StevieB
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| posted on 29/8/11 at 08:53 AM |
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Thinking about PPC £999 challenge...
Has anyone ever done this (apart from Owelly, who I know has)?
I've thought about it on and off for a while and have decided I should probably just give it a go.
I've had a look at the options available for cars and have come up with a few possibilities:
1. A cheap, old kit (maybe a Dutton Phateon or possibly one of the old boxy ginetta's that go for not a lot of money) and obviously chuck in a
cheap, better engine (like a zetec or maybe CBR1000F)
2. Buy any old decentish car with a reasonable engine, strip it back in every way possibly to save weight and see how it goes. Obvious choices are
MX5 and MR2, maybe MGF.
I though about whether a Locost could really be built for less than £1000 (Mr Champion reckoned £250 after all, so £1k should be easy  ) but I think
the cost of IVA alone would be too much.
I think the biggest appeal is the ability to build a car within a budget (and having rules means the usual 'budget stretch' will be kept
in check) and I could end up with a car that can do some track days afterwards (and beforewards too).
ETA:
I'd be aiming for next year, not this year (getting a bit short on time!)
[Edited on 29/8/11 by StevieB]
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hillbillyracer
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| posted on 29/8/11 at 09:32 AM |
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I'm doing it, done all bar the first one or two events & it's good fun, done the first couple with a 1275 Mini & then a 1.8 Astra
which were nothing like winning but far from last! Still time to get into this years event, even if you dont get time to do anything more than strip a
bit of weight out from an ebay find etc & then develop it a bit for next year! Dont take it too seriously & dont take the wee with the budget
in that what you've done should be achievable for the average petrolhead (or the rest of us will take the wee with you  ). Just about all the
folk I've met doing it have been good company, makes it such a lot more than just turning up & competing with your car.
Last year & this I'm co-entering it with a mate, splits the costs & jobs on the car plus you've someone of like mind with you.
Like you suggest we've got trackdays in mind too, we bought a mk3 Astra 2.0 from ebay for £250, took it to Mallory for PPC in the Park & did
4 sessions each with it. Over 120 miles flat out in a car that cost less than many people spend getting theirs serviced!
MX5 & MR2 have both featured a bit in the past & done well. I'd avoid big stuff with big engines & all the weight stipped out as
they can be quick up the dragstrip but useless on the handling course!
The Kit car route has appeal but it'd need to be someting ready registered & that will likely mean it'll be an old shed of a thing
needing a lot of time & the ones on ebay etc make plenty due to folk trying to use the ID to avoid the IVA.
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iank
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| posted on 29/8/11 at 10:41 AM |
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I'm sure I read somewhere on one of the ppc forums that IVA cost didn't need to be included but I can't find any reference now, but
£999 is still not much for a road legal locost (unless you get lucky with an abandoned project).
Probably best to ask on their £999 challenge forum.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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owelly
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| posted on 30/8/11 at 09:52 PM |
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Steve, just buy something and enter. Buy anything you can find for whatever cash you want to spend then either take it as it is, or strip some weight
out of it. Go halves with someone (Mark/Coose/Doug?!??)to up the game a bit.
Jaffa (Tiny Trev) bought a £200 Fiat Cinquiunpronouncable and took the back seats out and had an absolute hoot. He then sold it for £200...
Don't forget, you can't come last if I'm there..... 
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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StevieB
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| posted on 30/8/11 at 10:21 PM |
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I'm a little annoyed that I sold my midget as it would've been perfect (and a good excuse to get it put together on a budget) - it cost
£500 and I sold £250 of bits that weren't really needed. (would've been poo and slow though, and a shame to potentially bodge together
what was the basis of a very good restoration)
I might see what I can find for not a lot of money, though last minute logistics might be a bit of an issue for this year (can I sell my Saab turbo to
myself for £999? )
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owelly
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| posted on 30/8/11 at 10:22 PM |
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No, but you can buy another for a couple of hundred quid.....
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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owelly
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| posted on 30/8/11 at 10:26 PM |
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First one I found ont bay...
Check out this item I found on eBay:
***1999 SAAB 9-3 SE TURBO SILVER TAX AND LONG MOT***
Link: ***1999 SAAB 9-3 SE TURBO SILVER TAX AND LONG MOT*** | eBay
(Sent from eBay Mobile for Android)
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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owelly
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| posted on 30/8/11 at 10:31 PM |
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No reverse but who goes backwards on a drag strip?
Check out this item I found on eBay:
SAAB 900 SE Turbo 1994
Link: SAAB 900 SE Turbo 1994 | eBay
(Sent from eBay Mobile for Android)
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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StevieB
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| posted on 31/8/11 at 08:36 AM |
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I've been looking at mg zs v6's - 175bhp, should have decent enough brakes and suspension and can be had for less that a grand. Would
maybe make for a decent enough track car afterwards too.
That's one for next year though...
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FlansS14
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| posted on 31/8/11 at 09:12 AM |
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Do It! its a right laugh.
Like owelly says its about the people too, Everyone is there to have a laugh. My mate "borrowed" his Mrs's car without telling
her.... she was not happy
Ive done it for the past few years. Last year i did it in a Celica GT4 that i bought smashed up off the trusty E-bay. Despite a few people saying it
was over budget and "not in the interest of the challenge" i had lots of fun with my mates... the broken trophy was a bonus
This year i have a £250 Clio 16V with a duff gearbox i might enter.... Maybe drop a saab turbo in the back or something.
but time is running out ay
Why didn't i just make it simple!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 31/8/11 at 09:56 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
I've been looking at mg zs v6's - 175bhp, should have decent enough brakes and suspension and can be had for less that a grand. Would
maybe make for a decent enough track car afterwards too.
That's one for next year though...
Nice enough cars, reasonably quick and excellent handling but with typical late Rover quality issues e.g. door handles coming off in your hand. Most
cheap ones will be needing the timing belts changed (3 of them!) which is a fairly unpleasant and time consuming job that requires the special cam
locking kit.
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hillbillyracer
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| posted on 31/8/11 at 06:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
I might see what I can find for not a lot of money, though last minute logistics might be a bit of an issue for this year (can I sell my Saab turbo to
myself for £999? )
If you already own the car & have done for a good while the fact it cost you more than a grand doesnt really matter so long as you can give
reasonable proof that it could be bought today under budget. A few ebay & classified ads for cars of the same model & spec with comparable
age, mileage & condition would see most folk happy.
I considered running my mk2 Golf GTI a few years ago, it was £1 over budget as it cost me £1000 but I'd had it for years & did in fact sell
it shortly later for £900!
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 31/8/11 at 06:56 PM |
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ive competed too .
youll need more time to prepare a proper banger.
buy something with a turbo , you put an mbc on it .
jap power seems to be a good all rounder
my vote is volvo 360 with 2 litre b200 - swap turbo b230 in it , weld torque tube up , so the splines dont bleep up .
or a turbo 240
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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StevieB
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| posted on 1/9/11 at 10:26 AM |
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Isn't the 360 front wheel drive? I would really like a rwd car if possible but not that many choices out there really. Hence thinking about a
dutton phaeton (with anime engine, naturally)
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 1/9/11 at 11:10 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
Isn't the 360 front wheel drive?
No, it's RWD with a rear mounted transaxle and De-Dion rear suspension. Quite an interesting machine really, though rather dull to drive in
standard form.
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HowardB
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| posted on 1/9/11 at 11:14 AM |
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I had one as my second car 360glt, skinny road tyres, great car to learn in!
The saloon variant was very undervalued. If I recall correctly one of the car mags ran a series on swapping in the bigger turbo engines. Called
something like Volvo , wolf in sheeps clothing,.. sorry I can't be more specific but I've been to sleep since then,..
hth
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
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StevieB
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| posted on 1/9/11 at 01:14 PM |
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My mum had 360 when I was a kid - i've always just assumed it was a boring old shitter. I remember reading an article a while ago about a 360
with a Saab turbo engine - I assumed the rear wheel drive was a conversion rather than standard.
I shall investigate further and see what I can find along those lines
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 1/9/11 at 09:03 PM |
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well if you find a car for about £200 youll come in well under budget .
ive got a turbo engine and motronic software going cheap.
4x100 pcd alloys too ,lots of choice there .
leaf springs at back , make some lowering blocks .
coils at front , quite cheap new .
leave the brakes.
just make sure you check the torque tube , and the welds for the gearstick , you should be fine.
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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StevieB
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| posted on 1/9/11 at 09:39 PM |
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One things that springs to mind is actually finding a 360 for sale at all, never mind a turbo version.
There's a few Saab turbos at decent enough prices, but I'm not sure that'd be such a great track car. My daily tin top is a 2006
9-3 Aero and it's bloody quick in a straight line but torque steer is a nightmare and it can get a bit messy through the corners. I thought it
was the tyres but recently replaced all 4 corners with some T1R's and it's still not great.
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