely stunning in the flesh. The level of prep on all these cars is just fantastic.

Properly loved the stickers on the steering wheel too:



So much so that I had a mess about with some spare stickers I found in my door pocket this evening :laugh:



Feeling well and truly in the mood for it, I went out for a proper thrash this evening.

Bank holiday Monday, ~370bhp to lay down, through Dunlops finest road legal rubber, on Hampshires quiet country roads.....

What more could I possibly ask for?




Just need a steering wheel hook now so I can hang the wheel on the wall along with my other 'artwork' :racer:

 
That looks like the mini chasing down the track car at Brunnchen.
 
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I've got a question for you. Youve got the power output and the brakes sorted. What have you done with the transmission to handle all the extra power? Have you swapped out the DMF for a solid single replacement and clutch kit? If you did, hows it lasting?

Prawn said:
Having spoken to a few people recently, ABS is staying.

In the wet it's a nice safeguard and a warning you're pushing too hard, and in the dry we have so much grip it's not kicking in anyway, so I'm happy to leave it for now certainly.

there's a pistonheads pub club meet this evening at the West Meon Hut from 7pm if anyone half local fancied a trip out :) I'll be there
Click to expand...
 
BYD said:
What have you done with the transmission to handle all the extra power? Have you swapped out the DMF for a solid single replacement and clutch kit? If you did, hows it lasting?
Click to expand...

We have an 02M 6 speed box fitted these days, with a peloquin ATB LSD fitted with APR bolts. The clutch is a 6 paddle ceramic plate with an uprated pressure plate, all mounted to a lightened single mass steel flywheel :)

It's going very well so far. After countless issue on the old 5 speed setup (7 gearboxes!) it seems we've finally got something that's working for us :)
 
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You have been busy scraping your knuckles £'s. All done in your little shed on stands, surely not! Did this incarnation bolt together straight out of the box, or you played with the bunsen burner? I must get around to a covert gander one outing.
Keep up the good work:whip:. The joys of staying nineteen:sly:.
Does the wife know who you are?

Prawn said:
We have an 02M 6 speed box fitted these, with a peloquin ATB LSD fitted with APR bolts. The clutch is a 6 paddle ceramic plate with an uprated pressure plate, all mounted to a lightened single mass steel flywheel :)

It's going very well so far. After countless issue on the old 5 speed setup (7 gearboxes!) it seems we've finally got something that's working for us :)
Click to expand...
 
BYD said:
All done in your little shed on stands, surely not!

Did this incarnation bolt together straight out of the box, or you played with the bunsen burner?

I must get around to a covert gander one outing.

Keep up the good work:whip:. The joys of staying nineteen:sly:.
Does the wife know who you are?
Click to expand...

All done my my driveway with axle stands yup, pretty much the whole thing aside from the current turbo fitment which we did at Ben Parsons workshop to make downpipe making easier :) I'm waiting until I get to build a proper man cave before the real in depth work starts!

6 speed conversion was reasonably straight forward, shafts, starter, engine mount, and a few other bits. A bit of wiring for the speed sensor, and I adapted my VWMS shifter setup to suit the 6 speed lever arms.

Feel free to pop over and say hello any time if you're local :)

I'd love to be 19 again too :laugh: I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend who doesn't mind me doing all this stuff, and I did take her out for lunch yesterday so I'm in the good books :laugh:
 
Nick, measure the depth and width of yours, I may just have something in the shed that will be of use to you
 
You need to make best friends with Simon McBeath? Suppliers to the petrol head glitterati! Picnic tables not offered. They did the work on the koenigsegg for top gear. How effective and practical smaller wings can be. All in the form and the Maths?
 
Munch said:
Nick, measure the depth and width of yours, I may just have something in the shed that will be of use to you
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I like the sound of this! :eyebrows:

Current wing is 1250mm wide, but the chord front to rear is just 120mm.

Width wise it's about right for the car, could happily go a little more or a touch less even. it's the depth of the wing front to rear that just seems too tiny really.

What have you my good man? If it's suitable I'm sure we could come to some arrangement :)
 
I posted on here and my thread (to you) about touring car spares but you didn't seem to see it both times. Tony @ touringcarspares.com might be able to help if you want something genuine. He can also assist with your tyre fetish ;)
 
Sam_ said:
I posted on here and my thread (to you) about touring car spares but you didn't seem to see it both times. Tony @ touringcarspares.com might be able to help if you want something genuine. He can also assist with your tyre fetish ;)
Click to expand...

Sorry Sam! Didn't intentionally miss it!

I've heard of Touring Car Spares before, they seem to have some wicked stuff in :)

I'll see what Munch has and if it's suitable, and if not I'll drop Tony a line :) they currently have a 96' Mondeo rear wing for just £1500!!!!
 
As in you cant go 5 mins without buying something and not lack of doing it!
 
It's all about development for as little as possible and experimentation. Hopefully all this will be of help to others in the same sphere.

I said recently that the faster the car goes, the better it holds the road, obviously there is driver input there, but there will be a break point, and I have to say I don't wish to reach it. Especially at the high speed cornering this car is capable of. I'm OLD.

When the roof wing went on, there was considerable objection to it, BUT it worked, and that was the point of it, so lets get into the next stage.
 
Yeh for sure! But cheap as pos for you guys doenst mean cheap. Or not often lol. If the spoiler works then it goes on. I wanna see the car with a spoiler mounted like those btcc ones. They look awesome!!!
 
bigal 1 said:
When the roof wing went on, there was considerable objection to it, BUT it worked, and that was the point of it.
Click to expand...

That's because it looked ****** stupid with just the wing and no splitter :laugh: I really didn't like the look at all. but it worked. so as you said. it stayed.

Now, with the splitter, it just looks wrong WITHOUT the wing. I've grown to love it :racer:



daz-20vt said:
I wanna see the car with a spoiler mounted like those btcc ones. They look awesome!!!
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Don't worry Daz, we are working on it , thanks to this very kind man \/ \/ \/ :)

Munch said:
Pm'd back......hopefully it's a better solution ;)
Click to expand...

We will come up with something I'm sure :)
 
Cool. Looking forward to seeing the next step. Car would look awesome with a spoiler with those mounts. Like you say with the splitter it will all suit. Really becoming a mental car this one!!


Also munch while handing stuff out im in need of a 3 inch cat back please mate :whistle2:
 
Mental price, even though we have done it ourselves, (Nicholas) and sourced goods at very good prices. I would hate to think what it would have cost if taken to specialist builder. Mind you if starting afresh now, we have so much more knowledge and it would be a clean sheet and could just go for it. There has been a lot of experimentation and that is costly. :whistle2:
 
bigal 1 said:
There has been a lot of experimentation and that is costly. :whistle2:
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Sure is, including what it left the factory with, the car is on it's 6th set of brake calipers now, not including disc size / type changes on several of those either, 5th turbo, 8th gearbox, 5th set of suspension, second engine, 4th steering rack, the list goes on!

Inside, we're on the 7th set of seats in my ownership! 4th steering wheel, 3rd gear shifter, it just goes on and on....

Scary when you look at it like that!
 
OMG How many drive shafts.??? I don't think I have enough fingers to count that one. That's scary.
 
Busy day today, but not on mine for a change!

Tony came over, my fellow big gay wing twin:



Spent most of the day on this position:



And that's about it :laugh:

Took tony for a spin in the car, somehow he's never been in it before.

He was looking pretty cool about it all, until I opened it up properly and he grabbed the roll cage to hang on :racer:

Good day.
 
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Prawn said:
Sure is, including what it left the factory with, the car is on it's 6th set of brake calipers now, not including disc size / type changes on several of those either, 5th turbo, 8th gearbox, 5th set of suspension, second engine, 4th steering rack, the list goes on!

Inside, we're on the 7th set of seats in my ownership! 4th steering wheel, 3rd gear shifter, it just goes on and on....

Scary when you look at it like that!
Click to expand...


This is exactly what i mean!! Hahaha
Is this tony fella on here?
 
So any news on the spoiler or is it a wait till its on for pics situation?
 
Im back!! Gutted mate!!! Hahaha. Oh well i got 2 weeks to to fit my sump and sriip more weight. Not forgetting sorting doorcards!!
 
Page 3 i had to go to find this!!
Sort it out!!

Did you book?
Any spoiler news/updates?
 
daz-20vt said:
Page 3 i had to go to find this!!
Sort it out!!

Did you book?
Any spoiler news/updates?
Click to expand...

Bedford booked yes :)

Wing offered kindly by Ben sadly wasn't suitable for our car :( sad face :(

Found a few other wing options, but they can wait for now.

Hoping to do some work on it this weekend. Want to reinforce the wishbone mounting points on the subframe, and soften the front ARB and maybe even do some experimenting with dampers depending on how i get on.
 
Image

:thumbsup:
 
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